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Pontiac Bonneville Owners: Meet the Members

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  • fun_4_nettefun_4_nette Member Posts: 1
    Surgeont
    The SSEI will run like crap on regular gas..when i first bought mine (2000SSEI) we didn't know it had to have premium fuel. Well after reading a bit I found out why it was so larthargec. Also the fuel mileage with anything other than Premium really suffers.....I can get mid 20's with premium but only was getting 14 or so with regular. The motor retards the timing to keep it from blowing it's self up and that gives it reall bad performance....
    The SSEI is not only the best looking but wow it really screams and handles, I have a set of Goodyear ZR45 (P24555R17) if someone would have told me how much better the car handles and performs I wouldn't have believed them...My .02
    Annette
  • freddy111freddy111 Member Posts: 5
    Hi, this is my first time in here. I have a 1996 SSE and just love the car. Two problems I do have is that the car runs hot. Is this common with the SSE? The owners manual says not to tow with this model. Also the tranny sucks. It's slow to down shift and the upshifts seem to take way too long. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks">
  • guestar57guestar57 Member Posts: 1
    I have a Pontiace Bonneville '93 and the color is bugging me,Some call it Grey-Some Wine,Some say its purple ???
  • curtrwcurtrw Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone, I'm Curt. I'm from Winnipeg,Mb. Canada. I must have caught the Bonneville Fever, this is the second Bonneville in 15 months! My first was a red 93 SE. Great car, ran super, body mint, 227,000 km's. Engine finally went, but I didn't hesitate to replace it. A week later I get rear ended on a Hwy at a red light, car written off ! My wife Cindey really loved the car, so we decided to look for another Bonneville, as long as it wasn't green! Let's just say she doesn't like the color. After a lot of looking around, I found a 1993 SSEi with 150,000km's, again in very good condition. Took it for a test drive and fell in love with it! Leather seats, supercharger, headlight washers, tinted windows, what's not to love. One problem, it's GREEN! But a nice green, lol. As it turned out, we bought it, and we both like it very much. I think Cindey's starting to come around a little about the color. I did the Meguiars detailing thing, and it looks super. I also splurged and got a H.I.D. conversion kit for it. If your thinking about getting H.I.D. DO IT. They are fantastic! Anyway, I think I better end it, I've rambled on long enough. :)
  • dadscar2dadscar2 Member Posts: 10
    Hi,
    Mike from San Antonio here. Got my Dad's 93 Bonne with 109K mi in August when he and mom were shedding one of two cars, unfortunately right about the time gas prices jumped to $3/gal for premium. Bonne needed a new Supercharger. so I agreed to fix it and sell it in San Antonio, rather than sell in rural Mo. On the way down to Texas, I got attached to the bonne and 27mpg at 80mph, so I have decided to keep it. It is loaded with everything but the CD player (tape instead). So far I have installed two superchargers (1st one leaked), rebuilt the steering column radio controls, replaced the water pump bypass (leaking) fitting into the upper manifold with the new metal fitting, and polished the car up a bit. It really looks nice--white with grey leather interior. 115K on it now. I will look into the air filter upgrades to improve gas mileage if available, but first I would like to stiffen up the bouncy ride with new front struts. Eventually I would like to explore a way to lengthen the driver seat platform so it moves back another inch or two for more leg room. Anyone know where to get replacement buttons for the electronic Climate control center? And what do you do for coffee mug holders? The cup holder is kind of cheesy and I would just as soon remove it if I can find a place to put my coffee mug for the commute into work. Can't imagine doing much else to this car, it really is a neat car to drive.
  • ttlttl Member Posts: 1
    hi, my name is Tomek, I live in southern Poland and I just bought a 1994 Bonneville SE. Runs great, even in present weather conditions around here (tons of wet snow and still snowing :) ). I have one problem: Where can I get some ownre's manual/repair manual? The previous owner didn't have one. I checked on the Internet and I can buy one in the US for about 20USD with shipping costs about 30-110USD (!) but it's quite much (total cost). I am quite new here and don't know anybody yet, but perhaps some of you know where can I get a manual (in Europe or with lower shipping cost from US/Canada). This could be either English or German. Thanks in advance. Tomek
  • freddy111freddy111 Member Posts: 5
    Hi Mike
    I'm from Canada and have had a 93 SE and now own a 96 SSE. The solution I found to the cupholder problem is to purchase a custom cup holder from a automotive store. They would be about 3-4 inches deep and the same diameter. I then screwed them into the transmission tunnel on either side of the council. Make sure that the seat travel is to your liking. This works perfect for me. It's the only place I've found to put cupholders in my bonnevilles. Another question I have is does your SSEI run hot and can you tow with it? Would appreciate and information.
    Thanks
  • dadscar2dadscar2 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the cupholder info. I will look around for something and it it doesn't work, I have a design in my head for a small platform to clip onto the console trim seam. My favorite coffee mug is much wider at the bottom than the top, so a traditional cup holder does not work. Hot? Depends on the ambient temp here in south TX. In the August heat guage would read 205-215. In December it reads 195-205. Always hotter at a stop. I had a 15lb radiator cap and went to a 16 lb cap, that seemed to lower temp 3-5 degrees on its own. I was reluctant to put 20lb cap on for fear of creating problems for other parts of cooling system. In general I think the physics book says the greater the pressure the cooler the liquid inside. I do not have a hitch so I have never towed anything with it. How difficult was it to put the hitch on?
  • jimfranjimfran Member Posts: 1
    Maybe you can help me. I have a 1979 Bonneville Brougham (two-door sport) with 131,000 miles. Two-tone blue with excellent upholstery. 26 car years is how much in human years? I'm retired and finally feel I need to part with my "baby". My mechanic, he has all records of maintenance and work done for the past ten years, says since the blue book is useless Pontiac Owners might have an idea of its worth. Like old people, this car has a few things that need fixing but is basically a great, soft ride. Do you have a suggestion? I have had two or three inquiries regarding if its for sale but don't have a value to shoot for. Jim Hastings of Pasadena
  • littledh173littledh173 Member Posts: 1
    My name is Steve S. and I have a 91 Pontiac Bonneville. I found this site lookin for help with some serious issues. I am currently getting ideas from searching in the problems and solutions so hopefully I can get it licked. I want to keep this car as my family has had it for about 8-9 years. We got it with 103,000 miles on it and now it has over 260,000 miles on it and rides real nice considering it still has the original struts on her.
  • mattycallahanmattycallahan Member Posts: 1
    I have a 93 bonne ssei, great car, 150k miles. Problem, supercharger is making rattling noise at idle. Used listening stethascope(sp) sounds like majority of noise is coming from bearing/coupler??, which the drive belt is connected to. I would like to try just replacing that part (is that the coupler or bearing? synonamous?). Does anyone know, will I have to pull the whole charger off, what will I need to rebuild, a good place to buy the rebuild kit?
    Happy Bonne owner,
    Matt from Maine
  • marcy2marcy2 Member Posts: 4
    Hi! I mistakenly traded my '99 Bonneville when the 7 years was up on GM card. 06 Impala is a major disappointment. I am looking for an 04 or 05 6cylinder Bonneville. Are they as reliable and as cushy as the older models? Seems all the newer cars get better mileage but sacrifice the ride/handling.
  • marcy2marcy2 Member Posts: 4
    Hi! I mistakenly traded my '99 Bonneville when the 7 years was up on GM card. 06 Impala is a major disappointment. I am looking for an 04 or 05 6cylinder Bonneville. Are they as reliable and as cushy as the older models? Seems all the newer cars get better mileage but sacrifice the ride/handling.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    I don't have Bonnevilles but I have the quiet sister LeSabre. I have a 98 with replaced struts (Monroe RoadSensing) and an 03 with 16 inch wheels with Michelins but regular suspension. There whole car is tauter on the road but is very comfortable. The comparison is good and a sense of better sticking to the road. But if you take a 99/98 and start doing corners fast and winding roads if the struts have been replaced and aren't worn originals, you'll be surprised how well they can stick...

