Pontiac Grand Prix Traction Control/STS/ABS

vlaphor

Last year, my 2003 Pontiac GTP started to have this problem where the TCS and ABS lights would come on, but the car still operated fine. No changes to the way it drove. Took it in to a local shop and they said it was something wrong with a sensor by the wheel and that the actual ABS and TCS were fine. Got it fixed and everything worked fine until recently. Now, more often than not, the TCS light will come on while I'm driving, but the car will still work the same. However, the ABS light can also turn on, and this causes the steering to get noticeably more difficult. I took it to the same shop and they said that their computer couldn't find a problem, so I took it to a pontiac dealer and he said that the EBCM was bad and it would $1200 to fix. This seems excessive, and I was wondering if anyone here has heard anything about how to fix this or what it might be. Thanks.

pontiaclives

I have a 99 Grand Prix GT with 126K miles. When I press the traction control button, the traction control off light does not come on. I checked the bulb and tried a different bulb, it is not the bulb. What could be causing the problem? Does that mean the traction control is on and working all the time (which is not a problem, I leave it on all the time). There are no codes indicating a problem with the system.

hesermon

Recently found and repaired broken wires to both front sensors, this was the cause for both the abs and tc lights to stay on constant. After repairing them I checked for brake codes which had history codes but none current. I am unable to clear the history codes. Now upon driving the car for the first time of the day, they come on and go off with all the other indicators for light check but on each subsequent start up for the day both lights flash until 25mph then go off then come back on each time the vehicle drops below 25mph. Does anyone have any idea what causes the lights to flash after the car is driven once and only below 25mph? Light on or off have no effect on steering or braking.
Thanks,
Hug

shadondelany

I have 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, abs and traction control started shuting off while driving and steering got tight, usually the first thing to check with electrical type problems is fuse box, i had the bottom right 3 fuses loose when i checked box under hood, i notice one was cocked slightly to side and sure enough was loose, just pushed them all back down (NO NEED TO FORCE AND PUSH HARD OR WIGGLE AND PLAY WITH THEM YOU'LL KNOW IF LOOSE JUST LIGHT PUSH)
and so far so good, no more messages and can turn traction control off and on with no issue. Hope this helps.

shadondelany

I have 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix, abs and traction control started shuting off while driving and steering got tight, usually the first thing to check with electrical type problems is fuse box, i had the bottom right 3 fuses loose when i checked box under hood, i notice one was cocked slightly to side and sure enough was loose, just pushed them all back down (NO NEED TO FORCE AND PUSH HARD OR WIGGLE AND PLAY WITH THEM YOU'LL KNOW IF LOOSE JUST LIGHT PUSH)
and so far so good, no more messages and can turn traction control off and on with no issue. Hope this helps.

gearheaded1

Hello Christina,
My name is Ed Tregenza and I have a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP vin# 2G2WR524141133734 and I have the brake light, abs light, service traction control and service variable assist steering messages on for about 2 weeks now. Is there anything you can help me with or guide me on?
Thank you, Ed Tregenza

bmorgan0508

okay so i had a motor and a transmitting swap done and a tie rod end done and the car seem to be fine when i was driving around town but when i jumped on the highway at speed of 55-65 my asb light would flash on and off and it would kinda jerk like it wanted to down shift or something NOT side to side motion kinda felt like when you first would run out of gas can someone help me.

gmcustsvc

Ed,
I would recommend speaking with your local GM dealer. They will at least be able to diagnosis your vehicle for you. Please feel free to email me with any other questions comments or concerns.
Christina
GM Customer Service

ccbi975

Hello..new to site..I have had the same problem on my 02 gtp, abs an tcs..I put brake fluid an it took care of the abs, I still have no clue on tcs..if I find the problem, ill post it...

tower

Same problem here... will check suggested remedies posted here and post again when resolved.

2007 GP with only 41,000 miles. Unbelievable.

gmcustsvc

tower,

If we can be of any assistance, either by looking into warranty or recall information on your vehicle or by helping you work with a dealer towards a resolution for this concern, please email us more information, including your name and the last 8 digits of your VIN.

Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

land2002gp

I also have a 2002 GP (just turned 100,000 miles)with the same thing. Brakes grinding ABS and the TRAC light coming on. I have spend over 1800.00 on this car trying to get it fixed. Still doing the same thing. This started about a year ago and the people that have tried to fix it have had no luck and I am out alot of money. If anyone can help me Please let me know.

