Pontiac Grand Am Maintenance & Repair

khudson33khudson33 Member Posts: 1
in Pontiac
Hi, I'm new here but I really need some help. I have a 1993 Grand Am V6 3.3. It started misfiring.. slowly progressed and now does not start. Replaced Ignition Module it ran (out of time) for about 5 minutes, replaced that ignition module, ran a diagnostics at chev. dealership came up crank sensor, I replaced that, does not run at all. I'm a broke college kid!! Tryin to fix it myself I can build things from the ground up but this problem is beyond me. Does anyone have any ideas ??
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  • shaggy6801shaggy6801 Member Posts: 1
    i have been working on a 1996 grand am se and i had to change the ignition (lock cylender) and now i cant get the theift system to turn off please help
  • zapazapa Member Posts: 2
    Help, Help Please. These lights keep coming on in my 2000 grand am. Right before the lights come on I hear a very loud grinding noise and the breaks give a little. Is this an ABS problem, sensor problem??? Any information would be helpful. Thanks.
  • yankeegrl45yankeegrl45 Member Posts: 2
    :mad: I have a 2002 pontiac grand am gt. As of yesterday, it will not start. The security light is on, but the engine will not turn over. I've read some of the other messages and i guess this is a problem with my car. The lights come on, radio works....battery, alternator, and starter have all been checked and are good. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as to what I can do to fix this problem.
  • yankeegrl45yankeegrl45 Member Posts: 2
    just to let ya'll know, i called a dealership, they told me to turn the key to the on position for 20 minutes...it worked!!!!!! but they also said not to do it a lot because it can mess up the computer!!!!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Did they advise you to bring it in and have the passlock system diagnosed for problems?
  • humblehumble Member Posts: 3
    My cars dash lights, gear stick light, does not work at all when I turn the head lights on or if it does it with the sinsur. When I do turn my head lights on my stereo display lighting turns off, but the stereo remains playing. All headlights, blinkers, lamp lights work fine. I checked the fuses and there fine. I took the dimmer switch out to see if it gets power when the healight switch is turned, it does. the cluster gages work fine just not the lighting. Does anyone know of where to start from here?? :confuse:
  • soderquistsoderquist Member Posts: 6
    car does not get fuel i dont know if its something besides the fuel pump help
  • soderquistsoderquist Member Posts: 6
    i had the same problem it can be fixed for about 113 dollars its the wheel hub assembly
  • soderquistsoderquist Member Posts: 6
  • soderquistsoderquist Member Posts: 6
    is there a emergency fuel switch on a 2002 grand am se1????
  • barry2bbarry2b Member Posts: 1
    Can anyone tell me how to get the change oil light to turn off ??
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    i have a 2001 grand am se 2.4L 4 door automatic and the trac light keeps coming on while driving and once its on the transmission will bang while switching gears and if i push the trac button to cut the light off it stays on.To get it to go off so the car will drive properly i have to pull over and park the car and turn it off and restart the car.when i put it in drive it bangs the gear once and then it starts driving ok for a while i cant figure out whats making it do that. the only thing that needs to be changed is the fuel pressure regulator because it leaks once in a while :cry:
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    First open the fuse panel which you will find by opening the driver's door and looking on the outer side of the dashboard. Simply pull the fuse panel cover and it will pop off. Near the fuse panel, you will see a white square button that resets the check oil light. I cannot remember the sequence of what to do...(push and hold the button, wait five seconds, release...push down again until the light goes off...something like that) Like I said, I don't remeber the exact sequence to reset the light. But if you mess with it for a few seconds with the ignition turned on, the light will reset. It should come back on after 5000 miles, unless your oil change technician remembers to :)
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    did you check the fuel pressure regulator :shades:
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    no it does not have a emergency fuel swith
  • rob99grandamgtrob99grandamgt Member Posts: 1
    yeah on my car my needle messes it....i can beat on the gauge and it goes up some....but its still messed up......has this happened to anyone else?????? any easy solutions???? please let me know if you have anything
  • csealecseale Member Posts: 5
    2003 grand am driven by my daughter, she hit the brakes "very hard" to avoid a collision. The car would not accelerate after that and will not start. It will not engage. Looking for some sort of reset? Any ideas.
  • csealecseale Member Posts: 5
    What kind of problem are you having that you need to know about a emergency fuel switch?