    When you think of the post 00 cars as the same as STS H-body, it's just nicers.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • fdh01bonnevillfdh01bonnevill Member Posts: 4
    WOW... I didn't know there were so many of us Bonneville lovers out there! I started out with an 89 SSE and loved it. 318,000 or so miles when I sold it - not even running but not far off - for $500. Had a 92 SSE, and it was ok. Now I have an 01 SSEI and I really like it. I have had many problems, but it has been all stupid stuff and GM common problems. (I have a warranty, thankfully.) What will we all do now that our beloved Bonneville is no more? My plan is to get a low milage 05 GXP and nurse it along for a long time. Hope you all enjoy yours!!!
  • brumbybrumby Member Posts: 3
    Hi everyone, I have owned Bonnevilles for the last 10 years and I absolutely love them. I started with a 1994 SSE and at 200,000 miles it was time for a replacement so I found a 2004 SLE and loved it dearly until a Dodge Durango ran a stop sign and attempted to drive through my drivers door at 45 MPH, Totaled the car but I was able to walk away with nothing more than whiplash ( A true testament to the safety of these cars )After that I found a 2000 white SSEI with 60,000 miles that a little old lady owned and was selling. I love the car but I do believe it may have transmission problems since it surges when going up a hill but the car is a total cream puff other than that, every option known to man.
  • mowens1984mowens1984 Member Posts: 1
    I can't believe how many people drive the older Bonnevilles. I'm the only one in my entire town that I know of who has one remotely like mine.

