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Pontiac Grand Am

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Comments

  • kintyroekintyroe Member Posts: 1
    Id like to say that i love GM especially my car but right now i have a problem with a tensioner and a water pump when i go to work it over heats very easily id give it at least 25mins before i have to stop and take a break (or put it into neutral and turn off the car while it keeps going) aside that its Black with red stripes a lil bit of rust by above the tires. what im going to do is first fix that problem, then im going to get a body kit for it, get a new paint job it will be glossy black with baby blue and blue flames and the side of it. i already have Street Glow blue neon lights installed with a Phoenix Digital 1200 amp (lights up blue) , 1 800 Xploder subwoofer i also sanded down some of the dash board parts with a friend paint them with Vinyl spray blue, Panasonic Cd player (neon blue face plate) and ill be doing more stuff later on. can someone provide me a link to a good place with good body kits of my make.
  • hmbeasley22hmbeasley22 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 97 Grand AM GT. I have replace the starter and ignition switch and I was told that it my be the companies anti theft system...... How could I find out if that is the problem? :mad:
  • utsportsutsports Member Posts: 2
    hello first question is the theft light on,, if so, the theft security system is shutting the car down , heres what you need to try get in the vehicle and shut all the doors
    and dont open them till you complete this process put the key in the ignition and start the car when the car dies leave the key in the same position that would be the run position for at least 10 minuate then cut the key to the off position this procedure should reset your theft system then try to restart the vehicle if the car still dies and the theft light is still on then the tumbler my be bad thats where the theft module is located that what i was told at GM service but you needs to call GM service just to make sure of the location you can get a tumbler with key at a salvage yard for about 30 to 40 dollars hope the first procedure works for you and if you get a tumbler with key you will probably have to do the procedure to reset the theft security system with the new tumbler
  • utsportsutsports Member Posts: 2
    hello also why did you have to replace the ignition switch in the first place was it bad or was the vehicle shutting down and you thought it was bad or did someone tell you that was the reason for the car shutting down just curious
    michael knox tn
  • hmbeasley22hmbeasley22 Member Posts: 2
    I replaced the ignition switch and starter because that is what two different mechanics said was the problem for the car not starting. I have had really bad luck with mechanics and have sunk a lot of money into this car. I appreciatee your advice and will let you know what happens..... Thanks.... Heather Daytona Beach, Fl
  • tuff289tuff289 Member Posts: 2
    change the crankshaft position sensor
  • brndnbrndn Member Posts: 1
    i have a 97 grand am gt it died today going around the corner when i restart it runs extremly ruff and wont stay running.Any idea where to start? Will a code be stored? I dont know if the engine light tried to come on because it was already on for 1840 transmission problem.
  • bobjackbobjack Member Posts: 1
    Hello. I have a 1994 Grand Am 2.3 quad 4 and I am trying to replace the starter. The first bolt loosened up easily enough but I can't reach the second bolt. Any advice? Thank you. Bob
  • dalsteindalstein Member Posts: 5
    Hey, this is the first time ive looked at these forums and was amazed to see my problem dealt with. I'm pretty sure that my 1999 grand am SE 2.4 L is doing the same thing. The noise that i hear is like a "humming" sound coming from the front end. When i drive faster the noise becomes higher pitched, and when i slow down it lowers. Is this the same problem you were having with your car? Do you have everything fixed as of now? Thanks, id really appreciate the help as this noise is driving me insane.
  • rynlds05rynlds05 Member Posts: 1
    I have a White Grand Am Gt, 3.2 engine. I just bought this car and I am having a big problem with the car. My car will get hot, but there is no sign of overheating!! I mean the car red lines and then shuts down. The heat stop working all of a sudden. I half to keep filling up the over flow. But my cap that goes on the overflow is broke and it's soppose to get 15 PSI, will that cause the the car to get hot if it is broken. We had the theromostat change and I have no clue what else it could be!! Would someone please let me know if thay have an idea?
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    Subject: "96" pontiac grand am, 2.4l dohc,idi ignition, fuel injected, 91,000 miles. automatic trans.

