2008 Cadillac DTS Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Cadillac DTS. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Alternator Not Charging" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that oil was leaking onto the alternator and exhaust manifold. The alternator was replaced. However, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was a significant amount of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. There was no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact noticed a trail of oil leak in the driveway. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

REAR FUSE BLOCK FUEL PUMP RELAY SHORTED OUT MELTED FUSE BLOCK...COULD CATCH BACK SEAT ON FIRE AND VERY CLOSE TO GAS TANK.

THE CAR GIVES OFF FALSE OIL PRESSURE INFORMATION ON CARS MESSAGE CENTER. I REPLACED THE SENSOR AS DISCRIBED, VERIFIED MY OIL LEVEL, CLEANED THE CONNECTOR TO OIL PRESSURE SENSOR AND STILL EVERY 2 OR 3 MINTUES I GET ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LOW, STOP VEHICHLE. WHEN I STOP THE OIL LEVEL IS GREAT AND THE OIL IS VERY CLEAN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER 3 MONTHS. IF THE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE SIEZED UP BY NOW. THIS IS ONGOING ISSUE WITH THESE 08 CADILLAC DTS 4.7L NORTHSTAR ENGINES.

REAR PASSENGER FUSE BLOCK (P/N 19116816) GETS MELTED BY A FAULTY FUSE PUMP RELAY BURNING UP DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN WITHIN THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM. FUEL PUMP PUTTING A LOT OF RESISTANCE ON THE WIRING, RELAY WON'T BLOW, BUT IT MELTS. WITHOUT CORRECTING THIS, THE FUSE BOX WILL BE AFFECTED ONCE THE FUSE PUMP RELAY OVERHEATS AND EVENTUALLY MELTS AND BURNS. CAR WAS STATIONED. THIS IS UNSAFE BY ANY MEANS. THE FIRE COULD HAVE SPREAD AND CAUSED THE SEATS TO BURN AND WORSE, IT'S RIGHT BY THE GAS TANK.

MY 2008 CADILLAC DTS WOUDL NOT START, I FOUND THE FUEL PUMP RELAY TO BE BURNT. I REPLACED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE FOR 150 MILES, SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. REPLACED THE RELAY AGAIN IN ORDER TO GET HOME. I THEN REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, SAME THING HAPPENED. THEN I RESEARCHED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND THAT THE FUSE BOX UNDER THE REAR SEAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. FUEL PUMP RELAY KEEPS BURNING UP UNDER THE REAR SEAT, POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. IT WILL CONTINUE TO BURN UNTIL YOU REMOVE IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT SMELLED A ROTTING ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE RADIO REMAINED IN VALET MODE. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO ACTIVATE CORRECTLY AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE TO FULL CAPACITY. THE CONTACT ALSO EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LES STANDFORD CHEVROLET (LOCATED AT 21730 MICHIGAN AVE, DEARBORN, MI 48124, 313-444-7537), BUT IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 219,000.

2008 CADILLAC DTS (100K MI) WAS PARKED AND ENGINE WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT START. I DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO FUEL TO ENGINE BY CHECKING SCHRADER VALVE ON FUEL RAIL. PROCEEDED TO CHECK FUEL PUMP (FP) FUSE (OK) AND FP RELAY (BURNED ON PIN 30 ALONG WITH FUSE BLOCK). REPLACED FP RELAY; HOWEVER, AFTER A FEW MINUTES FROM VEHICLE START, THE RELAY HEATS TO ABOUT 200 DEGREES F. AFTER READING SEVERAL FORUMS, THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON: IT APPEARS THE FUSE BLOCK (UNDER REAR SEAT ). IS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ORDERED GM BLOCK 19116810 WHICH APPARENTLY SUPERSEDES THE ORIGINAL FACTORY GM BLOCK 13599106. THIS PROBLEM CLEARLY POSES MANY SAFETY ISSUES: FIRE, ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING, ETC. GM NEEDS TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROBLEM. MOREOVER, I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE BURNED OUT CONNECTOR (UNDER PASSENGER SEAT) FOR THE HEATED SEATS. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT HAVE THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WASHER OPTION WHICH ALSO EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL ISSUES. SHAME ON GM FOR NOT CORRECTING THESE ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECTS. SAFETY SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT WITH THESE TYPES OF ISSUES ON YOUR VEHICLES ESPECIALLY YOUR PREMIER BRAND (CADILLAC).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDOW WASHER FLUID WAS LEAKING AND COULD POTENTIALLY SHORT OUT THE OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS OF THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE FAILURE WAS BURNING UP THE FUSES AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS LISTED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08V441000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH BRITAIN CHEVROLET CADILLAC (4495 INTERSTATE HWY 30, GREENVILLE, TX 75402, (903) 274-4401) AND WAS INFORMED TO BRING IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENTIRE FUSE BOX AND HARNESS LOCATED UNDER THE BACK SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC WOULD NOT PERFORM ANY REPAIRS DUE TO A POTENTIAL FIRE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