    I'm 22 and for the past 3 years I've been driving a 1988 Bonnie. It's maroon and runs perfect still! Amazing, its only racked up 126,000 miles.

    Anyone else here have an '88 with more miles? Just curious what kind of longevity I could expect.
  • kell3039kell3039 Member Posts: 2
    Hello bonneville owners I am a proud owner of an 1989 LE given to me by my grandfather before he died in 2001. At first I wasnt real excited about it, but after a while the car grew on me. It is grey of course the clear coat is gone on most of the car odd roof hood & trunk is peeling but the rest is in tact go figure but the last 2 years I have dedicated to restore the car mechanically back to the way it was in 89. Not the original engine and trans though cant see engine and trans lasting over 306,000.New brakes all the way around complete drums hardware kit new front hub assembly rack tie rods strut all the way around.Found a grille in perfect condition 75 miles away in a junk yard that just got the car in.I was so excited almost peed on myself parts r getting harder to come by anymore.tail lights I hunted 1 junk yard near other next city to get. Replaced radiator it was shot I have to admit this car has never left me stranded alt bearings went out 2 miles from home at a stop light could see chunks of metal coming out from under the hood, alt locked up when i pulled in the driveway.I will drive this car till the day it dies but mechanically it runs flawless needs a paint job and it would look like new no rust at all.I have a 99 taurus 90,000 it would go before my bonneville ever dare and it does'nt have the smooth power my 89 has dont run the air anymore to old for all the stress and heat.I owe it that much SIGNED PROUD 89 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE LE OWNER !
  • jfo56jfo56 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, My Name is John. My daughter drives a 1988 Bonnie that my brother gave her as a high school graduation gift four years ago. The car currently has 150k miles and still runs GREAT. We have only done routine maintenance and repairs however the finish and interior are showing the signs of age. I like to do minor repairs and maintenance so I hope to find some tidbits here.
  • robratchrobratch Member Posts: 1
    Hello My name is Rob from MO. I have a 1998 bonneville SSEi that needs some new struts. It has the computer command rides struts. Parts stores tell me that I must go back with the ccr struts. At $350 a strut I am looking for some advice. I love this car and would like to keep it around for years to come.
  • marcy2marcy2 Member Posts: 4
    My '99 Bonneville needed struts (not ccr) and not wanting to spend a fortune on a car with nearly 100k, I foolishly replaced it with some Monroe middle of the road struts. BIG MISTAKE!!! It rode like a truck, really stiff, and I could have cried that no one mentioned that I'd lose that cushy ride. I was ticked that it was assumed I was a dumb woman who wouldn't know the difference! I couldn't afford to replace them at that point with original equipment. I still spent over $1200 and that was without all the thingys that they fit into. If you like the ride (and believe me the newer Bonnevilles or new cars in general do NOT have the smooth ride the older ones do). If a GM garage and parts people advise ccr, I'd bite the bullet and dish out the $. I'm also assuming you haven't had to put a lot of money into this car. Keep us informed.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    I recall some talk about Bonnevilles and replacing those struts with "normal" ones. You then disconnect the wires for the warning that your CCR is not working. Then you're home free. I'll browse in that other forum to see what struts they were using for replacement.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    I replaced struts on my 98 LeSabre with Monroes that had the compensation for a softer ride in normal flexing and more control in rougher riding situations. They were called SensaTrac if I recall. I love the control they give to the car. After the first few thousand miles they softened some.