    Problem: Engine light came on about a week ago,( i have been worikng on it this long),
    I took the car to an auto parts store to have the code read. it said that # 2 had a misfire, ok fine what could this be, i said to myself, also asked the tech at the store. "It could be many things" lets start with the easiest and cheapest. I replaced the sparkplugs, same thing, replaced both of the coils, (one tested bad), it drove for about 20 mles and the light came on again. back to the store, had it read, this time it was multi cylinder misfire asked this tech who did the the test, (different guy this time) he was dumber than a box of rocks and could not tell me jack, absolutley no help whats so ever. :mad: ok back to the problem, so i go home and look through the repair manual and did the all test like it said and came up with the idi ignition modual bad.
    So i went to the auto parts store and had it tested, it ran through 6 test and failed it twice, bought a modual, installed it, drove less than 10 miles, and it is now misfireing again. every time I replace a part it will run like this: starts good, sounds good, drives good for a short distance and repeats this vicious cycle. what i have not replaced yet, coil cover, and the what would be called plugwires, and cranksensor. so far I have sunk about $250.00 in to this ill fated atemp to repair this, hit and miss and test and replace cat and mouse game.

    Oh yeah, everytime i replace something i remove the negitive battery cable first and it is the last thing i put back on before i start the car. what do you think i need to do now? :confuse:
    thanks in advance,
    Vern.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi vern2, welcome!

    You might want to try the Got a Quick, Technical Question? discussion also ... good luck!
  • mikem220153mikem220153 Member Posts: 2
    Couple of quick questions. Do you have the 6 cylinder or 4 cylinder engine? Is your check engine light on steady or flashing? A steady check engine light idicates a power train or emissions related problem and a flashing check engine light indicates an engine misfire.
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    where is the cranksaft sensor located? :confuse:
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    found the crankshaft sensor, Checked it out and it is fine. took the new IDI ignition module in for a test, and it tested bad. ( Just because it's new doesn't mean it works) but it is a life time warranty, so off I go to replace the module, I'm getting good at swapping this thing out, I think I can do one in about 15 minutes or less now. For those of you that don't know where the crankshaft sensor is, it is located just behind the starter, right at the tail end of it, and just above the oil filter, you can't really see it unless you move the hose going to the air/oil separator. I hope that helps anyone with the same problem. Wish me luck guys I hope this is all I have to do to get this on the road. ;)
  • cricket2cricket2 Member Posts: 16
    Hey, I feel your pain. :mad: I have a 1999 Grand Am SE that I bought brand new in '98. However, I haven't had the problems you've had but believe me I've had my share of front end troubles. I have had the rotors, brake pads, struts, mounts replaced twice in that car. My mirror on the passenger side is loose as well. It now has 97K on it but I will NEVER buy another Grand Am again.
  • splicesplice Member Posts: 1
    you need to look at some thing's here. One are you seeing your coolent on the ground after it has been setting all day. If so is it on the side (pasnger) closer to the frount of the car of in the middle closer to the back of the eng.? up frount on side you need to check your water pomp and get a cap for that over flow tank. in the back of eng in middle check to see if there is water in the pasnger side floor bord. if so you need to have you heater coil replaced. thats is what i am thinking it is. sorry for the spelling not that good at it need more help let me know!! and hope this helps
  • mikem220153mikem220153 Member Posts: 2
    Changing the heater core is a real pain in the butt. That is why a garage charges so much to do the job. Essentially you have to crawl under the car and remove 2 bolts that hold the cover in place in the car. That is the easy part. Next you have to remove the shifter knob, the the instrument/dash panel facia to gain access to the HVAC (heater/air conditioning) ducting. Remove the Heater housing cover and disconnect the ducts from the left and right dash ball vents and the lower ducts that go to the rear passenger area. Then remove the cover for the heater core. Then the core. Putting it back together is just the reverse. Like I said, this is not a fun task. I have done it on my 97 GA SE which is exactly like your 98. As far as using the Air Conditioning, No problem. A defective core will not affect the Air Conditioning.

    Mike
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    I would check to see if the coolant fan comes on, IF not may be solonoid on fire wall. If It is staying cool on the highway it seems not enough air going over radiator. Check the coolant fan with A/C on also,should come on with A/C.
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    sounds like a wheel bearing, most times the noise will be loudest going around curves in one direction, but go away when you go around a curve in the opposite direction.
