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Pontiac Grand Am

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Comments

  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    I have a 1999 Grand Am SE quad 4. Bought this car brand new. In that time I have had nothing but trouble with my brakes and rotors. I've replaced the rotors twice and the brake pads 3 times. I can't count how many times I've had to have the rotors resurfaced because of the pulsation while braking. Feels like you're not gonna stop!Overall maintenance , I've replaced the battery, alternator and the struts. The car runs pretty smooth other than that. I started hearing this tapping sound from the front end and had it looked at by a personal friend's mechanic. He said that there was free play in the front axle and the only way to fix it was to take the transmission out. He said it wasn't dangerous just annoying and recommended that I find it a new home. Well that is easier said than done. Now the tapping noise has gotten more promonent all the way across the front end. I hear this noise all the time now driving on any type of road and it sounds like the front end is about to fall out or the axle is about to break. The car rides like a two horse wagon. I'm afraid that one day it will break when I'm driving down the highway which I do frequently to get to work. Has anyone owning a Grand Am ever had this problem? If so what did you do to fix it?
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Well I have a 1999 Grand Am SE and I can tell you about the stiff suspension and road noise irregularities. My front end sounds like something is about to break driving down any type road especially when not on a very smooth road. Feels like there are no shocks on the car. A mechanic checked it out and said there is freeplay in the front axle. To fix would mean taking the transmission out. Also had a really bad brake problem. Replaced the rotors twice, pads at least 3 times, struts because of the noise I was hearing from the front. Didn't solve the problem. Pontiac dealership says that this is a problem with 1999 to 2000 models. I think that is bull crap. I have some wind noise, no leaks. I will never buy another Grand Am.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,818
    None of them. They're way old designs, and nobody outside Lansing, MI -- where they are made -- wants one. They have the resale value of beer. If you want a small Pontiac, get a Vibe... great quality, ok resale, all Toyota underneath, GM rebates, employee, GM Card rebates etc. etc. It's worth looking into.

    If you want a larger Pontiac, get it used. Great deals abound.

    I'm no particular fan of Pontiacs, but I've got an '04 Vibe and I'm pleased with it.

    -Mathias
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    Wife owns a 99 GA SE1 with the 4-cyl. We bought the car used from a delaership. Immediatly we had the entire interior carpet replaced....it shrunk after I had it shampooed. The interior door panels were replaced due to the material bubbling in the hot summer sun. All 4 side windows had to be replaced due to scratching from improperly spaced door panels. The rear spoiler exploded on one really cold winters day due to water getting trapped inside and expanding. The radio was replaced becaue the display apparently was made in Egypt (only shown heiroglyphics)Luckily all of this was covered under warranty. I have spent 2400 dollars of my own money on this car in the last 3 years of owning it. I had the rotors/brake pads on the front replaced twice (2000 and 2001) The second set were covered und a warranty of the product since they failed after 400 miles of driving.
    I also had to have the power steering lines replaced due to leakage. (The leakage finally go to be so much that I was filling the revoir once every 72 hours.)Most recently I had to have both upper strut mounts replaced due to cracking/breaking, both front springs replaced (They broke while the car was sitting in the garage). When I went to pick up the car from the dealership the battery was dead. (Battery 5 years old) I got that back and then a week later the alternator was shot. (Most likely contributing to the battery problem) I know have the car back and it runs perfect. I really can't be too unhappy on the financial side since I only have spent around 2400 dollars on the cars maintanance in the past 5 years. But, I really would have liked to spent the money on a new plasma tv or something else to improve my like that to fix a car that only has 65,000 miles on it.
  • footballfootball Member Posts: 2
    I have water on the front drivers side floor and rear passenegers side floor. No visable holes in the floor. Any idea what could be causing the water to settle there?
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Well when you say the front springs broke I'm wondering if that is what's wrong with my car? Driving on rough road or bumps it sounds like something is loose in the front end. I'm almost afraid that one day it will break and I might being seeing heaven instead of on earth. I have called GMAC and they will do nothing about it. Say there's too much mileage or not under warranty anymore. I've never had the rug shrinkage or spoiler exploding but maybe that's because I park in my garage. I can say that there is a sqeak in the steering wheel and my dashboard rattles all the time. The car rides rough like the wheels are unbalanced. I also have a hard time with the air pressure staying at 35 lbs. Thanks for responding.
  • cougar87cougar87 Member Posts: 30
    Sorry if I haven't been following the news well enough, but is production of Grand Am coupes ending with this model year- or will the coupes march on and maybe live to see a redesign?

