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Pontiac GTO

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Comments

  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    bad news, started car in garage, first time since picking up car and parking in garage, heard wistle sound and when backing out of garage, very weak brakes. drove the car (first time for more than test drive) and noticed brakes very weak. later same day, again started car in garage and clearly heard wistle sound. brakes are not strong.

    never noticed weak brakes on any of the other gtos test driven, some on the highway. i assume there is a vac. leak somewhere. bty, engine lopes at idle and in gear with a light brake, the car pulses, instead of a smooth pull.

    going in at 7:30 am tomorrow.

    on the good side, super smooth ride and vey quite (well pretty quiet considering the exhaust sound) at 70 mph.

    anyone have any similar vac problem?

    thanks

    rr70
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    I believe there is a TSB out on this; brake booster vacuum check valve is faulty. This reduces vacuum assist to the brakes and also creates a vacuum leak. This is indicated by your symptoms. If they have the part available, should take all of about 5 minutes to replace. Not saying it will, saying it should ;)
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    white6, thanks for the speedy reply. is that tsb for only 2004? hope not, since as you noted, my description fits the problmem to a T. thanks.rr70
  • smaher007smaher007 Member Posts: 14
    My dealer has a new 2006 GTO and a slightly used (3,000 miles) 2005, both riding on 17" wheels. I really prefer the spice red of the 06 to the 05's cyclone gray, but I'd like to save some $$ if possible. Therefore, my question is which year is likely to be more reliable? From previous posts it sounds like 2005 had a few problems. Also, how common is the strut rub problem?

    Thanks!
  • dclark2dclark2 Member Posts: 91
    Strut rub is caused by a combo of poor subframe alignment and 17" tires that are a bit too wide. This problem doesn't happen with the slightly narrower 18" wheels.On '04 and '05, strut rub is common.
    According to DMS of San fran, he has yet to see a '06 with strut rub.
    Outside of the extra things added to the '06, they did redesign the power steering rack to lesson the likelyhood of failure.
  • sakinoshsakinosh Member Posts: 34
    "Outside of the extra things added to the '06, they did redesign the power steering rack to lesson the likelyhood of failure."

    Is that true? I didn't think there were any major changes besides the colors, power outlets, smoked tail lights and "alleged" faster seat motors. This would really sway my decision for an '05 or '06.

    No strut rub on the '06's with 17-inch tires too? dclark2, do you have a link to any kind of documentation for this? That would be helpful.
  • zq8zq8 Member Posts: 82
    Is there ANY documentation on this steering rack change for 2006?
  • sputterguysputterguy Member Posts: 383
    That's a real bummer dude. I have an '04 silver 6sp. It is hard to shift, has the 'thunk in the trunk', and after reading posts here I realize it has piston slap. But the car is rock solid and everything works. I don't have any seat problem, steering problem, alignment problem, brake problem or paint problem. The interior is flawless and the stitching and fit superb. I wanted to upgrade to an '05 or '06 and have driven a multitude. They have all been solid cars also but seem to be overly torque managed. From posts here the automatic sounds less managed. I drove one '06 6sp and it was the same as the '05s. I was waiting for an '06 auto but the dealer hasn't bothered to call me. I'm assuming they have gotten some automatics in since then. And since then I have read about all these problems people are having and I am having second thoughts. If I did get a new one and it was a problem car I would kick myself for letting a good one go. I have two more years left on my lease and that would correspond nicely with a new '09 GTO or Challenger. Still pondering the situation and don't know for sure what I'll do. Could still end up in an '06 if the deal was right. Hope you get your situation resolved to your satisfaction.
  • smaher007smaher007 Member Posts: 14
    Thanks for the advice! :)
    I think I will try for the 06. Another good thing about the Spice Red is that it comes with normal black gauges instead of those crazy red ones. I guess some people might like red gauges but I could do without them.
  • silvergoatsilvergoat Member Posts: 12
    I too have noticed this whistling sound when starting up in the garage. It seems to go away on it's own, no appearant problems from it.
  • blesseuerblesseuer Member Posts: 12
    Looking at same dilema of left over '05 vs. '06. have an '05 that they are down to $29k out the door, but heard can get them lower...anyone have any luck with that recently on non=titled '05?
    also, what option or how do you get the polished rims that i see on some of the photos?? like the shine vs. the dull standard rims.
  • newgoatfannewgoatfan Member Posts: 4
    At $29K for an '05, I'd definitely go for the '06, or work them down much more on the '05. I've got a quote for $29.7K on a 6spd. I get a $500 military rebate, but still, you should be able to get a better price on an '05 than that.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    well, after bringing in the car on monday, and speaking directly with the shop manager who worked on the car, declaration of no problem found. he said the brakes felt fine and there was no problem.

