Pontiac Bonneville General Maintenance and Repair

xavier64

Just a quick note on the load leveling for dboyd3.

I spoke quickly with the service manager and I mentioned about the load leveling noise. The noise can be from the car adjusting the suspension or the ABS. Did not have a chance to talk to him in detail. Hope you can get this worked out.
...sxb

bonnevilleman

I LOVE MY CAR I LOVE MY CAR! NOT! The new starter on the car has went bad also. Just more good news for my wonderful week to start out on. Well gents has anyone replaced the intake gasket on a 95 SSEi? how hard is it to do?

Preston
95 SSEi

tasdisr

I have a small fuel leak. It is on the passenger side of the car and it is dripping from underneath the rear passenger door. Anyone have any ideas as to what it could be and how pricey to repair?

Thanks

mfahey1

My 2000 goes back in this week, this time for the trunk leaking again. It did it when the car was new and last week, it looked like a gallon of water was poured in there.
When I made the appointment, he asked what kind of car and when I told him, he got this all knowing look on his face. I asked if this was common and he said that it is becoming increasingly so. He thinks there may be a service bulletin on it but has to check.

sixxer

My 2000 SE leaks as well. My leak is in the trunk lid. Personally I think it is the gasket on the taillight trim (reflectors on the lid). I've had it in, but they can't find anything. EVEN THOUGH I point out to them that the gasket in that area is recessed slightly more on one side than the other! Go figure. They say they've had the trim and gasket off, but (go figure) they put it back on and it looks EXACTLY like it did when I brought it in. mmhmmm.. Just been waiting for a nice day to take care of it myself. I think the gasket is just seated improperly. Possibly worth a look on yours too. Anyhow, I don't recommend Elliot Chev Olds in the Ottawa area due to this experience.

Stan
2000 SE

theiceman

Take it to Surgenor and see if they're any better. They've been really good to me (so far). I know that Grand Prix's and Bonnies have had some problems with gaskets and seals around spoiler mounting holes - that could be your problem - although it sound like you know which end is up.

Good luck - enjoy this summer weather!

bcorso

Well, its good to see I'm not the only one with the leaky trunk. I have taken my 2001 SE to a new dealership, and pointed out the taillight closeout panel gasket was twisted. He mentioned a TSB on the leak issue. When I got it back today, I noticed a new gasket on the light panel!! I'll post again in a few days to see if it works.

bcorso

Maybe its just me being too picky, but I have noticed that when I take my foot off of the gas at night and wait 5-10 seconds the lights flicker( this is happening when the car is in motion). After watching the voltmeter, it looks like the alternator drops "off-line" to battery voltage, then goes back to normal. I have also watched the tach, to see if the engine drops rpms in that same time-frame, and it does not. Speed does not seem to have an effect. This has me puzzled, since it does not show up in the trouble code history. Any ideas??
Thanks in advance!

mfahey1

I just got my 2000 back for the leaky trunk and they said that there definitely is a TSB on the issue. If I were the rest of you, I would tell them my trunk is leaking just so you can get the work done while under warranty.
It's hard to see what they did. I see fingerprints all over the trunk but there is also black sealer on the fenders of both sides in front of the tail lights so I'm guessing they were indeed working on the tail lights. Good quality control(not) on the part of the technician to leave sealer smeared on the fender. It won't be any problem for me to get it off but then, it wouldn't have been a problem for the technician to either.

pontiacrick

Is the leaky trunk limited to 2000 model year or are 2001 and 2002 affected too? I have a 2002 and have not had a problem.

mlm4

No, you're not being picky. I have exactly the same problem on my 2000 SSEi. It is as you describe, like the alternator cuts out for a few seconds. On my SSEi, the voltmeter is on the DIC and it shows the voltage in tenths of a volt. I have watched it drop from it's normal level of around 14.7-15 volts down to 12 volts (battery level) when this happens, and then it climbs back up gradually (over a second or two). It usually happens when the car is in gear, not moving and my foot is on the brake (the engine is being restrained). It is most noticable at night when all the lights are on but sometimes I can tell it happens when the lights are off too.

