Pontiac Grand Prix: Problems & Solutions

carmenga · September 2005

I,ve been having similiar problems.My car starts fine,but after been driving for a bit,i,m afraid to stop it at red lights,for fear it will stall.After it stalls it will start again ok.I,m only using the car for short necessary trips,until i can pay for the whole thing.The ignition switch may need replacing,along with other things in my car-Blechh!!
I have found that driving with no dashboard lights or dimmer switch on,helps the car ,and not going so fast,and in the slow lane of the 2-3 lane roads.Its still risky,and i,m not condoning doing it,but in an urgent situation,and a short trip,i have done it,and when it did stall, getting a boost from someone was not difficult:)
Does anyone have any advice on how to drive the car when the iginiton switch is this way?Just incase i missed something .Thanks!

gressjj · September 2005

I have a 2000 GT that has a leaky seal in the rack and pinion. I get about 3/4" of play in the wheel before you get any stearing. This is a real nusance that I have dealt with it for almost a year now.

When I took it to the shop they quoted $1200 for OEM and $900 for aftermarket. Prior to this I had to replace the LF wheel bearing and RF tie rod ends. The parts alone for the rack and pinion are $310 if I install myself.

Question is how hard of a job is it to do myself and has anyone else have similar problem and tried the work themselves?

cruzj026 · September 2005

Hi Richard,

I have the same trouble with my 2000 SE. What was the solution!

John

baby_b · September 2005

I have a 2000 Grand Prix GTP that the CID isnt that bright and you can only see it in the right light. I checked all the fuses and everything and still nothing has changed. Also my other problem is that my AC only seems to be working on low, if i change it to anything else it never changes and sometimes it doesnt work at all unless I open my sunroof. I've checked the fuses and that, all those are fine. If anyone could help me out with this that would be great.

carmenga · September 2005

Ignition Switch:My mechanic ordered a new ignition switch because the car was dying,and stalling on the road ,and as a result ,is undriveable,or unsafe to drive.He put in the new switch only to have the exact same problems occur.I,m wondering if it is the electrical system(not even sure what the electrical system consists of),or a loose wire connected to alternator or battery(even though walmart tested them ,and they both passed)
I,m totally confused
Does any1 have any ideas??
In review:Problems starting car,When it starts it stalls while driving on road,dashboard lights flicker,abs light indicator sometimes always on,power windows slow in working,and other indicator lights come on and off,sometimes staying on.
Almost and tired...

hrhoreo · September 2005

I have a 99 Pont GP GT - 108,000 kms. My ABS and trac off lights come on when I first start the car. After I have driven the car for awhile, shut it off and then start it up again, the lights are off. I was told it could possibly be the ABS module or wiring from the front of the car to the ABS module in the back. Has anyone else ever heard of this problem because if it's the ABS module, it's going to be big big coin to fix!!! :mad: Any suggestions or comments are appreciated!

ijones · September 2005

I have the same issue with my 98 Grand Prix GTP and i have had the fuel pump replaced & the fuel pump relay replaced and still the same thing. The dealer doesn't know what theissue i and i have had several diag. done and the best mech. ask me what should they do. HUH go figure. Well noe i'm at the crossroads of hat to replace or sell next, you know. I'm thinking of replacing this crankshaft position sensor se what happens next. Also i'm having soneone check out my auto start-alram just to see if that maybe causing an issue. Any suggestions out there?

sisnbub · September 2005

I have a Grand Prix 2000 GT and when it rains it leaks into the passenger floorboard??? I've heard this is notorious for this model, but I don't know how to fix?????????

diacona · September 2005

Hey I'm having similar problem with my 1998 Grand Prix GTP; bought it brand new. It now has 114K miles on it, I've replaced passenger-side window shuttle and motor to tune of $500 plus about 2 years ago and just 3 months ago it went out again or so I thought. I too had the leak the flooded my passenger side floor, but new weather stripping around cowling above blower vent fixed it.
Also lights on steering wheel remote radio controls are out too; but have come on to my surprise one time since they've been out (now over a year as each module is very expensive to replace). Now I have intermittent ABS & Traction Control lights after about 12 miles or so each trip, they go away after engine stop to come back on later approx. 12 miles down road.
And did I mention that cruise control goes away when ABS and Trac lights come on? I really like my GTP and its fun to drive but Ive got to tell you changing out the spark plugs and wires esp. #rs 4 & 6 you almost have to be pro, oh and I forgot changing of air filter always S_CKS and same for first time fuel filter change. Maintenance for the do-it-yourselfer is obnoxious.
How did you trouble-shoot back to ABS module? Does anyone know if there is a common connection with ABS, Trac, and cruise control?