  • rhonda4rhonda4 Member Posts: 1
    DID YOU EVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPNED, AND WHAT WERE THE SYMPTOMS MY CAR TRIES TO TURN OVER BUT DOESNT START UNTIL I TRY TO CRANK IT 10 20 TIMES, SO ITS NOT RUNNING NOW AT ALL, GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS THANKS RHONDA
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    Yours sounds like a crankshaft sensor, it's a pain in the neck to get to. It won't let your car star if it doesn't pick up, there is also a switch on the oil pan for oil level, it may be malfunctioning. Mine will start it just won't run good, has a bad miss and the EST light comes on immediately after I star the thing, not sure what to do about it. Hope this helps you out.
  • bmayobmayo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 98 grand am it ran fine for the first year i owned it. Then the prolbems started. First, the brakes then the Ignition Switch and now it will crank but not turn over I thought it was the fuel pump so I replaced it that wasn't it. It has a theft system I was wondering if that could be the prolbem. When I go to start the car the theft light stays on and it won't let me move the gear shifter. Could some one please help me................... :(
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    Somewhere on this site there is a article on the anti thief, and a procedure on how to get yours keys out of the ignition, the radio to work, and the rest of the anti thief system, I'm not sure where I saw it but, it's here. As far as the not starting, that could be a may things. There is the crankshaft sensor, the ignition module, there is a switch on the oil pan, and there is a fuse for the ignition module. That is all I think of right now, check the obvious, and see what you can come up with. I have to take my to a shop to have put on the "super computer" to find out what is going on with. I have put 4 control modules, checked/tested all the sensors that my book tells me, replaced ignition coils, spark plugs, and still can not get this thing on the road.
    Hope this gives you some hope, look around cause I know I saw the anti thief article on this site somewhere.
  • deadenddeadend Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 Grand Am GT with the cd/cassette receiver with equalizer, and a stock subwoofer. Now i have a 1000 watt subwoofer with amp in my other car and i was wonder if i could switch it into my Grand Am without too much hassle (i.e. do i have to buy a new receiver to install a non stock sub). Detailed instructions would be appreciated.
  • brolimaddogbrolimaddog Member Posts: 1
    check your heater core it might be bad that happened in my GA and it took a while to figure out
  • christabug1065christabug1065 Member Posts: 1
    Can someone please help me figure out what is wrong with my car! I have a 95 Pontiac grand am se v6. When you turn the key the lights on the dash come on, but there are no clicks or noises, it will not turn over. I had a mechanic tell me that the problem was the neutral safety switch, so I had it replaced, that didn't fix it! I know that the starter is still good, so what else could it be?? If anyone has any ides on what might be wrong with my car, I would appreciate the help!! Thank you
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    sounds like TCC solonoid [torque converter clutch sol.] sol. is located in side cover of transmission .
  • gigingigin Member Posts: 8
    might be in the factory secuity system.
  • 2kgrandam_sev62kgrandam_sev6 Member Posts: 2
    Please help/give advice

    I have 2000 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.4L V6 with 71K miles. When i'm driving for a long period of time the car will cut off. When it cuts off the battery light comes on along with the oil light (i think this is natural because the car has cut off) It then has to coast over to the side of the road. I try restarting the car and it doesn't turn over. I have to wait about 10 minutes and then it turns over fine. My Battery charge is fine, my friend is a GM mechanic and listened to the alternator (by putting a screwdriver with his ear to it) and said it was fine.
    The symptoms before cutting off is that about a minute before the car cuts off it stops responding, i step on the gas and it gives me little if any power to the engine. Also, recently my A/C and Heat won't work unless i turn the knob to 3, it doesn't work on 1 or 2 but works on settings 3-5 fine. I'm thinking it may be my fuel filter but i just had that replaced 6 months ago.
    If i drive the car steady for about 40 minutes it cuts off, it seems to not cut off as much if I drive at a slow pace, accelerating slowly and barely going the speed limit.
    I don't know what to do?! I'm trying to get some advice, I don't want to take it to the dealership without some advice, because they will try alot of everything and fix a lot of nothing, then charge me for it.