To me this doesn't seem right but I have not tried to take it to the dealer because I'm sure it will be difficult to reproduce the problem for them. It happens almost every time I drive it but perhaps only once or twice. Someone once posted here (a long time ago) that they were told by the dealer on their older model Bonneville that this is "normal"; I think it may be some sort of overload protection that is malfunctioning. I'm puzzled too but it is just one of those little things about the car that aggravates me about GM quality in general.

mfahey1

Good question about the model year. I went to http://alldata.com and actually saw nothing in there about a leaking trunk. If I'm by the dealer, I'll ask the service manager.

evandro

This problem sounds like the one Intrigue's owners have been complaining about, even though it has the 3.5 DOHC V6. There's a TSB for the Olds, but I'm not sure if it refers to the Bonnie as well.

flashjack

I've owned my 2000 Bonneville SE for almost two years and have driven it for 39,000 miles. It's a great car. I've really enjoyed both the 2000 model and a 1997 Bonneville that I owned before it. About six months ago I noted that the steering had developed a rough, raspy feel when I turned to the left. I took it to the dealership and they installed a new steering rack. The problem was fixed and everything was fine until about two weeks ago when the rough, raspy feel gradually returned. When I turn left, I can feel and hear a very subtle thud-click sensation and sound. I took the car back to my GM dealership and they say that it needs ANOTHER new steering rack - apparently the replacement steering rack that they installed just a few months ago was defective. The new part and service will be covered by a parts warranty. It seems like an odd problem, though. Has anyone else had a similar steering problem with their Bonneville?

izar316

A: pulling to the right, although the first thing thats done is a wheel alignment right thats a good thing anyway but these pontiacs have an inherent problem and I have found it to be the caliper why always the right side don't know maybe a front end weight distribution problem.

B: engine stalls at low rpm or when decelerating could be on the highway or coming to a stop, note engine always re fires and runs, may or may not through a code!!!! problem is the air idol control sensor.

c: no start or poor start on cool wet or cool dry days
will generally start with a jumper or plugged in, in fact when it does start engine runs poorly you may think you have transmission problems, easy one
week or faulty coil pack.


the problem lies with in the oil sending switch. unplug it no matter where you are replace the fuse if its blowing or not blowing, unplug it you car will still run, replace the oil sending switch due to the poor design location of it, the oil sending switch over time filles with moisture and as a result this will cause all sorts of engine running related problems that through no codes.( the switch is located on the bracket that your oil filter is mounted on there is no protection from water at this point and the switch is mounted vertically, also when ordering your part specify switch as they will give you an oil sending unit wrong part save your gas )

e: wiring problems with the older bonnies well mine anyway 1991, the main wiring harness runs between the rear valve cover and the bracket that holds the power steering pump this is another great design, at this point there is major engine vibration and with any amount of oil and time the wiring harness experiences problems.

hope this hasent been to boring or long winded but I do love my bonnie all 250,000 k of her!!!!

fixedassets

I have noticed many postings relating to the sudden inability to start the engine although everything was fine up until now. Speaking from experience, here is what happened to me.

Symptoms: Although everything worked fine up until an hour ago, now the engine wouldn't crank over. I could hear the click of the starter solenoid. Previously, I had to occasionally "top up" my engine antifreeze as it would slowly disappear with no apparent external leaks.

Problem: Same as already posted in messages #456, 476, 485, 539, 607, 615, 630 and 637.
The upper plastic intake manifold developed a coolant leak allowing engine antifreeze into the air intake ports which filled up one or two cylinders and prevented the engine from turning over. After initially swapping the starter motor, the engine did start (as the coolant had, by then, leaked out of the cylinders and into the oil pan - check for milky brown oil). However, an hour later, the same seizure existed. The problem is the design of the plastic upper air intake manifold which vents the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) back into the engine through the lower metal intake manifold and via a short metal tube which protrudes upward into the plastic upper intake manifold. The hot exhaust gases heat this short metal tube causing the plastic surrounding it to degrade over time (mine lasted for 340,000km's/212,000 miles). The heat causes the plastic to "dry out" losing its flexibility and becoming brittle (ie.crystalized)and porous. There are two ports adjacent to this metal tube that route engine antifreeze from the lower intake manifold up through the plastic upper air intake manifold to the throttle body to help prevent freezing in cold temperatures. The engine anti-freeze is under pressure (about 15psi) and seeps through the decomposed plastic. The engine can "digest" a certain amount of this through the normal combustion process and you may only notice that the engine antifreeze seems to be disappearing somewhere with no external leaks evident.