  • maximus7maximus7 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am 3.4L. During uphill driving at low speeds I get a rpm surge. If I hold the gas pedal just right, the rpms jump up and down as if someone is depressing and releasing the gas peddle, but the car doesn't surge forward or back. It does this intermittently. One time, the check engine light came on. The diagnosic reading said that it was a O2 sensor. A mechanic then told me that it might be the fuel pump going bad, running too lean or rich and the O2 sensor was picking up on this.
  • tammy6tammy6 Member Posts: 1
    I have a Pontiac Grand AM SE... The secuirty light comes on and the car won't start. We have had this happen a few times and we followed the instructions in the owner's manual and turned the ignition on for 10 minutes and retried and the car started. But now it is happening again and we tried the same process but now it won't start. The light will not go off even after 20 minutes and we can hear the fuel pump come on when we turn on the ignition but no gas is getting to the rest of the car....Do you think it's a problem with security or does it need a new fuel pump? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    This is the classic symptom of the Hall effect sensor going bad on the ignition switch. You will need to have it replaced to get the Passlock working normally again.
  • melgirl99melgirl99 Member Posts: 1
    Hey yankeegrl45 my car is a 97 pont grand am and is now doing the same exact thing. Since u have posted this comment and question I was wondering what if anything have u done since then to help and fix the problem!? Please email me at melgirl99@yahoo.com or if anyone else on here knows what I can do, please let me know! My car doesnt start and the security light comes on. Everything else lights radio etc. works. However when I put gas in my car I have to trick it to start, before it dies. I was told these two things could be related. It doesnt have problems starting other than when I get gas and every now and then when the security light blinks on and off. Also if I sit there for 10-15 mins it will start fine!!! What the problem!? Someone please help!
  • littleone9littleone9 Member Posts: 1
    I've got a 99 Grand am that i've owned since day one. it's only got 51,000 miles, and it's been a great car. but lately when i start it, it will start, then instead of idling it just dies down and shuts off. Sometimes it will start after that, and sometime i've got to wait 5 min to start it. if i do start it and give it gas, as soon as i let off the gas pedal i've got to put it in gear, once in gear the RPMs stay up, and it will idle. After I drive it, and put it back in park it will idle, it's just when i start it every once in a while.... any ideas?
  • rockyvrockyv Member Posts: 5
    My 2002 Grand Am (41,000 mi.)died about 2 minutes after pulling out from work a few weeks ago. Everything was working, but the engine would not turn over. It turned out to be a broken timing chain/belt and cost me $2200 to repair. I've done some internet research and it appears that this may be a fairly common problem. I will be having my father argue it out with GM (he'll get better results than I will). Everyone I've talked to tells me that this doesn't normally happen to a car with such low milage.
  • rockyvrockyv Member Posts: 5
    I recently took my 2002 GA to the dealer to replace the timing chain/belt. When it was returned to me there was squeaking coming from the dash and the CD that was in the player when I dropped it off is stuck. The dealer wants $300 to take the radio out and replace it (for something they broke in the first place). The radio works fine, but does not register that there is a CD in there. I tried putting another disc in the player and it won't go in (which is why I believe there's one stuck). Does anyone have any idea what I can try. I would rather not give the dealer anymore money and all they do is talk to me like I'm stupid! PLEASE HELP!!!!
  • me_ks_1me_ks_1 Member Posts: 2
    air bag lightI was driving down the high way the other night in my 2003 grand am se and the air bag light came on w/ a ding. Then it went off. The next day I stopped for fuel and now the Service Engine Soon light wont go off. I was told to losen the gas cap and tighten it that didnt help. Any ideas?
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    i have a 2001 grand am se 2.4L 4 door automatic and the trac light keeps coming on while driving and once its on the transmission will bang while switching gears and if i push the trac button to cut the light off it stays on.To get it to go off so the car will drive properly i have to pull over and park the car and turn it off and restart the car.when i put it in drive it bangs the gear once and then it starts driving ok for a while i cant figure out whats making it do that. the only thing that needs to be changed is the fuel pressure regulator because it leaks once in a while
  • qdog99qdog99 Member Posts: 19
    i have a 2001 grand am se 2.4L 4 door automatic and the trac light keeps coming on while driving and once its on the transmission will bang while switching gears and if i push the trac button to cut the light off it stays on.To get it to go off so the car will drive properly i have to pull over and park the car and turn it off and restart the car.when i put it in drive it bangs the gear once and then it starts driving ok for a while i cant figure out whats making it do that. the only thing that needs to be changed is the fuel pressure regulator because it leaks once in a while
  • rwetzrwetz Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,

