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Pontiac Bonneville
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Comments
regluar cleaning, the occasional use of metal polish and protectant wax and thats the part of my car that i let my daughter do when i zaino it.
the water just runs off and then its a light cloth cleaning to sparkle them
I am eager to see what changes they have for 2002.
Maybe a new cup holder?
i miss my last bonne - SE, with 60/40 split front seat and fold down armrest - two popout holders could manage almost anything - as long as it wasnt very heavy
why , oh why wont they build one that can handle two big gulps with ease ?
does anyone have an online store they can point me to for buying modification components for our cars. Ive been to the www.grandprixstore.com site , and its pretty good - but im more comfortable knowing the parts are intended for my car, and not guessing they should fit.
im looking for a pulley, gatorback belt and new lower t-stat to start.
ive got a tentative appointment with a guy who services the GP's in Toronto area for the install in 2 weeks.
thanks
I share this with you because I had heard complaints about GM's dual zones only allowing a 5°F difference between driver and passenger and that the a/c and heater could not come on simultaneously. I suspect that might be the case with the lesser systems - like those in the Century, Regal, Grand Prix, etc. - but it certainly is not the case with our Bonnie's.
if you get a chance, if you didn't already read it, check out Carpoint- consumer reviews 2000 bonneville- "REBUTTAL TO GENIUS BELOW'
some CLOWN wrote about too much "Plastic Etc, Lousy gas mileage etc- sorry he/she got the car etc just before "REBUTTAL"
EXCELLENT REBUTTAL BY " BONNEVILLE ED- LARGO FL.
Is he a signed CLUB MEMBER?- he should be!!!
I personally believe that the "Plasticville Man/Women?doesn't own this car at all! Claims he/she own the car 2 years!- how can that be if the car wasn't available until around Aug/Sept-1999!!!!
Also- my son has a Honda Accord- 4 cl- engine and is getting around 32 mpg- i'm getting around 25& 1/2 mpg highway-V6!!! where is that such a big difference that it can be argued that the Bonneville is lousy on gas?
Enjoy your Summer,
Chuck
Anyway, sometimes when I use the system it makes a LOUD electronic screeching sound. Has anyone else experienced this problem? The folks at Onstar say let the dealer replace the system, but I've heard that involves really tearing the car apart. I don't want to do that as I can't stand the thought of my 'baby' being torn apart.
Has anyone else experienced this? Any ideas/suggustions.
My main gripe is that they assigned an area code from a another state than where I live and bought the car! Seven weeks ago, I was told that it would be corrected in three weeks. Still waiting.If I want to call my wife while she is in the car, I have to pay a toll charge.
The e-mail part of virtual advisor is neat but eats up your units.
something of quality that has some kind of warranty against warping. I found that I can get some cheap ones from the above places with a two year
warranty but I like the idea of buying something I can feel confident about. However, I do not really want to spend too much for them. Anyone have any
experience purchasing some online and do those sites have prices?
Seriously, this is the real reason a lot of people "upgrade" to better brakes. They get a cool new set of aftermarket wheels, and suddenly realizr the rotors or caliper are ugly.
One or two stops - - and they are shiny too.
as for getting replacements - -i saw some nice looking (and in theory working) rotors at www.grandprixstore.com
from there, you get an idea of price - -im not sure ours are the exact same as a new GTP, but at least you can do a search on the brand once you get the name. i did one for a good set of pads that were there - and am just waiting on my price and part number.
Chuck
Good Luck!
Scott
MPG - Chuck - you only get 25.5 highway? I'm getting 29.5 - 32 doing 75 mph hiway. Tell that to Mr. Gasser!
Finally moved to camp this week - have to bring the boat up next trip after I get a new mooring in the water today or tomorrow. Lots of yard work and a screen to replace - hoping for good weather to enjoy the place next week.
Take care, everyone.