Someday, you will stop the engine, the remaining coolant pressure will force enough antifreeze through the degraded plastic ports into the upper intake manifold chamber, leak into one of the cylinders and you can't start your engine.
A quick check is to remove the throttle body assembly and look inside the chamber for visible antifreeze.

Repair: This takes a significant amount of technical knowledge and so I don't recommend it unless you really know what you are doing. Remove all spark plugs to relieve pressure and allow cylinders to drain. Remove the fuel pump fuse and turn over the engine. This will de-pressurize the fuel lines and blow out some of the antifreeze from the cylinders. Remove the throttle body assembly and multi-port fuel injector assembly to remove the upper intake manifold. Now check the plastic surrounding the middle hole closest to the throttle opening and you will find the brittle plastic. I chose not to pay $492.00 CDN (=$300 US) for a new upper manifold. But I did buy the $65.00 gasket set and after scraping off all of the decomposed plastic around the coolant ports and EGR tube hole, I used a "liquid metal" epoxy to reform the plastic casting. I re-assembled the engine, replaced the spark plugs, changed the contaminated engine oil and filter, changed the oxygen sensor (assumed contamination also) and plugged the fuel pump fuse back in.

I now have driven 10,000km's (6,000 miles)and the repair in working fine.

In my opinion, this is a design flaw in this engine and I would bet on this happening to every engine eventually.

P.S. I still love my 1995 Bonny SSE and would be happy to buy another. Good Luck!

wazooworks

OK, so after reading most of the posts in these forums and doing a little more Internet research, I ordered a heaping helping of Zaino products. After the fact, I've read that in some folks' opinions Zaino is not necessarily the best thing for dark finishes such as my car's Granite color.
Does anyone have any opinions/experiences pro or con with this combination?

Thank you.

theiceman

Didn't Dennis (homer2000ssei) - who used to post here - exclusively use zaino on his black beauty? If memory serves, he was so pleased with the results, he became a zaino distributor.

I use zaino on my dark bronzemist carriage - but probably nowhere frequently enough.

jdy1

First time on this board- Hello! I'm a "mechanics daughter"- so I grew up around car repairs, etc.
I've owned my 1997 Bonnie SSE 40th anniversary ed. for 2 years now, and I have had quite a few problems with it, thank god for the extended warranty I purchased! It had 41,000 on it when I purchased it; (one owner car)- the first month, the alternator went out on it- the dealership had put a small cheesy no-name brand battery in it and was inadequate- I argued with the mechanics to no avail, of course, that this improper battery killed my alternator- they said NO WAY. I say BULL! (can someone tell me if I'm right or wrong?) I had to purchase a Delco battery for $89.00, had alternator replaced- then, while driving it for 6 months, there was this surging while driving 55 + mph, which got worse when going uphill & under any strain.
I had the fuel filter changed, the oxygen sensor changed, plugs, nothing worked. Finally took it to the Pontiac dealership from where I bought it- they had to replace the entire transmission which had to be shipped from Jacksonville, Fla.; metal shavings found in pan. Then 2 months later, power steering pump went out. Then, 5 months later, oil leak was discovered, took it back up to them again, this time they told me they had to replace the lower & upper intake manifold gaskets- cost over $360. This problem has not stopped- still has oil leak! Then, I ran into this man who had the same car I did & asked him about his experiences- he told me he had to replace the entire intake manifold because the factory installed one was made out of "fiberglass" and eventually the heat just melts them down, the replacement part he was given was alluminum, I believe- he was told that Pontiac screwed up on this one,and said it cost over $300, excluding labor. I'm also hearing that "popping" sound when I cut the wheel to the left at a slow roll. Has anyone here heard of this intake manifold problem? The car now has 63,000 miles on it- I love this car- not to mention it was not cheap! It is garage-kept and pampered- Immediate repairs and maintenance are first priority for it- I use Mobile One Synthetic always, and don't skimp out on any other products.
My warranty runs out at 75,000 miles and I need to know if this manifold situation is prominant before it's too late- I would appreciate anyone's response to this!! Also- I have asked GM how many of these 40th Anniv. Ed.'s were produced, they don't know, (or don't want to be bothered to find out)- Thanks!!!