    I have a 1999 Grand Am. Just yesterday, the blower control stopped working. It doesn't blow on the two lowest speeds. Works fine on the highest three speeds. It's the same, whether I have the AC switch on or off. Any advice would be appreciated.

    Bob
  • dstroyerdstroyer Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem with my 99 G.A. The blower motor resistor needed to be replaced. About $120 job at the dealership.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    I replaced my wife resistor about 3 months ago. Part cost about $35 if I remember correctly.
    It is located under the passenger dash area near the floor.
    I had to work upside down to get to it as it is right ontop of the floor. very little space to move around.

    Not a big problem at all to fix. the smaller your hands the easier it is to get to.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    I just replaced a fuel pump on its last leg. it started dying a week ago, but after cycling the system and releasing the pressure through the valve on the fuel rail, it worked again. I purchased a replacement pump kit which just gives you the pump not the whole assembly for only $60. Took me only about another 1/2 hour compared to replaceing the whole thing and save over $170 as the new ones run about $230 from the dealer.
    total time of 3hrs with nothing more than a socket wrench and a screw driver and some jack stands.(tank almost empty)
    Much better than going to the dealer who wants $500 to fix this kind of problem
  • moemoe2moemoe2 Member Posts: 1
    Someone please help me! Sometimes when i go to start my car it won't start. It dosen't even turn over. The doors also keep trying to lock themselves while i am driving even though they are already locked. I just had a igination switch replaced. Please, i just got this car a week ago. Any ideas?
  • dividesdivides Member Posts: 1
    I don't know a hell of a lot about cars but me and my boyfriend have our eyes set on a 99 grand se at a dealership for about 4,500. It's in great shape, it drives great. But we noticed a couple things when attempting to thoroughly check it out. the temp gauge went up to 95 and we were worried about the warning light not coming on.
    2nd thing we noticed when we opened the hood was there was a watery oily mixture lightly covering everything under the hood, then we looked to the left and there was fluid that gathered right under the front left tire.

    Does anyone know what this could be? I know its some sort of oil leak and I know it's hard to tell where exactly it's coming from without having it psychically in front of you. Will this cost a lot to get fixed?

    Thanks a lot for any help...
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    First off you will have explain that temp gauge thing since at "95" no warning light would come on, unless you meant "195" which is well within the normal operating range.
    That watery oily mixture all over everything under the hood was probably sprayed on by the dealer to make it look good, that's very common on used cars at dealers, and in my opinion is stupid, but so be it.
    That fluid under the left front tire would be my concern, but what is it? Oil? Coolant? Transmission fluid? Or just water left over from a wash?
    Also, what's the mileage? That should be the #1 factor in determining the condition if the maintenance history isn't known.
    Having owned a 95 (still own it technically), a 99 (relieved of that one by someone futzing with their cell phone), and currently an 04GT, my experience has been that these are inexpensive basically reliable cars, not trouble free by any means, as long as they're maintained well.
  • angelovangelov Member Posts: 1
    I have the same car SE and recently I got problems, hard to start it, when finally I start it dies down, also as I'm driving the engine shuts off. I did diagnostics at the dealer they test it on the road and they told me that the ignition switch is the problem. They asked $450 plus tax and I didn't fix it because of the money. They told me that they have to reset the computer after the change.
    I asked other mechanics and seems to be truth about reset.
    It is hard to believe about the ignition switch because I'm smelling gas which is not normal. Another thing is that when the car is not starting and I have to wait and then to try start it over and over, looks to me like is not providing gas. Is someone who gave you an better idea?
    Please, let me know.
  • n5445n5445 Member Posts: 28
    it sounds exactly like a fuel pump/regulator problem. You can check the fuel pressure if you have a fuel port on the fuel rail.(3400) I'm not sure if the se's have this port.

    Also, Listen for the whinning sound of the fuel pump when you turn the ignition to the "on"(not run/start) postion.
    You should hear a good pump fairly easy from the driver's seat. the pump is in the gas tank behind the back seats.

    I just did mine for $60-, but you may be better going easier for $115
  • cgoettschtcgoettscht Member Posts: 2
    Hi. Its funny because I have the same problem with my 2001 grand am. When I took it to get the tests done the guy told me it was because my sensor was stuck under the tire and that I needed to get a new one which costs 250 dollars. I still havent gotten it replaced. I was wondering what you had done about your lights. email me at cgoettscht@aol.com :)
  • cgoettschtcgoettscht Member Posts: 2
    I have an 01 and all we did was pressed on the break 2 or 3 times and it turned off thats what are mechanic told us to do!! It did work
  • brieckbrieck Member Posts: 1
    Hi recently I bought a new radio and wired it up correctly and everything where I went wrong was I also tried to power my amp from the same power supply powering the radio, I spliced the wire and it worked fine for about 8 seconds but then something went wrong and now I have no power to my radio, my interior lights stay on and my chime from the door dings about every 8 seconds. I have heard that this might be a broken fuse in my chime module, if this is the case what does it look like and where would I find it the car is a 93 Grand Am GT

    Thanks

    B
  • melisser13melisser13 Member Posts: 1
    99 Grand-am 115,000 miles!

