Calling Los Angeles-based car shoppers: Have you recently traded in (or plan to trade in) a car with negative equity (i.e. the amount you owe on your auto loan is greater than the car's value)? A reporter would like to speak with you; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 11/6 for details.

Pontiac Grand Am Starting/Stalling Problems

slundyslundy Member Posts: 5
I've got a 1996, 4 cyl. grand am that will not start. I've replaced the battery and starter already and it's still doing the same thing. Basically it won't turn over fast enough to get the car started. It wears down a fully charged battery in one start, and the wires/starter get warm/hot to the touch as well. I've replaced the battery terminals when I put a new battery in so I would think it is making good contact. Even putting jumper cables on doesn't help. I'm wondering what would cause the battery to go dead after one start, could it be a short in the battery cables somewhere? Or a bad alternator? or? I've already put almost $200 into the car trying to fix the problems, so I'm getting desperate. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you need more info just let me know.

Thanks in advance,

Steve
«134567

Comments

  • slundyslundy Member Posts: 5
    I should've added this in the first post. If I turn on the lights, as you would think, the lights go out when I try to start it, that's why I figured the battery wasn't holding a charge. Also, it does turn over, until the battery is dead, but it's doing it REALLY slowly (I read online that this could be a bad starter), so I replaced the starter and let it charge for about 20 min. before trying to start, and it did the same thing, turned over a few times and wore down the battery. It's almost like the motor is "sticky", or stuck...It's got plenty of oil, and no shavings that I can see, and the oil still looks new, it's not dark brown or black, and has no water or foreign matter in it that I can see.

    Help?? :sick:
  • kmajorskmajors Member Posts: 17
    If the battery is charged and the lights still dim when you try to start it something else is draining the power. The wires getting hot means there is a lot of current flowing through them, this could be a short.

    Check all the ground straps on the engine and make sure they are in good condition and making good contact. Then look at the battery cables going to the starter and anywhere else they might go. Look for cracks, burn marks or any bare wire exposure. If you charge the battery and leave it in the car without trying to start it does it hold a charge? If not then either the battery is bad or you have a short.

    Check the cable going to the Altenator for any sign of wear, abrasion, etc. It is also possible the regulator in the altenator is bad and not switching correctly. You can have it checked for free at most auto parts stores.

    Hope this helps.
  • vvs_nailsvvs_nails Member Posts: 4
    I'm telling u, i had the same problem, 2 years ago, it was this small fan under the front. its cheap and it worked. i could not be leave it, cause everybody was checking the big stuff, and this part is like 25.00
  • slundyslundy Member Posts: 5
    actually it turned out to be the ac compressor being locked up (made it almost impossible to turn the motor over) and a bad crank sensor. Found a friend how knew a mechanic and got it done for 200, works great now!

    Thanks for the help though!
  • fernmariefernmarie Member Posts: 3
    Had 2001 GradnAm(4cyl.)fixed 1 wk. ago(new fuel pump)Ranx2days.2 days ago,after getting gas,car wouldn't start.Error code on radio panel.Battery/alternator ckd.x2~Ok.Charged battery overnight per mechanic.Today:Not only started(temp.),but then error code came back on radio,And..Trunk opened?!Died..Hubby frustrated..I'm mad(a an angry Grandmom not a good thing).Had the car since new,no problems till this past week.Any ideas?Was told to go to Dealer.Really want to avoid this.Thanks in advance all.Hubby works on road,uses GrandAm.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    It very possible that the wiring harness was pinched/damaged when the tank was re-installed after changing the fuel pump. That's the only thing I can think of that fits your description of the symptoms.
    You should probably have it inspected. If it was me I would have Pontiac look at it, that's the only place I have received continual competent service (when I need it). It may different for you though, depending on the dealer service in your area.
  • paracadparacad Member Posts: 3
    The whole issue from start to now:

    2 weeks ago, i had to work on my 2004 GA GT. Left the ignition in the ON position for 20min tops. Turned it off, tried to crank (click, click, click), had to then jump the car.
    Since then i've had the occasional day where it would hesitate to turn over right away, but giving it 2-3 seconds it would crank.
    Then just yesterday, I tried to crank and it took about 5-6 seconds to actually turn over and run.
    Next, turned it off, tried to crank it again and nothing turned. All light, interior, head, dash, all came on. I could hear the relays click, and the fuel pump engage. But no engine crank.
    I tested fuses all were good, I tested the battery..fine, replaced it anyway. Found the starter, Turned the ignition on, crossed the solinoid, heard the starter spinning. While crossing the solinoid, i tried to turn it over, but nothing happend.
    My conclusion is it could be the starter. Can anyone confirm i could be correct, or if there may be anything else i could check before replacing.