    i have to say that for all of the test drives i did in other gtos, not one raised my attention to weak brakes. nor did the one other auto equipped gto pulse in drive when on the brake stopped and with lighter brake pedal pressure, the car clearly pulses. you can also feel it in the seat, like its missing. also, the instant mileage readout never goes to zero, even when fully stopped which raises my suspicion.

    so for all on this message board, i have three questions:
    1. would anyone on this board say their brakes feel weak, and require conscience attention to brake?, and
    2. for all those with auto trannys, can you feel the car pulse like it was missing when you are stopped, and when you let off the brake just to the point of movement its noticeable?, and
    3. does the instant mileage readout ever go to zero when the car is fully stopped?

    perhaps these are ideosicracies of the car. then ok. but, my gut tells me the engine is not running right.

    thanks to all for your help. rr70
  • smaher007smaher007 Member Posts: 14
    What does everybody think the depreciation is going to be like for the 05-06 GTOs?

    On the one hand, since relatively few were made the car will have rarity on its side, but on the other, its relatively narrow appeal will probably hurt value. :confuse:

    I prefer to buy cars but if steep depreciation is a threat, I might look into leasing
    -Thanks!
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    Hey new to the list,
    I am ready to buy and looking for a 06 Goat 6spd 18" wheels, spice red. I did want to have the ground effects installed by the dealer along with the grill, anyone had those dealer installed? Are they worth getting or should I look aftermarket?
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    I forgot to mention I have been a SVT Cobra and Ford guy for a long time until now that is! I was planing on getting a new Shelby GT 500 but I don't own a ford dealership and don't have $50 plus grand. Always liked the GTO. Hope I'm not disapointed..you think!
    Mike
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    It was my plan to get the Shelby also until I found out you will need to cough up 10 to 30k over list. Hello FR500 and all the R's but worse. Hey if you have an in good luck to you man.
  • smaher007smaher007 Member Posts: 14
    Who would pay up to 30K over list price on a GT500??!! Thats like 70 grand, which is totally insane! Just think of all the other cars you could get for that kind of money... like a porsche 911. I'm sure the GT500 will be collectible, but still! I hate the Ford dealers for always slapping on massive premiums every time Ford makes a hot car. Not to mention they offered me a $50 Visa gift card for coming in and then denied my request because the stupid salesman put the wrong date on the postcard :mad:
  • sputterguysputterguy Member Posts: 383
    If you get one of the good ones you will be in heaven.
  • newgoatfannewgoatfan Member Posts: 4
    I agree, and I'm no Ford fan and never will be, but in fairness you've got to admit that GM is just as guilty of that. Ford knows people will pay for the name Shelby, so they are going to charge a premium for it. (I don't know about $30k though.) Think of it this way...if a GTO Judge option had come out, do you really think GM wouldn't have slapped a heavy premium on that? In fact, look at what happened with the '04 GTO: dealers were asking for way over MSRP when it first came out.
  • sputterguysputterguy Member Posts: 383
    I believe I've heard the whistle. I think it's coming from the air intake. I've been meaning to check out the air filter to make sure it's seated properly.
  • dclark2dclark2 Member Posts: 91
    "Is there ANY documentation on this steering rack change for 2006?"
    I don't know the part numbers but it is different. In fact, it is so different that some CAI that were made for the '05 will not fit the '06 because of changes to the hose and pump.
    If you can see an '05 and a '06 side by side, you'd probably be able to tell.
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    When you say "Good Ones" are you talking your typical assembly line issues or is (or were) there some real clunkers coming off the GTO line? How bad is bad? Anything I should look out for before I put down the bucks?
  • silvergoatsilvergoat Member Posts: 12
    Regarding the instant mileage read-out. When the car stops it changes from miles/gallon to gallons/hour, so it never goes to zero.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    roadrunner roadrunner goin 90 miles an hour:
