Pontiac Bonneville

smfran

SSE stands for Super Sport Edition. The i designates supercharged. SLE is Sport Luxury Edition, SE is Sport Edition, and LE is Luxury Edition.
My 2000 SSEi has almost 20,000 miles on it and has been trouble free. I've had minor issues like rattles and unusual noises, but no problems. It is a very good car.

smfran

h - What mods have you done to the Vette? I'm sure we'd all appreciate hearing about your experiences with a true performance car. I still think you should put the K+N air filter in your Bonnie. It really isn't a mod, but a long run cost saving improvement. At least that's how I justified the expense to the Queen!

zzahh

Well, this is my third Bonn, my first SSEi and I could not be happier, a few things to clean up and straighten out on the used car, but then again it is "new to me play time" and not a hassle at all.

Question 1: I hear a lot of talk re: smaller diameter pulleys, intake and exhaust mod, etc. Any real info on performance enhancement, honest reliable numbers?

Question 2: Where can I find these parts? On-line catalogue?

Question 3: I have heard and read of horsepower in the SSEI version at both 240 and 225. I always was under the impression that 240 was the stock correct hp. Clarification? Why no specs regarding the same in the owners manual? I cannot believe that the supercharger system provides only 20 additional horsepower.

Looking forward to gabbing in the medim, thanks,

Zzahh

hardesty

The GM manuals are published by Helm, Inc. They also publish the manuals for Ford, Honda, and others. These are the official factory manuals, and therefore will show the factory copyrights. Helm is really just a printing and distributing company (though they are brnaching out). I currently have the manuals for the 1999 GM minivan and the 1999 transmissions (all GM). I have ordered the manuals for thr 2001 Olds Aurora, so some of the info in them will apply to the Bonnie as well. These documents are expensive, but, IMO, well worth it if you plan to keep the car a long time, or plan to make modifications.

intense01

Brett:

I believe the stock horsepower in '95 was 225. It increased to 240 with the new supercharger design in '97.

I believe the reason the supercahrger only raises the rated horsepower by 35 or so is because the factory boost is so low. I have heard from a good source that GM views boost as 'a measure of inefficiency'.

I've made a lot of mods myself, and have to say that going to a 3.5" supercharger pulley should be your first move. They claim 20 - 25 horsepower with this change. I would have to say it's an easy 15. On the newer superchargers you can go right to a 3.25" pulley. I wouldn't recommend that on your car initially, because your supercahrger model had significantly more boost to begin with than the newer ones do. You'll also want to measure your stock pulley, and make sure your starting point is 3.8" diameter. Actually I have an entire '95 supercharger in the basement so I could measure it for you if you want...

A smaller pulley shouldn't impact your mileage at all - in theory. But it will in the real world, because you'll want to drive it harder every time you add more power. The only concern about the smaller pulley would be engine knock. This is not an issue for you, because our cars have knock sensor to automatically compensate. You will definitely need to run the highest grade of fuel, which you really should be doing already...

I would recommend Rob Syzmanski at Extreme Performance for a smaller pulley. I've purchased a bunch of stuff for the '00 L67 SSEi and the '00 LS1 Ram Air Trans Am from him. And he was riding shotgun when we took out a Mustang GT in the Bonneville. That alone makes him a good guy. He can be reached any time at (810) 530-3554.

Grandprix.net is about 500 folks, all with supercharged 3.8L engines, and tons of mods. It's the most exciting list I know of.

Good Luck with your mods. Hope this helps!