    On an earlier LeSabre the tire store put on the standard struts without the SensaTrac which was new then thinking I'd never know. It was like a truck. I used to put shock absorbers on my own cars and I put on heavy duty shocks for more control. That's what it reminded me of.

    I verified the struts weren't SensaTrac by crawling under the car, and by calling the Monroe company and talking to a tech.

    I went right back to NTB and they found the right struts from another store to switch those out the very next day...

    Many stores or companies have a 30 day satisfaction guarantee on tires and maybe on struts. Or if they did use the normal strut which is very stiff maybe they will switch out with the Sensatracs. The SensaTracs on my cars did have a softer ride in he middle of the up-down movement.

    SensaTrac description

    Look at your receipt to see the part number or name of the type of strut they installed? SensaTrac? #71822
    Monroematic Plus? #801822

    If they give a part number you can cross check it on the same site I linked above.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • grocery321grocery321 Member Posts: 2
    I am Scott: Just bought a 2001 Bonneville Supercharged from an auction. I like the car but after reading all the horror stories I am afraid I might turn around an sell the car. I love all the options it has & the looks. I will drive it for a while and see how it goes.
  • cjp01cjp01 Member Posts: 2
    just got rid of a '01 ssei(supercharged sedan everything inside) incase your wondering what ssei stands for, my own... just bought a '05 GXP with only 14000 miles on it, hope you found yours, as for your 01, mine had nothing wrong with it in the 5 years i had it and sold it in 2 hours for 6grand, had 126000 miles on it. Hope you have luck with yours like I did...
  • cjp01cjp01 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, Karen!
    My name is CJP. I am interested in knowing how rare my car is? I have a Pontiac Bonneville GXP '05 In cranberry red metallic.
    Any information you can give me would be great. Thanks
  • bryanbryan Member Posts: 198
    Hi cip01: I own an '04 GXP (dark gray metallic); all options except CD changer and engine block heater. Only two issues since purchased new: 1) sunroof rattle, fixed first try; and 2) intermittent a/c issue, fixed fourth try, as problem would not duplicate when I was at the dealership! Left the car for three weeks, and their top mechanic used it to commute; a/c problem surfaced, during one of his commutes; he had the scanner plugged in, and based on the code, ultimately replaced a relay switch. Flawless since.

    Blast to drive, I get about 25 mpg on the highway; 17-18 around town. Rarity? Not sure how many were built in '04 and '05, but I don't see many on the road. I'm definitely smitten with the upcoming G8, but I'm not ready to give up my GXP. Hope you enjoy many many miles of driving smiles!
  • mburkesmburkes Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have a 2002 Bonneville ssei, with about 15,000 miles on it. When I flipped on the wipers the wind shield washer comes on and will not go off. Any ideas?">
  • corinne7corinne7 Member Posts: 1
    hello, i bought my bonni new at a dealership in columbus oh in 1993. iv'e been in love with her ever since!. my ex husband on occasion would pronounce that i "love that car more than he", can't argue with that ! i coddle her. i don't drive her very far, we wash, dry and wax. take her to the "doctor" for check up's. ie: oil changes on time, service when needed, and feed her high octane fuel, we're now rearing to go.........home. :):) . we've accumulated 97,000 miles, thats not bad considering her age is it? black magic is ....well...black..... sse, supercharged with tan leather interior, sun roof, tinted windows, pin stripping and along with my mid life crisis a few years back i had installed 12" sub woofer and a big a+@!!!ss amplifier in her trunk. we seriously rock ! ! now heres the question.... i bought her with the " gold package" i've inquired about this on other bonneville forums and i'm gonna call my main man , skip, tues to get his input. skip is the man who sold me the bonni back in 1993, he is still with the dealership and we've become friends. the bonni has gold trimmed emblems, door badges (no stickers) and gold cross laced wheels. pretty huh?? so would this be what you guys think also? and if so, does this 'gold package' deem my bonni... ummm special, rarer etc?????? thanks for being here in this cool place to share, corinne
  • docdetroitdocdetroit Member Posts: 4
    Hi Folks...
    I'm Kev, and I just inherited a friend's 1992 Bonneville SE. It's seen better days, sure, but he took pretty good care of it...mechanically, anyway. Runs like a top. most of the amenities still work, all that nice stuff. It's in decent condition outside, although the interior looks like he used it for a tree surgeon's business or something. But I'm not too worried about that.
    Anyway, the biggest problem is the heater core blew up. Or did something that causes it to leak all over the passenger floor. And stink, of course. Keeping the heat off keeps the car drivable, but it naturally runs hotter than I would like it to and still burps a bit of antifreeze onto the carpet, even with the heat off.
    I plan to just disconnect the core for the time being, just running the outlet from the engine for the heater back into the inlet that's supposed to come from the core. It's summer, and I won't need heat for a LITTLE while.
    BUT...Does anyone know what a horrible job switching out the core is in these models? I know it's NEVER a fun job on any car- I know first hand- but perhaps there may be some helpful tips out there? Any advice would be certainly appreciated. This has the potential to still be a great car with a bit of TLC, and I'm a poor guy, so if I can keep it alive without massive investment it would be great.
    Thanks!
  • jayoutjayout Member Posts: 1
    willie from houston, just got a used 97bville sse , even with 390 gas prices, i am enjoying the car. if somebody has a minute or two i do have a couple of questons. :)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    >stink,

