Pontiac Bonneville

ezrapon · August 2002

Good to see you post again. Yeah I blew a belt with my 3.4 pulley, but the extra tensioner is for the main drive belt(park Ave). Can't find anyone to sell just the pulley/bearing so I guess I'm stuck with it. Today the same 3.8 quit running again. Had to come home on the hook. Dealer replaced a fuel regulator sensor relay or something (200 bucks)... I just don't expect these engines to lay an egg. Especially twice in one week. Thank God we weren't in Mississippi on 55 at 2:00a.m. Yes, anyone wanting all out performance needs to be in a GTP. Except for Intense. I imagine his mods on a GTP would be supersonic. Different rides, I still like the SSEi platform for everyday use.

dmckeown · August 2002

You having problem's with those 3800's dosen't have anything to do with you looking at that Mercury awhile back does it. Seems as though cars can sense a trade coming and punish you for even thinking about it, much like a girlfriend or wife will, oh well never mind.
Some where on the Grand Prix net I saw mention of a GM part number for a pulley assembly for the belt idler, in this case it was a slightly larger diameter idler pully to fit the SC belt tensioner, giving you more rap around SC pulley and you didn't need a shorter belt with a smaller pully. I think it was under $20 with a new bolt so GM does make a replacment pulley without tensioner body.

dmckeown · August 2002

I forgot to mention the use of cutout's for your exhaust system. Now a guy like ezrapon will remember street rods using them in the 60's but the ones I'm talking about come from Quick Time Performance, www.quicktimeperformance.com
QTP's are electricly activated and you can set one up for less then $200. Some GTP guy's set them behind the resonator and they aren't that loud when open. This setup will reduce Knock Retard quite a bit when open. And of coarse you can activate partial opening also. I'm going to do this mod as I don't like real loud exhaust systems for highway cruising but can't take KR when I'm racing.
The headers would be nice on your car but I cheaped out and got a set of ported stock manifolds from a guy here in the club who does them for $150 with exchange of your old manifolds. About 12 hp and with the RT downpipe / low restriction cat at 8 hp($300) I'm ready for the Elec. cutout.

mfahey1 · August 2002

Boy, I guess that means I'm really old since not only do I remember them, I had them on my college car, 1961 Chevrolet station wagon, 283 4 barrel. I always figured that I never got a ticket when they were open since no cop would ever think to look at a station wagon for the source of the noise. I usually got 2-3 mpg improvement when I used them but obviously, I had to do it selectively. I can see my wife's eyes now as they roll back in her head if I told her I wanted a set for the Bonneville.

jaybee4 · August 2002

Engine does not have to be removed for serpintine
belt change.Between the crankshaft pully and the compressor, the engine mount is attached to the block. Between the engine mount and the block there is a spaceer held in place by a hex bolt going thru the engine mount bracket, spacer and into the block. Your best access to this area is thru the right wheel well. You do not have remove the tire, but the wheel must be turned to the right.You may have to purchase a deep socket for this service.Once the bolt and space is removed,release the tenioner for belt removal.
This worked on my 95 Bonneville.

sse97bnvlle · August 2002

Does anyone have any idea how long springs usually last? Do they usually last about as long as the struts? My car seems to suddenly ride bad. It feels unstable and when u hit bumps its like the suspension isnt reacting like it should. Also, maybe its just me being paranoid, but the bumps can all be felt now it seems. Noticed more floatiness than usual. Brand new struts though. Could worn out springs be the cause? My car seems to have lost that "suspended" feeling. Now it feels like gravity is pulling it towards the road 20x stronger (lol). Thats another way to describe it. Its lost that smoootthhhh ride now it feels like a dump truck. To me worn out spring would make complete sense as to why its riding funny now. Anyone else had any experience with replacing springs that have gone bad?

mlm4 · August 2002

If I'm not mistaken, the last Bonneville to have springs was built in 1986 (the last of the body-on-frame, rear-drive G-bodies). Since then all Bonnies have had independent rear suspensions. Does your car have the automatic load leveler (air shocks)? Maybe the shocks are not holding any air, or there's a leak in the system. When were your new struts installed?