Scott

ned_keyuravong

hi, i am thinking of buying a used 1992 pontiac bonneville ssei.. the milage is 149,000.. and the price would be around 3500$.. i've been really thinking a lot,.. is this a good deal? the owner said it runs and drives great but my concern is how reliable it is, it maintainance cost.. and every thing..i heard a bonneville has a lot of abs brake, and transmission problem, being a 17 yr old, i can't really afford big repair cost.. but looking at the specs and everything i think its a great car.. thanks for any responses

zzahh

Well Ned, I had '92 Bonn, it had a 133k on it when sold and it was still a great runner. No real tranny or ABS problems. The 3800 is a great motor, know for long life. Mine was not an SSEi with close to a 150k on it however. I think you should check closely on a few sites to get an idea of true value. Kellybluebook.com shows a value of about 3300 trade in, or 6400 retail. I have found Kelly to be generally high, and I do not know the condition of the car, or your zip code, which affects values. Edmunds has a similar feature you should check. I would take the time to have someone knowledgable look the car over.

zzahh

Thanks Scott, I will be looking into Rob's toy store and see what goodies there are available for a '94.

Your statement of the real world is so, so true. I have owned the Bonn's for their complete comfort and overall handling and performance. Mileage has always been a wonderful bonus, and hitting the interstate, cruise set at about 80 and kicking back with a great set of tunes and a female companion on a long road trip is one of life's pleasures.

However, there is the dark side. You are sitting at the light waiting your turn patiently when some yahoo pulls up on your right in the parking lane and expects to hot rod it off the lights, passing in the parking lane, and then cutting you off to avoid parked car/insurance claim syndrome. That is when the "i" part of the SSEi comes in handy and sweet. Change the CD to Ted Nugent, lose the female companion who will now become a megaphone explaining why you should just "let him go", how "immature you are being", and how it is "no wonder you don't get the 29 mpg you brag about on the highway". This type of situation, or a nice set of twisties on a country road, brings forth that time of life when divine intervention comes into play and you realize the truth, there are two pedals in this car, and one of them belongs at or near the floor at all times.

teo

I would appreciate comments from current 2000 and 2001 Pontiac Boneville owners....do you like your cars? Would you buy another one? Do you recommend them? Any reliability/quality problems?

I am interested on a "H" platform car such as the Bonneville and the Aurora...I prefer the Bonnie for the 3800 V-6 over the 3.5L DOHC V6 in the Aurora...any comments are appreciated.

TEO

skyhawk3

I took delivery of a 2001 SLE in late October. It was ordered with these options - power passenger seat which required leather and came with heated front seats. I went with the radio with the 1 CD player. The dealer talked me out of the trunk CD changer he said it caused too many problems, and tried to get me to order the sunroof, which we did not order. We have 3200 miles on it and my wife and I love the car. The engine is responsive and I average 24 to 25 on the highway at 80 mph. Around town, my wife averages 17- 18 but we live in a congested area and there are many stop lights. I only had one issue at the first oil change and it was the car drifted to the left. This was corrected. When I picked the car up, I literally checked all surfaces with white gloves on. I was pleased with the spacing of all seams and the paint and body work was perfect. The interior is comfortable and the heated seats are nice. My wife has back problems and the heat is great. Dislikes - the glove box barely holds the manual that came with the car. The front cup holders suck for a car that costs this much.

To answer your question I would buy another. I would have liked the 12 way power seats from the SSEi but did not want to have to use the premium fuel required by that engine.

I used to be strickly Oldsmobiles but the dealer retired and the dealership was closed. Most of the people went to the Pontiac dealer that I bought from. Also my son has 220k on his 88 Bonnie that I passed on to him in 1994. I think the 3800 engine is solid.

mfahey1

I've been following the message board for awhile, in some cases amazed at how people are modifying these cars (SSEi). I have one of the very early 2000 SSEis and although I really enjoy the car, I have been disappointed at some of the quality issues that have come up.
I feel like I'm on a slippery slope because now that I have read the posts about modifications, I have contacted Saner about the sway bar replacements. Passed it by my wife and knew I had her when she only nodded her head when I answered her question about what a sway bar is and what it does. I'll probably go the pulley route this summer but I don't know that the intercooler is in my future (cost and approval on the home front). We'll see how much time I have because I also have a one owner(me) 1970 1/2 Camaro that I'm getting ready to paint.