hrhoreo · September 2005

My dealer replaced the right rear hub and bearing and the abs and trac lights are now fine. Now my seatbelt warning will not come on but that's no biggie. I also did have a swimming pool in the front passenger side of my car as well. It was so bad it blew the airbag module and had to be replaced. Fortunately my insurance picked up this tab - $1,300 CDN. GM should've had a recall as there have been too many cars with this problem. Hope this info helps!!

filmdude · September 2005

HELP! - My 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix (SE) started stalling-out about 4 months ago. It runs fine for short trips but after about a half-hour the engine dies and love or money can't get it started again - after sitting for several hours it will start but soon has the same problem all over again.

We've paid for a new crank position sensor and have had another electrical part replaced but just picked-up the car (for the 3rd time now!) and on the way home it cut-out 4 times (we were able to get it started again at least).

Any advice, help, guidance, suggestions, insights or inspirations are much needed and greatly appreciated!

THANK YOU!!!

kouvang1 · October 2005

Below is the sure temporary fix for the notorious stalling problem in 1997+ Grand Prix's. I pulled this information from clubgp dot com. Give it a try, it worked for me. Even with this fix, my 1998 GP still has hard starts at least 6 or 7 times a year. I think it's time to replace the resistor (GM part number 88951182 as posted by gtpguy earlier).

From CLUBGP dot COM:
Many people have been left stranded with a car that doesn't run at all or at best idles for a few seconds and then dies. Most of the time it's happened to some unwary GPer sitting at a light... they turn to go, move a few feet and the car dies, or it dies a few seconds after starting. This is the fault of the fuel pump resistor. This offending piece is located (on my '99 at least) under the fender area BEHIND the battery. If one gets the right angle you can just see it by looking into the fender in that area.

How it is done: Well, the fix is that the fuel resistor needs to be replaced, but if one is on the side of the road with a "dead" car, what can be done? Steve Foster of the OQCGP offered this advice:

Here is what you do. Remove the relay in the underhood electrical center by your battery. The relay should be labeled "f/pmp spd cont relay" or something along those lines. It is supposed to read fuel pump speed control.
Take along a paperclip, and short out pins 30 and 87A. to do this, remove the relay, and where those pins were on the fuse-block, put the paperclip in those 2 positions.

If you do not feel comfortable doing that, another option follows.

Remove the same relay as above. Bend over the one lead of the relay labeled 85 or 86. Either one will work. reinsert relay into original position.

This will get you home hopefully until you can fix it properly.
(This article written up with the assistance of Steve Foster of the OQCGP)

stevegp · October 2005

I've had my 95 GP GTP for 5 years now and just recently it started having the problem of stalling the first time it is started, it starts, revs up to about 3k rpm and then right away it starts sputtering then dies.
I checked the fuel pump by listening when i turn on the ignition.
These are the problems that I have found and then fixed trying to solve this problem,
1.) Replaced fuel filter
2.) Diagnostic found that MAF sensor was not working.Replaced.
3.) Found melted vacuum line from PCV valve to intake plenum.Replaced.
4.) Found melted vacuum line from Evap canister purge valve to Canister.Replaced.

I am trying to find anything wrong with the car without taking off the intake plenum.
after changing all of these things I am leaning towards the problem being the fuel pressure regulator. What would be a indication if the fuel pressure regulator being the problem.

Am I heading in the right direction? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

mandydollie · October 2005

Hi!