ezrapon · August 2002

Doug, I think your right. Ever since I test drove that Mercury, all 4 of my GM cars with the 3.8 have malfunctioned in some way. I had my oil changed (SSEi) at the local Chevy dealer today and had to resist the urge to kick tires on the vettes and surburbans for fear of retribution. I'm still mulling over exhaust options, but no one has ever got on here and bragged about the perfect system... not to loud and yet much better performance. I'm kind of waiting to see what GM comes up with if the ever roll out that hi-po bonneville. That might be the perfect exhaust.I think 6 bangers just can't emulate the old big block growl. All my old motor head buddies enjoy hearing the sounds eminating from under the hood of my old trans am while crusing, more than the sound system... kind of like a cabin crusier with cowl induction.

sse97bnvlle · August 2002

I meant coil springs. Yes my car does have the load leveling rear but it still has the coil springs on the control arms. I put new struts on about 2 months ago. There's no air leak in the struts either. They work just like they should. When theres a bunch of people in the back the back end doesnt sag at all it still looks the same. It has to me a sloppy feeling at higher speeds and in the rain and on gravel roads. Almost the same as it felt when the struts went out but it feels different. It would make sense to me that the springs usually last about as long as the struts. How can you tell if its the springs that are bad anyways?? I have no clue how to tell...lol.

streetracer · August 2002

I just put the 3.25 and Thrasher CAI in the SSEi, and 3.4 in the GTP.

I have TOG headers for the SSEi, on the way. I going out to Intense in Columbus,OH to have Scott Cook install them.

I may see if he can also do an LSD.

I have next level sway bars and strut tower braces on the way for the GTP. I am going to have local shop install them.

My future plans for the SSEi on the Intense 4T65E HD with 3:69:1 final drive ratio and a custom Digital Horsepower chip. I need to wait for DHP to do a 2002 chip before going to new trans, do to speed/rev limiters.

I plan to install a Quaife torque biasing differential for the GTP, along with DHP chip, and Intense rocker arms and headers.

mlm4 · August 2002

I was thinking leaf springs because what you describe was more common on old cars that have those. If coil springs "go bad" they either get weak or break. One way to tell if the springs are bad is to remove them (or hoist the car and disconnect one end of the spring), put each one in a jig with a load cell and measure how much force is required to compress them; compare that with spec. Not something easily done at home! I've also seen rubber blocks that can be installed between the coils to help extend the life of the springs (and stiffen them up).

mfahey1 · August 2002

Perhaps the SSEis sound better than we think they do because of how well the cabin is insulated and isolated from the outside world. Yesterday, on one of the rare occasions that my wife took my car, I happened to be outside when she took off down the street. It may have partially been her lead foot but it did sound awfully nice going down the road. I'm not sure I would want it too much different for fear of sounding like a hillbilly.

ezrapon · August 2002

I can sneak into the garage unheard with my SSEi. This is a double edged sword. Sometimes I like a stealth approach, other times I'd like to at least vibrate the China cabinet glass a little. By no means would I EVER want to sound like the 8000 hoosier boy-racer Dodge and GM pickup trucks with dual flowmasters running up and down the avenue...they just don't get it. My daughter's German Shepard can hear the SSEi at the top of my street... dogs are so easily impressed. He can hear the trans am coming for about 2 blocks, but it doesn't sound much like a tweaked up Mo Par 360.

mfahey1 · August 2002

We had our 2001 Caravan in yesterday for the 7th time for the same driveabiliity issue. The dealer is stumped so in today's world, he downloaded a bunch of information from the car's computer and is e-mailing it to Chrysler to see if they can come up with a solution. No wonder the good technicians are now a combination of wrench turner and computer geek and are probably worth their weight in gold.
Who would have ever thought that things would come to this?

mlm4 · August 2002

Those technicians are few and far between. You need to know how to use a computer and analyze the information it gives you to work on cars these days.

Question is, though, why has it taken seven trips to the dealer to get this far? They should be collecting data from the vehicle right off the bat, even if they "think" they know what the problem is. There may be more to it and that information might save additional trips to the service bay.