vocus

I was looking on the internet for a used 2000 Bonneville to replace my 1993 SSE that I inherited from my mother when she passed away recently. I was just looking to see what they were going for, because I plan to keep the SSE for sentimental reasons. Anyway, I noticed a 2000 SSEi with only like 7500 miles and the price was $27,000 or so. That seems low for a car with such low mileage, and it makes me think that the value equation on the 2000 Bonnie is not really good. Also, Consumer Reports gave it a solid black mark for depreciation in its 2001 Buyer's Guide. But they did give it an average reliability rating, as well as a recommended status.

ned_keyuravong

thanks, zzahh.. your info really helped me, i know a bit of car mechanics, i just need an input on one of the owners of the bonneville..from what you said it should be a reliable car.. thanks again

rea98d

As a rule, year old cars on the used car market are going to be below the curve on depreciation, simply because most people don't sell cars that new unless there's something wrong with them. If you're interested in the 2000 bodystyle, wait a couple of years for the good ones to come in on lease return, and then you can get a better picture of what resale will be.

vocus

On Ebay, they are selling a 2000 SLE with only 253 miles on it. From what I heard, it was a Republican National Convention car used to carry people around the Philadelphia area. But anyway, it does concern me that someone would want to get rid of a car with less than 10,000 miles on it. Some people do it because they are tired of the car, but more than usual do it because there is something wrong with the car. Guess I will wait to see the ones come back off lease or else ex-rental models.

tpken

I have a friend lives in the Philly area and his wife works for a local Pontiac dealer there. This past summer they were prepping scores of Bonnevilles and other Pontiacs for convention attendees and this friend mentioned to me that most would be available later for sale at substantial savings. Same thing happens locally here in the Boston area following a big golf tournament hosted by Cadillac. These (demonstrator) cars seem to be a great deal if you can find one.

Ken

h101

smfran.... 'fraid ya caught me red-handed... the only mods are Corsa exhaust, Firestone tires and an airbag cutoff switch.

I'm really not much of a modifier... just like fast "stock" cars...

tpken

I've been reading the Bonneville brochure (2000 - don't have the 2001) and the Edmunds new 2001 car equipment list and have a question for any 2000 or 2001 SE owners:

The SE model appears to include std A/C without the dual climate adjustments unless you have the option pkg 1SC that includes auto dual controls.

Does the SE model std A/C unit include manual dual controls for driver/passenger or is dual control feature available only with the automatic climate control and as part of 1SC pkg?

I would not get the 1SC if dual controls are std as they are in Regal and Impala LS.

Ken

vocus

I have a 1993 SSE and it feels a lot roomier inside than the 2001 does. I went to the car show last night here in Baltimore and got into an SSEi on the floor. Of course, I could not adjust the power seats since they turn off the power all the time at these things. Anyway, my best friend got into the rear seat and his knees were touching the seatback. While he is 6'1, he does not touch in my SSE and I drive with the seat all the way back. He even said my car is bigger. Also, I hate the new seatbelts too. Since I cannot change the seatbelts, guess I will hold on to my 1993 as long as I can then look for a used 1998 or 99 model. I am mad too, because I love the styling of the 2001 models. But what good does it do if it's not comfortable to me? Oh well...