  • vern2vern2 Member Posts: 6
    If anyone has been reading these post on the 96 Grand AM, you know that I have had a hard time trying to get it fixed. Well I have gone through 4 IDI Modules, 2 sets of plugs, and 3 sets of coils. I did have a bad coil for #2 cylinder , it shares with #4, replaced it. We then changed the IDI control module (4 times) and then back to the coils again. I just kept getting faulty parts, finally I got good parts and it runs now. Just remember that if it's new doesn't mean that it's good. Be careful when you buy parts and if possible have them tested before leaving the store. I had a terrible time with this. It is on the road now, and it seems to be fine.
  • dcox2dcox2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a problem with my 99 Grand Am GT. The low coolant light comes on but the reservoir is full of coolant and the tension belt or pulley makes a loud screeching noise when I turn on the car and keeps screeching throughout my whole ride. Also one of pins for my brake caliber is broken will that affect my brakes. Please help if someone can :sick:
  • shellcshellc Member Posts: 2
    one month ago i bought a 97 pontiac grand am gt.in that month it's died 4 times, mostly when backing out of a parking space, it would start, back up, and as soon as i put it in drive it would die, then it would start back up, no problem. well,the next time it didnt want to start back up, finally it did. so i took it to the mechanic, he said" no codes were showing up" so all he did was clean my air idol control, this was thurs. am. i left the shop, got to work, my car died as soon as i pulled into the parking spot. now today , after work, it took a while to get my car started, the check engine light stayed on , i made it home, now my car wont start at all. can anybody please help me?
  • ross6ross6 Member Posts: 1
    I hear yah!! I have a 1996 Grand - Am with over 322,000 clicks. It has served its purpose but I would never buy another grand - am or a north american car for that matter.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    There's so many things that can cause this to happen it's impossible to know. I hate to say this but you need to have a competent mechanic who is knowledgable on the car diagnose the problem, which for many of us usually means a trip to the dealer. If this is a quad 4 engine (don't remember if a 4 cyl. was available in 97 on a GT or not) then I would recommend it for almost all engine related repairs, since the quad 4 was and is still not well understood by a lot of private repair shops.
  • shellcshellc Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for your reply, the car is in the shop now, for the third day, they believe it is the -PCM-, some sort of computer trauma, I am told. You are correct, the car is a 4 cyl. I feel as if i've made a good choice by using this repair shop. Once again, Thank you for your reply, any information is highly appreciated!
  • sleepy01sleepy01 Member Posts: 2
    i have taken my grand am up to 89 mph but that is when it was stock now i am taking it over 150 mph but the is only if you add performance parts
  • sleepy01sleepy01 Member Posts: 2
    well i fixed up my grand am so it is the fastest grand am in town so as you can tell i have worked alot on it i know alot about cars and motors and stuff like that so i know what parts are very good and some that are good so yeah i was able to keep up with the evo lancer8 all the way but i couldent beat him so that just showes you how much HP my car has
  • icechuckericechucker Member Posts: 2
    I have an 86 grand am 4cyl.automatic. Has been running great till i noticed the smell of leaking water coming through the vents on the interior, when i turn on the fan. I have tracked the leak to a rubber L-shaped hose coming from the firewall just underneath a shock looking thing , i assume is part of the steering stabilization. When i run the engine and it heats up, coolant comes out of the L-shaped rubber hose. Can anyone tell me what causes this ? And how to fix it without having to goto the shop. Thanks
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    That shock thing is the steering rack. The hoses underneath it go to the heater core, which is probably leaking, since you can smell coolant when the fan is running. More than likely it's the core leaking, but's there a very slim possibility that it's one of the hoses leaking into the core housing. You can fix it yourself, but it's a big job, you will need to take a lot of the dash apart to get access.
  • icechuckericechucker Member Posts: 2
    thanks for the info, fortunatley i was able to find out how to fix it and yes you are correct it is the heater core leaking. Unfortunatley I dont have the time or money to fix it yet, so I was thinking about disconnecting the hoses from the core and branching them together just till the end of summer. Will that hurt it.?
