In my last thread about "eratic idle" it was suggested that it may be caused by water leaking into a cylinder. Apparently this is the case as the IAC is clean and functioning. Idle improves to normal after less then a minute after start-up. What should I expect the dealer to charge to repair this provided it just needs new head gaskets?
View 10 RepliesI have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am. It has a leak in the power steering system. Someone has suggested, before I get it fixed, to try something like Blue Devil or Bars Power Steering Leak fix. Is this worthwhile, or do I risk causing more problems?
View 3 RepliesSo, a couple weeks ago, while driving down the highway, my '99 Grand Am had the oil lamp come on, and the engine was running rough. I pulled over and stopped the car, and then went to try to start it, to no avail. The engine wouldn't crank. After getting it home via tow truck, I charged the battery as first aid.Now, with the charged battery, the engine will start, and run very roughly, as in shaking the entire engine bay. Further, the oil lamp is on now. After a minute of running like this, the engine dies off. Stepping on the gas expedites the stalling out. I've checked and filled the oil, and the coolant (which was low). My next guesses are fuel filter and timing belt.
View 9 RepliesI have a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am coupe. Over 195,000 miles. Not worried about someone stealing it This past month we have the SECURITY light come on and blink.It's do that 3 times. Two times I remained in the car, with the windows down, while my wife was in a store, with her keys. I have my own, but just sat there reading, no A/C or radio on, According to the manual, it is an anti-theft "feature". When it does the computer shuts off the fuel and the car won't start. It turns over. We have to wait until the light goes off, then it starts. Dealership says they can't disable this "feature". They said it could be ignition switch or computer $$$. What can I do?
View 1 RepliesI am working on my daughters 1999 Grand Am with the 3.4 L V6. I was told by a shop that the heads gasket(s) were blown and needed to be replaced.
Well, the front head, cylinders 2,4,6 showed a "clean" cylinder2 while 4 & 6 looked ok. The rear head had no visible signs of leaking to a cylinder. After cleaning and reassembly, everything appears to be in order except for;
When starting from cold, the engine runs for about 15-30 sec. and the radiator fans come on. I thought that this was strange since this didn't happen before and I was told by someone that the fans don't come on until the coolant temp reaches 230 degrees.
After running the vehicle for about 20 minutes the heat to the interior is very good. In fact its downright HOT. However, the temp gauge on the dash reads "100". Thinking I broke the sensor while I was working on it, I replaced the sensor. No change.
The "Low Coolant" light on the dash is on, yet the level in the surge tank is above the full cold mark. I've replaced this sensor twice. No change.
My granddaughter's 1999 Pontiac Grand Am is overheating & blowing the antifreeze. Radiator was checked out OK, engine was replaced with 69000 miles, and check out OK - still overheating.
View 2 RepliesI have a '95 pontiac grand AM with about 208,000 miles on it. About a week ago, i noticed it was getting harder to start when the engine is cold. When the engine has warmed up, it starts up right away, however, the engine begins to sputter and sounds as if it is going to die. The engine still sputters while driving and the car begins to jolt back and forth. When I come to a stop, the car sounds as if its going to shut off. Today, I started the car and it was sputtering so I turned it off and then wasn't able to start it for about 40 mins. I let the car sit for about 20 mins and then tried it, started right up. What could be causing the sputtering and engine throbbing? What's wrong?
View 6 RepliesI have a 2002 Pontiac Grand AM GT with 151,000 miles (I have had the car for 6,000). I recently just changed the oil with 5w-30 which is the 3rd oil change I have done and have used the same brand and viscosity. It seems the oil is a little overfilled this time (maybe 1/4-1/3 of an extra quart). I noticed a knocking coming from the engine (closer to bottom of engine than top) on a cold start. It sounds like a rock being knocked against a hard surface. I can only hear the knocking if I am outside of the car, if I am in the car I can't hear it at all. The knocking lasts for maybe 20-30 seconds. If I press the accelerator (when in park) the knocking goes away, and if I let off the accelerator then it comes back. I can't really test to see if the knocking persists while driving since I can't hear it from the cab.
I know I should do all the routine maintenance when getting a used car (spark plugs, etc), but I bought from a friend who put spark plugs on maybe 25,000 miles ago.
I read that maybe I should be using different viscosity of oil in the summer (even though the manual says 5w-30 all year, I live in North Central Nebraska)? Is the knocking maybe due to the slightly overfilled oil? Should I try to drain that excess out? Should I just go ahead and replace the spark plugs and wires as well?
I drive ~750 highway miles a month and hope I can get this car to last a few years. So far it seems pretty good, have only had to change the ECT sensor and thermostat on it, suspension bushings still look good. I just never heard this noise before and it kind of freaked me out. I probably would have never heard it but I just happen to start the car and needed to grab something from the garage.