dmckeown

I own a 93 Bonneville SLE and a 2000 SSEi so I think I can speak to your? . The rear leg room on my 2000 is not as big as on my 93 by an inch or two . The front seat on my 2000 goes back farther then on my 93 , my 93 I drive with seat back all the way and up all the way . My 2000has lots of travel left in both directions . At first I felt my 93 was much more comfortable then 2000 , but after a couple thousand miles I felt that the 2000 was better and just thought it was cause I was driving it more then 93. But now that winter is here I hardly ever drive the 2000, mostly driving 93 for last 2 months. But when I do get the SSEi out it still feels much more comfortable then 93 .
As for the seat belts on the 2000, for long trips they are much better due to the anchor point and its , the belt doesn't cut into my neck . On the other hand the 2000 belt is harder to buckle up for some reason.
At first I was upset at the styling on the first 2000 SSEi I saw, was not going to buy one ! Then I drove the car and got such a thrill at the improvements in handling and braking over the 99 SSEi I had tested I decided I could live with the styling . Well now , it has really grown on me , it has become a car I enjoy looking at , and I'm not alone , strangers make nice comments about it (mostly under thirty crowd) Bottom line , I am much more pleased with my car now then when I first picked it up , and I was smiling pretty good that night !

vocus

Even if the seat went all the way back and was more comfortable, the seatbelt is right against my neck all the time. I miss the ability from the 1993 where I could adjust the height of the anchor on the roof pillar. I would rather have those kind of seatbelts than the seat-mounted ones. With the seat-mounted ones, there is no way to adjust the belt to keep it from rubbing my neck. Plus, since I am 6'3 or so, it pulls down uncomfortably on my shoulder all the time as well. I guess I am just smitten with my 1993.

As far as the styling of the 2001, I LOVE IT! I like the front of the SLE and SSEi models, because it looks cool with the integrated fog lamps. And for the record, I am 22 so I guess that makes me part of the under-30 crowd by a long shot.

zzahh

I drive a '94 SSEi and I am part of the under thirty crowd too. Born in '58 I think I have the math right, at least that is what I keep telling myself..........

refiner

Just got back from a weeks vacation in sunny Southern Cal. Didn't see a new Bonneville let alone a SSEi. They don't know what their missing. Intense any word on the intercooler. Also has anyone heard from Superchip on the programmer?

smfran

zzahh - With your math, are you sure you're not driving a '49 and you were born in'85?!:)
vocus - Bonneville dimensions (in inches) follow:

1993 2000
39.2 Front Headroom 38.7
38.3 Rear Headroom 37.3
42.6 Front Leg room 42.6
38 Rear Leg room 38
59.8 Front Shoulder 59
59.4 Rear Shoulder 58
57.2 Front Hip room 55.7
57.1 Rear Hip room 56.4
110.8 Wheelbase 112.2
202.1 Length 202.6
74.5 Width 74.2
55.7 Height 56.6
18cu.ft. Trunk room 18cu.ft.

Although the numbers are similar and the rear leg room is the same, the configuration of the previous style Bonneville made it feel roomier. I also speak from experience as I had a '94 and a '97. The rear seats in the new Bonnie are tilted back and it just doesn't have the same area for legs as the older version. Even though I am comfortable in my 2000 (I am 6'0),and the shoulder belt is fine, I must admit my previous Bonnies were more comfortable for me and my passengers. For one thing, the seats were more "cushy".
Last Saturday night my wife and I went out with friends in their '99 BMW 740. Talk about rear leg room and space! I was amazed at the interior of that car. I didn't realize it was so much larger than the Bonneville.

zzahh

OK so maybe I am not 30 something, but I used to was. Anyway, I need to vent. (read on, pun intended) Just picked up the '94 last week. It has the automatic climate control. Now, as we have observed I am no Einstein, however, am I missing something, or is there no way to adjust where the heat vents on this car manually? It would appear that the computer, in it's ultimate wisdom, makes these decisions for me. If this is in fact true, then even a moron such as myself can realize that this was a ()&&)^)(*^&%*&)( stupid engineering feat of less than monumental proportions. Tell me there is a way to amke the heat come out of the dash vents if I so wish. Tell me that GM did not actually pay some engineer to figure this out, and then have it go to committee, and pass!!!

Now I shall go out and buy a CAI kit just to make myself feel better.

intense01

I just went down to the basement and got a big surprise. The orginal pulley on my M62 seems to measure about 2.6". not 3.8" like I thought.