Ken
Living in northern Illinois, road salt is certainly not unusual(nor is it in Detroit). The wheels held up fine because of the coating but underneath the balancing weights, they were corroded and discolored and since the new weights are almost never in the same place as the old ones, they looked pretty bad. To this day, I'm not sure why at the factory they can't put the weights on the inside, particularly on the aluminum wheels.
Anyway, that's a long winded version of how I came to feel like I was backed into forking out over $500 for the chrome wheels. That said, they have grown on me and they are so much easier to keep clean than the lace version. Also, I think they complement my gray hair nicely, thank you very much.
Going home for a week or so next week, having been gone for about 6 weeks here in Maine. It will be nice to take the cover off the Bonneville and put a few miles on it. By the way, don't believe Ken when he talked about his kids pestering him. I met them and they were some of the nicest kids that you would want to meet.
Glad to hear that Ken's kids are a fine bunch - although it's hard to imagine anything different from kids raised by somebody who's thoughtful enough to care for his brood in safe vehicles like Suburbans and Bonnevilles.
Scott
2000 SSEi
Stock: 15.800 @ 89.60 mph
4/14/01: 14.555 @ 94.75 mph
6/30/01: 14.101 @ 98.04 mph
i havent run across anything else, but since i am hunting down parts places to modify me SSEi - if i find a good link - ill post it here
We've been back and forth to camp and home with company and trying to get the boat ready - (hole in water in which to pour money!) My frustration with not being able to keep up with all the various demands for attention has resulted in a 4th of July weekend at camp with no boat - how frustrating is THAT!!!
Couldn't get it started - hauled it over to the marine repair shop and it's got to have a carb rebuild - sure wish I had known that 3 or 4 weeks ago! Oh well - seems like I've been behind the 8 ball for months now.
Dan - just had company from Canada (eh?) My late mother's best friend and another lady came from Halifax to visit for the weekend - had a nice time and enjoyed showing them around. The friend has a 2000 Neon - says she paid $22K Canadian for it - seems AWFULLY high - can get a 2001 around here for $11K now according to the car ads in the paper. Doesn't $22K sound out of line to you?
Take care all and enjoy a SAFE holiday tomorrow.
Ken
The paint has also come off my 88 Bonneville leaving white marks all over the car and especially on the roof. But this car has 120,000 on it so I cannot complain.
I am wondering what might have caused this on my 98 car. Also what do you think would be the best way to fix this considering that I still have the original 3 year warranty (repaint the hood, replace the hood, repaint the whole car).
Thank you.
On a completely unrelated note, does anyone have experience chipping their Bonnies? I want to put a Superchip in my 1992 SE. With the new H-rated tires I've got the 108mph governor is meaningless. More HP and higher shift points couldn't hurt either. Anybody chip their car?
My best run today looked like this:
60' = 2.113
330' = 5.880
1/8 mile: 9.004 @ 78.78
1/4 mile: 13.985 @ 99.30
Scott
2000 SSEi
Stock: 15.800 @ 89.60 mph
4/14/01: 14.555 @ 94.75 mph
7/07/01: 13.985 @ 99.30 mph
For the first time ever, it hesitated a bit on light acceleration, almost like it was saying that after two months of just sitting, you want me to go? It cleared up fairly quickly but seemed strange nevertheless.
Scott, congratulations are in order since you are in pretty rare territory in the 13s. How much wheel spin did you get during your run?
mileage: I was expecting 30 mpg (US gallon) figures but only yielded 27.3. I was travelling cottage country roads and there was a lot of passing and very little in terms of consistent speeds. When I had it on the 401 (Ontario's major highway), I was getting 30.5 mpg for about 100 miles of the total 400+ mile trip.
trunk capacity: Having stepped "down" from a minivan, I was sorry that I wasn't going to be able to pack away all of our gear - esp. my golf bag. Once we had the trunk packed (luggage, cooler, groceries, swimming gear, etc.), there was still tons of room left. My golf bag and more fit right in! Find a Bimmer that'll do that...
passing power: excellent
cruise control: held the car at a steady speed regardless of incline.
handling: We got to try the Bonny out on some windy, hilly roads with 50 mph limits. The Bonny did superbly - stuck to the road, no lean to speak of, no bottoming out. Just smooth smooth smooth!
