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Pontiac Bonneville General Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    I had a similar problem with my 1999 GTP turned out to be the gasket seal around the windsheild letting water into the air intake for the heater, it blew my rear speaker due to the water getting into the amp that is located on the passengers side under the dash, however haven't had similar problem with the bonneville i have.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    A possible passenger side water leak could come from the A/C housing drains being blocked. The unit fills up with water then leaks into the car. Have read posts about Grand Prixs with this type of condition. You may want to see if you can find the drain on the firewall of the engine compartment. See if it is clogged.
  • chugoldmillchugoldmill Member Posts: 1
    Folks new to board so just wanted to exchange repair stories; in particular if you have a 97 Vin K. Being a persistent person, I've tried just about everything I can, short of visiting GM headquarters to get the word out on bad design problems with this car.

    I have basically had to sink $3,250 worth of repairs into a vehicle with 65,000 miles. Unacceptable!

    The car was fine until this summer, when it started leaking coolant. Wow it made it five summers without leaking which is an above average failure timeframe I guess comparing the other notes on boards. So we went with the $1100 new intake manifold, luckily the leak was external so the engine was safe.

    No sooner we replaced the intake as the transmission started slipping all over the place; 3rd and 4th gear. This car has been babied (it's my wife's car, primarily used to pick kids up from school), so it riddles me how the transmission was "abused" but that's what the dealer's mechanic "told" us it "looked like."

    Too bad for GM because we were also negotiating the sale of an Envoy with their sales staff; unknown to the maitenance dept. So I then took the car to another very reputable transmission shop who basically told us in short order it had to be rebuilt. So another $2,100.

    I am happy to inform that after $3,200 in repairs this year the car neither leaks coolant, nor the transmission slip. Wow what a deal!

    So I started making the rounds with GM. I have service receipts from the point of ownership; a case was opened; many letters sent to GM. Nothing, nothing, nothing.

    Guess with the new global economy these folks just don't give a hoot about even responding in writing to the average consumer.

    I will never, never, never, never buy another GM - which was just about every car my father owned while I was growing up, and what I have owned so far.

    Anyone else tried to get a word out of GM on paper, and if so what was their response in writing to the coolant issues?
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    I find it hard to believe that you received no acknowledgement for your many letters. Why didn't your extended service plan cover the cost of repairs? Why did your coolant leak cost so much to fix? What did you ask your dealer/GM for?
  • giamomjgiamomj Member Posts: 15
    Well folks - luck finally went my way with a dealership. After taking a mechanic out for a test run, and pointing out to him the bizarre drone coming from the engine at 2000+ RPM/high speeds - the problem is apparently that the TORQUE CONVERTER is faulty. What a relief to find out after being told by other dealers that "nothing is wrong that [they] could find." The mechanic I went to suspected he might NOT find the problem with the noise (which he said might be due to "age" (ha!), and he was very unsure that the big drop in gas mileage (which is getting worse) were related. But after he hooked the car up to all these gadgets (I was not able to see any of that process, of course) the service manager finally came to me in the waiting room and said "the tech thinks the 2 problems you have are related: your torque converter is faulty and the transmission has to be separated from the engine to fix it." So I take my Bonne back to service on Dec. 29, for what will be a two to three day repair job. Let's hope this is the end of the story! I'll let you good folks know...

    Can anyone tell me more about torque converters and how this problem would so affect my auto by creating this high speed droning noise and greatly reduce gas mileage??
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    the air pump for the suspension keeps cycling on every 30 seconds in my car (2000 SSEi), i'm assuming it's a leak. Any suggestions?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Use soapy water in a spray bottle to check for leaks at:
    Lines from the air dryer to the rear shocks. Replace as required.
    Rubber air sleeves on the rear shocks. Replace as required.
    Solenoid valve -- Replace the air compressor head if leaking.
    Air dryer to compressor head O-ring -- Replace the air dryer if leaking.
    Air dryer cover -- Replace the air dryer if leaking.
    Air compressor head gasket -- Replace the air compressor head if leaking.
    Air compressor head cover gasket -- Tighten the cover bolts to 5.6 N·m (50 lb. in.) if the head cover gasket is leaking. If the leak persists, replace the air compressor head.
  • kenbidwel1kenbidwel1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2000 SSEi that has served me well. Within the last two weeks a problem has developed that has me stumped. The car will intermitantly stall. It will stall under acceleration, it will stall under no load at all. Sometimes it will stall and restart it's self. Each time the altenator light will come on and then go off if it restarts its self. I have changed the battery thinking that this might be the problem since it is almost 4 years old. This did not cure the problem. The altenator appears to be putting out adequate voltage. It seems to be charging at 14 to 15 volts. Could it be the built in voltage regulator inside the altenator? The car is perfectly driveable otherwise. No missing or hesitation at idle or under a load. Just the occasional dieing of the engine. I have checked all the battery and altenator connections, they are tight and free from corrosion. The problem seems to occure more frequently when there is a load on the electrical system, ie, fog lights, head lights and other accessories on. Any assistance on this problem would be appreciated, I really hate to take it in to the dealer for diagnosis, they don't have a good reputation.