     

    I don't exactly think Pontiac depends on them, but I do think it'd be something of a mistake to cancel them. If anything they should put money into restyling them so they can compete with other cars in the class. They might sell rather well if they're given an edge in styling- the Grand Am already has a price advantage over almost all of it's competition as it is.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    When my wifes car broke the front end dropped to about 3 inches off the garage floor on the affected side. The noise that you state sounds like maybe the upper strut mounts might be fractured or cracked. I would hear a noise coming from the front like a bag of plastic peices were being shaken. I have had the passenger side replaced twice and the drivers side replaced when I had the springs replaced. (The springs have to be replaced in pairs to keep the ride even.) This might explain the rough ride and noise in the front end. Have a mechanic take a look at it. My mechanic had to look closely to see the cracks in the strut mounts. I think that they might even be plastic but don't quote me on it.
  • ocmike3ocmike3 Member Posts: 232
    I happened to notice that the wind dam underneath the front end of my GA was loose. On closer inspection it had torn loose from the bottom of the radiator. Since It was only about 25% attached I gave it a tug and it came off easily. It appears to have been "glued" to the radiator bottom? Anyone else had to replace this strip of plastic? Any suggestions for re-attaching?
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Well when I started noticing the noise, I had it checked out by several people to get opinions. Each said it was the struts that needed to be replaced. One mechanic said it wasn't the struts, it was free play in the front axle. To fix would mean taking the transmission out was what I was told. So I had new struts put on it and it was a waste of my money because honestly I don't think I needed them. The noise persisted. It begins to get on your nerves after a while because you're wondering if it is on the verge of breaking. I'm taking it to a mechanic this weekend to see if he can find the specific problem. I hope so.
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    No but really what are those things good for except to scrape when in a low place?
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    My 2000 Alero, which is really same car as GrandAm, has the same front end noise you described. It sounds like a bunch of plastic pieces being shaken in a bag. It is just on the drivers side. If I put WD40 on the large center strut stud that you can see from the top, the noise will go away for a couple of weeks, so I know its in that area. The strut center stud attaches to a piece that is held in place by 3 bolts. Is that the piece that was cracked? Could you see the cracks from the engine compartment?
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    I wasn't able to see the cracked piece, but I do believe that it is underneath that peice. I wouldn't recommend trying to remove the struts yourself being that they are under heavy tension. It was about 3-400 dollars to have one replaced. Your GM dealer could probably show you on thier parts computer exactly the location and part name....it escapes me at this moment. The oil that you are using probably lubricates the pieces so that they don't make noise until the oil drips away. The strut noise and broken front springs are very common in the 99-00 models of GA and Alero. Have them inspect the springs to make sure that there are no cracks....luckily mine broke while backing out of the garage and not when I was on the highway.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    Do you have any more info or links about the broken spring issue? I did a search and checked out a lot of sites about various GM problems, but yours is the only broken spring issue I could find. It seems threre is an issue with dry upper strut mounts (rubber bushing) and any kind of good rubber lube takes care of the problem.

    Thanks,

    Mike
  • ocmike3ocmike3 Member Posts: 232
    usually they serve two purposes:

    1) create a low pressure under the car to reduce drag

    2) direct air up to the radiator to help with cooling.

    I suspect the one on the GA is for both as the grill is so small and they want to increase mileage.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    Merry Christmas/Happy New Year.....I do not have any extra info regarding the broken spring issue. I do know that it was a problem for saturn during those years too. In regards to the upper strut mount lube....How often do I need to lube it? I just had the broken ones replaced and I really would like to do as much preventive maintanance as possible. How do I lube that spot? Any directions would be appreciated. Thanks
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    If you just had the mounts replaced, you may never have to lube them. Here is a link that explains how. The picture is for a Lexus RX300 but the Alero loooks the same.

    http://rx300how2.home.comcast.net/front_strut_squeak.htm
  • dontshopthewaldontshopthewal Member Posts: 49
    Well it wouldn't be too smart to turn them off or dewire them. Daytime Running Lights decrease your risk of being in a car crash by 50% because they greatly increase your ability to be seen by other motorists..