    Like many of you we have trouble with our security light coming on randomly and then we have to wait 10 minutes before it will start again! We have been doing a lo">t of research and trying to figure out a cheaper solution than the dealer gave us of $400 and no garentee fix!

    We noticed this started close to the time we replaced our battery in the car. My husband could not find the exact reccomended battery in the manual so got the closest one he could find! We noticed that when we have the air off, radio off and so on we hardly have problems with it, BUT if we have any of those on we often have trouble with security light! Could this be connected to the battery? Has anyone heard of this?!

    If there a for sure way to fix this?! How about installing a remotw :confuse: start - doesn't that override the passlock system! HELP! We did have a guy look at it, a local mechanic, after hours and he hooked it up to read the codes and said it said the "passlock system was invalid" he reset the computer. For out a month and half - no issues. Now we are starting to have issues again!
    Thank you!
  • jc327jc327 Member Posts: 1
    >i have a 2001 grand am se 2.4L 4 door automatic and the >trac light keeps coming on while driving and once its on >the transmission will bang while switching gears and if i >push the trac button to cut the light off it stays on.To >get it to go off so the car will drive properly i have to >pull over and park the car and turn it off and restart >the car.when i put it in drive it bangs the gear once and >then it starts driving ok for a while i cant figure out >whats making it do that. the only thing that needs to be >changed is the fuel pressure regulator because it leaks once in a while

    I have the same exact problem with a recently-purchased 99 se 2.4. Any luck with this?
  • mhersh26mhersh26 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2003 Grand Am SE, V6 Engine, with Remote Start. Last week when I started the car, the car started fine but none of the dash lights came on including the speedometer, radio, air, and the windows won't work. I also noticed that the turn signal and locks do work when the dash boards lights are out. You can put the in gear and drive. Eventually after a few minutes the lights do turn on. I took it to the dealer and they said the computer read-out read lighting failure, duh, and they suggested i replace the ignition switch but they weren't sure it would solve the problem. This problem happens every time i start the car now. Has this happen to anyone and if so do you know what it is and what to do to fix it? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Those other things don't have anything to do with it. The common problem with the passlock is the hall-effect sensor on the ignition switch, which corresponds with the $400 estimate for repair.
    The symptoms your having are pretty normal, at first only occasional problems then steadily getting worse.
    Another poster here a while back came up with a way of disconnecting it but I haven't tried it myself so can't recommend it.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    That sounds like ignition switch to me, but that's uncommon on such a new car, unless you have a bunch of miles already.
    I commented about this to another person with the same problem recently - do you tend to have alot of weight hanging on your keyring? I read a GM tecklink article recently that commented about this being a possible reason for premature switch failure, the weight puts stress on the lock cylinder and causes the contacts in the switch to wear out.
  • mhersh26mhersh26 Member Posts: 2
    I took the car into my mechanic and he mentioned the ignition switch but he said it may not fix it. I am just gald to here a couple other people say the same thing. To answer your questions, it's a 2003 but purchase in 2002 (so 4 years old) and it's got about 70,000 miles on it. Also, it is my wife's car and key chains weigh what feels like 5 pounds so that may have something to do with it. Well thank you very much for the help and I'll think we'll replace the ignition switch and see how that goes. My mechanic says he'll do it for about $250, that's cause he's a close friend and doesn't charge much for larbor. Thank you again.
  • rossofthewestrossofthewest Member Posts: 2
    Hey everyone, i recently was doing some work to my 02 grand am and caused some problems. i was running a wire (which i spliced with the radio power) under my dash and forgot to disconnect the battery. i let the exposed portion of the wire touch a piece of metal and it let out a great spark. ever since then my left turn signal has been malfunctioning.

    The front blinker works but is twice as fast as it should be(but normal speed with hazard lights), and the rear one doesnt work at all. I have already checked my bulbs and even replaced them for good measure. I also had a look at the fuses and they check out ok. im not sure what to do now. I read something about a flasher in the forums but the person at autozone doesnt think that is the problem.

    If anyone has any suggestions or has fried their car in a simmilar fashion i would greatly appreciate your feedback!
  • mc2000mc2000 Member Posts: 1
    You seem to know a lot and I'm lost. On a 2001 Grand Am where is the fuel filter located? The manuals don't show it and I can't seem to locate it. :blush:
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Should be on a bracket in front of the fuel tank, if memory serves. I believe it made it easy to get to by removing the right rear tire.
  • susan19susan19 Member Posts: 1
    I just had the same problem with my 99 Grand Am SE. My trac off light would come on my car would kick out of gear. The RPMs are high, and now after I parked my car I'm no longer able to drive my car. did you figure out whats going on??? My car is stuck at this moment 30 miles from home! without a mechanic I can trust! :cry:
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