Putting this pulley on an M90 would put the newer blower in some serious jeopardy, and probably cause tons of knock retard. I am not sure if the shaft sizes are the same anyways. I'd probably have to pull the pulley to find out.

This all stands to reason though. The older blower had 31% less capacity but still made more boost. I guess it would have had to be spinning a whole lot faster. That also might explain why the new blower is supposedly more reliable...

intense01

I've been talking with Tony DeQuick at Charged Air. He dropped the air to water intercooler concept for our cars a couple weeks ago due to weak performance gains when used without the ice.

Also heard about his current plan: to install a LARGER (~4.0") supercharger pulley to reduce the Eaton boost to around 1-2 pounds. Then add a Vortech-style centrifigul supercharger (8 - 10 pounds of boost) and air-to-air intercooler to our engines.

I guess two superchargers in series sums boost. The Eaton would handle low-end response, and the Vortech would provide serious horsepower gains beginning around 3,000 RPM.

The intercooler itself would provide the biggest gains. Total horsepower gains are projected to be 60 - 70 horsepower at the wheels.

With that kind of power, we'd be in Grand National territory. Well, we'd be like Grand Nationals on bicyle tires...

Wondering if we go this route, would our cars then be referred to as 'supercharged, intercooled, and supercharged again'?

intense01

Well Doug, you were right (again).

In round numbers, we gain 1% in horsepower for every 10 degree temperature reduction of our engine's intake charge. In theory, changing from a 195 degree thermostat to a 180 would give us 3.6 additional horsepower, and going to 160 degrees would be worth 8.4 horsepower on a stock engine. Both good bargains for the low cost and ease of installation.

For this reason, I have always been a big advocate of reduced temperature thermostats in all my cars. When I installed the 160 thermostat, everything was cool (no pun intended) for a few days (until three consecutive 'drive cycles', as I have now learned). Then I started getting the Service Engine Soon light.

Autotap told me the DTC (diagnostic trouble code)was P0128. Helm Manual said that meant the ECT (engine coolant temperature) sensor wasn't showing the engine ever reaching full operating temperature.

I tried a few tricks with some resistors in parallel to the sensor, and in place of the sensor, but there doesn't seem to be a combination to avoid this code, and still allow the car to start on cold days.

So, it's back to the 180 degree thermostat until our PCM programmers allow us to circumvent this code. And, of course, Doug was right (again).

zzahh

Question: If a person were to disconnect the coolant intake to the supercharger, rerout it to an aftermarket cooler (similar to a trans cooler only with a higher capacity) mounted in front of the existing radiator, and then back to the supercharger intake, would this not lower the supercharger temp without affecting the ECT sensor? Combined with a 180 degree thermostat this would seem to be a significant change at a fairly reasonable cost. Perhaps I have not looked closely enough and I maybe I am oversimplifying this?

skyhawk3

On the 2001 with dual controls for heat / AC there is a mode button. Press that and the LED will show where the air will be directed. Keep pressing until the display shows the direction you want. My wife and I looked at several GM offerings before we picked the new SLE. We both agreed we preferred the style. We are late 50's.
She likes the seat belt better than the earlier models.

dmckeown

Hay , can I quote you about me being right to my wife ? She has a way of making it sound like that never happens . Like the other day the hot water tank went out , and I checked it and replaced the lower heating element , after she thanked me , she asked me, like she always does "did you fix it right? I mean it's not going too blow up or anything is it? " Now I will admit I have blown things up in the past , but most of them I meant to blow up , you know ,black powder,flash powder maybe a little C4 ,but that was a long time ago . Now I just grab my jacket and say " yup , that tank ought to blow any time now , I'm going out now , see ya !"
Thanks for the info on the M62 pulley ,thats an eye opener

tpken

It's just a matter of how many rolls you have to use!

