Author Topic: Dead achieva (Read 1775 times)

luchi · « **on:** June 16, 2005, 08:28:10 pm »

I have a 1997 olds achieva that when I go to start it, none of the dash lights will come on. The bad thing is that the car won't start until I get the panel lights to come on. If I leave the key in the start position long enough the lights will finally come on and the car will start. I have tried everything, and invested alot of money on it and still no luck. Can any one help?

Smainville · « **Reply #1 on:** June 16, 2005, 08:47:51 pm »

How much is a lot of money?

luchi · « **Reply #2 on:** June 16, 2005, 09:46:53 pm »

I have put in a new ignition switch, new battery, new battery cables, new starter cylinoid, new fuse links, and a new dash panel. all said and done, I would say I have spent almost 600.

Shnak · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2005, 09:56:19 pm »

Well $600 isn't that outrageous for a 8 year old car...

Barrie will probably come around to answer your question. GMs are his speciality!

barrie1 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2005, 10:06:52 pm »

Luchi Welcome to the Forum, Sounds like you have covered most of the normal bases with this repair already. Is this the Digital Dash in your car Please? I definitely suspect a short in your wiring harness if not the Digital Dash going bad on you. Something is definitely drawing the power away from where its needed. Please examine the grounds on your car, The one at the Battery and the one that attaches the engine to the firewall. Have you checked your fuse panel as well for any moisture problems. I suspect a loose ground or problem with one. Do you have access to a code reader for this car as that should give a true answer.

(Message edited by barrie1 on June 16, 2005)

luchi · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2005, 11:35:51 pm »

Barrie1 thanks for the advice. Yes it does have the digital dash. I don't have access to a code reader at this time. I have checked most of the grounds that I can find. I will have to look at the one from the engine to the firewall. I have not found any moisture in the fuse box. Yet again thanks for the help!!!

barrie1 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2005, 11:59:30 pm »

Luchi I will do some research tomorrow and see what I can find on this problem.

Sterling · « **Reply #7 on:** June 17, 2005, 12:01:08 am »

On who's advice have you been replacing parts? I would suggest having a professional diagnose it before throwing more money away. It doesn't take a genius to give the internet diagnosis that you have an electrical problem. Get it checked and consider the money well spent.

articsteve · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2005, 11:49:16 am »

On who's advice have you been replacing parts?

On a problem such as this, those are all pretty sensible parts to replace. I too would have installed an ignition switch first. Then new battery cables and on GMs, the starter solenoid, because it's hot and the fuse links was also a good call.

This is a

of a problem and obviously a GM design flaw. It could be related to the dash and therefore the ECU is not receiving the proper go sequence. Something weird like that.

Get it checked and consider the money well spent.

That's what he has been doing.

Those parts all relate to that. Sterling, I can assure you on a 97 year GM POS with a problem such as this it is not just a case of pluging a diagnostic tool into an interface and getting the fix read out.

Sterling · « **Reply #9 on:** June 17, 2005, 12:15:10 pm »

AS, I can also assure you that this problem will not be diagnosed on this chat board.

articsteve · « **Reply #10 on:** June 17, 2005, 12:59:57 pm »

I agree.

Luchi:

Your best bet is to find a US based GM BBS and get directions as to which GM BBS would be the best for your problem.

Hopefully, this is a design flaw and has happenned before and if so there is a good chance it will be known about on the appropriate GM BBS.

exserviceguy · « **Reply #11 on:** June 17, 2005, 01:18:13 pm »

Hi All, I checked with a collegue in a local GM store and no TSB's have been issued from GM Canada on this topic. However I think we all agree that we a dealing with a failure of the B+ ignition circuit and that harness is not that terribly complex or difficult to trace. Armed with a wiring diagram I would look for the section common to the starter and the inst. panel and start examining the wiring. Yes I understand that an excessive draw may be directing flow away but in the worst case scenario you can overlay a new wire and simply cut the old circuit out of the system.

luchi · « **Reply #12 on:** June 17, 2005, 02:46:09 pm »

I have taken the car to 3 shops already, and none of them can pin point the problem. I have done the same things that the shops would have done, the only difference is that I didn't have to pay hight rates for their mech. to do the work.

articsteve · « **Reply #13 on:** June 17, 2005, 08:21:32 pm »

Find a GM BBS and pray that someone else has had a similar problem.

However I think we all agree that we a dealing with a failure of the B+ ignition circuit and that harness is not that terribly complex or difficult to trace

barrie1 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 17, 2005, 10:29:59 pm »

As a suggestion check the prom plug that hooks up to the circuit of the dash. Look for possible bent pins in the connector. One or more of these bent will cause very unusual problems with the circuits.

bikerike · « **Reply #15 on:** July 04, 2005, 04:24:35 pm »

Hi, I am fighting the same battle right now with my achieva I think the problem is in the passlock security system. Iwas having the same problem where I couldn't start the car because the whole entire dash was dead. I would finally get the car to start when out of the clear blue sky power would come back to the dash. I took the steering colum cover off and unpluged the small wire that goes to the ign. lock cyl. and now the car will start but I still have no dash power?

I think the problem is in the ecm/ security system.

articsteve · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2005, 09:35:49 pm »

That might be so. Overly complicated system.

Wetson · « **Reply #17 on:** July 06, 2005, 11:52:06 am »

This link may help:

http://auto-recalls.justia.com/content/02V070000-OLDSMOBILE-ACHIEVA-1997.html

Here is a direct quote from another forum I came across that is similar to the problem you are having.
Now, I'm having some type of "coding" problem, where the car's security system thinks it's being stolen and quits running after I start it up. My mechanic said I need to have it re-coded at the dealership.

I googled it and alternator problems keep popping up. Have you had the alternator checked?

I hope you solve the mystery.

slybry · « **Reply #18 on:** July 06, 2005, 06:24:07 pm »

Was that a dead Achieva or an under-Achieva

Author Topic: Dead achieva (Read 1775 times)

Smainville

Sterling

Sterling