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Comments
This modification should only be performed by a skilled Technician. If you choose to do this to your car, you do so at your own risk. This is probably not the single fix we've all been waiting for, but it does address an actual issue I found on my car.
I am not saying your GTP has this issue too, but it might, and I am interested in knowing if it does. It is fairly easy to check if you know your way around an engine bay. It is a little more difficult to actually fix if it has the problem.
The symptom I found was that there were two wires stuck to the side of the starter solenoid, which is under the front exhaust manifold. These wires connect directly to the battery without any fuse. They weren't completely melted through yet, but they looked to me like they might be on their way to failing.
GM has been notified of this issue and they claim they are looking at this as one of many possible concerns. It does not seem likely that this is the primary problem as it would seemingly exhibit symptoms prior to failure, such as blinking lamps on the instrument panel, or brake related concerns. However, nobody that has had a GTP fire complained of any prior symptoms such as this.... or have they?
Stay tuned...
The 1999 did not seem to have the 2 wires, or if it did they were routed differently. The engine was too warm to look closer at the time. The 1999 seemed to also have different heat shielding surrounding the fuel lines above the steering wheel area.
Kind Regards,
Julie Haugland
[Email removed]
Haven't had any problems with it since.
I forwarded your contact information to GM. I presume from your note that they didn't contact you. My hope was, and still is, to find a vehicle that was caught early enough for them to get a better idea what the cause is. As you can imagine, it is nearly impossible to positively root-cause a fire when the vehicle is a total loss. Since your vehicle is not available for inspection, I don't think there was much they could do with your contact information. So I guess that just means you are one of the 180 names they have on file with this issue.
NHTSA has closed their Preliminary Evaluation (PE07006) on GTP under-hood fires and has opened an Engineering Analysis (EA07008) on a wider range of GM vehicles. Non-supercharged engines are not part of the new effort either, as the investigation of those vehicles (EA02030) remains closed. Here is a link to the PDF that describes the new NHTSA initiative: http://tinyurl.com/yo8jnf
According to EA07008, they still don't know the cause. However, the response given to NHTSA from GM, http://tinyurl.com/3832xa, had all the content eradicated, presumably for confidentiality reasons, so it is difficult to know the whole story. The good news is that many of these so-called Preliminary Evaluations, like PE07006, never advance to the Engineering Analysis level, so we are one step closer to a root-cause and a possible recall. If the subject vehicles are ever recalled for this issue, I am not sure what your available legal actions might be as I am sure you'll need to consult an Attorney for that advice.
My personal investigation into this hasn't gone very far either. I posted one possible cause and my proposed fix for it. However, I doubt that this is the only cause, or the main cause, as some of the qualified vehicles I looked at were wired differently than mine and were therefore exempt from my concern. This weekend I plan to change my fuel injector o-rings as yet another precautionary measure.
Is yours supercharged? If not then it is not part of any open investigation I am aware of (see #69 above). If it is, then it was a perfect candidate for root-cause analysis.
According to Bend All's web site, http://www.bend-all.com/, their products include:
· Transmission Oil Cooler Hose & Tube Assemblies.
· Engine Oil Cooler Hose & Tube Assemblies.
· Heater Hose and Tube Assemblies.
· Air Conditioning Tubes.
· Cooling-Radiator-Fan Module Assembly.
Hmmm... I think I'll be taking a closer look at these components on my car.
Of course it is entirely speculation that any of Bend All's products are suspected as a root cause.
http://www.havoline.com/images/products/pdfs/anti_exlife.pdf
Mike in NC
Here is a recent update I found.
http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/docservlet/Artemis/Public/Pursuits/20- 07/EA/INIM-EA07008-26093p.pdf
Here is a shorter link if the one above gets broken:
http://tinyurl.com/29afqx
Any other reports of this? Should it be included?
Thanks
Tom
Joe Kopinski
Lockport, IL
Joe Kopinski
joseph.kopinski@gmail.com
Yesterday my 2001 Grand Prix GT went up in flames at an intersection. I had just filled the car up at the gas station (had the car off for about 10 mins i suppose), pulled out, idled at the red light, began to move at the green and BAM! went up in flames, lost all power steering and brakes, and was just able to pull into a parking lot beside the intersection. The car was running perfect before I pulled in to get gas... I don't understand! Now the car is at a compound and I need to give the insurance a call on monday. What do I do about this? I've never had this happen nor have any of my friends / family!
I just did a simple Google search and found this post / forum. My car started on fire 11/16/2007. I was standing at the light waiting when all of a sudden, I heard a loud bang, car started rattling, like on the cylinders died, then white smoke, then black smoke, after witch I saw fire. Fire department put showed up, but half of the car is burned, and what was not burned was flooded with water.
This really sucks.
thanks gearr
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/defect/results.cfm?action_number=EA07- 008&SearchType=QuickSearch&summary=true
or if that link doesn't work... http://tinyurl.com/2kxr4g
Gearr
My 2001 Grand prix burned in March, 2006. GM is ot willing to take responsibility for all these fires. I did receive an email once from NHTSA but I haven't heard from them since.
My 1999 Grand Prix Supercharge 3800 v6 engine caught on fire Saturday November 24, 2007!!I was at a car wash selecting my wash, and putting some of my things in the trunk when I smelled smoke...I looked up and smoke was coming from under my hood. A burning part of my car dropped down from under the bottom of the engine area and a worker saw it, and informed me because I was still in the car. I was alone, but I hurt my right leg moving quickly to get out of the burning car, and when they let the hood up flames stood about 3 feet high. Another worker went in the oil change shop that they have on the premises and got a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. The fire was contained under the hood. God was with me!, I am sooo very blessed..I am a single Mother of two beautiful smart girls, and I so grateful that I am still here to Mother them!! My car is still in the shop and for repair. I have never had any problems with my car, all schedule maintenances have been completed, and I have had the car 6 years...and it runs good! I truly love my car, the proficient of the engine, the get up and go this is just mind boggling on what caught on fire, and the safety of me and my two girls! The shop mechanics cannot figure out what started the fire, and how to repair...can I get some advice from you all? Thanks..HotinDuncan
Tom
Glad that you are ok!!!
Thanks very much,
Rebecca.