    TIA!!
    ADAM
  • sheeva86sheeva86 Member Posts: 2
    I have the above car, it has 126680 miles on it. It started having problems about 2-3 weeks ago. The car kept wanting to stall out and the RPMs were fluctuating, meaning the engine was really trying to keep it from stalling out, when that car was idling. I replaced the idle air control sensor and that fixed the stalling out problem but the car still doesn't run right. The car does not want to start, it takes about 2 times to start it with the key, and I have a remote start in it and that takes about 5-10 seconds to start and it seems to choke on, same happens with the key. The engine does sputter, slightly when I idle and the RPMs go up about a line (small lines) or two occasionally. When I am driving at higher speeds (50-60mph) it takes a little more gas to get it to gear down and when I let off the gas it takes a little while for it to gear up. Also, when the car shifts out of overdrive, it seems that its forcing itself to gear up and it slightly jerks the car when it does.

    My boyfriend thinks the throttle position sensor needs to be replaced, my friend, Marvin, thinks its something else, maybe a transmission electrical relay problem, the engine is getting too much gas, etc. I have noticed that the car is using more gas than normal but the RPMs are a little messed up due to this problem so that might explain the extra gas usage. Worst case scenario its the fuel pump but the problem doesn't seem to be that. We replaced the spark plugs and the boots and the fuel filter and that nothing for the problem.

    Any help with this would be great!!!
    Thanks
    Kat :sick: :confuse:
  • fernmariefernmarie Member Posts: 3
    burdawg:Thanks for the suggestion.You were close.When the mechanic(not dealer)replaced the fuel pump one week earlier,he did not tighten the battery cables.The dealer found/fixed the problem free of charge!(never happens,smile)Also,(dealer did not know this in beginning)the "error"code that came up on radio panel should've told them that was the problem.Thanks again.It's running like a charm. :)
  • erc2erc2 Member Posts: 1
    I'm having a similiar problem. I'll go to start the car and it won't turn over. It's almost like something isn't firing but then if I give it a little gas while trying to start the car, it will fire up fine. The car is at the dealership now. They can't duplicate the problem although they can see that there is an error on the computer but the error isn't registering. Any ideas? :cry:
  • gb_ninagb_nina Member Posts: 1
    My 2003 Grand Am doesn't like to start either. And the problem has gotten worse recently, which concerns me.

    Sometimes the car starts normally, but most of the time it doesn't. Sometimes it just needs a little gas to start (much like what erc2 described in post #11). Sometimes it takes 2 or 3 tries before the car will start. Recently, however, the lights inside of the car (dash, radio, etc) have been doing strange things when I try to start the car (sometimes blinking, sometimes coming on and then going out, sometimes not coming on until I've put the car into reverse or drive).

    The car runs fine once I manage to get it started....

    Any ideas what the source of the problem could be? Though I know I should take it to a mechanic/dealership, I'm a little concerned about what the price tag that's connected to the problem/repairs might be....
  • posgrandamposgrandam Member Posts: 1
    '97 Grand Am SE 4Cyl 2.4L 4-door 85,000 miles:

    I just bought this car a few days ago for $900, and I thought I was getting a good deal because the body and engine seemed decent. When I test drove it the only problem I noticed was that the instrument cluster was inop. Every light is stuck on, none of the guages work, but the odometer does work.

    The day after I bought it there was what I thought a major tranny slip, so I put some Lucas Trans Fix in, no go. Put new plugs in, no go. Every single time when I accelerate from a stop or park I get some major sputtering and misfiring, but then it catches and is fine until I get around what I think is 60-70mph (speedometer is inop) and it sputters/misfires some more. Once I'm driving for 15 minutes+ and come to a stoplight, the car idles really low/really rough and will shutoff. It does start right back up, but I just have to crank the ignition a little longer than normal. Now when I come to a stop I put it in neutral and do a brake stand to prevent it from shutting off, but it still sputters when I start to accelerate. Is there a dial somewhere that regulates how much gas the engine gets while idling? Would notching that up help?