I own a 2005 grand am se, (v6) this engine rattle has been going on for a while now (6 months+) the rattle really hasn't gotten any worse in that time, I uploaded a video to youtube as I'm kind of stumped as to what it could be, to me it almost sounds like something is lose..haha or maybe that's just wishful thinking, it would definitely be great if it weren't the engine itself making that noise.
View 9 RepliesI have a 99 pontiac grand am that sometimes won't start and lately it is cutting out when I am stopped and idling at stop lights/signs. And today it just died when I was driving, it started right back up, then died again about three times, then it seemed to be fine, I drove it for about 2 miles and it just died and won't restart. We have replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, ignition switch, fuel relay fuse twice, air filter, and some sort of module.
View 5 Replies1999 F150 New 5.4 ~350 miles on it. Longtube Pacesetter Headers with cometic mls gaskets. Stainless bolts.
It is making a knocking sound and I can't tell if it is internal or from the headers. I have a video that I hope you all can tell what is. I tried listening to the block with a yardstick, but I couldn't notice a significant increase in volume but my hearing isn't the best. I made sure all the header bolts were tight, but no change in sound.
YouTube...
My wife has a 2003 Pontiac Grand am GT 3.4L V6. A few days ago my wife was out and tried to start the car and the service engine light came on and began to blink. (Prior to this the car was running well with no service engine light) The car was running very rough at this point so we shut the car off and I pulled the codes at witch four codes came up witch were: P0205, p0206, p0300, p0443. So I had the car towed to the shop and they said that they thought that it was the oxygen sensor but after that had been replaced they had concluded that the oxygen sensor was not the problem so they had placed the old one back in. Then they said that they restarted the car and it was running fine but then pulled it out of the shop and began to run rough again.
At this point they were thinking that there was a short so they checked the wiring from the ecm (?) back to the oxygen sensor and could not find any problems. And needless to say they started the car and it began to run fine again so they told me to come and pick it up and drive it for the weekend just to see if it was a lose connection that was possibly there. So needless to say once I picked it up the service engine light was still on but the engine sounded good so I figured I would drive the car home and maybe the light would shut off. Well upon taking off and getting a few miles down the road the engine started to idol at 2000 rmp when in park or neutral.
So I stopped and pulled the code and got P0443 again so while I had the scan tool connected I cleared the codes to see if the light would come back on with the same code or with multiple again. The service engine light stayed off. So the high idol continued for a few miles I also did try to restart the car and the problem did persist. About 5 more miles down the road the car started to overheat and the reservoir had overheated. So at this point the engine sounds good it is not running rough but is really high idol. The check engine light did not come on since I cleared the codes in that short drive but I do not want to drive it because of the overheating. I do know that the coolant level was good when we started the car.
The car is a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am, 3.4 L V6, 223K miles.
I had a major coolant leak and my normal repair shop couldn't handle it due to lack of equipment. So to a local dealership I went. The following is the assessment and work performed. "Cylinder head gasket leaking coolant. 12.80 Pressure tested coolant system and found the rear bank cylinder head gasket leaking coolant down the front of the engine. Replaced both head gaskets as well as intake, front engine cover gasket, valve cover gaskets and upper plenum gasket required for repair. Topped with coolant and performed LOF. Cleaned engine compartment area and road tested. Verified condition corrected".
When driving the car off the lot after the repair, I nearly stopped and went back in to complain. The gas pedal was vibrating on acceleration and its never done that before. I figured I'd drive it around for a while and see if it shook out and it didn't. I did drive back to the dealer the same day and rode with the mechanic who agreed that the vibration is there but didn't realize it was new. He went step by step through the repair with me. All work was done from the top of the engine down so the transmission and CV joints were never touched. The only idea the mechanic had was there is a small crack in the shielding on the throttle cable along with rust. I'm tempted to replace this anyways from a safety standpoint but could this cracked housing/rusted cable be causing the vibration? During the course of the repair, this is the only part that was touched that is related to the throttle. The throttle itself is fine.
The vibration only occurs when accelerating from a complete stop. It evens out once a speed over 40 mph is reached. It does not seem to be dependent on the AC compressor running.
My car won't start and I'm trying to figure out why. What is going on. The kind of car I have:
2003 Pontiac Grand Am
2.2L, In-Line4, VIN(F) DOHC
Has about 160,000 on it
Issue I'm having:
Car turns but won't start
"Service Engine Soon" light is on
Tried to jump it (made sure to let it charge for awhile) to no avail
Was low on gas but was not empty -- we filled it up and it still won't turn
Specifically for this model, it is not the Security Bypass issue (where you reset it after 10 minutes)
Recent work history:
On 2/4/14, I took my car to the shop after the check engine light was blinking when I tried to go above 25mph:
Replaced Spark Plugs
Replaced Air Filter
Replaced Ignition Coil Pack
Replaced Spark Plug Boot (Coil to Plug)
Replaced Ignition Control Module
Replaced Fuel Filter
When I drove my car away, the "Check Engine Light" came on. Took it back, this is what they did:
Access computer for codes : "P0172 system to rich on bank 1"
They told me that there was a possible injector leaking down and recommended a fuel injector cleaning. They said I was ok to drive it for awhile and did not have to do it right that moment.