    Is it the coolant smell you're talking about? Is there any chance the drip is because the drain for the AC water drip is clogged?

    Taking the hose connections into the heater off under the hood requires the sideways plier like tool to get at the snap wires easily. Then the rubber is usually melded to the tubes of the heater core. I suspect most people replace the whole heater hose pair when doing a repair because they damage the rubber getting them off.

    I'll take disagreement about the core being terrible to get out on these cars. If it's the same as the 95-99 models, the cover comes off the end of the heater box with two screws and then break loose the caulk sealer and remove the cover which has to prongs hold it into the other end. The unit is very nicely engineered for do it yourself--if you have a medium level of expertise with cars and time and enough body flexibility you can lie on your side and back to work under there.

    I'll try to get a picture for you.

    Edit: I put two in my carspace picture album. http://www.carspace.com/imidazol97/Albums/imidazol97%27s%20Album

    Go there and you'll see apicture of the heater box with the programmer removed off the end. Then you'll see the box with the end cover opened to show the heater core. The entire dash has been removed by the person taking the photos--you do NOT need to remove the dash. It can be done by removing the hush panel above the passenger's feet and removing the glovebox which is 7 screws along the bottom hinge.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • docdetroitdocdetroit Member Posts: 4
    Wow! Thanks for the help! I never expected pics and all that good stuff; very helpful. Thanks to some pretty hairy experiences in the past, I always like to know what the heck I am getting myself into. She'll really be one heck of a nice 'beater' car if we can get this ironed out.
    There are other issues, too... 'Check engine' light (Big surprise there...) and airbag warning light, but let's just see if we can keep it from burning up first, right?
    As far as bypassing the core for the time being, you wouldn't know of any potential dangers of doing so, do you? Except maybe in the event of a sudden ice age or something, of course.
  • ballstatefan05ballstatefan05 Member Posts: 3
    Hi guys, been looking to connect with other Bonneville owners to share pics, tips and tricks..:) I have driven a Bonneville for the last 11 yrs. I had a 1998 SE I drove for 8 yrs and when I got rid of her she had 230,000 miles. I traded the 98 in for an 05 SE. I love my Bonneville. I just put custom rims on it and had the windows tinted. Lookin good!! I do have a few things I need help with though. The headlight lenses are HORRIBLE. I tried cleaning them with some toothpaste last night..no luck. Also, there is a rattle in my dash on the passenger side, when I'm sitting at stop lights or its idling in park it drives me nuts. Is there a place to post pictures?

    Thanks all!
    Jaime">
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,146
    >ballstatefan

    Is that Ball State as in BSU? I'm an alumnus from many years back.

    There are several individual Bonneville topics in the group that shows if you click "Bonneville" in the blue position links at the top of the page. You can subscribe to the whole group by "watching" the group so you'll see any new posts. Most posts now are about problems with the H-body Pontiacs.

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef14c39!make=Pontiac&model=Bonnevi- lle

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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