    Thanks, Ken Bidwell
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    Question: is the engine just starting to stall, or completely shutting down? What you describe sounds familiar, except for the stalling. My 2000 SSEi has a similar problem where every once in a while the lights will dim and the engine seems to hesitate (but only slightly) as if the alternator load just went sky high. The voltage will drop to battery level and then slowly climb back to 14-15 volts. As far as I can tell, GM claims this is "normal" although I don't understand why the electrical load is changing. It most often happens when I first start from a full stop, both in forwards and reverse, or when I step on the brake, although it has happened at other times as well.
    Watch the voltage reading the next time it happens and I bet the voltage drops to 12 briefly.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    I replaced the right rear window regulator in my 2000 SSEi. It took a little under two hours. The old regulator is on the top of the photo. Notice that the motors are different, and at different angles, which made the new regulator easier to get into the access hole than the old one was to get out. It doesn't look like the motors are interchangeable, partially explaining why they only sell the regulator with the motor.

    image

    My theory about every GM part having an Achille's heel stands. This regulator looks like it was engineered to last the life of the car, except for that one weak spot that was bound to fail. The upper cable is attached to a piece of UHMW that snapped in half. Metal pulling against plastic is a recipe for trouble. Interestingly, I heard the "snap!" when I was lowering the window, yet the cable that broke free was the one that raises the window, which makes me think that something got bound up with the cable or the reel. Yet, when I got the old regulator out, both cables moved freely when I ran the motor.

    image

    It is apparent that the design of the part that failed has not been changed on the new regulator. This is what the new one looks like:

    image

    It's only a matter of time before the other regulators break too. At least now I know how to replace it!
  • kenbidwel1kenbidwel1 Member Posts: 2
    I do not notice that the lights dim with my problem. In fact there really is no hesitation at all, the engine will just stall momentarily then resume running. It is more noticeable during hard acceleration because of the sudden loss of power. I have switched the DIC to the volt meter mode and plan on looking at it the next time this special event takes place. So far I drove to work and back today without a mishap.

    Ken
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Thanks for sharing the pictures of the regulator mechanisms. I hope that's not going to happen with the 98 I have, nor the 03.

    Lights dimming:
    I had that trouble with 93 LeSabre just before I traded it. I decided it was the heater control head losing ground and turning on the air conditioner, and both cooling fans. When that happened a big load hit and the lights dimmed almost scary at first.
    The ground problem was in the major collector next to the driver's door under the carpet. But I never got to dig in and clean up the connections before my wife traded it in.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    Another day, another problem. Anyone have their heads up display (hud) get dimmer for no apparent reason, just keeps dimming and then will come back to bright, dim and bright. I watched the volts but they stay constant because at first i thought it was my battery. Any suggestions would be great. thanx jr
  • march_lmarch_l Member Posts: 1
    I purchased my 2000 Bonneville SSEi about 6 months ago, after having it about 5 weeks the rear right side window regulator went bad, then about 2 months ago the console bezzle broke where the drivers side heat seat switch is I had to replace the entire bezzle which was not covered under my extended warranty, luckily all of the switches come on the bezzle which was nice since the light in the heat switch was burned out. Now I have had my car in the shop for 6 days, they said they think a planetary gear had gone bad. I have 54,000 miles on the car. The warranty company is making the dealer do a complete tear down of the transmission rather than just letting them replace it. It started making a noise a week ago, the noise would change with the speed of the car and not with the RPM change. I would start real deep and then at about 70mph it would become a high pitch whine. I'm waiting for them to finish the tear down today to see what the problem ended up being. I just can't believe the trans. went bad a 54,000 miles. the car has been serviced by the book. Has anyone else had a similar trans. problem?
  • scylarkscylark Member Posts: 5
    The dealer's body shop confirmed the windshield as the cause of the water leak and is re sealing it. They also found a problem with the interior weather strip on the bottom of the door. Thanks for every ones input.
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    anyone have problems with their rotors warping. I just put new rotors on 12,000 ago and they are warped already! Had to replace the other ones because they were warped. Also every morning i get in it (or after it sits for a few hours or more) the breaks grab really suddenly on the first few stops and make loud screeching noises...any thoughts?