  • tfinc90tfinc90 Member Posts: 1
    It's the fuel pump. I had mine tested and the pressure was good on both sides. Talked to a neighbor that works on cars. He told me when the factory fuel pump gets old and hot it is fixing to go out. I had it replaced and have no problems now. He always recommeds AC Delco fuel pumps. The dealership wanted $700.00 but I took it to a mechanic and he did it for $500.00. This included a new fuel filter. Still working on the A/C-Heater problem. Mine doesn't work on 1 or 2 either. Other Grand Am problems. Factory radio/CD player didn't work in hot or cold weather - Replaced. Brake rotors are too thin will have to be turned about every 4,000 or 5,000 miles. Interior on pasenger door has to be glued back on.
  • ilovecars3ilovecars3 Member Posts: 1
    i had a problem with my 97 grand am gt similar to yours. mine has the 2.4 twin cam. when i would start the car it would act funny for the first 2-3 min. it would try to die (mostly when i apply the brakes),surge while holding the gas pedal steady, and all kinds of stupid things like taking off without even touching the gas. i bought an expensive obd2 scan tool because my check engine light always cames on for many different reasons that i had too fix. you might want to check in to one, they are easy too use. i still couldnt find the problem with the scan tool so i took it to a gm dealership where my mom works and talked too there head mechanic he said there was nothing wrong with my car but he found a program update for my cars computer. he said it was for cold start surges. fixed the problem none since.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    No, it won't hurt it. That's a common temporary fix.
  • halenrayhalenray Member Posts: 1
    It's been two months since you posted this. And my question to you is, does the clicking noise sound like your turn signal? If so, I have had this checked out before, and the people at the GM garage said that it was the whole turn signal unit. And that to get it fixed, it would require a whole new turn signal handle. A $300 dollar part. They told me it would not get worse, but it would not get better. I figured if that was the case I'd buy a box of ear plugs for those the clicking noise drives crazy.
  • jodomjodom Member Posts: 1
    While driving into work this morning in my 1998 Grandam (146000 miles), the radio continued to fade in and out and the lights on the board (Abs, airbag, oil...) started flashing on and off. When I stopped the car and restarted it, the lights went off, but the radio system gave me a code LOC. What would cause this sort of surge and how do I reset the radio.
  • marriedmanmarriedman Member Posts: 16
    I'm looking for direction on resolving a problem with my 1993 Grand AM. It has 110K and has the 2.3L Quad 4 Vin3.
    Recently while driving the radio, windshield wipers, and other accessories will stop working. After researching I found that turning the gray surround (around the keyhole) will restore everything. I though it could be the ignition switch going bad but none of the accessiores will come back on if only jiggling the ignition switch (with car running). I must turn the gray surround around the switch in either direction for things to work properly.
    Don't want to tear into steering column to replace ignition switch if that isn't the true problem.
    Any ideas will be appreciated.
  • vee2vee2 Member Posts: 1
    99, Grand AM -Recently my car sounds terrible when the motor is turning over too start the car, it grinds and almost sounds like its getting ready to jump out of the hood of the car. This has been going on intermitently for past few weeks, of course it never does it at the garage. However it finally wouldn't turn over at all. A neighbor opened the hood and held down a half wheel thingamajig and it turned over, roughly again. I'm afraid to try starting it again tomorrow for fear that I'm wrecking something. I called a mechanic and he said it sounded like the starter. Do starters cause this much racket when their going bust. Please help. I'm tired of visiting garages and paying fees for them to scratch their heads. The motor also is running hot lately, stays cool when a/c on or when driving, no stops. Dealer check came up with evap system vent valve. Could this be the cause of this big problem.
  • taryn1taryn1 Member Posts: 1
    I can start my car as easy as pie, but only when I press down the gas pedal as I do. If I let go of the gas pedal, the car just flat out dies or if I try and start it without pressing the gas pedal, it won't start. If anyone know what's wrong, please help! :)

    ~*Taryn*~
  • docmijdocmij Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Grand Am GT that has a little over 36000 miles, so the warranty is gone. My wife drives the car and has had no problems with it. But tonight as I went to change the oil, the car would not start. It would not even turn over. I figured it was the battery, but I could not get it to start off of a known good battery. I checked all the ignition fuses and they all appeared ok. But when I bypassed the solenoid on the starter, the car tried to start. Could this just be a case where the solenoid is bad or are there other known problems out there like the ignition switch or a starting relay that might be the hidden culprit?
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