    I took it to the local GM dealership to get diagnostics done, and all that showed up was:
    P0300 Misfire, P0335 Crankshaft Sensor, and P0341 Camshaft Sensor. They said to replace those sensors I'm already up to $220 and that wouldn't guarantee a fix, not to mention the cluster problem they said would cost $300+, so I paid the $80 diag fee and left. At autozone the cam and crank sensors are $19 each. I called a junkyard and they told me $30 for the cluster, but they said that it could just be bad wiring or a ground.

    Now I do have a buddy who will put all 3 of those in for "50% of what a shop charges." For you mechanics out there, about how much is that? He is somewhat of a rookie mechanic, but he can do it if he knows exactly what to replace. Is there anything specific I can tell him to look for regarding fuses or the wiring and grounds behind the cluster so I don't have to drop that $30? Neither of us really know much about electrical problems, but is that rather simple?

    Sorry for the long post, but I just don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for nothing. Is there anything else it could be? I saw a post here that was similar to my problem and a new EGR valve and vacuum hose fixed it. I really don't want to replace hundreds of dollars worth of stuff if I don't have to.

    I think the dealership's diagnostics were a ripoff. They didn't even look into the cluster problem, they just told me to replace it. I think I'll try Autozone's free diagnostics. If something comes up I'll post it shortly.
  • sheil2sheil2 Member Posts: 4
    Hey there i was just reading your post message issue. I got to say i am having the same problem but a little different then your's. I got a 2002 pontiac grand am GT, it really sucks' i've been having starting issues with it as well, an i can't seem to get it started. It first started off with a couple of seconds of not starting then it got worse to where it tock several minutes. And now it has not started since yesterday morning. I don't know what it is. The car clicks but that is about it. I tried to fiddle with the key but that does ot work even left it on an that still does not work, fuses an hose to battery are okay. I just don't know what to do anymore. What's wrong with it does anyone know or can someone help me. Um in germany rite now an it's hard to find someone who knows how to fix an american car????? :mad:
  • slundyslundy Member Posts: 5
    Clicking usually means a bad starter solenoid. Try tapping it with a hammer if you can get to it, or it means it's not getting enough juice.
  • sheil2sheil2 Member Posts: 4
    Does anybody know what it means when you get a ticking click noise from inside or beside the fuse box for electrical system....underneath the hood? Well that is where one of the many reasons why or associated with my car not starting up. I tried to check the cable connections to the battery an also the fuse box underneath the hood as well as having help jumpstarting the car but still nothin...i'm about tired of it! I don't know what to do anymore i am so fustrated...I dont' know if i need a new battery or what? But i don't know, but the clicking noise is a faint noise not so loud but the light's an interrior stuff work inside the car. If anyone could help in determing what might be please do help, i don't really know anything about cars. thanks...
  • slundyslundy Member Posts: 5
    To find out if the battery has enough juice, turn your lights on when you try to start the car, and have a friend try to start it, if the lights go dim then either you don't have enough juice, or something is keeping it from turning thus draining the electricity. The clicking is the shaft inside the starter not engaging because the solenoid is bad. We had an old 1970-something car that did that but the solenoid was mounted on the fender so we'd just jump the terminals with a screwdriver to get it started, but on a car as new as yours I wouldn't do that (it can spark and fry things now too), plus it's probably buried under the exhaust manifold, so it's hard to get at, unless it's got a totally different motor than a '96. Haven't had a chance to look at the newer ones. Try the light thing, if the lights stay bright then it's the starter. Where is the starter located on your car? Is there an auto repair store or shop nearby that you can take the starter to, to have it tested? Have you checked all of your fuses as well, inside and outside of the car? Perhaps we can get an expert to weigh in on the subject. I'll check another forum I've posted on and see if there's anything there for you as well. Also, to find out if perhaps it's a relay in the fuse box, have a friend try starting it and put a finger on the top of one of the relays, if you feel the clicking on one of those then that could be it. I'm by no means an expert, more of a driveway mechanic. But give those things a shot, and you can at least start narrowing it down.
  • bill442620bill442620 Member Posts: 1
    My car wont start...If you turn the key the lights come on and the battery has a good charge, but it doesn't make and sound when you turn the key to start...I tried jumping the starter with a screw driver and the car will turn over and try to start but it wont fire...Any ideas
  • paul78paul78 Member Posts: 3
    If you have not yet had this fixed - It sounds like the catalytic converter is starting to go bad. When the inside of the converter starts to go the exhaust starts to get restricted so the faster you try to go the worse the engine will run (the exhaust gas has no where to go like a drain getting clogged up) also you get worse gas mileage when the converter starts to go. You can go to several parts stores (like checker) and get free use of a code scanning tool. This will tell you exactly what is wrong. To me this does sound exactly like the problem. Trying to make any repair by trial and error will get very expensive and time consuming. Most dealerships will charge $750.00 and up but if you ask around you should be able to find a good local muffler/repair shop that will do it for $350.00 or less. Since the inside of the old catalytic converter is plated with precious metal you can recycle it and get at-least $30.00 for it. Good Luck!
  • krs01grandamkrs01grandam Member Posts: 8
    my car will start allmost every time the first time i turn the key over, but some times it takes me trying to start it 2 or 3 times. it's like the gas isn't getting were it needs too.i have to turn the key over and hold it there for about three seconds and it will start up.i haven't had clicking or light's acting up yet...(knock on wood) :confuse:
  • dedjlt3266dedjlt3266 Member Posts: 1
    My car will turn on and run for about 15 mins and then it will shut off and I know it's not the batt. and I took it to a garage and they said I have to hit the gas tank in the middle and wait for a noise and then it will work. I have a new fuel line and everything in those lines. I just need some advice on if that is what it is and how much would it cost for my kind of car? I really greatly appreciate someone helping me! ALSO, I live in Lancaster,PA so if anyone see's this and knows anything around here it would help.