Ken

vocus

My 1993 doesn't let you choose where you want the air vented either, it chooses for you. That's about the only thing I wish I could change on the car, because it drives me up a wall! I usually leave it on defrost all the time, so the heat will come out around face level. I also wish I had a CD player instead of the cassette w/equalizer. Since I have the steering wheel radio controls, an aftermarket radio might not work. We shall find out though.

Anyway, Carmax here in Laurel, Md. has a 1996 Bonneville SSEi with 75K for like $10,900 or something. I was thinking about trading, but not right now I don't think.

I averaged 23.5 mpg on the last tank of 89 octane with alot of highway driving. I put 87 in this time, and know the economy is lower already. I got like 210 miles from a half-tank before. Now, I am at like 170 to a half-tank. Oh well.

intense01

There is no coolant flowing through the Eaton M90 supercharger.

zzahh

So, in other words, I was right! I WAS over simplifying this idea.

intense01

That's how I would look at it too!

tpken

Well I thought I was going to get an Impala but I've just signed for a preowned (National rental unit)2000 Bonneville SE - Spruce Green with Charcoal cloth interior. This car rides like a dream and that 3800 Series 2 is fantastic. This car appears to have the 1SB package and the CD player - not sure about traction control and it has no spoiler, unfortunately. Price was $15,995 with 18K miles on it. The dealer just sells preowned cars and has the no haggling price policy - every car marked what you will pay for it. It is hard to beat his prices anywhere so I'm very satisfied with the price. I'll do some research now about warranty availability etc before picking it up next week.

Any other out here with SE models? Any comments or suggestions?

Ken

needaride

tpken;
I too have an SE model. I didn't realize the "no-spoiler" look was still an option. You're right, that nonfunctional piece does make a big difference in the appearance.

Mine's a White '99 with the charcoal interior. I bought it from a private party last july w/ 14K miles on it. Paid $14,200. Shopped for about 4 months. I have 24K miles on it now. It was/is in perfect condition and I absolutely love it. Been so pleased that we are now looking exclusively for a Montana to replace an older van we have. Never owned a Pontiac before but this one's been such a treat. I drive 21 miles one way to work, 1/2 freeway and 1/2 suburb -- moderate rush hour conditions. My only concern is that I don't get the mileage I hoped I would. I get between 18.5 and 21.5 and I am gentle with the pedal. I was hoping for at least the mid 20's. But the size, comfort and responsiveness was top on my list and I remain pleased with all of those.

I am considering someday installing the sway bar in the back that was talked about so much in the previous version of this forum.

DS.

smfran

In the 2000 model year you could delete the spoiler which came standard on the SLE and SSEi. It was an available option on the SE. In 2001 the spoiler was standard on all three models and could not be deleted.

smfran

As much of a fan of Bonnevilles as I am (I've owned five), I would not limit myself to the Montana when looking for a van. I recently purchased a Toyota Sienna for my wife and there is no comparison. I checked out the Montana, and I didn't think it provided the same quality and value as the Sienna. In my opinion, no other van did. The only one that came close was the Honda Odyssey. The shorter model Montana was certainly less money, but was too small.

zzahh

Cruise control went out on me. '94, and it is not a fuse. I was finding it relatively unresponsive, needed some help with the foot under gradual long inclines, picked up a bit more than it shohld have on the downhill. Then, durring highway use, it cut out, as if I were to hit the brakes. It is not a brake light switch / circuit problem that I am aware of, and I did find a disconnected vacuume hose, although it was the small diameter hose, not the main slave hose. It has kicked in again since, once, but kicked back out after a few blocks, and wll not reset, accelerate, etc. Any suggestions?

needaride

smfran, Not to pull the disucussion off track but... I agree that sienna and odessy lead the list in all around quality. Our search is limited by budget and those two makes have a very big price differential in our local market. We're looking 2-4 yrs old and around $15K. The group that shows up occassionally there includes Windstar, Villager, Quest, Silhuette, Venture and Montana. The Toyota's and Honda's still command well over $20K. Would if I could. But among the remaining group, test drives, research and my recently discovered Bonneville experience place the Montana at the head of that pack for me. I just wish they'd put the Bonnie's 3800 series 2 in the Montana. Then it's a slam dunk!