I recently purchased a 2004 GT2. Lately i've been having trouble with it occasionally not wanting to stay started. It only seems to happen if the car has been sitting for 2-3 hours. For instance, I get to work at 8am. If I want to leave around noon to go to lunch it acts like it's going to start and then it dies. The dealer has looked at it twice and has done a couple of computer software upgrades but it still hesistates at times. I've always used gas with ethanol in it, but they have now told me to stop using that, as it may be the cause of it. I'm wondering if anyone else is having this kind of trouble and what you did. The car only has 34,000 miles on it. I'm wondering if it's a fuel issue or something else. It's not showing any kind of codes or displaying any messages so i'm just as confused as the mechanics that have looked at it.

Please help.

Thanks,
Amanda

stevegp · October 2005

I forgot to mention that it is a 3.4L mileage 117,000 and that after the car is at operating temperature it runs fine.

fixinstuff · October 2005

My rear passanger window on my 01 grand prix gt is not working. The problem is that the window does not go up or down using the power window buttons. I can hear the motor working but it does not raise or lower the window. In addition the window falls down all by itself and I have to manually pull it up to keep it up but it just falls back down when I go over a bump. Any ideas?

fixinstuff · October 2005

My rear passanger window on my 01 grand prix gt is not working. The problem is that the window does not go up or down using the power window buttons. I can hear the motor working but it does not raise or lower the window. In addition the window falls down all by itself and I have to manually pull it up to keep it up but it just falls back down when I go over a bump. Any ideas?

rich24 · October 2005

My 2004 GP GT with approx 42,000 (just out of warranty, how convenient) is making loud whining / whirring noises when the car just starts moving. It is the 3800 engine. Happens more at slow speeds and gets increasing louder when I am turning. The sound "revs up" as speed increases then at 20 - 25 mph you can't seem hear it anymore.

Anybody else experience this or know what this could be? I need all the background data I can muster. I'm trying to get the dealer to cover it under warranty (wish me luck).

I didn't see any particular service bulletin other than one for the serpintine belt dated APR 04. I hope that's all it is. This is a lease and I HATE sinking cash into something I don't even own. I'll take any history and/or speculation you can provide.

Thanks A LOT for any help!

-Rich

madlady · October 2005

i have the same year but i have a prix the security light is on and will not go off and the car will not start do you have any answers on what i can do i have tried to call the auto part stores but no answer can u please help me

madlady · October 2005

i have a 95 grand prix and the security light is on and now my car will not start does anyone have any answers on what i can do i have called the auto part stores and i get no answer can someone please help me

blackeye · October 2005

I have a 2002 Grand prix GTP. It goes dead shortly after it is cranked. It runs for about 3 seconds and goes dead. Anyone know what this problem is, Cost? Im going to feel dumb if this is a fuel filter, and where is the fuel filter located. Thanks Mecanically impaired confused individual. :sick:

pete5147 · October 2005

Dear isnbub

read my answer on #402 about the leaky passenger side water leak. Look for drain tube 1/3 down fire wall in engine compartment. Remove rubber elbow, clean it out, and re-install. After this, my problem was gone on my 1999 GP.

scootmandu · October 2005

I have had my 2005 GP GTP for 6 months. Normally I keep it in my garage overnight, but last night I left it out. There was a heavy rain event and, this morning, I noticed that some rain dropped in from the roof. The dome lights contain water and the interior molding near the front of the sunroof seems to be loose.I definitely had the sunroof down, but water came in anyway.

In the past, I have had my car at the car wash and also have had it outside when it rained, but never noticed this.

Has anybody had a similar problem? I am going to take it to the dealer.

medriver1 · October 2005

Take a look at your battery terminal connections at the battery, especially the positive one. Original battery is known to leak and corrode the terminal.

pennyh · October 2005

I just signed up for this forum this afternoon.
I was wondering if any of you own a 97 grand prix GT, and have had many problems with it? My daughter has owned one since 2001, and has experienced many different problems with hers. It has been recalled for the rack and pinnion, and when she brought it in, they told her of all of the cars that they had looked at that day her car was the only one that had the problem. The car also developed a "clunk" noise, in which seven mechanics although they could hear and feel the noise, could not find the problem. Through all of this, she has maintained a folder that is filled with repair bills and upkeep. In fact she has had many people ask her if she would be willing to sell the car because of it's looks.