But then again, I may be expecting too much...:-)

hydrasports · August 2002

I took delivery of my 2002 SE in July. I have 3000 miles on the car so far and the interior is like a vault no squeaks or rattles. One of the best things about this car is there are not many on the road in CT. When people at work see it they always say "Wow, this is lot nicer than I thought". It will be a shame it GM drops this car. I just wish I could have ordered it with the 428 as an option !

mfahey1 · August 2002

Are you ever dating yourself by talking about the late, lamented 428 which hasn't been around since perhaps the late 60's. Oh well, fun to dream a little. Somehow though, the thought of getting fuel economy south of perhaps 12-14 mpg doesn't make me quite as nostalgic as I would expect.

wka · August 2002

I completed my trip to the dealer. Onstar is scheduled to be replaced (they had to look and see what model it was), they replaced the rear rotors under warranty and they looked at my stalling issue but didn't find anything. (Frankly I suspect the computer should be replaced, although the problem is very intermittent, any comments?).

One issue, the dealer recommended 5w30. When I pointed out the manual said 10w30 they said the manual was wrong and than printed out a couple pages from their service manual. The pages they printed out from the service manual had several typos so it didn't look correct and since my 2001 gtp has they same reference to 10w30 I have to think they are full of it.

Where can I get the definitive answer on 5w30 or 10w30?

tpken · August 2002

Glad to hear you're enjoying the new Bonnie. Most of us here are equally pleased after a lot more miles too. I have 57K now on my 2000 SE and still love it.

Please keep us informed on your experiences.

Ken

mlm4 · August 2002

The dealer is wrong...and right. They are wrong in saying that the owner's manual is incorrect, but right in that 5W30 is the recommended viscosity. There is much debate about which oil is best for what, and a lot of research to support various arguments. Generally speaking, 5W30 is the best all-temperature oil, and 10W30 is fine for warm climates. Officially GM says, "SAE 5W-30 Preferred or SAE 10W-30 Can Be Used Above Zero Degrees F."

fantascp · August 2002

For what-ever its worth, the oil refill cap is clearly marked on both my 98 SSE and 2000 SE to use SAE-10W30- thats what I use. When I had my 91 Buick Skylarks- with the Tech 4 Engines,the cap was marked to use SAE 5W30.

Chuck

sse97bnvlle · August 2002

Whats a good website to go to to order coil springs?? It seems like every website I check carries everything but actual coil springs!!!

oldbare · September 2002

I have a Bonneville 94. And in the manual, it requires the methanol less than %5. And how could I know which gas is fine?

Thanks!

mfahey1 · September 2002

Any 87 octane gasoline, whether straight gasoline or gasoline with ethanol(gasahol) is fine for your car. As is often the case, you get what you pay for in that the lower cost fuels don't always have the same amount of additives that the "name" brands do.

oldbare · September 2002

Thanks a lot, mfahey1.

And another problem is that the manual requires or recommends the preminum gas. ANd it seems that in those kinds of gas, there are lots of additional material. So I just wonder about that.

mfahey1 · September 2002

Premium is the recommended fuel for the SSEi although you can in fact, at least on the newer ones, run lower octane without a problem. The computer will detect any knocking condition due to the lower octane fuel and react by retarding timing, reducing the available horsepower. If I am going to be taking a trip with mine that I know will be all interstate driving, I'll put 87 octane in it because I know that it would be unlikely that I would need all of the rated horsepower just cruising along.

oldbare · September 2002

And I still have the question about the maintaince at dealer. There are more than 4 dealers around the Salt Lake City, how could I know which of them is better?

I may choose dealer since maybe the mechanics there know the car better.

Thanks mfahey1 again.

xavier64 · September 2002

Ken,

Hope you have had a good summer. I finally have placed the picture online with Yahoo.

Hope everyone enjoys the pictures....sxb

http://photos.yahoo.com/xavier64_pa

mfahey1 · September 2002

....to see if anyone is still out there.

mlm4 · September 2002

All the boards I subscribe to have been very quiet recently. Maybe everyone's internet privileges have been revoked! ;-) Either that or they are all out driving their cars (or actually working - doh!).

ezrapon · September 2002

The pictures left us all speechless and awestruck. I am still at a loss. Words fail me!

mfahey1 · September 2002

Even if the shot of Ken's car hadn't been labeled as his, I probably could have guessed. I believe his is the only Bonneville that I have seen in that color or if not the only one, perhaps there has been one other. Maybe if he hangs onto it, keeps it for his kids or something, it will become valuable because of the rarity of the color. Light bronzemist(mine), on the other hand, is becoming distressingly common.

xavier64 · September 2002

Fixed the first photo so you can tell which is Ken's.