    THANKS!!!
  • help16help16 Member Posts: 1
    yes i have a 2003 grand am and while driving it completly shut off the RPM's went down and it slowed down on its own. i have no idea what it could be. and i could not find the emergency fuel cutoff switch either. we added started fluid to it and it started then shut off again. any ideas?? :confuse:
  • twick2twick2 Member Posts: 5
    my 2003 was doing all kinds of intermittant problems about a year ago. Turned out to be the ignition switch since all new cars are WAY over engineered. All things electrical go through the ignition switch. I had flickering.. AC and electric windows intermittant.. etc.

    NOW .. with a new battery a few weeks ago I had it just not start the other day.. The dash got power and all things electrical .. Lights,, dash, horn, etc all worked but it would not turn over .. no clicking and no half turns or chattering. Just a low hum. after numerous attempts, even by my mechanic..had it towed to the shop and now IT STARTS JUST FINE!!! what is up with that. ???????

    I have driven the snot out of Pontiacs since 1967.. I have had 2 Grand Ams with no horrible problems.. Now this. HELP
  • sbobosbobo Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2002 grand am coupe,Went out side to start it everything comes on but it would not start. After waiting around a couple hours,it started right up. Did not get manuel,so this forum is really helpful. Some guy said there should be a kill switch,if so where is it.
  • twick2twick2 Member Posts: 5
    mine would not start the next day either... after being towed it did.. something loose after being bounced around? You would think that with all the technology and overengineered cup holders they would put an on board schematic that would register where a break in they system happened and retain that information just like any other code system on the car. "We can't fix it unless it does it for us at the shop" just does not get it.
    I will have to see what a kill switch is .. (I wish I still had my 65 GTO.. at least it was a lot simpler to work on) My problem last year just started to get worse and as I said turned out to be the ignition switch and they can go bad again but no one wants to touch the problem... So far it has not done it again.. Maybe if I had Onstar they could suss it out.. or not. thanks for the reply pooh
  • sbobosbobo Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your help,maybe we will get lucky and it won't happen again. :)
  • mkadlecmkadlec Member Posts: 1
    My 92 Grand Am. 2.3L Quad suddenly died while driving.
    When cold starts perfectly, when warms up idle is rough and when I step on the gas a bit then dies.
    I checked the code it shows 22, which is Throttle sensor, but I check it with and it is properly giving 0.6V with throttle shut and increases to 5.2Volts with openning.
    Please help what can be wrong next.
    Thanks, Milan
  • speedracer11speedracer11 Member Posts: 1
    have a 2002 grand am, v6 crank no start. hear the fuel pump. got no spark from plug wire. i dont have much tools or equipment to check other things . need ideas.
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    The car seems to run fine once warmed up but lopes and runs like crap at start up. I thought it was in need of a tune up so changed the spark plugs, fuel, oil, and air filter. As of tonight, it's still doing it.

