# Olds 88 goes dead, slamming door wakes it

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/olds-88-goes-dead-slamming-door-wakes-it/61438>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** oldsmobile\
**Created:** [February 16, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/olds-88-goes-dead-slamming-door-wakes-it/61438 "2011-02-16T23:09:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Brett\_Bellmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecc23a/32.png) [@Brett\_Bellmore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Brett_Bellmore)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/olds-88-goes-dead-slamming-door-wakes-it/61438/1 "2011-02-16T23:09:15Z")

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I’ve bought a low mileage (70k) 1998 Olds 88 from my mother. Lately it’s begun going dead when the key is turned; Trip meter zeros out, clock resets, no starting. You open and slam the door a few times, and suddenly it starts like normal. Obviously electrical, obviously intermittent. Any idea where I should look?

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**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/olds-88-goes-dead-slamming-door-wakes-it/61438/2 "2011-02-16T23:23:26Z")

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Check and clean the cables on the battery positive and negative, both ends. Clean connections, and get a battery check also.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/d/1d47c66a543aa6c5a7873bb2320858f978ff52ed.png) [@system](https://community.cartalk.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/olds-88-goes-dead-slamming-door-wakes-it/61438/3 "2011-02-16T23:24:24Z")

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you will need to start with the basics. Have the battery tested, the Zone does this for free I believe. Remove and clean battery terminals. Clean grounds. Remove all the fuses and clean connections with electrical cleaner. Of course fuses may not need done, but through the years I have had lots of fixes through cleaning fuse blocks. If memory serves me right, you also have a power distribution center under the hood. That’s where you’ll find maxi fuses.