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Pontiac Grand Prix: Problems & Solutions
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Now I think I CAN HELP regarding the water in the passenger compartment. I am assuming that this isn't a problem with the heating coil since it happens in the car wash (and you might have noticed the difference between coolant and water if that was the problem). My car used to do the same thing and it got worse, until eventually the entire passenger side foot well would FILL with water following rainstorms. I took off the plastic cowl on the outside of the car located between the bottom of the windshield and the top of the hood (you might need to remove the windshield wiper arms to do this...I can't remember if I had to). When it is removed, you can see the air intake on the passenger side. There should be a rubber piece of molding that is pressed on the sheet metal edge that makes up the upper section of the air intake (closest to the windshield). This rubber molding seals against the inside of the cowl and stops water from running down the windshield and into the air intake. On my car, the molding came completely off and fell into the intake, which let water flood in. I fixed mine by gluing the rubber molding back in place (onto the sheet metal edge) using silicon adhesive. I also placed a thin bead of silicon along the molding where it contacts the cowl before reinstalling the cowl. My car has been bone dry for a couple years now. I hope this helps and that your problem is the same since it is a very easy fix.
Good luck!
Good luck.
I got the same trans problem you got with the annoying oscillations during accelleration. I have tried real hard to find any info on the net about it and it seems that you have the same problem I do. Too bad I cant find a fix for this one. I would like to fix it myself or have some ammo before I take it to a dealer. Please post a fix if you get one in the future. I will do the same. Thanks, Dave.
I now have a head scratcher. The tension arm that holds the supercharger belt seems to have developed a chatter/rattle at low rpm's. When I'm sitting at a red light in drive, it clatters away. If I increase the rpm's ever so slightly it goes quiet. Also if I turn the steering wheel either way, the clatter gets worse. Again, this is only at low rpms (just under 1000) while the car is in gear. When I put my hand on the tension arm spring case it feels like something is hitting it on the inside. This is confusing as there are no real moving parts. Now here is the catch. I replaced the tension arm and the supercharger belt and there was no change. I continues to clatter. I did notice that there is an arrow on the tension arm and there appears to be marking that this arrow should fall between. I checked on some friends GTP's and their arrow is between the marks. I have turned the tension arm to try to put less tension on it but it almost seems like the replacement belts are shorter than the original. On my car the arrow is just outside the marks when the tension is on. Is this really a tension arm problem or is the chatter a symptom of something else.
Has anyone heard of this problem before? Sure would like to hear from you.
My next challenge is replacing the valve cover gaskets. Looks like I have to tear off half the engine to get them off. Oil on the exhaust doesn't smell so pleasant.
Thanks.
That's on top of my latest problem; the fuel gage has decided to go nuts after 90,000 miles. No warranty on any of this I suspect.
Please turn your CAPS LOCK off. Most people ignore message written like this, as it is too hard to read and is also interpreted as "shouting".
MrShiftright
Host
smoke in the interior of my '02 Grand Prix. Although I was less than 1 block from home and had been driving the car for less than 5 minutes, it was on fire. No doubt about that. I barely made it home!
The fire in my pontiac did serious damage to the interior and to some parts of the engine. Also, most of the underside of the car was seriously damaged on the front half. Unlike many people this happens to, I was able to extinguish the fire after using THREE brand-new, full-size fire extinguishers.
While I had NO PROBLEMS with my insurance company on the claim (State Farm) the car was in the shop for over two months with FIVE WEEKS of actual work on the car. I still can't believe they didn't total out the car.
While I was "lucky" in that I did get the car repaired and back to me, I will ALWAYS WONDER what caused that fire, and whether it will happen again.
One point of interest... When the repair shop received the car, they did the best work I have ever seen on ANY car, and I do mean the best. They redid the carpet, seats, new dash, etc., not to mention the body work on the car. However...
After the repairs were completed, I asked several of the technicians if they could determine what had caused the fire. You won't believe this, but the shop manager stepped forward and said "Son, Pontiacs have been burning since 1967. Everybody knows that."
After doing a little research of my own, I came to this conclusion:
HE IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
Good luck with your claim.
Note: It doesnt make this sound when making right hand turns, and it also doesnt make any weird noises when the car is stopped and turn comepltely left or right, also no sounds of power steering whining either then wheel is turned completely left or right when comepltely stopped.