    Also has anyone ever heard of struts going at 55,000? I'm starting to think i bought a real p.o.s.
  • giamomjgiamomj Member Posts: 15
    Boy oh boy....when it rains it just pours.

    After much too much wasted time, Pontiac dealer thought torque converter was bad in SLE. I left car on Dec. 29 for repair. Got loaner covered by warranty. Never heard another word from DLR. So I called them on Jan. 2, when I'm told:

    1. The guy who was originally fixing the car is in the hospital (I wonder...)

    2. Torque converter is apparently now NOT bad; DLR. says transmission mount causing droning noise/hum at higher speeds 2000+RPM. (this is tranny second mount in 2 months....they are replacing another one, apparently.)

    3. Part will be late -(tranny mount); it never comes in until Jan. 7 - and I find out yesterday that while car is in DLR. lot somebody breaks in a window and steals my radar detector! God knows what else might be gone. I've been fighting with the DLR. because my extended warranty won't pay for the loaner past 8 days MAX.

    4. Well, I MAXed-out on that loaner as of yesterday. DLR. replaced window and cleaned out broken glass, says will pay one more day for loaner since car wass on their property when window was smashed out. Today DLR. claims car will be road tested today for fix(?) in tranny mount.

    I hope this is over after today. Seems like every warranty trip to a Pontiac dealer results in real disappointment, unexpected more troubles -or just no satisfaction with repair - and/or additional costs and frustration.

    5. Anyone know anything about trans. mounts and engine drone or hum as a known problem (DRL. says drone at 2000+ RPMs is really a "vibration/trans mount" issue, but I don't know whom to believe anymore....)

    Mike, frustrated in NJ
  • giamomjgiamomj Member Posts: 15
    Last year my local Firestone dealer printed out for me a TSB from GM on rotor problems, including Bonneville models. May I suggest you go to your dealer and PRESS them about this. Seems rotors have to be replaced to fix problem, and it's an expensive fix.

    Mike
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    Took my car to a local garage that has a Hunter balancing machine. That definately did the trick! They said that my tires were all out of balance to begin with (thanks alot Cape and Islands Tire). They also said that the tires that i have on my car are excellent (Michellins). Now it's onto the warped rotors. Thank god that ones over.
  • bigred00bigred00 Member Posts: 13
    Greetings from another member of the 2000 Bonneville SSEi equipment failure of the month club. Still haven't been able to put aside the money to get the front wheel bearing fixed,(spent the last money on tires...old shimmy a bit better, Stabilitrack repair, rear door latch mechanism replacement)... and the heated driver's seat decides to puke in the coldest spell we've had all winter. Light on the switch goes on then off within seconds. Checked the mini-fuse, which is conveniently located under the rear seat, and it was OK. Interesting that the passenger side mini-fuse is even more conveniently located under the hood. Gotta hand in to GM, they have a sick sense of humor. Next time?...Japanese!
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    had the exact same thing happen to mine. It is the heating element in the seat itself. GM wanted $980 just for parts alone, labor was on top of that. I told them there was no way i was spending the money on that. It is cold here on cape cod this time of year as well when i could really use that heated seat...oh well.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Part required to fix each heated seat is $105.26. GM says about hour & 1/2 to replace.
  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    I've had heated seats go on two other cars I've owned - a Volvo and a Mazda. They don't seem to last long. Perhaps they're more durable on other models available today but my expectations are low for longevity here. My experience is also that the repair is a couple of hundred, not a grand. Annoying but not major.