jdy1

Has anyone here heard of the intake manifold on these engines being made out of fiberglass by the manufacturer? I've owned my 1997 Bonnie SSE 40th Anniv. Ed. for 2 years now and have had alot of problems with it- At 48,000 miles, had to replace the trans after the first 6 mths. of driving it!- was experiencing the surging when it was under strain or going uphill- then, had to replace the alternator because the battery the dealership put in it was a no-name brand and was too small- they say that it was not the battery that killed it, but I think I know better than that- correct me if I'm wrong!- Then, had oil leak- had to have the upper & lower intake manifold gaskets replaced- still has the oil leak-(same area)- I'm sick & tired of these dealerships playing people off like we're idiots.
I have an extended warranty which runs out at 75,000 miles- it's got 63,000 on it now- I'm afraid the manifold will give out after it's up-
what would cause the gaskets to keep leaking like they do? I asked the mechanic if he properly torqued everything and he said yes. ALSO- have this problem which is dangerous- at different times, I've gotten in my car or at an idle, and the thing went DEAD on me as if the battery and alternator weren't even in it! Come to find out, a .45 cent fuse on the passenger side panel had blown!!! It has happened numerous times to me and I'd like to know if anyone else has had this problem, too. P.S.- I LOVE my Bonnie- and she's very well pampered!-

jdy1

One last thing I forgot to mention in my last post- my Bonnie, on several occassions, has died on me for no apparent reason- as if it had no battery or alternator in it! No lights, etc.-
Come to find out by luck- there is a .45 cent fuse in the panel on the passenger side- this happens alot and I'm wondering if any of you other owners have had the same experience? How many of these cars have been produced????? THANKS!!!

wazooworks

Thanks, theiceman. I'm looking to avoid the seemingly endless comparisons and wondering "what's best".
Nice that you mention dark bronzemist, which is the color of my wife's GP. I'm actually more interested in seeing what Zaino does to *that*, it's such a beautiful color.

sixxer

Hi all..

Last year when I got my 2000 SE it had the notorious shake at around 60 - 70MPH. I'm sure most of you know what I am talking about. Through the winter with my snow tires, the same shake was there. Interestingly enough, when I put my summer wheels back on MYSELF (original Pontiac aluminum rims with the Firestones), there is NO shake at all! Tis gone! Possibly since I took the time to properly torque down the wheels? I just find it interesting that there was a shake until I changed the wheels myself, not have a garage do it.

Stan

rsgus

The intake manifolds on your car will eventually
rot out due to POOR DESIGN & the material used.
This problem should of been a major factory recall
but GM is too powerful. I'd like to know where the
alum. replacement came from. The one I replaced was the same junk as the orginal. Also I've taken
to changing oil every 1000 miles due to lower oil
pressure caused by anti-freeze in oil when intake
manifold lets go. If you can afford to I'd unload
your's while you can. I'm in mine so deep I can't.
Good Luck.

theiceman

And my wife's '01 GP is dark blue. I haven't Zaino'd that one yet - it's bad enough that I have to wash and vacuum it out!

mlm4

Stan,

This is indeed interesting! I'm now thinking about rotating the wheels myself and torquing them properly, because I know the mechanic at the shop just goes at it with the air wrench. But first I need to invest in a jack and jack stands; the ones I own somehow ended up at my parents' house which is 2,600 miles away.

Thanks for posting your observation. That shake is getting on my nerves.

jdy1

AAAHH!!!! You've got to be joking? What year is your car & what state do you live in? What kind of crappy materials is this manifold made out of? I have over $3500 in this hog now as it is! This is WRONG- I wished that I had thought of asking that guy where he got his manifold from- I live in GA.-
So, how many miles is "eventually"? Do service bulletins ever turn into recalls? Or is it policy that they have recalls in dangerous situations only? I need to know more- do all of the Bonnies have this defective problem? Certain years?? If I unload this car now, I'll be out some serious time & money- damn, it's one of those "love-hate" things! How much did it cost you to repair yours? Man, this sucks- and I thought I bought a good quality car! I knew it was too good to be true!

rsgus

Check out the following posts, #14, 122, 177, 248, 249, 251, 253, 456, 459, 460, 461, 463, 464, 476, 485, 607, 614, 630, 637 & 715.
My car is a 96 Bonnty and I live in Wisconsin
(GO PACKERS) Repair cost about $700 but check local
Pontiac garage to get estimate for better idea in
your area what you'll have to pay. "Eventually" could be 14,000 miles like one post or 96,500
like mine or who knows? One of the reasons I
bought this car was because of the 3800 engine.
My 1990 Buick had 263,000 when I traded it in on
this 96. How GM screwed up this motor is beyond
me but we live and learn. Next car will be Honda
Accord.