    My next step is to see if I can't figure out if the diagnostic system is throwing codes. I see from the little reading that I did that rough idle is not uncommon for these cars but don't understand why. If everything is and has been maintained properly, 52K should not be a big deal, at all.

    My only concern is that my wife may end up stranded somewhere because her car won't start. I'm loosing the confidence I had in it and am about ready for that new car smell again. j/k

    I'll post my solution if and when I come up with one. If anyone has any suggestions that may save me time and money, it is appreciated.
  • 03jgcl03jgcl Member Posts: 3
    I hate to tell you this but it will do it again! It is your ignition switch getting ready to go out once again. I have not been able to find the underlying problem with it yet, and it can get expensive putting an ignition switch it it every 6-12 months!
  • 03jgcl03jgcl Member Posts: 3
    Ignition switch is a very common thing that goes bad on these vehicles. Costs about $4-500 to have fixed and has to be done at dealer!
  • sbobosbobo Member Posts: 4
    Thank you.Keep me updated,it has not done it again,but i use to be able to pop the trunk from inside now i have to open it with the key, HMMMMMMM
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    I took the car to AutoZone today and had them check for codes. They told me that I have a cylinder not firing. I could tell when I changed spark plugs that the #1 plug was cleaner than the rest but was hoping that the new NGK's would fix the problem. It looks like wires next.
  • keith_w6keith_w6 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 Grand Am with the 2.4L engine. It seems to die for no reason. I will just be driving down the street or highway and it will just die. I thought it was the alternator, but all of the electronics stay on. When I restart it the engine sputters. I have to give it gas so it doesn't die again. It seems like it would be something electrical or with the fuel system, but I am not mechanic. Any suggestions?
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    The latest update on my 2002 Pontiac GT is a newly developed over heating problem. I'm so damn sick of this crap.

    I'm going to take the time this weekend to change the thermostat and flush the radiator. I was going to last weekend but didn't realize that I was going to have to take the throttle body off to get to the thermostat. I think I'll change the radiator cap as well just for kicks. I've read some post that seemed to suggest that the overflow bottle cap looses it's ability to hole pressure over time and causes the cooling system to not work right. In fact, I think I'll change that tomorrow so I'll be able to tell if that is indeed the problem.

    I'm still having trouble with the idle at start up and am going to run some sea foam through the gas to see if it won't clean up some problems for me. I'll do that tomorrow too in the hopes that I can solve all my problems in 15 minutes.

    I'll post back with results.
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    Okay, I got the Sea Foam in and I changed the radiator cap with a Napa equivalent. I even rinsed out the radiator with a garden hose as best as I could. I should see some kind of results, from the sea foam at least.

    I did notice something when she started it up this time. The belt was slipping for a few seconds until all the accessories started to turn. Could the water pump be crapping out on me? I'll have to give it a test when I have the car apart.
  • twick2twick2 Member Posts: 5
    In other vehicles, including other Grand Ams and my trucks, I have always had problems with the EGR. It had to be cleaned out or replaced fairly regularly. Not to confuse the issue but my '86 Grand Am would stall especially when decelerating.. when the RPM's got low enough. It would not start until it had cooled off a bit.. then it would run for a while but as soon as I slowed down or came to a stop it would die and would not restart. this was at 100K+ but it turned out to be a transmission sensor.
    I am afraid that all new cars have been way overengineered..and electronics being the most sensitive thing will go first..with no warning..If there is a sensor dectected I guess you might as well swap it out as it will fail at some point. Not like in the good old days when you could tell if your carberator was out of sync. I used to have a Brilliant mechanic where I used to live who had a second sight on these things, but all auto manufacturers are making it difficult for the independent to operate. I even heard of a person who changed the battery in their Lincoln and it would not start.. Had to reset the computer.. and only the dealer did that. phooey..
    My problem with going to Autozone is, if it has not thrown a code .. as my problem did not.. I can't get it there if it isn't running and if it is it does not seem like it can be detected. sigh.. ep
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    @ Twick2- I would like to respond a full six paragraphs about how shady manufacturers are but just don't have time or the will.