    That said, if I'd had bigred's aggregate experience, I probably wouldn't be considering another Pontiac either. Ironically, my '00 SLE has been just shy of perfect (not even a rattle) - and I have an extended warranty!
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    i wonder why the dealership i went to quoted me $980 just for parts? They said they had to replace the entire seat. This this true or are they seriously trying to screw me?
  • bigred00bigred00 Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the responses on the seat gentlemen. It will be interesting to see what kind of quote they give me to repair the heater....after the wheel bearing gets fixed. My girlfriend's pre-GM '90 Saab 9000's heaters still work fine.
  • rayven2929rayven2929 Member Posts: 1
    i have a sse 1989 for the last 2 month and someting hapen few days ago , first i lost my compas and driver info and the dash and my battery indicator show 18 ( full overcharge ) supposed to be beetwin 12.5 to 13 maybe but now is to hight , so i change my alternator , my battery and my starter and now my steering whell bottum do not work any more .....
    can someone help me , i have no idea what to do anymore , seen everytime i try to fix someting , someting else broke :( please let me know if you get some ideas

    thank you
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    Driver's side went out on my Lesabre Limited (Bonnie's corporate cousin) under warranty. They had to take it to an upholstery shop next town over. They had to sew in the element to the seat. I love the heated seats. Once you have them, you don't want to give them up. It has worked over a year so far.
  • slicksickwillyslicksickwilly Member Posts: 12
    On my 2002 SE I have had both my driver and passenger side heated seats go within a year and only 6000 mi. The invoice price was around $400 if i remember correctly for parts and labor for each seat.. Kind of makes me wonder what the longevity of this item will be down the road.. My dealer is pretty fair with me and if i have a reoccuring problem that was documented under warranty they will stand by it when the warranty runs out.. Ill just wait and see..
  • jayare627jayare627 Member Posts: 16
    anyone have a problem with engine mounts? I noticed that when the car is in park the engine is shaking badly. I rocked the car back and forth and then engine jumps up. I watched the lower mount (near the radiator) while doing this and it is lifting off the bottom by at least 1-1 1/2 inches! Is this normal? The rubber looks all cracked around it. Is this normal???
  • jesseminnjesseminn Member Posts: 2
    This morning on my way to work at -15F, my '93 Bonneville had a complete electrical failure (engine, lights, everything)as I tried to adjust the electric seat. I have 220,000 miles on this car and want to keep it. I'm assuming a fuse or circuit breaker failure, where should I look first? THANKS FROM MINNESOTA!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    If the headlights went out too, I'd look at battery cables. Sometimes they have internally corroded inside the plastic, but usually it would be a failure in the connector at the end.

    Take each one off and clean and tighten it back. That he other ends of those cables, loosen and reconnect at the engine and starter and ground connector to the body (follow the black cables).

     It could be a battery failure also. Might check with that in mind.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • giamomjgiamomj Member Posts: 15
    Reply #1265 - I just got my B-ville back after nearly 2 months of trying to get that hum/drone out: tho it ended up being a warranty repair, it also cost me over $200 in additional rental car fees, plus I had to eat the cost of the radar detector that was stolen when my Bonne was broken into at the dealership during the long period of waiting for diagnosis and parts.

    All of my mounts, trans and engine - were replaced. (Unfortunately, the hum is diminished - but NOT gone.) Your engine mounts should be replaced - the engine should not be "jumping" and I can only say that if my 3 year old Bonne's mounts were shot (according to the dealer) then it stands to reason that yours are shot too.
  • jesseminnjesseminn Member Posts: 2
    Thank you imidazo197 for your quick message. Your diagnosis sounds right on to me so I'll give that a try. This was the first time I used this service and I really appreciate your response!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I'm not sure it would affect the starting and running of the engine, but there is a ground terminal box at the left of the driver's seat under the carpet. A lot of things from the dash area go there for their ground connect. My car, a 93, had some door locks not working part of the time, and AC system switching to AC because of loss of power. I had found from reading here that was t he common thing they shared, the ground.

    Because that area can be damp in rain and winter (in North), the contacts inside can corrode. High draw by power seat could have burned through some corrosion and lost the ground connection.