enormus

I have a 2000 Bonneville SSEi and about 1000 miles ago, the Service Security System light began appearing intermittantly on the Drivers Information Center. As I approached 36K, I took the car in to the dealer to have several items serviced including this warning light -- which indeed appeared on the DIC on the way to the dealer. Well, the dealer did everything else I asked, but indicated that the theft system was operating normally. Yesterday, the indicator appeared again. Does anyone have any experience with what this indicator actually means? I have had third party security systems serviced before, but this is the first vehicle I've owned with integrated security.

mfahey1

Dan, you are right that Dennis became a Zaino distributor. He shows up every now and then on the 2nd generation Camaro web site that I visit now that his toy is a 1980 Camaro. Says he doesn't even pay attention to the Bonneville anymore.

mfahey1

As one who never uses the security system and in fact one who rarely even locks my car, I was recently baffled when the security light kept coming on. I couldn't figure it out at first and was about to take it to the dealer when I finally got it.
My wife had used the car and had apparently turned the parking lights on, perhaps confusing the left stalk on the Bonneville, which she only rarely drives, to the same stalk on our Caravan(her car) which is used to turn the wipers on. Because of the time out feature on the lights, I would never see them on when the car was in the garage. May not be relevant in your situation but just a thought.

wazooworks

I can confirm that (at least my) 2002 SSEi has the ubiquitous trunk leak. Finally had some good rain here in CO. Water collected in the rear bottom cavity of the trunk lid and upon opening drained out into my trunk. Appears in this case the spoiler mounting may be the culprit - but we'll see. I'll have it in Tuesday.
Other than that, I'm still reveling in my ride and the covetous looks the car gets.

mfahey1

We have several inches of rain here in Illinois this weekend so as soon as I could, I checked out my trunk since car was outside. Dry as a bone finally. In my case, after the dealer sealed the spoiler when the car was new, the trunk started leaking again a few weeks back. Judging by the black sealer smeared on both rear fenders, it would appear that there was work done with the tail lights. I went to the dealer last week and showed the service manager the sealer and told him that I hoped he understood that when I got the customer satisfaction survey call about this particular visit, he wouldn't be getting high marks.

h101

I use this stuff on both of my black machines. It is easy and last a long time... and the shine is great.

My only problem is explaining to Carolyn the row of Mequires... in front of the row of Turtle Wax... in front of the Blue Coral... in front of the rustier Simonized cans....

Seriously, I've been using the stuff for three years. I tried Mequires for a year after I got the '98, but then tried Zaino and won't go back.

I do use Eagle One leather treatment and really like it... been using it for a long time...

windwalker1

I have a '96 ssei. and found out that the active struts are no longer avable from GM. I have two rear struts shot, and gm is telling me that the air ride struts less the ccr mod are the new replacement. $600 poorer and they are not. The combo of active in the front and passive in the rear is like driving on ice. not to say that the ride is done and the sport or proformance setting is no-longer an option. I thought that parts by fed law had to be made avable for at least 7 if not 10 years. These struts were used from 1994 through the 1999 ssei's. HELP!!!

mfahey1

For anyone who has had their trunk leak and think all was well once the dealer fixed the leak, check your spare tire well. Several weeks ago, the dealer fixed my leak but I got a bit of a bug and decided to pull things apart to get at the well. The water was actually up over the spare tire and there was slime growing in there.
So, if you have already been to the dealer, check yourself. If you are scheduled to go, have them also check the well while it is there.

jjocjjoc

Can anyone tell me if the coolant leak into engine problem described on numerous previous posts applies to the 1999 model also? I saw 95-98 as applicable years but my 99 has a very small coolant usage without any discernable spots underneath. Dealer had noted problem and mentioned throttle plate or gasket as needing repair. Also, my oil seems to get darker quicker then it should in between oil changes. Otherwise, my bonny at 53k does fine, although I did have to replace plug wires sooner then you would expect.

mfahey1

If the handling on your car is being severely compromised by the mixing of strut types, I think you have a legitimate beef with the dealer. I would have a talk with them about the potentially dangerous handling characteristics of your car. They should never have mixed types if they knew that was going to be the end result. It would have been better to have done nothing and give you time to explore options.

bonneluvr

I'm new to this and many of the questions here may have been covered by others already, but I wanted to share my "Bonne" experiences, in hopes to help someone who's having the same problems I've had.