Take care everyone, back to work.zzzzzzzzzzzzzz..sxb

smfran · September 2002

I still check in regularly but the love for my 2000 SSEi is fading a bit. I have almost 70,000 miles on it and have more rattles/vibrations than I would like and am sick of the poorly designed glove compartment and cupholders. It still turns heads and is mechanically very sound. I'm looking forward to my lease end in May and am seriously considering an Envoy.

bonnevillessei · September 2002

I am looking at new tires for my 2000 SSEi. Do you have a recomendation? Tire rack rates Dunlops highly @ about $111.00 each. And Michelins @ $206.00. The Goodyears that are on the car now are not rated as highly as either of these other brands. I have heard good things about Bridgestone, but have not looked at any for the bonnie. TIA

jptuck · September 2002

I have the Potenza S-03 from Bridgestone on my 2002 SSEI - had them previously on a Maxima SE. Have found them outstanding for road handling and control. As they don't make a 235/55/17 I got the 225/55/17 from Tirerack with new rims. Work great and they told me to just up the air pressure 2 lbs vs 235/55/17. I'd check out the S-03 for any performance application when looking at tires. The hold and grip like nothing I have ever used - including Michelin and Goodyears...

mfahey1 · September 2002

Since you went with a narrower tire with the same aspect ratio, did you find that your speedometer is somewhat off? Did these tires come in a wider 17" size than the 235s?

trixie12 · September 2002

2000 Bonnie: I have had BOTH rear window regulators fail within the past 4 weeks. I am the only owner/ driver and rarely do I carry anyone in the back seat. The top "plastic" assemble that hold the "up" cable cracks and releases the cable to become wound around the cable drum. The dealer only sells the assemble with the motor to get this repaitred. You can buy a motor by itself however that does no good in these instances. I am interested in any similar occrances you may know of.

richm4 · September 2002

In the latest edition of Car & Driver, they had a picture of a revamped 2004 Bonneville. I must say I was very impressed! I would consider buying one for the first time based on the new look.

No disgusting body cladding and very sleek lines. A much improved front-end too.

No shots of the interior, but hopefully Pontiac is abandoning it's cheapo Fisher-Price interior look. Now if only Pontiac could combine their exterior with the Oldsmobile interior styling, they'd be much better off.

Not to get on a rant, but the revamped 2004 Grand Prix exterior styling looks nice too, but the pics of the interior seem to indicate a continuance of the cheapo plastic styling.

ezrapon · September 2002

As the fierbird and camaro have bowed, cheap speed seems to be left in the mustang's corral. We have a big dealership out here and they have upwards of 30 new stangs on their lot. About 10 are Saleen versions. I poped the hood and saw a nice black supercharger... I thought, this must be quick. I checked the sticker (this convertible was over 52 k) the H.P. was only 285. I could buy a Z/28 with its 305 H.P. and blow this thing away... or buy a vette for less money. I walked away disappointed thinking I'd see a rumored 390 H.P. cobra. Knowing my car reacts badly when I look at new cars, I was hesitant when a SS camaro came up to me at the stop light today. It was a kid, reving the engine and slipping the clutch...ready to go. We went on the green. I had 4 adults, the air was on, and the traction control on. When we hit about 90 (this was a deserted 4lane divided) he was only about 1 1/2 car lengths ahead of me. To me, this was a victory. I guess I'll hang on to it for a while longer. If he'd been driving a Saleen, I'd probably have had the car lenghts advantage. Cool day, no air or traction control, and just me in the car, who knows what would have happen. These SSEi cars are a bit under rated!

smfran · September 2002

I saw a new Mercury Marauder yesterday in a parking lot and thought, "If I was in the market for a sedan to replace the Bonnie, this would need serious consideration." I'm still leaning very heavily towards an Envoy. Has anyone had experience with one?