    Besides the terrible trend towards making our cars maintenance schedule secret information, we're now facing the possibility of built in faults so that either we buy the extended warranty or we pay out the nose.

    My owners manual says change the Dex Cool at 5 years or 150K. All the reading I've done says that 5 years is about the time the stuff turns to a sludge consistence and starts causing problems with head gaskets. At the very least, MANY people have had to have their radiator flushed just to keep their car running. An unfortunate few have even had to have their head gaskets replace as a result of this product.

    A lot of people are suing GM and a nation wide class action has just been turned down by the courts. Not because it wasn't justified but because it would have been so complicated to implement. I sure hope this unscrupulous behaver doesn't go unpunished.

    At the very least, cover the out of pocket expenses for all the trouble this little scam has caused. We should, and probably will address some antitrust laws to see if GM should have criminal charges brought against them.

    This post is a mix of personal opinion and info from various blogs. I hold it to be true but your experience may very. I'm going to flush the radiator myself and I am never again setting foot on a GM car lot. I tried to give American cars a chance but nooooooooo!
  • gtxgtx Member Posts: 16
    I have finally come to the agonizing realization that I have a blown head gasket. I am going to take it to the dealership on Monday and have it diagnosed by a trained, certified technician so I have the paperwork. I called the lawyers that are in charge of the class actions suit but they had very little to offer. They simply say to keep all receipts. They will update me with information as it becomes available.

    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/gm_dexcool.html

    The head gasket explains the rough idle, the over heating, the missing on one cylinder, the white smoke out the tale pipe, the loosing coolant.

    My call to the dealership was very telling. They have no intention of covering the cost or admitting that a problem exist. Bastards!
  • randalrrandalr Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2002 grand am 2.4 engine that won't start. it turns over . we tried the module on top of the motor but it did not change condition.
  • hoyhoyhoyhoy Member Posts: 2
    Can you tell me what engine you have (I have a 2.3 liter Quad four) and where the crank sensor is located on the engine?

    Thanks
  • hoyhoyhoyhoy Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1993 Grand Am with a 2.3 liter Quad 4 and a manual transmission. Car ran fine on Friday and on Saturday morning it cranks, but won't start. Engine Code is 21, but recently replaced the Exhaust Temperature Sensor (that's what Code 21 says). I suspect Cam Position Sensor, but cannot locate it on the engine. Question 1- does anyone know where the Cam Sensor is located on the engine? Question 2- Any other ideas what may be wrong?
    Thanks in advance.
  • twick2twick2 Member Posts: 5
    my starting issue was one that did NOT throw a code because it is somewhere in the electrical system and GM does not have an on board schematic which might tell anyone where the break occurred. It powered but made no connection with the starter at all. No cranking. after towing it started fine which indicates to me the ignition switch. I have a 6 cyln. epaull
  • jay_mannjay_mann Member Posts: 1
    Under hood, passenger side, upper engine area, behind alternator, mounted on engine block... this is where the cam should be...
    any other problems might be, an O2 Sensor, or dirty Fuel Injectors, or you mass airflow sensor is bad or dirty, you should be able to pop it off and clean up the wire on the MAF Sensor, you should see that it runs better off... if anything unplug the O2 Sensor, located on the exhaust manifold at the back of the engine, and test it with a regular tester, put the red into the O2 Sensor, and the black on the Engine, it should read .50 or .56 somewhere in that region if its not, you have a bad sensor and that cold cause some staling...

    I hope some of this info is helpful in making you satified... Also check this info out to make sure this is not your vehical...

    1993 PONTIAC GRAND AM Recall ID from NHTSA: 93V153000
    Auto Recall Date: 19930914
    Vehicle Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
    Estimated Vehicles Affected: 1103
    1993 PONTIAC GRAND AM Defect Summary:
    THE NEUTRAL START SAFETY SWITCH COULD HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DURING INSTALLATION.
    Defect Consequence:
    A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN RESULT IN A NO-START CONDITION. ALSO, A VEHICLE WITH A FRACTURED SWITCH CAN BE STARTED IN GEAR, CAUSING THEVEHICLE TO MOVE UNEXPECTEDLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT.
    Remedy:
    THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE NEUTRAL START SWITCH. THE MANUAL SWITCH OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WILL BE INSPECTED AND REPLACED IF AN OVERSIZED CONDITION EXISTS.
    Notes: GENERAL MOTORS CORP.