I owned a '87 Bonne SE - didn't keep it long but at 24k had to replace the rack. Also had lots of dashboard problems (various guages would go bad). Thank goodness I had an extended warranty! The DIC went bad and the bill was over $1400 to replace the entire dashboard components. It cost me $750.00 for the extended warranty.

Traded that for '88 SSE..beautiful black and fully loaded. Again, the rack was replaced at $40k and experienced problems with it shutting off while driving down the highway. Took it to the dealer I purchased it from 4 times in the 2 weeks with only 35k. The last time I actually told them what they could do with the car if they didn't get it fixed. I told them to check the crank sensor and they told me "we make the diagnosis, not the customer". I made them keep the car until it stalled on them 3 times in 2 miles. Guess what? I rec'd a phone call telling me they found the problem...crank sensor! I have not gone back to that GM dealer since for sales or service!

Then at about 70k it began running rough and chugging while driving. Had air intake sensor replaced by small town GM dealer. Problem solved first time around!

Somewhere between 70k and 90K it wouldn't start when weather was cold (it gets cold in MN!). Had it towed to local GM dealer 3 times who pulled it into the shop and after letting it sit an hour, it started right up. I drove it home 35 miles and purposely left it outside over night. Wouldn't start the next morning, so had it towed to small town dealer that fixed the air intake sensor. They called in less than 30 minutes to tell me the distributor was bad. Installed new one...problem solved.

Compass stopped displaying at 150k. By this time, I didn't think I would keep it long so didn't fix it. It would fade in and out, sometimes displaying (which showed it was still working).

Recently divorced and wife chose to take '88 Bonne over '95 Bonne. It now has 200k+ on it and still looks good (no rust)!

Bought '95 SSEi (red, my favorite color) with 35k on it. Engine was completely replaced by GM at 34k. Have service records and neither dealer nor GM reps could fix the problem, so engine was replaced. Not sure what the issue was there, just says "engine runs rough and is noisy". I didn't know there were two different 3800's. One is made by AC Delco, the other by Goodwrench. The Goodwrench engine was installed in my '95. I'm not sure if one is better than the other or not.

The '95 now has 62k on it (28k on new engine). After driving it around town to run errands, I noticed that sometimes when I start it, it idles really rough, almost as though it's flooded or it's misfiring. Any ideas there? I'm taking it in for new plugs and wires to see if that helps.

I noticed a squeaking noise from the left front. With the car sitting still and shut off, if I pushed on the front tire, I could hear the squeak. One dealer said the strut was bad. So..again, I took it to the small town dealer who was so good with my 88 and they found that the control arm was cracked, so had it replaced...squeak gone and steers better too. Sign of a possible accident with previous owner?

Also, I noticed that both the driver and passenger front seats seemed loose. They would rock and clunk when making a turn. I took it to 2 dealers and they both say the power seat tracks are worn out...at 62k is that possible? Estimates were the same $900 to fix both sides with new tracks. I could see if I moved them a lot or if I was extremely heavy (I don't call 175lbs heavy). Does anyone have any suggestions? Junk yard has a set for $100 but I'm not sure how much work is involved in replacing them.

The last thing I have noticed is that there is a shake in the front end when driving between 65 and 70 on the interstate. I have new Cooper tires on (less than 7k miles), have had them rotated and balanced and 4-wheel alignment. I'm wondered if maybe I didn't have a bad rim but it doesn't seem any better after rotating/balancing. Related to control arm/accident problem above?

I also sent an e-mail to Pontiac to ask them why I only get a 12month 12k warranty on the new engine vs a 3year additional 36k. I asked them if the integrity of the new engine was not worth the warranty and I rec'd a lame (somewhat standard) response. I told them they could learn a few things from Chevrolet as my parents had a Chevy truck that had engine problems (replaced twice) and Chevy gave them a 3yr add'l 36k warranty on the motor...each time!

After reading all of the posts regarding the 2000 Bonne, I'm glad I didn't buy one.

Has anyone ever considered sending this message board to Pontiac? Maybe if they see the problems, they'll consider solutions. If not, they could lose a few formerly loyal Bonne buyers.

I have always loved the style of the Bonne's and the performance/handling/ride and features, except for the early 80's..YUK. I just wish Pontiac would do a little better job at fixing known problems. I've not seen as many posts here regarding the 95, so perhaps I picked a good year for the Bonne?