    - the word "weak" definitely does not apply to 05 goat brakes. recently my fronts do pulse, rotors probably a bit warped/uneven-wear. replacing them ain't gonna be cheap, so i'm just going to live with the pulsing for now.
    - mine is an M6 but i remember my one 4L60E Z28 doing the same pulsing idling thing you are describing. the M6 goat bucks around a little bit at idle too. think of it as a good thing, a "hot cam" - like a racehorse snorting & ready to GO.
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    Sounds like a muscle car to me!
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    Folks, what he's talking about is not cam rock. I know exactly what he' referring to, and it aint "normal operation." It's a hum or vibration that sweeps through the car in a rythmic pulse. My 04 A4 does this, but only in warm weather. In temps below 40 degrees or so, it idles perfectly fine. As temps rise, the vibration starts. With summer temps in the 90s, the vibration becomes constant (not rythmic); it feels like a big magic fingers bed and the dash actually begins to hum along. Dealer solution was to hang some weights off the exhaust pipe to help dampen the vibration. Reduced to about 80%; treated the symptom, not the cause.
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    That is good to know seeing as I am looking for a new 06 now. No idea of what is causing it? Is it just in the automatics?
  • sputterguysputterguy Member Posts: 383
    They are few and far between but there are some clunkers out there. And it's not so much that they have problems it's that GM does so little to fix them that they end up in worse condition than if the problem had been addressed properly in the first place. But the car is so much fun that only the worst problems can spoil the experience.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    thanks for the reply. since i have put about 150 miles on it the engine is running smoother and not pulsing as much. did i mention that the car sat for 2 months before it was sold? i also topped off the tank with fresh gas. in any event its clearly runs better. but, to me, the brakes are average in power assist.
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    best wishes, roadrunner. btw, i think all these cars sat for at least a couple months before being sold - it's a slow boat ride from Australia to here...
  • dclark2dclark2 Member Posts: 91
    Your car had old gas and that'll make it run weird.
    My '06 gto had a rough idle when new, but it went away after 1000 miles. Remember, the car is brand new and the pcm is still getting use to everything ("learning").
  • emd567emd567 Member Posts: 15
    Your instant milage readout will go to zero, if you pull more then 99.9 miles per gallon. I have it happen to me on my drive to work on a steep hill. The readout can't handle 3 digits to the left of the decimal, but the computer will still figure the jump in mileage to the avg MPG.
    Onto another question: How is the rear bumper done? I was rear ended at slow speed(just scrathed the paint) but I am concerned about what I can't see. Does the GTO have the composit foam/steel bumper? I went all over the car looking for signs on bent panels, but did not find any, so I am just worried about what's under the bumper cover.
  • emd567emd567 Member Posts: 15
    I have just received the "GTO magizine", and I do like the inset grill, and the change in the lower grill. How much does this cost, and can I do the work? The rear cover looks good also, as it gets rid of the "GTO" that the stock piece has.
  • 06gtoinchas06gtoinchas Member Posts: 1
    I just bought my 2006 GTO about 3 months ago. I am looking for a good exhaust system. I want a system that delivers performance, but no too much noise. Don't get me wrong, I want it loud, but not too loud. I have seen 3 different manufacturers with systems, but none have audio clips. Some of these systems also come with an X-pipe. Please let me know which I should choose, and if doing the X-pipe at the same time is smart. I am willing to deal with a louder exhaust if the performance is there.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    i'll look behind the bumper tomorrow and let you know. rr70
  • elkiiielkiii Member Posts: 50
    You are probably better off investing in one of the performance tuning kits that re-program the engine management system (or find a shop that can do it for you) than the typical CAI and exhaust mods. At the very least you won't see as much gain as you might without re-programming.