This afternoon my youngest daughter drove it to my mother's house which is four blocks away. She returned home and was here for about three minutes when my other daughter told me she saw smoke. I went out on the front porch, and watched this car on fire. Of course I called 911 right away, but the fire dept could not save the car. It went so quickly. There is no need to explain what my eldest daugher (the owner of the car) went through as she watched the fire dept try to put the flames out.

Now we face the questions of the insurance and investigators, and they cannot give us an answer as to what happened. They even mentioned that there might have been a factory malfunction that caused it, so I was wondering if there were any of you that had heard of or experienced anything like this before?

I am still in shock as I type this, so forgive me if I made any mistakes. Thanks

databit · October 2005

For everyone having this problem just thought id throw my 2 cents in, i have a 1999 Grand prix gtp got it from the dealership at 65k miles and was having the same problems at about 75k miles, turns out it was the tranny, a 3k fix for parts and labor, since then ive been ok, now i m dealing with this ABS life with the trac light thing, and also a loss of power, i m thinking its a fuel filter problem, so i m fixing that this week, i ll post on it, and for the abs' and trac light thing, i think its cause now the front tires are almost completely bald, those should be getting changed this week also so ill let everyone know..

blam124 · October 2005

I have a 2002 Grand Prix GT. I'm having some trouble with stalling imediately after start up. This has been going on for a couple of weeks. I've been getting around it by giving it some gas while starting and reving the motor slightly for a few seconds. The car runs great otherwise, there is no loss in power when driving, no stalling and the fuel pump seems to be working properly. A couple months ago, I changed the fuel filter, plugs, wires, PCV valve, trany fluid/filter and air filter. Does anybody have some idea or tips on what this problem may be caused by? :confuse:

97gpgtp · October 2005

Hi I have a 97 gtp and am looking for help with my steering. I love the car but need to get this fixed. You said there was a recall? I can not find this recall on the rack and pinion on the internet? My steering locks up to the left as though there is no power steering making left turns extremely difficult. Turning to the right is absolutely fine. It also comes and goes. One turn to the left will act as though there is no power steering and the next will be fine. email jasonnovoselic@yahoo.com thanks

97gpgtp · October 2005

You should ride in another car and then realize how nice yours actually is, esp. with new struts.

chris1977 · October 2005

I have a 2000 Grand Prix GT and when I let off the gas pedal my belt start squeeking. My first thought was an alternator because the check engine light has come on. The next thing that I thought of was the tension pulley. Could this make the like come on and the belt to squeek at low RPM's. Let me know if any of you have had the same problem.

snojoe · October 2005

It's your window regulator. I just replace both my front passenger one and the rear right side one. They're pretty expensive if bought through the dealer but you can get them for cheap on ebay. (The dealer sells for like $300 I bought mine for $60 and it works fine) Just search by window location (ie. Left Rear, Right Front, etc) The back window ones are like twice as expensive as front window regulators.

snojoe · October 2005

My alarm goes off for no apparent reason at all (Usually at night) There really isn't an alarm just the remote key with the panic button. The lights flash on and off and the horn honks continually. Anyone know what's wrong?

scootmandu · October 2005

Just to let you know, in case somebody discovers a similar problem......

The service department seemed to know right away what the trouble was, they had seen it before. Fortunately, it was a relatively easy fix, covered by warranty. The problem apparently is an occasional design flaw in the molding of the antenna in the front of the car (I believe it is the onstar antenna). It was what was causing water to leak into the hood and inside the domw lights. At any rate, the molding was re-sealed and the problem seems to be gone.