    The box is where your left hand would danger when putting it between the seat and the door.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • wnewellwnewell Member Posts: 14
    For those of you that have not replaced your intake manifold yet, You should be able to buy the upper plenum at you local parts store. Dorman part # 615-180 should fit 1995 to 2004 3.8 engine.
    A local parts store quoted price of $129.00.
  • pontiacrickpontiacrick Member Posts: 26
    I have noticed within the last month in my 02 SLE (20,000miles) that the steering wheel when turning feels a little like it is binding and making a slight clicking sound. Thought I saw something on this at one time in this forum. Wonder if this is a safety issue or what the remedy is.? Anyone else had this problem? Otherwise no shaking..and drives great.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    This might apply:

    Clunk Noise from Front of Vehicle During Turning Maneuver/Steering Wheel Rotation (Lubricate Intermediate Shaft) #01-02-32-001C - (09/12/2003)

    2001-2004 Buick Regal
    2000-2004 Cadillac Seville STS
    1997-2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
    2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, Monte Carlo
    2001-2003 Oldsmobile Aurora
    1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
    1997-2004 Pontiac Sunfire
    2000-2004 Pontiac Bonneville
    2003-2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
    This bulletin is being revised to add and remove models. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 01-02-32-001B (Section 02 [shy ] Steering).

    Condition
    Some customers may comment on a clunk type noise coming from the front of the vehicle during a turning maneuver. This condition may also be felt through the steering wheel when the vehicle is stationary and the wheel is rotated from steering stop to steering stop. Typically, the clunk noise will be heard once for every 180° of steering wheel rotation in either direction for J-cars (Cavalier and Sunfire). However, some vehicles may only exhibit the noise once for every 360° of wheel rotation. On all other vehicles, this clunk noise will be noticed during low speed acceleration or deceleration, typically in light turns of the steering wheel.

    Important
    Do not replace the following steering gear part numbers:
    GM P/N 26063582, GM P/N 26056808, GM P/N 26031078, GM P/N 26079915, GM P/N 26055468, GM P/N 26079917, GM P/N 26079929, GM P/N 26081813, GM P/N 26080057, GM P/N 26088612, GM P/N 26086001, GM P/N 26088334, GM P/N 26088539, GM P/N 26068964, GM P/N 26058681, GM P/N 26068967, GM P/N 26088606, GM P/N 26067451, GM P/N 26087241, GM P/N 26087416
     
    Do not replace the following intermediate shafts:
    GM P/N 10327501, GM P/N 10327502, GM P/N 10327553, GM P/N 22680754, GM P/N 22704392, GM P/N 26050292, GM P/N 26055042, GM P/N 26073020
    GM P/N 26078302, GM P/N 26079240, GM P/N 26079787, GM P/N 26100571

    This condition is commonly misdiagnosed as originating in the steering gear and has resulted in the replacement of numerous steering gears without correcting the concern.

    Cause
    This condition may be caused by inadequate lubrication of the steering intermediate shaft which results in a "slip stick" condition possibly resulting in the clunk noise.

    Correction
    Remove the intermediate steering shaft from the vehicle and lubricate the shaft with a Steering Column Shaft Lubrication Kit, P/N 26098237. Follow the service procedure listed below.
  • bunky36bunky36 Member Posts: 94
    My 2003 SSEI developed the same condition at 17,000 miles. The dealer removed the intermediate steering shaft, lubricated it, and reinstalled it. Problem solved. Steering is smooth as velvet now.
  • dannymdannym Member Posts: 1
    Have replaced my 98 Pontiac Bonneville(SE)'s power steering pump due to leaking power steering fluid at 78480, 84456, 84772 and 86419 miles. Now at 927xx miles it is leaking again. Last time(only) a DELCO pump was installed; all others were new but not OEM equipment. NOTE: I encountered the initial leak after I had to have the serpentine belt tensioner and belt replaced when I was about 200 miles from home. "Mr Good Wrench" did that repair on a Saturday and failed to notice that the power steering pump was also leaking. By the time I got back home I had no power steering capability. The same shop here in St Louis has replaced each of the leaking pumps and thankfully has done most of the work under the original warranty. But I need a car that is safe to take on trips out of town and the Bonneville is not it. Anyone else had this problem?
  • lash92sseilash92ssei Member Posts: 35
    An Old Fart’s simple answers to all the really important car questions

