1996 Cutlass electrical gremlins

[Ben Cartwright]

Wifes car: 1996 Oldsmobile cutlass supreme 3.1L, 64,000 miles, owned since new, no accidents. Tilt wheel, multifunction signal stalk.

 

Have had some sort of electrical problem over the last several months that keeps expanding and getting worse. The typical m/o is that the problem will start out being intermittent and then progresses to complete failure over a number of weeks.

 

- The, 'you don't have your seat belt' indicator on the dash started out with intermittent failures and now doesn't work at all.

 

- The door locks would not lock when the vehicle reaches X speed (or the door is closed), and will not unlock when the key is turned to off, though you can still lock and unlock using the button on the door. For awhile the door locks would just lock and/or unlock on their own while driving or sitting idle at a light, now they don't even do that. (but the button on the door still works)

 

- The radio volume on the dash radio has intermittent failures, yet the volume button on the steering wheel works fine.

 

- The 'you have left your lights on' chime when you turn off the ignition no longer works.

 

- Yesterday the left turn signal started intermittently failing to work, multiple times during a short drive. You will turn it on and it won't work, then try again a short time later and it works. When it's in the not working mode you can push and hold the lever in the lane change position and the indicator light will light and stay on steady as long as you hold the lever there.

 

I scanned it with my obdII reader and of course it shows no trouble codes.

 

These problems started with the door lock deal and started up around the time we had a week of sub freezing temps a couple months ago.

 

I seem to recall potential problems with the turn signal stock on these cars but I don't know if that could be tied in with the door lock, radio volume, and seat belt indicator?

 

Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.

 

History as it relates to electrical type issues:

- At 14,000 miles the dealer replaced the pcm due to an intermittent no-start problem.

 

- The car has always burnt out headlights at a rate which seems higher than normal. All connections are clean and free of corrosion.

 

- The car has had the alternator replaced twice in the 64K.

 

- The car seems to go through rear turn signal bulbs more frequently than typical. Last year there was a similar intermittent right turn signal problem but it went away by itself. All connections are clean and free of corrosion.

 

Thanks

[Ben Cartwright]

Update on one of the issues:

 

I messed with the turn signals some more this morning and the left side is still intermittent. When it doesn't work, flipping to the right turn and back to the left usually gets the left working again. In addition, one time when I had it on left turn and it was not working I pulled the stalk back (high beams) and the left turn started working. Since then the left turn has worked through 10 cycles so far.

 

Based on this highly technical testing I'm going to call the stalk bad and replace it. Seems like about $80 from gmparts direct. Probably need special tools for the lock plate and steering wheel bolts but I may have those made from a previous steering wheel battle on another gm car of the same year. Whether I can find where I put those tools is the real question.

 

Not sure on the other problems but the signals are the most urgent.

[slick]

http://tss.likeabigdog.com/

[rockfangd]

Ok what you need to do for the seatbelt light and other related issues is pull the floor trim at the left front near the park brake pedal and look for damaged wiring,pinched wiring,ETC...