HVAC: perfect.
Squeaks/rattles: limited to the door panels but bothersome nonetheless. I will have this checked out at my next oil change.
Keyless remote: one night on the way back to our cottage, as a joke, I tried to unlock the car from about 200' away - and it worked!. I tried it the next day and it didn't work until I was about 75' away. Either way, it's pretty impressive. After a couple of tries, I figured out that it works best when you aim the key fob towards the front of the vehicle. Have any of you had similar experiences.
Overall: Fix the squeaks and the cupholders and you're darned close to perfection. Oh yeah, and a bigger glove box.
On other notes:
Scott: Congrats on the sub-14 run! You're doing us all proud.
Ken: $22k Can. for a Neon isn't out of order. In Canada, PDI/admin/etc. sometimes tops $1000 and our sales taxes (in Ontario) are 15%. Fortunately, no Province has a wealth tax on your car - yet. Also, don't forget that our dollar is worth about 65 US cents so that $22k is more like $14k US. Still, I agree it's pretty high - I guess it's all what you're looking for.
If we can just replace the plastic panels it may be worth the $$.
Intense01-Keep up the good work. If you make some runs this fall/winter with nice cool air you could probably shave a few more seconds off. I am sure that you have the fastest Bonneville on the streets!!!!
Also I have noticed that when my car is parked under high voltage electrical lines, the remote range is really bad. But my car is not a Bonneville, so it might not apply to you.
Try the chin method though.
I think the reason I had such success last week is because (a) there were no overhead electrical wires; and (b) our car was parked atop a 40' hill and I had a clear view. Still, I was surprised at the distance from which it worked.
On the other hand, maybe the chin method benefits from the conductive nature of any amalgam fillings you have. As I have none, this option is (sigh) not available to me.
I'm bringing my Bonnie into the dealership next week to have those squeaky door panels looked at. They've told me that they'd check it out and install news ones if need be. We'll see what they say once the car's actually in.
Everything else is jake with the car these days - still love it. I'll be changing the oil next week (to Mobil 1) now that I've hit 15k kms. (or about 9k miles). It'll be interesting to see if using synthetic oil changes the life span as reported by the dash oil-life monitor.
Anybody else using Mobil 1? Another synthetic oil? My old mechanic swore by Mobil 1 - according to him, cheapest engine insurance you could buy.
Cheers to all! Dan
I've been using Mobil 1 since the first change. I didn't see any difference in performance (mileage or acceleration) or on oil life (on the oil monitor, I think it measures temp, engine revs... not the actual condition of the oil).
I agree it is cheap insurance if ya keep your car for a long time (which I do). I change when the indicator hits 50%.
Bill: thanks for your views. I've used Mobile 1 before and, as you say, there's no outwardly discernable difference between using it and regular oil. The reason why I was wondering about the oil life monitor is that synthetic is supposed to reduce friction - especially on cold starts - and that, in turn should slightly reduce average operating temperature. I was wondering if this would be measurable enough to make a difference in the oil life monitor read-out. Since you switched at the first oil change, I guess you don't really have a good basis for comparison. As I'm already at 9k, it'll be interesting to see if I note a measurable difference.
KEN:Just purchased a new digital camera- once we figure everything out i'll try to post some new pictures of "SNOW WHITE"- i know they have ZAINO and NON-Zaino forums- but just my own two cents worth- i put 2 coats of NU-FINISH on the car about 2 months ago - and she still has a great shine and finish- for $5.00 -I can't complain- very impressed.
DAN: thanks for the advice with the AC- much cooler with re-circ on and then re-adjust.
KEVIN: Where are you man????- any NEW pictures ???
General info- Sent a message the other day via E mail to Pontiac- re: put the NORTH-STAR ENGINE in the next generation BONNEVILLE!!!- got typical response- forwarding on to their engineers ETC,ETC,ETC for future consideration, evaluation whatever!