    1. How often should I ……? Just follow the maintenance schedule in the owners’ manual. If you don’t have one, buy one-it helps if you can read (not everyone graduated from Southern Cal).
    2. How many miles will my car last? Most any car will last forever (longer than a young mans morning timber) provided you follow number 1.
    3. What kind of oil should I use? See number 1 above (remember, not all engineers graduated from Georgia Tech).
    4. How fast can I make my car? Money=Speed-the more money you spend on real motor parts (the stuff below the intake) the faster you go (do you really think a “tornado” will improve gas mileage and add 10 more hp).
    5. What kind of air filter should I use? Whatever you bought-provided you follow number 1 above (just make sure it stops the dust from the GTO in front of you).
    6. What kind of oil filter should I use? Whatever you bought-provided you follow number 1 above. I use my hands to put it on and take it off, without the fancy tar on the end.
    7. What kind of tires should I use? See number 1 above. GM/Tire engineers collected large amounts of data and research about the kind/size of the tires on your car long before it came to market. Any time you change from the owners manual strange things like noise, rubbing, sliding down the road upside down, etc happen (remember, not all engineers graduated from Va. Tech and work for Firestone).
    8. What kind of plugs should I use? Whatever you bought-provided you follow number 1 above. After all, it’s the size of the gap that matters-like all things in life.
    9. What kind of fuel filter should I use? Whatever you bought-provided you follow number 1 above. Remember to also use Texaco/Shell gas, and put isopropyl alcohol anti-freeze, Marvel Mystery oil, and Techron fuel system cleaner in your tank 4 times a year. They keep the carbon deposits down, get the water out of the fuel, frees stuck things inside your motor, and makes the brown stuff inside your injectors/carburetor disappear (so you don’t have to use the “tornado”)
    10. What kind of wax should I use? Maguire’s-he really is a car guy, has a great show on Speed, and if you buy his stuff he’ll keep his show on Speed.
  • hoibhoib Member Posts: 2
    What's the group's reaction to this. 93 Bonneville (non-SE), 142,300 very very happy miles. I've only put an alternator in her and two sets of tires on the front and one set on the rear. Took real good care of her. The other day, I started out from the house for work. All systems normal. About 3 miles into the trip, I noticed I was doing 50 in my customary 60 zone, so I have her some more accelerator, but geez, I'm slowing down! I had zero forward power and coasted off to the right shoulder. No weird noises, no odd sounds, no smells, no shuddering, no bump&grind, just coasted quietly to the side. Put it in P and let it sit for a moment. Tried forward and reverse with no accel to see - no love. I called AAA and my wife to come pick me up. When I got out, there it was - a big slick of reddish tranny fluid drifting off the shoulder from underneath the engine compartment. How sad!

    Anyone care to guess - new tranny? Maybe a seal or a plug let loose and it just voided itself. Dealership won't have anyone to look at it until Tues. I'm dying to find out.

    Any guesses out there? If new tranny, new car probably. Shoot!
  • hoibhoib Member Posts: 2
    Today I got some real good news. The dealership fixed my 93 Bonne - cost me less than $100 as well. Seems that some mechanic had replaced the metal tubing that runs the transmission fluid through the radiator, with a neoprene tube. I don't recall ever having ordered this but... Since this tube is pretty much exposed to the elements, the salt probably got to it and it rotted out. Replaced it with the correct metal tubing. And fortunately, no tranny damage, and it runs just like before.