I did light driving on the car but left it in the burbs as I live in the city. When I moved five months later, I brought the car back to the city. I noticed my air conditioning was not working (will blow heat just fine but will not blow cold).
I changed my oil not long after bringing it to the city, in that same month. Besides the air conditioning, I haven't had any real issues and have done local driving through the city.
I took the car out on Friday, drove to Madison, and drove back the next day with no issues (300m trip). This morning we took the car out to the burbs to visit family (20m) -- now it won't start. What it could be?
My check engine light started blinking on my 2000 grandam se last night and it was missing bad and now it wont start what is it.
View 13 RepliesI know the whining is coming from the steering pump. Does that mean its going out? the wheels and the steering turn fine... not hard to turn or anything. My daughter is getting this car tomorrow. and i want to make sure nothing is really wrong with the car. it has been sitting outside under deck for over 1 year. i had to pump up the tires, other then that... she started right over no prob. never had the whine before... Looked in the resevoir and looks fine... a little over 1/2 full.
View 3 RepliesAfter the cold hit last night I turned my car on and it starts to shake a lot, also white smoke so I drove it to work while driving it takes forever to pick up speed and jumps speeds on rpm while shaking a lot and then I got off work and now its so hard to turn the wheel now(I put in steering fluid) and still shakes badly. I smelt burning kinda before work and I no I'm due for oil change so I just put oil in atm bcuz I have no time to take it any where atm since I work to full time jobs. Also the Trac off light is on and my service engine light is blinking.
View 2 RepliesFor months now, my 99 Grand Am,just over 100k, has been flashing "low coolant" light and chiming - only when stopped at red lights (idling), and then as soon as I put my foot back on the accelerator it stops and turns off. This doesnt happen at every red light, or everytime I drive the car - but often enough that its concerned me. At first I immediately checked the coolant & took it to be checked for a leak...apparently everything looked fine and it wasnt low on coolant.
The second time (took in for tune up) I mentioned it again and they claim nothing is wrong but said they cleaned/checked electric connectors in case it was due to faulty misfiring. Seemed okay for awhile, but now light has been flashing again. Im also not sure if its related, but Ive been noticing a tendency for the car to sometimes idle very rough as well. At one red light the car starting rocking/jerking - only to stop once I started driving again. Other than these problems when idling, the car runs like a dream. Where to look for this problem or what I should be watching for?
My 2003 Pontiac Grand Am often doesn't start in warm weather. The engine will crank but not start, but if I then leave the key in the run position for exactly ten minutes, the security system seems to calm down and I can switch it off then start the car (a kind tow driver taught me that trick). This doesn't happen in the winter in Pittsburgh, but might happen one start out of six in the summer.
I had the ignition cylinder replaced once, and it took care of the problem for about a year. After it came back, I was told to do exactly the same thing again. At first I decided to punish the dealer by spending another summer loafing in parking lots, but this year I can't take it any more. Should I replace it again? Should a dealer warrant the longevity of the repair?
My troubles began several months ago when while on the Pike the coolant sensor came on with a heart attack-inducing alarm beep on my 2001 Turbo VW Jetta. The billowing steam pretty much gave away the major coolant leak that had decided to erupt in the engine. Brought it to my local mechanic who promptly fixed the problem. About 2 weeks later, the light came on again, so I brought it back to him. He found some additional minor cracks in the engine tubing. Fixed it again. 2 weeks later....yep, you guessed it, the light comes back on. After 3 more visits with pressure testing and dye added, no leak can be found. We then tried the leak repair stuff....that was about 2 weeks ago now....and, yes, the light has come back on again.
The car is in very good shape with just over 100K miles on it and just had a lot of the biggies done on it in the last year (shocks, belts, brakes). I would love to get another year out of it since I just put all this money into it, but I'm getting tired of having to bring it to the shop every couple of weeks. I also don't want to get stranded if something decides to give way in some spectacular fashion.
So, my questions here:
1. Do I try the repair leak stuff again to see if that will work?
2. Is there any other possible causes that wouldn't require an engine rebuild that we should look at?
3. Do I just suck it up and carry around spare coolant with me topping it up as it gets eaten?
4. Do I call it a day and start looking for a new car?
About a week ago I was driving my Pontiac 2003 Grand Am V6 and it began to violently shake and the "check engine light" came on and started blinking. I then immediately took it to the mechanic It has been with the mechanic for 6 days and they were unable to locate the problem. They called me today and I was told that I have no compression in one of the cylinders (I have done business with them before and felt comfortable in that I wasn't being taken advantage of). Also, is there any problems in the future with getting a cylinder replaced i.e. other parts of the engine that might correlate?
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