Which is fortunate, because Long Island has been inundated with rain and my car would have been in bad shape had I not gotten this taken care of.

dan007 · October 2005

Hi , I have buyed a Pontiac GrandPrix GT 1999 today and when i was driving home with the car the transmision was malfunction and it turned out that the SOLENOID TCC was malfunction and i went to the dealer and they said not to worry because they will fix the problem , but there was also another problem with the dashboard climate control and when i was driving on the hwy the fan and the dashboard lights went off for 1 minute and then went on again , and the info panel that displays all the information it shut off and on all the time , now i know this is not normal to do so and i wanted to ask you if you know or if you had the same problems with the car . my car have only 75000km and i don't know what to do
THX......

dan007 · October 2005

Hi , I have buyed a Pontiac GrandPrix GT 1999 today and when i was driving home with the car the transmision was malfunction and it turned out that the SOLENOID TCC was malfunction and i went to the dealer and they said not to worry because they will fix the problem , but there was also another problem with the dashboard climate control and when i was driving on the hwy the fan and the dashboard lights went off for 1 minute and then went on again , and the info panel that displays all the information it shut off and on all the time , now i know this is not normal to do so and i want to know if this is a big problem or not
PLEASE HELP THX.....

dan007 · October 2005

HI I have the same problem with my 1999GP and now the car is at the dealer but when it did that also the dashboard was on and off by itself and the climate control was malfunctioning when the solenoid malfunctioning . Is that normal ?
Please help....THX

knford · October 2005

We just got a 2001 GTP a couple months ago and have already experienced the problem with the windows - front passenger side will not roll down as of last week. Also last week, while waiting at a stop light, the whole dashboard information display went out along with the climate controls and blower fan. It came back on after a minute. This has occurred a few times in the past couple weeks. I am very interested in knowing what the problem is if anybody knows. Thanks.

rocket98 · October 2005

Also just purchased a 2001 Grand Prix GT, same problem with passenger window, dealer replaced master switch,said they go all the time on these cars.

rocket98 · October 2005

2001 Grand Prix, 52,000 miles. Fuel Gauge always shows 1/2 to full, unless I park for a while, then it will drop down and show actual level, does this sound like a float problem or something else, Any ideas appreciated.

Thanks!

knford · October 2005

The car did it again today when I braked hard. My wife said that is when it happed the first time too, after she braked hard. I turned the climate control blower off and the ticking noise near the instrument cluster started up. When I turned the knob for the climate control blower on, the ticking noise stops. While the blower is off and the ticking noise is going, I can see the digital information display trying to turn back on, but keeps going out. After turning the knob for the blower back on, everything will start working again after a minute. Maybe a short somewhere? The blower? Why would this happen when you brake hard?

knford · October 2005

We just purchased a 2001 Grand Prix GTP and after reading of the issues posted on this forum, I am thinking about purchasing an extended warranty for the car before it reaches the cut-off point of 100K miles. The warranty is pretty extensive, but costs $2650 for five years, 60,000 miles, which means it'll be covered up to 151,000 miles or five years from now. How likely is it that I will spend more than $2650 in repairs on this car in the next 5 years? Thanks for the advice.

rocket98 · October 2005

I'd say buy it, I just purchased a 2001 Grand Prix GT with 49,000 miles. In addition to the problems I've already posted, Window not working and Fuel Gauge not working, I have also had to have the ABS sensors replaced. All of this was covered under the 3 month / 3000 mile dealer warranty. Now this AM my Check Engine Light is on and I am over my mileage, wish I would have picked up the Extended Warranty.

loppis · October 2005

I don't know if you found your answer to your problem, but I have an 97 Grand Prix and the RPM's would drop to zero and the car would die also. I replaced the crank shaft position sensor (about $25.00 at Auto Zone) and the RPM's have never went to zero again and the car has never died since. Good Luck

carmenga · October 2005

My mechanic cleaned all the connections for the computer, operating the car dashboard lights ,abs lights etc...
And so far so good.These connections for the incar computer must remain clean ,or it can lead to improper startups etc...
This is the first day the car has been driven in 5 weeks while it was parked at the mechanics.