     

    But to each his/her own..
  • huskerfan_1huskerfan_1 Member Posts: 8
    You think I made a mistake buying a 2004 SE2 with only 3800 miles? Of course I got totally raped on the deal, but should I have gotten something else? I kinda like the car, but think are there a couple quality issues that just stick in my craw.
  • jc1973jc1973 Member Posts: 63
    hi everyone ive got a 98 grand am se and my radio display wen,t out month ago so i have no clock or know what station im on has anyone else had this problem and is there a cheap fix for this besides buying new stearo
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    The 98-2000 Grand Ams had radios with electrical goblins in them. My GA has a cassette deck model and frequently the display either doesn't work or is in some type of heiroglyphics 50% of the time. Other than the display issue the radio works well. (If you don't care not being able to see what station you are on.) The only fix is to replace the radio (Buy something cool aftermarket..it will cost you the same as an A/C Delco head unit) and make sure they check the ground and harness for shorts.
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Do you know why mounts would have to be replaced? Spraying WD40 in the slots, where does that go exactly? Does lube the bushings and that's all? I've been told that the mounts need to be replaced on my Grand Am because I hear a noise in the front end on any type road like something is loose. I found out over Christmas that the left strut was leaking fluid so I have no shock there. I've contacted BBB because the mechanic who put them on new supposedly is going to charge me for labor and realignment to replace the bad strut.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I am not sure what the mounts look like. But what I do suspect is that there is a rubber bushing that wears out and creates the noise you are experiencing. I have the same noise just on the drivers side. I spray it and it goes away for a couple of months. It's only a band aid and the real fix is a new rubber bushings or mounts.
  • cage47cage47 Member Posts: 17
    There's nothing wrong with replacing the struts yourself. Autozone will sell you the unit with the spring already installed. All you do is remove the two big bolts from the strut to the spindle and then remove the three small nuts on the top. But DON'T remove the large center nut, because that is what holds the spring in compression. You could not only damage your car you could injure yourself. But the strut/spring assembly is simple to do as a unit.
  • quocpfnkquocpfnk Member Posts: 10
    i currently have a 2002 grand am gt and have recently moved from georgia to michigan where the winters are a little bit more harsh. my car has been having issues driving on all the snow, ie fishtailing and sliding. i understand i have more to learn about driving on the snow, however. do you believe that getting better tires would make a difference. and if i should think about putting weight in my trunks? i'd appreciate any help you could offer. thanks.
  • gmhellmangmhellman Member Posts: 121
    Most likely it has to do with the tires. Purchse a good set of tires....Blizzak, Kelly Charger...Do NOT add weight to the trunk it only creates extra ballast over the rear wheels and can create more fishtailing. Does you car have traction control? My wife has tcs on her grand am and she gets great traction. I have talked to people with ga w/o tcs and they say their traction sucks...so truly your choices are new tires or new car. But I would give yourself some time and get some experience in the snow. btw I live in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan and we average 200+ inches of snow...I can truly speak from experience.
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    So what do I do to spray the bushing? There's a cover over the strut that has 4 bolts and one in the middle. Do I take the whole cover off or is there and easier way. I'll try anything for now until I can afford to get them fixed.
  • ocmike3ocmike3 Member Posts: 232
    Give yourself some time and practice, but getting better tires will likely help. I've owned several FWD autos; on a second GA. With traction control and good tires going through the snow & ice will be easier. Still takes experience getting used to driving on it.

    For my 2002 I changed from the Eagles to some Toyo Proxes TPT's. They are more of a performance tire, but are all season rated and do well here with our mix of dry-wet-occasional snow/ice. You will probably want a more aggressive winter tire.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I used WD40 over a month ago and the noise has not returned yet. See post #1865 above which has a link to a photo showing where to spray. No need to remove anything. The photo is for a Lexus but it is basically the same for Alero.
  • philipkphilipk Member Posts: 1
    I'm trying to clean my "remote" tape deck in my 2000 Grand Am. This is with the CD/Equilizer head unit and a tape deck under the A/C controls.