    Very very happy, again.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    but I figured seeing red tranny fluid was a 'good' sign. Trans failures usually don't leak...
    Sort of like when my Century leaked fuel in front of the gas tank. It was the tube having come loose from the filter snapon. Easy fix at the dealer. I was on the highway and with wife and kid, so I didn't spend time crawling underneath...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • mickeybmickeyb Member Posts: 1
    Previous owner of 85 Bonneville - loved that car till teenagers took it out in a Blaze of Glory. Looking at purchasing 89 SSE - fully loaded - sunroof. Has 196K, excellent int/ext condition. All info could find seems to indicate good car even for age. My 85 Bonne did 500k on original engine. Dealer asking $4500 CAN brought it to SK from BC, passed safety inspection. Anyone know if recall on fuel spillage in rollover affected Canadian cars, will check VIN but don't have # yet. Anything else I should be looking for or asking? Glad to have found this forum
  • jono4jono4 Member Posts: 8
    transmission would periodically shift hard. was on a long trip when it did it again. uncertain of the reliability i traded in my '98 bonneville with 156,000 miles on it for an '03 Toyota Camry LE. I sure miss the big comfortable ride, but with gas at $2 and rising, no longer can afford it.
    i had some issues with it, but they were minor. enjoy it while you have it.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I can diagnose that from a distance probably.
    If it has the lockup torque converter valve problem that causes uneveness in the lockup percentage, the hard shifting probably came as a result of the transmission setting a code for inability to control the lockup with the fluid valve. The valve wears the bore in the valve body on the trans. The hard shifting is the transmission's way of going into limp-home mode like the engines can do. It probably reset itself and the hard shifting disappeared.

    Or the hard shift may be actually the lockup torque converter not being controlled properly by the valve. This is how I first noticed a problem a year or two ago on mine. During normal shifts from 3 to 4 or 4 to 3 the lockup is smoothly removed and then reapplied; if the valve is not working properly, that application is rough at times especially on long uphill slopes.

    It's a lot cheaperly to check it out than to trade it. Mine has 100k on it. Has done this for maybe 20K. Am checking into the replacement valve kit from aftermarket (Sonnex). Plan to keep car, so may have a pressure valve replaced too.

    If your Toyota is V6, I doubt you're saving that much on gas. Mine gives 30 to 31 on interstate driving, 22-24 suburban and short trips. I can buy a lot of gas for the cost of trading.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • theicemantheiceman Member Posts: 736
    Can't be the only reason. Can be part of the rationalization to spring for a new car, I suppose. I must admit that I've not yet used that one with my wife...

    On my '00 SLE, I've gotten a combined mileage of 9.4L/100 kms (25 mpg) since new (I haven't reset the fuel economy calculator in 2 1/2 years and am compensating for the 3% difference between the DIC and the pump as far as fuel used). I do roughly 30k kms a year (or about 20k miles). At our prices, that works out to just under $C 2000 a year for fuel (gas is a tad pricier here than in most States). If I find a V6 that'd do the same job as the 3.8 and save me 10%, that would amount to a savings of just $C 200/year - or about $US 150. The mileage on my '95 Camry V6 LE was actually worse than on the Bonnie and Toyota "recommended" premium fuel. My annual fuel expenses is lower for the Bonnie even 9 years later! Now, my '92 Camry LE was a 4-banger and it was quite economical. Anemic, to be sure - but economical.

    But, jono, your Bonnie was 5 (or 6?) years old when you traded - you must just have had the itch for something newer. Nothing wrong with that: enjoy your Camry - they're decent cars.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Earlier in this list Alcan told us how to clean the throttle plate when carbon gums it up. I had a sticking that felt like the gas pedal was sticking inside the car. I checked at the throttle body and it was sticking there. Moving it several times loosened it up.

    But I found Alcan's description was good on how to repair it. I had trouble getting the air screen that looks like a beehive out. I finally u sed a large paper clip to rotate it and it worked its way out.

    Instructions should have included to use your spouse's toothbrush and not your own. It's hard on the toothbrush. I used one that has flexible parts and noticed the flexing was getting softer. When I checked the connector between the parts was softening. Good thing I didn't break off one of the pieces into the air intake!!!

    Use a solid toothbrush!

    Found air intake cleaner at Pep Boys.

    Runs perfect now. That explains the occasional rough idle as it warmed up and I came to stoplights. I thought it was PCV valve at 100K needing replacement!

    THANKS ALCAN!!!

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • xavier64xavier64 Member Posts: 76
    A few weeks ago, I took the Bonnie back to the dealer since the service bulletin fix for the upper intake manifold gasket. Instead of just replacing the gasket as they had done before, they replaced the upper intake manifold itself. This did fix the issue and there are no more leaks. The dealer asked me to come in that morning and took care of the problem. This allowed a nice trip from Philly to State College and back to go smoothly.

    Steve
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