HELP, it's too soon to junk this car.
Now, I have learned that if I turn my car the other way on my street, it doesn't leak. Unfortunatly, I don't always know when we will get the downpour. If it is a light rain, I don't seem to have the problem.
I have to beleive it is a design problem, since I know this many people with the same problem.
Luke
I know it's a little bit late to answer this,over a year ,but I think I know the problem.
The catalyst system must be clogged, I had the same problem with my 2001.
bye hornet38
By the way, it is not a transmission problem.
You said that you did a tune up a year ago ,I don't know if you replaced the spark plugs but if you did and you didn't replaced the spark plugs wires, there should be one or more cracked spark plugs and your engine experience misfire.
there should be one more thing that could be doing, get the catalyst system be checked out, it could be clogged.
remember that if you replaced spark plugs on this car, replace wires at the same time (with genuine parts)
good luck SYLVAIN LESSARD (hornet38)
you should check both front wheel bearings hubs, remember that GM uses those bearings on many models and those are very weak
good luck
Also the low fuel light does not work. Is this easily fixed?
Any help or suggestions are appreciated!
since we've had it. No explanation for it.
Engine just dies and then restarts right away.
It's a beautiful car and in almost perfect condition so I would love to keep it. Really it is for my 18yo son. He is in love with it.
I still am in shock at how a perfectly fine car can just catch on fire...when it is parked and not running! I was even more shocked when I decided to research a little, and found out that others have had similar experiences!! This is unbelievable. My situation is in the hands of the insurance company right now...i'm hoping they can provide more insight to the situation. Do any of you that have gone through this have any more info?? Has anyone attempted to contact Pontiac Motor Division or GM?? It seems to me that this is a huge safety concern, and if they have a faulty product or design flaw, someone should address the problem. Luckily in my situation no one was hurt, but the state of the car is awful. I saw it for the first time last night at the impound yard...and the whole front third of the car is destroyed. I'm still in shock... If there are more people out there that this has happened to...please add to the discussion or share any advice (besides not buying a GM product ever again!).
My 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP also caught on fire this Saturday, 11/12/05 at 2 p.m., while parked in our condo common parking area. We had just gone to the hairdresser and back. The ride was less than 15 minutes to home. The police incident report states that the police and fire depts responded at 2:15 p.m. I was notified by my neighbor's child that my car was on fire at 2:30 p.m. When I ran out to the parking lot, all I could see was about 10 foot flames coming from the front of my car. I didn't even realize the neighbor's Toyota parked to my right was on fire too. It took about a half hour to put them all the way out. On the left of my car was a Honda CR-V. This neighbor was out of town and it was scorched on the passenger's side. All three cars were towed away. I know the owner of the towing company, and asked him what he thought caused the fire. He said it looked electrical to him.
I notified my insurance company right away. They have taken my car to study/investigate the cause, but declared my 2002 Grand Prix GTP is totaled as well as the Toyota. I notified GMAC too. Have you? Anndj
My situation was pretty much the same....we arrived at the parking garage around 10:55 pm...and the Fire Investigator told me the fire call went out at 11:15 pm. I had driven the car maybe 25 minutes, with no evidence of any problems. Is your insurance company going to do a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause? The head investigator told me that he (and 3 other investigators) were unable to pin point the exact component that failed (since there are not automotive engineers...) He just said that the fire was accidental, and definatly caused by a failure of an engine component. I asked my insurance company if they would do an investigation....but they said since there were no recalls from Pontiac, they usually do not since the cost and time for an investigation like that can be high. So, I really don't know what part failed....but I requested a copy of the fire investigation report, and am hoping to get pictures from the insurance company. I have not contacted GMAC or Pontiac Motor Division yet. What did you tell them....who did you contact...and what did they have to say?? I doubt they will do anything...they should at least launch an investigation into a possible defective part or design flaw and fix it before someone gets hurt. I wonder how many people this has happened to. When the fire happened to my car, it made the city news (because it occurred on city property)...I thought about giving them a call with the information about how this has happened to other people with the same model car. Maybe they would do a follow up story about the model car...with a little publicity and the word getting out...then maybe GM would do a better job of figuring out what is causing Grand Prix GTPs to burn up?!