    There may be some aftermarket kits that supply exhaust,CAI, and ECM mods that are optimized for the entire kit. I'd look into those first if you really want to increase performance. You're likely to be dissapointed with just an exhaust mod.
  • dclark2dclark2 Member Posts: 91
    I wouldn't bother. The GTO already has a good flowing exhaust and it has a great sound- why mess with it?
    Over at ls2gto.com, a lot of people have been disappointed with replacing the stocker.
    Power gains have been limited to around 5 hp and some have had drone problems.
    I think audio clips are irrelevent. You need to ride in a car with the exhaust. Paying $700+ for an exhaust that has a conversation drowning drone is not my kind of a bargain.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    there is a full plastic panel in the rear. can't see behind the bumper. but likley that there is foam there. rr70
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    regarding getting crunched from the rear.
    there is *not* foam under the bottom rear bumper piece, i can tell you that for sure. probably foam/honeycomb behind the upper bumper cover though.
    consider the aussie rear bumper bottom piece - it doesn't say GTO - it's just flat black plastic. looks good with the cyclone gray, anyway, better than the factory pontiac part imho.
  • sssstsssst Member Posts: 21
    Tell me on the Pontiac Ground Effects kits...Do they replace the excisting bumpers or do they fit over them?
    M
  • usa2usa2 Member Posts: 14
    Does anyone know a web site or any other way to find out how many cars they have sold for a given model year?
  • midwesttradermidwesttrader Member Posts: 291
    Here you go:

    2004 = 15,728
    2005 = 11,069
    2006 = 2,576 (through 3/31/06)
  • usa2usa2 Member Posts: 14
    Is there a site that sales numbers can be researched for other vehicles?
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    this tells me that you should hold on to the gto. it will not go down much in value and it may go up, even in the short run. rr70
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    the call to the Jorge dude at GM caused someone there to open a case. the rep has called me back a few times and tells me that GM HQ is offering to pay for the alignment after i send them copy of service record & proof of payment. pretty cool.
    i didn't ask them for this at all - i was only trying to provide data to Jorge re "strut rub" .
    btw, dealer did re-align it and steering wheel is centered now at least.
  • brlz28brlz28 Member Posts: 3
    Since the word is the GTO will be back in '08 are there any concept photos or has anything been released yet? or just rumors?
  • mparis1mparis1 Member Posts: 107
    come on fellows.... we know it is over... our GTO IS THE LAST RIDE................no way will debt-ridden GM put out 2 rear-wheel high powered v-8s....camaro and gto...The world has changed.... gas will cost $4,5,6 soon in the future ...no relief until alternative fuels/ethanol/ nuclear power comes on board............who will buy cars that get 10mpg..or cost $6.00 to go a mile.... no young guys can afford that...then the insurance...then the gas guzzler taxes....the GTO WILL BECOME LIKE FERRARIS/LAMBOUGHGHIS.....VERY COSTLY/ EXCLUSIVE.......not more the mass-market so GM will pass ... the market[guys] like us are getting to OLD to drive them...living on pensions and need high-mileage cars.... mid-life crisis guys will not be able to indulge themselves so the Last Muscle Cars are ours.... the last crisis muscle cars disappeared but came back 20 years later.......and only a handful were made............but now FORD AND GM are in dire financial straits.......it makes no sense for low mileage muscle cars...it is a bad business decision....different car will be made ...hybrids/etnano/ hydrogen...SO ENJOY.....my dilemia is whether to buy at the end of my lease or not? this will be the Last Ride :confuse:
  • aldencabotaldencabot Member Posts: 7
    Just returned from a trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (across from Iran, next to Saudia Arabia on the peninsula)..
    One nice thing : tons of GTO's -- badged as Chevy Impala SS's ... I spoke with one local who told me that the SS is the LS1 5.7 and the plain ole' S is a 6 cylinder. Monaro front end makes them look better than our Pontiac kidney front ... which is my least favorite part of this glorious car.

    The cars look great and gas is cheap ... I just loved spotting "GTO's" on the street almost every day. Even here in Los Angeles, passing another GTO on the road is a rare occasion worthy of celebration.

    People are poor drivers in Dubai. Lots of serious tailgating and foolish lane changes. Dubai has the 2nd most dangerous roads in the world -- but those GTO/Monaro?Impalas look fantastic.
  • mparis1mparis1 Member Posts: 107
    P.S. ...got the math wrong....$6.00 per gallon =10miles per gallon gives us .60cents per mile...still pretty expensive.
This discussion has been closed.