     

    The problem is that when you put the cleaning casette in the deck, it spits it back out because it senses it as a broken tape. The owner's manual says that if you press TAPE/PLAY with the stereo off, the tape indicator will flash and disable this feature. However, my headunit has a CD/PLAY button, and I can't get it to disable this feature and allow me to clean the deck.

     

    There is nothing else in the manual that tells what to do. It does say that to reset the "Cln" indicator, you press RECALL on the hu and EJECT on the remote tape deck, but using the +RECALL does not work with the CD/PLAY button. If you have any insight, PLEASE let me know.

     

    Thanks,

    Phil in Orlando
  • chapa64chapa64 Member Posts: 2
    I recently bought a 99 grand am gt 2 door. The car runs great and gets good gas mileage. I noticed yesterday some water on the floor behind the passenger seat. It was wierd because there was no trace whatsoever of water anywhere else in the interior of the car. I'm just wondering if anyone else has had this experience and/or knows how it can be fixed.
  • chapa64chapa64 Member Posts: 2
    the opening you found in the weatherstrip....where did you find the water? i just found water behind the passenger seat on the floor, but nowhere else. did using silicone fix the problem?
  • pontiacstormpontiacstorm Member Posts: 2
    For that type of problem i think who ever said something about the tires is right i have a 4dr GA gt and it's not that bad in the snow actually I've never gotten stuck never really fish tailed unless i make it happen the only complaint is that it's too low to the ground and when it snows really bad in Michigan(I'm from Michigan) it's hard to get threw the snow
  • pontiacstormpontiacstorm Member Posts: 2
    I've had my 03 ga gt in 2x's for the same problem sometimes when i turn i hear this thump and they said something was loose and then it was rotted away well they fixed it and then it came back??? Also sometimes when i start my car in the cold i will start it and it will stall any help with that? One more thing i'm wondering if anyone has had any problems with the rear bumper i have a crack in it medium size and it doesn't look like no one hit it i'm wondering if it's some kind of stress crack from the winter and then washing it with hot water when it's cold???.....ONE MORE THING in the morning does any hear rattling like the tail pipes are hitting each other really fast when your accelerating????
  • thebear4u2luvthebear4u2luv Member Posts: 1
    My engines power on the highways seem to stop after 4000 rpm and after getting off the highway the engine stutters at first acceleration, can anyone help me. thanks
  • dablowdablow Member Posts: 1
    Hey I was wonderin if the monsoon system can be taken out of my 2004 pontiac grand am and replaced with a aftermarket cdplayer? And is there any websites that will sell aftermarket products for my engine and stuff
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    I just had the recall done on my 2000 Alero (same as GrandAm) this morning. Now I notice the button on the dash that turns on the 4 way flashers has no light in it. I think it had a light before the switch replacement. Can anyone confirm this for me?
    Thanks,
    Mike
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    When driving my car down any type road, it sounds like the front end is going to fall out. Sounding like something is loose. The struts, control arm have been replaced and it didn't fix the problem. Has anybody had similar experiences? Please, I'm at the end of my rope on trying to figure out what's wrong.
  • cornellpinoycornellpinoy Member Posts: 196
    Does your Grand Am have the bolt on plastic wheel covers? I've driven quite a few Grand Ams and have found that the bolt on plastic wheel covers will vibrate and make a lot of noise over bumps.
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Not quite sure what you mean. I have alloyed wheel covers but there are plastic covers that go over the bolts. Is that what you're talking about? I've been told it was always the struts so I had them replaced. Then several other mechanics said it was the strut mounts. The last guy who replaced the control arm said that it is part of the mount. Is this true? Because I have done extensive research and the strut mounts look like a plate with bushings that fit on top of the strut. The loose sounding noise is getting worse and makes me wonder if the car is safe to drive. It literally sounds like the front end is going to fall out any time. Any advise help will be appreciated greatly.
  • cornellpinoycornellpinoy Member Posts: 196
    Most wheel covers have clips on along the edge that hold on the rim. You simply use a screwdriver to remove them off the rim. The plastic bolts are purely cosmetic.

    Some wheel covers do not have the clips to hold them. They are held in place by 5 plastic bolts and the only way to remove them is by loosening them. These are the wheel covers that I've found to make a lot of noise over bumps.