Kay

marlok

I have a 2005 GP that has the Service Anti brake-Trac control error displayed when a
right turn low speed braking has been done. There is a relay chatter felt on the brake
pedal when this error displays.

gmcustsvcsarah

Marlok,
Are you planning on bring your Grand Prix to a dealership to be serviced? If so, we can assist in the process.
Sarah
GM Customer Service

mrd1290

Hey Bud, I know this will be a delayed answer, But I had the same problem with my 01 GP GT, I had GM run a diagnostic, Came up as a failed EGR valve and Transmision software reboot, The diagnostic cost me $90, Since I chose to fix the problems on the same day, They allowed me to Use the $90 diagnostic fee toward my repairs, so out of pocket It cost me around $200. And the problem went away. Hope this helps. Good luck.

mrd1290

My 01 GP GT several times a week, shifts and shudders hard from 1-2 and 2-3 gears. Usually happens mainly when the A/C is on....?? The A/C Im aware draws LOTS of power from the motor, maybe it is inhibiting the transmission somehow? I am looking into Doing a full transmission flush and re-fill. And perhaps Installing a higher output altenator and new OPTIMA battery. Any insight before making these repairs. I have already had a transmission software re-boot 3 months ago. My local GM dealership has been so far, very kind, and willing to work with me. Pleased with the service Ive recieved so far, Though Im weary of the dealerships for their insanely overpriced repairs.

gmcustsvcsarah

I'm pleased to hear that you have had a good experience with your dealership. If you would like to work with Customer Assistance, please don't hesitate to send us an email with your name and username, contact information, the last 8 of your VIN, and your involved dealership.

Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

gmgrandprix04

So I have been having this problem for MONTHS. I have taken the car to 3 different garages, and taken it 5 times. I get a grinding and sometimes locking up of the brakes. I've had both the front bearings replaced since that is what each garage (who could find the problem) has told me to do. Now GM is telling me that its not working because I used after marked bearings. I've never heard of a car just rejecting after market parts. Anyone else heard of this or is GM just guessing and trying to ring me of money?

gmcustsvcsarah

If we can follow up with your dealership for you on this diagnosis, we're available to do so. Please send us an email with your name/username, contact information (phone and address), your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your involved dealership, as well as any other details you'd like to include.

Look forward to hearing from you,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

ramdually

I own a 2005 GP GT and these issue started as well in the past few weeks, TC and ABS light come on,... also ABS will start working for no reason,...
I am not trying to ad a solution for I do not have one,... but wanted to make a comment,....
No offense GM customer service,... i have read through all this thread,.. and apart from saying to go down to my dealer so they can diagnose the problem and pay for their service for them to do that,... what other help can you possibly give us all Grand Prix owners stuck with the same issue,...????
Everyone knows they should go to the dealer,.. but not everyone has or are willing to pay for that,.... and spend more than what the car is worth,....
So GM customer service,.... tell me, apart from you telling me to go to the dealer and spend big bucks,... is there anything that GM has come up with to remedy this problem on the most part of GM cars,.. I had a 97 Riviera with the same issues.....
Thanks for your help.....

gmcustsvcsarah

I understand that a dealership visit may not be a viable option in addressing a vehicle concern. I see that the service lights have come on for your Traction Control and Antilock Brake Systems. We do depend on our technicians at our dealership service departments to diagnose the cause of any concern, and as such the diagnosis visit is the first step for our processes here.

Apart from this, we can do some investigation. For example, with the last 8 digits of your vehicle's VIN, we could look to see if there are any open safety recalls on your Pontiac. You can send us this information in an email, if you like, and we'd be happy to do so.

Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

jeffbrink

I have a small shop. I opened up the business so I can be one of the few mechanics that people can trust. I had two grand prixs come in today with the same exact problem. One was a 2004 other is 2005. The 04 I replaced the abs module as she told me she had already had all the speed sensors replaced. Same symptoms as yours. Did not fix it. No stored codes, and I tested the speed sensors while driving. Everything tested good. Even got the car to act up with the scanner hooked up and nothing. GM needs to do something about this. As far as the 05 I told her I would have to find out what the problem truly is before I waste her money. GM will not help all they say is you have to bring us the car to properly diagnose it. I am working on trying to find out the true cause of this and will post what I find so people can get their car fixed the first time and quit throwing money away.

tower

OK folks, here is my update:

I contacted GM (Christina) via email and shared details, she informed me that there was no recall. I had also contacted the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center and opened a case. Christina became aware of this, and handed me off to an "agent". I spoke with my assigned "agent", who informed me that GM would likely assist with the repair, so he convinced me to take the car into the dealership for precise diagnosis and repair. I was encouraged by the conversation, and thought wow, the new GM really does care.