    Jay-Mann
  • jgandy99jgandy99 Member Posts: 4
    Hi! I have a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM SE. It has 210,000 miles on it and i need to squeze another year out of this thing.

    Here is my issue. Last Thursday I was driving home from work and the low collant light came on, however the car was not running hot just a tad above normal. On my way home I stopped and bought some collant. The next morning I went out to start up my car and it started fine. I went back outside about 10 min later to put the collant in and it was no longer running. Thinking nothing of it i popped the hood and proceeded to put in the collant. Well i must not of read the container because it was the sort of collant that you have to mix with water so it came out pretty thick...too late i had already put in half a bottle. So then I decided to fill up the collant reservour with water. OK now i go to start the car and almost started but then stopped i try again sort of the same thing. Now it is Wednesday and my car wont start...I seriously doubt that it is the battery and a friend thinks it is the fuel pump.....any thoughts? If it is the fuel pump does anyone know where it is located? :cry:
  • chuckgibsonchuckgibson Member Posts: 5
    I have a 1999 Grand Am and I pulled the battery out of it for about two months. I installed a new battery and it will not start. It will not even turn over or click. The instrument lights all light up so I know that it is getting power. Could this have erased the computer and if so how can I remedy this? Before I pulled the battery it ran just fine.
    Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
    Frustrated in Texas!
  • nastassia333nastassia333 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 04 grand am and it won't start. Last Friday I went to start my car and the battery was completely dead..tried jumping it, didn't work had to buy a new battery. Now after the new battery is in, the car won't start, it sounds like it's going to but won't. The fuel pump is not engaging, not making any sound when the car is turned on. We have gotten it started by manually pouring fuel in the intake but it quickly dies. Fuses are good (I think), battery is completely charged, all the power comes on fine now but when we did get it started, after it died the radio gave me ERR code and cd player went crazy....maybe from the battery completely dying? The battery had been going bad I thought because i had to jump it one morning and sometimes it was hard to start, took like 2 or 3 times. Also last week i started the car, put it in reverse, backed up and it just died on me...never happened before, so i was stuck in the middle of the street, after about a minute it started again. And for a while I felt like it might be driving rough, like when accelerating up a hill or that it was just not running as smoothly as usual. I've heard everything from fuel pump, to ignition switch to computer problems to passlock...i just don't know what it is and would like to find out before I have it towed...If anyone can please help..any suggestions..thanks :mad: :cry: :confuse:
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Well, just from your description it sounds like fuel delivery. If it's the passlock issue then the security light will come on and flash (or come on solid if it's running and a problem is detected).
  • jasch166jasch166 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, for the last couple of months I have been having trouble with my 99 grand am gt. It seems to randomly not want to start. I take it to my mechanic, and it won't do this for him when it is on the computer, so he can't pinpoint the problem. So, I am driving this car around that I never know if it will start. Now, the last couple of times it didn't start on me, I noticed that the 'security' light was flashing when I tried to start it. After 10 or 15 minutes, the light would stop flashing and the car would start up. Is there any correlation between the light and the car not starting??? What is this security light?? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

    Thanks!
  • mpaunovicimpaunovici Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2005 Pontiac Grand Am and guess what, I'm having starting problems as well. I have noticed on many different websites and discussions when you type in these starting issues with this vehicle that I am not the only one out there having these troubles. Well, heres my problem...I will be driving on the highway and all of a sudden out of no where my car will just slow down all the lights go on up at the dash and then, the car just automatically shuts offs on its own. This is the second it has happened in the past 3 months. The first time I had it towed to a friends house and they changed the something I think was called the fuel regulator...and then the car started right up, but we are still unsure if this is the problem, especially reading some of the other solutions others have had with the same problem. I have no clue what could be wrong, but if I cant get any other suggestions we might as well start off with the regulator again and see if it works again, but I still think that 3 months would be way too soon for that to go bad again, so there must be something messing it up. Any suggestions out there would be a great help to me and very appreciated. Also if there are so many people with these same issues does anyone know what we can do to further proceed with the manufacturer, if even possible? if we all have the same problem and fix, shouldnt there be a recall on these vehicles? Thanks for any help suggested in advance...
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    How many miles? I assume that the two times it happened you tried to restart it but it would just spin? Or would it run for few seconds but then stop again?
Sign In or Register to comment.