TRIED TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT CRANK. REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL PUMP RELAY. CAR STARTED AND I DROVE ABOUT 10 MILES AND IT CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. SINCE WE REPLACED THE RELAY MY HUSBAND TOOK OUT THE BACK SEAT TO CHECK IT TO FIND THE FUSE BOX TOO HOT TO TOUCH AND SMELLED LIKE BURNING WIRES. HE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY TO AVOID A FIRE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER HAD HE NOT HAD THE FORETHOUGHT TO CHECK THE FUEL RELAY. IT WAS JUST BEFORE CAUSING A FIRE AND WE HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEAT.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ONE DAY AND I STARTED TO SMELL SOMETHING MELTING IT WASN'T TO STRONG BUT YOU COULD SMELL IT THE NEXT DAY I SMELLED IT AGAIN AND THEN I NOTICED IT COMING FROM UNDER THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT SO WHEN I GOT HOME I STARTED TO UNPLUG THE CONNECTORS TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS MELTING AND WHEN I UNPLUG THE ONE FOR THE HEATED SEATS I SAW IT WAS MELT AND I WENT ONLINE TO LOOK IF THIS IS A PROBLEM AND MANY OWNERS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE IT LOOKS LIKE AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS I DO NOT THIS ITS SAFE, CONTACTED GM TOLD THEM ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID ITS OUT OF WARRANTY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT INDEPENDENTLY REPLACED THE RELAY SENSOR AND THE VEHICLE STARTED. IN ADDITION, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER AND BRAKES FAILED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER (RUDDELL AUTO, LOCATED ON 110 S GOLF COURSE RD, PORT ANGELES, WA, 98362) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RELAY FUSE BOX AND PANEL MELTED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.

FUEL PUMP RELAY OVERHEATED TO THE POINT OF MELTING CAUSING IRREPARABLE DAMAGE TO THE RELAY AND THE FUSE BLOCK LOCATED INSIDE THE PASSENGER CABIN UNDER THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE CREATING A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET WHEN FAILURE OCCURRED CAUSING LOSS OF ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKING.

IN NOV. OF 2016, MY DTS WAS PARKED AND AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START, IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER AS IF WERE OUT OF GAS. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE FUEL PUMP RELAY, WHICH HAD SHORTED. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACTUAL CAUSE WAS THE FUSE BLOCK (REAR SEAT). THIS ITEM IS A DEALER REPAIR LEVEL AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL CASES OF THIS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS INVOLVING SUDDEN CUT-OFFS, POWER STEERING ISSUES AND IGNITION KEY PROBLEMS NOTED HERE. MY CAR HAS EXPERIENCED ALL OF THESE. *TR

RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE STATING #14299 IGNITION KEY ROTATION WAS AN ISSUE. STATED SERVICE HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED. I HAD INSTALLED AND PAID FOR A COMPLETE NEW IGNITION UNIT EARLIER THIS SPRING AT A COST OF $400.OO PLUS. I AM NOT HAPPY TO KNOW THE OLD UNIT NEEDED RECALL, AND FURTHER THAT MY DEALER NEVER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. I BELIEVE I HAVE A REFUND DUE AT THIS TIME. PLEASE REPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

ON 9/4/15 @ APPROX 5:45 P.M, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START - IT ACTED LIKE THERE WAS NO FUEL GETTING TO THE INJECTORS. THREE HOURS LATER I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT STARTED JUST FINE; TOOK IT FOR A DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK W/O ANY ISSUES. ON 9/7/15 THE PROBLEM RESURFACED; I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM ON 9,/8/15, TO BE A BAD FUEL PUMP RELAY. CAR WORKED FINE FOR ONE DAY; ON 9/9/15 THE PROBLEM RESURFACED ONCE AGAIN - IF THE CAR SAT OFF FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THE PROBLEM WOULD GO AWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE BUICK GMC DEALER AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE ROOT CAUSE TO BE A BAD FUSE BOX ASSEMBLY ($318 PART). THE FUEL PUMP RELAY GOT HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE HARD PLASTIC OF THE FUSE BOX ASSEMBLY, AND THERE ARE BURN MARKS ON THE BODY OF THE FUEL PUMP RELAY - I HAVE THE OLD PARTS AND PICTURES OF SAME. THE SERVICE REP AT THE BUICK GMC DEALER SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM ON BUICK LACROSSE. BEING THAT THE FUSE BOX IS UNDER THE REAR SEAT OF THE CAR, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE CAR TO CATCH ON FIRE.

AFTER PARKING MY CAR IN THE GARAGE,APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS LATER,I WENT TO START MY CAR,BUT IT WOULD NOT START,IT WOULD CRANK OVER GOOD ,BUT WOULD NOT START. I PROCEEDED WITH MY OWN ASSUMPTIONS AND FOUND A PIN(#30)ON THE FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS BURNT,I HAD AN ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSIS PERFORMED ON THE WIRING AND THE FUEL PUMP,BOTH PASSED OKAY,I WAS TOLD THE FUSE BLOCK WAS BAD,(WHICH I SUSPECTED),WHICH I HAD PREVIOUSLY ORDERED FROM THE CADILLAC DEALER. ON INSTALLING THE NEW FUSE BLOCK,THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. *TR

2008 CADILLAC DTS. RECALL REGARDING IF KEY RING IS ADDING WEIGHT TO VEHICLE. *TA ACCORDING TO THE RECALL LETTER, THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). HOWEVER, THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIRS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR SAFETY RECALL 14299 NOTHING WAS DONE TO THE SWITCH THEY JUST PUT SOMETHING ON THE KEY AND 2 SMALL KEY RINGS AND TOLD ME THAT NOTHING ELSE WAS TO BE PUT ON THE KEY RING. IN MY OPINION THE REPAIR WAS NOT DONE WHAT IS STOPPING THE KEY SWITCH FROM SHUTTING OFF AS A MECHANIC NOTHING WAS DONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CADILLAC DTS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE KEY FELL OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.