    That said, the strut mounts on the intermediate size GMs do wear out and I'm surprised the mechanic that replaced your struts didn't recommend replacing them at the same time with the new struts. They are located at the top of the strut as you described. If other mechanics have test driven your car and feel the noises are due to worn strut mounts, then I think you should have them replaced.
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Thanks. I have alloyed rims and not hub caps. There are black plastic screw on covers that go over the lug nuts and that's it. Taking my car to another mechanic who specializes in front ends so hopefully he will pin point the problem. The mechanic that replaced my struts in my opinion took me for a ride. After this last mechanic put on the control arm, he said that they were real dirty and didn't look like new struts plus the left strut is leaking hydraulic fluid. When I took it back with my receipt they kept it for a day and concluded it was bad. However, he says, that's not your problem, it's the mounts and to replace them it would cost me $98 each for them plus labor. He was going to charge me again to realign my car and I basically told him to stick it where the sun don't shine. I reported him to BBB but he didn't respond.
  • timmy13s1timmy13s1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 SE1 with a near-perfect mnx record (not counting the cheap interior plasic that GM puts in its cars) with 50K miles on it. Yesterday, it seemed real sluggish changing gears-- push the pedal, the engine revs and RPMs increase, but no shifting occurs until I release the gas pedal. he engine topped out at about 55-60 mph, with the RPMs peaking at about 4000. Any attempts to rev the engine any higher yeilds nothing but the check engine light. Revving the engine in Park yields similar results, except once the RPMs max out at 4000, it just drops to about 3000 and pushes itself back up (while this is going on, the engine is shifting considerably under the hood). During this process the exhaust coming out of the car has a faint gas smell.

    Here's the kicker: using cruise control, I was able to get the car up to a high speed (70 MPH) with VERY slow acceleration (clicking the cruise accelerator about once every 10-20 seconds).

    I was by seperate shops that this could be one of three things:

    1) Transmission problems-- this makes no sense o me whatsoever, but if it does, can someone explain to me why? OR
    2) Exhaust problems, notably the catalytic converter-- too much backpressure.
    3) Fuel injection-- one (or more) cylinders not getting the fuel it needs to move.

    The only one of these things that makes any sense is the exhaust. Has anyone ever heard of this before?

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • bxd20bxd20 Member Posts: 68
    2002 Alero is a light in there, it's VERY subtle though, need to check in complete darkness.
  • tdpoohtdpooh Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace a burnt out turn signal bulb. How do I get to the turn signal bulb on the front bumper (driver's side - under the headlight)?
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    I have a code 23,when I drive the car and the Light comes on the car stumbles when the light goes out the car runs fine.The problem is intermittent.I had a tps installed but problem is still there.Can anyone help.93 Grand AM with a 3300 eng.
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    I have a code 26. When I drive the car the Service Engine Light comes on and the car stumbles. When the light goes out the car runs fine. The problem is intermittent. I had a tps installed but problem is still there. I was also told that it could be the quad driver circuit. Can anyone help? 93 Grand AM with a 3300 eng.
  • ijennings1ijennings1 Member Posts: 67
    My wife's Alero 3.4 is a 2002 model, and has covered 43,000 miles (same layout as Grand-Am).
    I've noticed a leak from under the engine bay. It is too thin and clean for engine oil, so must be power steering or auto-box fluid. Unfortunatly, the latter has no measuring tool. I've looked underneath, and the leak appears to be coming from up above the starter solenoid area, but it is impossible to be sure as the leak travels with the wind etc as we drive along. Does anybody know where i should look to check for leaks from the power steering system and auto box?
    The leak is not significant, but I'm worried damage might be done if the levels fall too low. The power steering dip-stick showed a small drop of oil missing, but nothing too significant.
    Are these engines renowned from auto-box and power sterring leaks?
    Thanks for any help here.
    Ian
  • grandjonesgrandjones Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem but what i notice is - it is the way i park the car in my yard. It's strange...
  • wolferwolfer Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace the 2.3 liter Quad 4 engine in my 1995 Grand AM. Does anyone know where I can find one at a reasonable price? I've found one with 100,000 miles and they wanted $1,000 for it. Surely there is a better deal out there, but where?
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