tlg1 · October 2005

We've been having this problem for years and can't find the answer. This is a 1998 Grand Prix GTP. At any given time while driving at a consistent speed with cruise on or off the car can start a serious hesitation problem with the rpm's moving up and down. Like it bogs down, like you were pushing and releasing very fast on the accelerator. The car doesn't really make a huge jerking motion but you can feel the car doing this. You can feel this happening and then see the rpm's moving. It also has a slow shift in maybe 2nd gear? Not sure which gear. I've had this to the GM dealership and they can't find a problem with it. It will do it for minutes or hours. Sometime doesn't do it at all. There is no specific weather condition to which this happens. It has done it for a few years and is starting to happen more now. Some days it never happens. I've read every post on here and can't find the answer to this problem. We thought it may be the fuel filter but that was not it. The dealership put this cleaner stuff through it and blew black stuff out the exhaust and that did not help it either. You can floor it while this is happening and the car will speeds up but then you resume a consistent speed it continues to hesitate till it decides to stop. It has great pick-up and runs really good but when this happens, it is a definite problem that is apparently hard to detect. This car has had the Sunoco 94 gas in it almost always unless unavailable then maybe Shell high octane. Never cheap gas in this car. Oil changes regular. We really don't drive it that much. It only has 72,000 miles on it. Our friend that is a mechanic says it could be a clog or a varnish build-up on the fuel pump screen from sitting or something. Nobody really knows and that is why I am posting this. The slow shift is probably not related to the hesitation problem but who knows. Gas mileage seems to be fine. Anybody ever heard of this? The hesitation is really my main concern although the slow shift isn't great either. By the way our car gets the passenger floor a little wet when going through a car wash also but right now that isn't my concern. We may look at that problem later but the hesitation is our major problem. Thanks in advance to anybody who knows what to do.

mandydollie · October 2005

Hi~

My car was doing the very same thing. It's been to the shop several times and finally after having a Vehicle Data Recorder installed so that they could see what was going on, they discovered that my crank sensor was bad. They replaced that, but left the recorder in the vehicle in case it has this same problem. It still acts like it wants to stall out on occasional start ups, so i'm not sure that i'm out of the woods yet. The service manager did tell me that the crank sensor is a known issue on GM vehicles, so that may be one option. Also, when I was there to pick up my car I asked what the next step was if this continues to happen and they told me that it was to replace the ignition module. I'm so fed up with this issue. I have a 2004 Grand Prix and i've only owned it for about 2 months. In those two months it's been in the shop 6 different times. Good luck to you.

mitzij · October 2005

What is the name of the company and what plan are they selling? Is there a deductible? I'm not sure GM will sell their best one with that kind of mileage.

That's a big pile of $$$ for a service contract.

Chances are you'd be better off putting that $2650 in savings and keeping it for a rainy day. At least you'd be earning interest.
Do you plan on keeping that car for five years?
(or 60,000 miles-for one of my customers, 60k miles is equal to about 6 months)

kevvo · October 2005

hey, i had the same problem with my 2000 gtp. i searched and searched around the windshield looking for an opening of some sort and couldn't find a thing. are you sure this only happens in the rain, or is when you have your air cond. on? there is a little rubber elbow under your car that drains your air. when i located this elbow onder my car i found it was plugged. the air was draining through the blower motor and onto the passenger side floor. check it out. the elbow is a [non-permissible content removed] to find, its right on the fire-wall, passenger side about a foot up into the engine. i used a close hanger to unplug mine... if i were you i wouldn't park my head directly below when you unplug it.

kevvo

cletylr · October 2005

I have a 2000 Grand Prix GT with 92000 miles and I haven't had any major problems with the vehicle. Is there a website that list the common problems that may occur on this specific car do to milage or age of the vehicle? I know that all cars and drivers are different, but I looking for possible problems I may run into if I keep the vehicle.

bradman · October 2005

2000 Grand Prix, GTP
Newest problem, fuel gage went bonkers this week. It either sits on completely full or completely empty; if empty, all other indicators for empty fuel come on as normal.
Sometimes hard braking or going around corners will make it change from one to the other. Anyone know the fix?
All other displays appear to function normally, although not 100% sure ventillation system is working properly now.
Previous problem -Transmission had strange whinning sound and hard shifting intermittently, then one day TRAC light came on. Took to mechanic, think he might have done something to solenoid, that seemed to have fixed that problem.
Have replaced front wheel bearings 3 TIMES in 90k miles! :mad:

Pontiac Grand Prix: Problems & Solutions

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Pontiac Grand Prix: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Pontiac Grand Prix: Problems & Solutions