Although the hub bearings were previously identified to be making noise and thus in need of replacement, the secondary diagnosis upon further investigation was the simple ABS wiring harness was corroded all the way through. Upon replacing that part, the issue was solved. I requested the old part, which upon inspection, had water all through the inside of the harness casing. To me, that meant the design was flawed, and that added to my case.

Without going into the specific resolution, here is my advice for any of you who may be affected by issue you believe shouldn't be present. If your vehicle has low mileage or is otherwise just out of warranty, I would rate your chances of GM assistance to be good. If your car is older, maybe not so much. I will say that it took over 2 months to gain any satisfaction, but I did in fact get my repair issue addressed, and GM did in fact finally deliver on their earlier promise.

Bottom line: provided you have great patience (dealing with being handed off from agent to agent, not getting return phone calls, being over-committed to based on actual performance, etc.), and are willing to be actively engaged in seeing it through, and your situation aligns to the above details, it would behoove you to follow Christina's advice and contact them to discuss the matter. She stayed engaged from afar with my issue, and served as another point of contact, which I found to be of value.

Hope this helps, and thanks Christina (and GM) for your help.

gmcustsvc

Tower,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and conclusion. You are very welcome, I am happy I could be of assistance. I would like to provide a little more information on why you may speak with a few different agents. There are different levels of Customer Assistance Representatives with different tools to assist customers. This is due to the wide variety of situations. I apologize as this can be frustrating; but this is why I wanted to stay in contact with you and make sure everything was taken care of for you. Anyone who would like to email me please feel free. I am happy to look into your situations, recalls, dealer concerns, and any feedback you would like to provide.

Christina
GM Customer Service

burtonz

I have the same exact issue as above (#145), with my 2004 Grand Prix GT. I have the ABS activating at random braking times, for NO reason. The traction/ABS lights are lighting up like a Christmas tree. I changed the RH Half Shaft after investigating a very loud grinding noise. The RH boot had a hole in it and grease was everywhere. That ended up NOT being the noise issue, so I changed the LH as well. The grinding noise finally stopped after changing the LH, and so did the ABS acting up... briefly. About a month or so later, the ABS is acting up again, as described above.
Before spending a fortune on the dealer to tell me that it is not acting up when they drive it, I'm wondering if a relay has gone bad. Unfortunately, I'm not an electrician so my play is to start changing them and see if that works.
After being jumped on by my wife (she drives the car) I'm on the internet searching - and found this site. Please help me with a cheaper and quicker fix than going to a dealer.
Apparently I'm not the only one with this issue and I'm sure GM knows what the issue is. Please let me know how to fix it.
Thank you,
Burtonz

esh83

I've have the exact same problem with my 2007 Grand Prix GT. ABS and Traction control light come on. When i make a tight turn it seems like the ABS would kick on then off. Brought it to the dealer, at the time i had one of those Progressive Insurance driving monitors plugged into the computer. Dealership couldnt find anything wrong with my car, and told me to remove the monitor..i took it offbut it didnt change anything. My car stops just fine, so i havent brought it back in.

gmcustsvcsarah

If you were interested in us following up on this with you, please send us an email with more information (including your name/Edmunds username, the last 8 of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your dealership).
Best,
Sarah
GM Customer Service

jeffbrink

I have fixed the 4th grand prix today. Same problem abs kicks on usually at low speeds or while turning. Traction control light comes on but no codes. The Front speed sensor Harness has been the problem on all the grand prix. 2002 thru 2007. All of them have been on the left front. Good luck.

fiacchino

I am having the same issue. on my 2006 Grand Prix GXP left front Wheel sensor bad. ABS, Brake and Trac control lights are on. go off from time to time. had wheel hub replaced and didnt fix issue. dealer told me after they replaced it that it probably the cable now. So a flaw in the design of the cable from what I am seeing by reading this forum. Has a recall been issued on it yet? Anyone have any luck getting GM to replace when out of warranty? Can you please tell me the part number for the cable? Also direct me to any documentation on replacing the cable?

Thank you!

fiacchino

Can you please check to see if there are any open recalls on my vehicle? Also is there anyway you can help me in getting the left fron ABS wireing replaced on my vehicle? I had wheel hub replaced and still have the same issue.
Vin is 2G2WC58C161183150

Thank you!