(Of course, if we didn't have a golden retriever, I'd be satisfied with just the Bonneville but so far she's not allowed in that one! A sedan's fine for the kids, it's the dog who commands the van!)

DS.

smfran

Sorry I confused you with tpken. I thought he was looking for the van. With your criteria, I would have to agree with you.

eddyv

All four of my brake rotors have surface rust on them. The car is a daily driver. I do live in socal, but this is the first car ever that I have seen this on. I think maybe the outside pad isn't moving in like it shoule be. That would lead me to believe a corroded caliper retaining pin. I am really in the dark here.
Any ideas?
Ed

zzahh

Well, let us look at the facts. 1) ALL of your rotors have surface rust. 2) Live in So Cal. This is the information available.

Questions: 1) So Cal as in 2 blocks from the ocean? Salty air may help with corrosion obviously, however, from the standpoint of a daily driver it would have to be a patina of rust at best.

2) Year of the vehicle? Four wheel disk brakes lead me to believe it is relatively new. Who did any brake work, if any, last? Were they qualified and do they know the proper procedure for installation?

3) Are the brakes working well, or is undue pressure required for stopping?

4) Is this surface rust on both inside and outside rotor surfaces?

Possible answers: If you have semi metalic pads, they can create a rusty dust, however, you would probobly see a coating of this same rusty dust on your wheels. If the "rust" is on both sides of the rotors, this would eliminte the possiblity of frozen calipers, either that or you have not been stopping well at all.

It is unlikely that all 4 of your calipers would be frozen unless someone truly hadn't a clue as to how to install them, and even at that it would almost have to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the way the calipers work.

A visual inspection of the pads (usually done by simply removing a wheel, and even that is not always necessary) will show relatively even wear both inside and outside of the rotor unless the calipers are frozen as you presume. Again highly unlikely all 4 calipers would be frozen.

If the car is stopping well, and if you have even wear, and if the "rust" appears on all rotor surfaces, i would look at semi-metalic pads as the culprit and not concern yourself.

If the car is not stopping well, one remedy is to cut a hole in the drivers side floor, buy a new pair of good boots, and do the modern day Fred Flintstone imitation. I say modern, because Fred didn't wear shoes. I know I am not that tough.

Good luck!

eddyv

2000 bonnie sle, no work done on brakes yet. Stopping fine, no shimmy, pedal to floor or any other unusual pedal feel,action. Rust is only on the outside rotor surface. Inside is shiny, which lead me to belief the caliper sticking. Howevev, my wife just got home and I did an inspection, and all rust was gone. Hard to say what caused it. If it happens that the caliper is sticking, is there a proper lubricant that could be used to ensure the pin is not corroded and binding? I am not a brake man at all, in case you couldn't tell. I can replace pads, and bleed, but othere than that, it's the shop.
Ed

eddyv

Also, bought the car, again a 2000 sle, in late october. If it had been sitting for awhile on the lot, could this cause caliper "freeze"?
Thanks for all the information/suggestions.
Ed

h101

Hi EddyV

The rotors will get surface rust on them in 15 minutes after getting wet... happens all the time, I see it when washing my cars. The calipers squeeze the rotor to stop the car, so I really don't think one caliper is sticking.

I you see it again.... bet if ya back the car out of the driveway and pull it back in and the rust will be gone.

Great car... have fun,

Bill

h101

Last line above is supposed to say

"If" you see it again...

sigh

teo

Congrats on your beautiful 'new' Pontiac Bonneville SE...

Read my test drive impressions on a new '00 Bonnie SE over at the Impala forum...