I'm actually considering a Honda Accord next, but going to read that message board now! HA HA

sse97bnvlle

Ive never posted on this board before but have been reading for a while. I bought a 97 see about a month ago and it surges around 2000 rpm sometimes. No big deal just figure it needs a tune up and maybe some new coils (that fixed the surging in my sisters grand prix). But it smokes when I turn it on. First, there was a lot of smoke from the exhaust and the check engine light came on. I took of the egr valve and scraped it out, since I heard this can be a problem w/ this engine. Less smoke and it doesnt surge in park anymore like it did when the light was on. O yea after I scraped it out the light quit coming on. Just wondering what the hell the smoke is from. It runs great now (well, except for the occasional surge while driving). Its like a grayish color with a slight blue to it. It smells like regular exhaust tho. I was thinking maybe its still smoking a little when u first start it cuz the egr valve wasnt COMPLETELY flushed out and cleaned. Any ideas?

mfahey1

The typical diagnosis of smoking on startup is bad valve seals. I have to say, though, that I can't remember seeing a 3800 do this. Very common on Chevrolet and Mitsubishi/Chyrsler but I just haven't observed it on this engine. I'm not a mechanic so just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean it isn't possible or doesn't happen.

alcan

All 3800 engines are manufactured in Flint, Michigan. Two versions are available, naturally aspirated (L36, VIN K) and supercharged (L67, VIN 1), with the major difference being compression ratio.

Goodwrench and ACDelco engines are remanufactured units, not new. Both carry a 3 year transferrable warranty. This info is from the GM Goodwrench site:

http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/html/parts/parts_engtrans.shtml

"GM Goodwrench engines and transmissions are backed by a 36-month/50,000-mile consumer transferable limited warranty.
ACDelco remanufactured engines come with a 36-month/36,000-mile transferable limited warranty, while ACDelco transmissions come with a 24-month/24,000-mile transferable limited warranty."

bonneluvr

Thanks for the link and the info. I was never given this info by the dealer when I purchased the car 4 years ago. Fortunately, I haven't needed any engine work done, but then again I've only put 28k on it in 4 years. MN winters are really hard on cars so I keep this one stored all winter and drive my "grocery getter" (93 Chevy Astro), which by the way has been nearly a flawless vehicle with 93k on it now! GO CHEVY!

alcan

Sorry, misread your previous post. Thought you'd recently had an engine replaced and only been given a 1 year warranty.

theiceman

So the dealer fixed the leak but didn't drain the water that had already accumulated? Or is there another leak in the wheel well? Either way, it's maddening!

mfahey1

To the dealer's credit, they did fix the leak. It's just that they didn't follow it to the logical conclusion, that water seeks the lowest point, namely the spare tire well. What was a bit scary for me is that I just parked the car in the garage where it won't move until sometime in August. The water would have been sitting in there, causing rust, mold and who knows what other problems.

brycen

My '01 SSEi has a bad habit of hesitating/stumbling when trying to pick up speed under moderate acceleration. It is particularly bad going up hills. Problem occurs anywhere from 35-65 MPH. Been to the dealer five times in the past 7 months. Recently dealer captured data set with portable diagnostic tool and had GM's Tech Center read the results. Ended up replacing solenoid on tranny. Last week they tried to blow me off with, "operating to the manufacturers design and intent." I have two questions: 1. Have others experienced this problem and had a successful resolution? and 2. Since my car has spent so much time at the dealers for more than six months, do you think I could be included in the dealers fringe benefits program?

bonneluvr

You are correct when you say the engine was replaced and that I was only given a 1 year warranty. That's what the dealer and Pontiac both told me. The engine was replaced 4 years ago, so knowing I had a 3yr warranty on that motor does me no good now.

I did think of another question...I only drive this car in the summer but if the weather is cold and I go to back the car out of the garage, the accelerator acts like it's frozen. Rather than try to read several hundred posts, I thought I'd post the question again. Any suggestions? The dealer couldn't duplicate the problem (what's new?).

alcan

Try this. Remove the intake ducting, the thin snap ring holding the throttle body screen in place (careful here), and the screen. Give the throttle body bore and backside of the throttle plate a good cleaning with aerosol throttle body/air intake cleaner and an old toothbrush. It's probably got a pretty good buildup of gunk in there.

sse97bnvlle

who were you replying to with that last post?