Regards to all,
Chuck
I have a 99 SE which I am very happy with. It has the extra pick-up that the RDV does not. Each car serves our purposes well. btw, I live just about 10 minutes south of San Francisco.
Now a question for Chuck, which may be a bit basic, but here goes: I've heard Zaino mentioned once or twice in the last couple of days & I heard you say you're happy w/ nu-finish. What's the difference in these products? It appears that they're both wax/polish treatments. Any info on these would be appreciated. I should put something on the RDV as well as the Bonneville. Thanks for your help.
Iceman: this place is getting busy.
So I've started shopping for one a couple of months ago. I've tried the DE, the DE with the performance axle ratio and today the SEE. I haven't found an SSEi to try yet.
The performance axle is a must on the E. It's much more spirited, perhaps because the transmission is also tuned differently. However, I thought it rode a bit "boatly". The SEE rode much better and has almost all the accessories that are options in the DE standard.
I found that it's a pretty roomy and comfortable car, with some nice amenities. I thought that the front seats provide little thigh support and the aspirate engine, though competent, not brilliant.
Have I missed any positive or negative point worth mentioning?
I think that the SLE is a good value, or is the SSEi, with the supercharger, worth the price upgrade?
TIA
As far as i know the big difference between ZAINO/Nu-finish or any other store bought waxes is price.
I'm not an expert or claim to be one with regards to waxing one's car- if you need more info on this -go to the Maintenance and Repair forum on this site and then there are two sub-forums on this subject- ZAINO POSTS and STORE BOUGHT WAXES-NO ZAINO!- tons of info for you to decide either way- I went with NU-FINISH because i heard it lasts long and
is in-expensive compared to Zaino-
i'm sure others will swear by Zaino or other waxes polishes etc.- Whatever makes you happy!-
remember-its YOUR CAR, YOUR MONEY!!!!!
I'm happy with the results so far using NU_FINISH
and that's all that really matters to me right now. Best of luck with your 99 and HAPPY WAXING, whatever product/products you decide to use!!!
Chuck
Wait until Dennis (aka homer) gets in on this discussion - I think he'll chip on on the Zaino side.
BTW, I've driven a couple of RDV's and am seeing more on the road. Congrats - I think this is a fine vehicle. I am a little puzzled as to why they didn't try to put a larger engine in there though. I've heard that it had something to do with the transmission and the Versatrak requirements.
Dan
http://www.properautocare.com/
There's a kit mentioned there that includes 2 applications. I had been considering getting it, but then this Zaino came up which, as I mentioned before, I knew nothing about. I'll check out the maintenance section that Chuck recommended and then come to a decision.
Re: the RDV engine selection. I've heard that it had to do w/ economics. The 3.4 engine was already produced and somewhat proven. The bigger engine, (I'm not sure if that's the 3.8 like I have in my 99 SE or some other engine) I've heard won't fit under the hood w/ it's current size/configuration. So to create a "new" engine would result in extraordinary costs for GM. That's what I remember reading anyway.
All-in-all the power in the RDV is fine. I suppose if someone was doing some towing through the mountains, It might leave much to be desired. As for us, we got the tow package, mainly to take advadvantage of the larger radiator, alternator, etc... plus to be able to throw a bike rack on the back for 4 bikes when needed. I don't plan on towing anything. It'll be interesting to see what GM does w/ next years RDV.
Thanks for your info. Dan.
All in all, I agree with you that the 3.4 provides adequate power and is also a proven powerplant. I have heard, though, that Malibus with the 3.4 have suffered from piston slap - but have not heard these same complaints from other vehicles so equipped.
In short, I really like the RDV and see it as a step to a positive future for Buick. Enjoy your ride John....
Dan
BTW - RI here
Ciao for now
My wife was the one who originally got us looking at the Bonnevilles. It didn't take me long to agree with her. It is an awesome car.
Of course she is the one who gets to drive it primarily.
Enjoy.
Welcome aboard, Dan