mfahey1 · September 2002

If the 285hp. figure was correct, maybe it was because the car was a convertible which often can't handle the twisting effects of high horsepower. I'm sure the coupes have much more than that. Otherwise, what's the point?
As for the Maurader, well, it is a Ford when all is said and done but it would be one of the all time sleepers. Traction in snow?

ezrapon · September 2002

The 285 was for the coupes as well. I went to a couple of websites last night to see what was what. A GT is 260 HP. To think that a supercharger would only add 25 HP seemed a bit odd. The Saleen sight had 2 stages of mods, the first being 285 the second being a supercharged 350 HP. The sticker must show the base engine (285) and somewhere in the option list I must have missed the S/C upgrade to 350 HP. Either way, to quote a phrase, they are still Fords.

whogault · September 2002

See part 2

whogault · September 2002

I have not been back to this board for quite some time. I have a 2000 SSEi with 38k miles. I replaced the oem Goodyears @ 26k miles with the highly rated and rather well priced Dunlops.
Good News: The tires are quite, quite grippy in the dry, and very secure feeling in the wet. These were the things I was most concerned about as it snows here in S.E. Virginia once or so every year, about 1/4 inch which lasts about 1 hour.
Bad News: The front tires were completely worn out after 11K!( I do not drive the car hard, although my 17 year old takes it on dates every now and then.) The rear tire's tread had about 85% tread left. The dealer I bought them from replaced the tires under warranty, so we will have to see....
Has anyone had these problems
1. Weeping power steering hose requiring 1/2 bottle of fluid to repalce lost fluid?
2. Clicking in steering wheel when turning or stopping?(TSB on this one-supposedly wrong lube on steering joint)
3. Air compressor failure ?
4. Trailer Hitch puncture of front bumper ( Ha Ha, my fault)
5. Strange banging noise from moonroof closing which
always disappears at the dealer?

mfahey1 · September 2002

I can't say I have had great luck with Dunlops. Two different sets of tires on two different vehicles each had one of the four that pulled significantly when on the front. In both cases, it didn't appear until the tires were rotated to the front by which time it was too late for a warranty claim.
The good news is that since both front tires are worn out, it is highly unlikely your son is responsible. Unless he had the initiative to fry the first tire on the right front and then rotate them so he could fry the other one, you would think only the right front one would die due to abuse, which is only too easy to do on this car.
I personally haven't had any of the other problems you mentioned, thankfully. Water in the trunk, now that's a different story.

whogault · September 2002

We own a 2000 montana, which is the second one we own after the 98 that we traded in. Both have the auto leveling air suspension system as does the SSEi. I have heard both mini van's pumps come on at times to adjust for different loads. Come to think of it, I have never heard the pump come on in the SSEi. I just recently tried to use the pump to fill a tire and it did not work. Checked fueses--they are okay. Could it be that this system has never worked since I got the car????

tpken · September 2002

Hello to all

Sorry I've been reclusive of late. Those pics from Pa of Steve's car and mine are great - thank you Steve. Hope you're well.

Looks like the traffic is pretty light around here these days. I don't frequent the boards as I used to but do want to stay in touch here. The car is just fine other than an annoying vibration from my tires - have 18K on the Aquatreads now and seem to have feathering. Not sure what it's from but it's almost unnoticeable now that the fronts have been rotated to the rear.

Summer went by fast - lots of hot weather and great fun at camp. Going to have to get some pine pitch off the car now - always a nuisance there under the pines even though I use a cover.

Take care all

Ken

pat · September 2002

h101 · September 2002

Hi everyone,

It has been a great summer, fun with cars and boats... it is just great to reaping the fruits of all those years of hard work

The first time I tried to use the compressor I thought the same thing... i.e. is this thing broke? The controls are a bit quirky, if I remember right ya push the button to start it, then push it again to stop it. I was trying to push the button and hold it to pump air, and that didn't work.

I still love the SSEi... it is 2 1/2 years old and it has been flawless... never been in except for oil changes (and a back bumper replacement which was clearly not its fault.... some jerk in a Suburban didn't see it)

Bill

Pontiac Bonneville

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