Pontiac Bonneville General Maintenance and Repair

jamesgrimm · October 2002

What is typical for oil consumption for the 3800 V6? I have a 1999 Pontiac Bonneville that I bought with 24,000 miles and it uses about 0.5-0.75 quarts of oil every oil change (3,000 miles). This has been fairly consistent as I have now changed the oil about 3 times. I use the reccomended 10W-30 and I like to use 1 quart of Rislone. There is no leakage and no visible smoke.

gmlover1 · October 2002

Just checked oil on my 2000 leSabre at 2800 miles down about .75 qt.. That's about what my 1990 Bonneville with 110000 miles uses.

twobrowns · October 2002

I have a 2001 ssei with 42000 miles and it uses about .5 qrt. per 3000 miles since new. I would say that your oil consumption is normal.

jjocjjoc · October 2002

My 99 has 63k miles on it. Recently we have noticed if you accelerate hard from a stop, you get a nasty "bang, bang" down below like you just ran over railroad tracks. All other accelaration and shifting is fine, and even shifting or accelarating from stop is ok if it's slow and smooth or from a rolling stop. Any clues?
I had the transmission recently serviced (flushed) and wondering if that had something to do with it.
Any comments? Thanks.

fantascp · October 2002

I've had my 2000 SE around 2&1/2 years - oil consumption has been consistent- around .75 to 1 full quart every oil change (3000) miles.
On my 98 SSE, which I've had since Jan of this year, its a little better- around .50 to .75 max every oil change (3000) miles. Both cars have the normal 3800 Series II (205-HP)

Chuck

flapper10 · October 2002

Folks,
Thanks for the education re: Post# 539,575,614,615,637,645. Thanks to "Alcan" for the personal help. We abused GM owners need to unite and force the issue to resolve these failures. There are plenty of posts re; this 3.8L EGR/coolant leak/misfire issue.

My saga....I recently purchased a 98 Bonneville SE and drove and performed beautifully the 2 times I test drove.....of course. then read a few past posting after it started acting up after 60 miles on "Town Hall" on the intake manifold coolant leaks. My '98 Bonneville suffered from just such a leak as described here and in the TSB. The original upper plenum, intake manifold, 2-5 coil, plug wires, and platinum plugs were replaced by previous owner 2K ago @ $1300 done by private repair. Prior owner left oil change sticker in window and I was able to find mechanic and spoke directly to the owner/mechanic of the one-man shop. He is a straight up, former, 20 yr experience GM-Buick trained mechanic and followed the "All Data Repair Book" for these symptoms. He gave me the failed parts (plenum and intake manifold)the prior owner saved. He says there is a GM -TSB on the very subject and wonders why GM isn't making good on the design flaw. Car was cherry until 42.5k. Prior owner took car to him exclusively since new in 9/98 for all service. No vehicle service history on Car Fax. Clean title. 1 Owner . MyGMLink.com has no history.....She wrote a complaint letter 3 months ago to GM. I bought Bonneville last week and same drive symptoms described now, ie surging and choppy acceleration, particularly evident in O/D when negotiating even the slightest incline........like when you are running out of fuel w/ fuel injection, here now exist at 44.6 K total miles, are occurring after 600 miles since i bought last week from wholesaler as-is. Do I have another intake manifold leak after only 3K miles or do I have a tranny problem?......such as Alcan said I should also investigate? What is GM doing about these failures?? What can we do as disgruntled GM product owners? What can I expect from a after market warrantee program offered through the credit union???..should the same problem reappear??
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Rgds........disgusted and concerned

alcan · October 2002

Not sure without driving it if these symptoms are the same as yours, but check Transmission Trauma topic posts 440, 450, 452,453, and especially 460.

montanafan · October 2002

I believe it would be impossible for the intake manifold to fail in 2,000 miles. Although there could be a problem with the repair, but not the part. If your problem was caused by a coolant leak of some sort, you would have a low coolant light. If the problem was an engine misfire ( Ignition/Emissions related), you would have a flashing check engine light. In my area, AAMCO transmisison shops are advertising their expertise in diagnosis of these type problems, you may have them check out the car. If you bought an extended warranty thru your credit union, it will list the parts covered but may not cover diagnosis. You may even want to check with the shop that did the intake repair to see if any warranty for their repair would transfer to you. Good thing you bought the car wholesale with no warranty so you can have the money available to fix what might be wrong.

jjocjjoc · October 2002

My problem turned out to be a "pressure control solenoid" replacement. Part was only $48, but labor was $485 at dealer! Service rep mentioned that tech said these can out about every 30-40k miles; didn't think you should have a tranny repair at 30-40k miles. I also saw there is a TSB 00-07-30-002A related to this issue.

Who do we write to complain these re-occuring issues?

kastroj · October 2002

I had a 94 SSE Bonneville nicknamed "Green Hornet"

A) If you hear a knocking (no matter how slight, it will get louder eventually) you will needed a new torque converter.

Radio control buttons located on the steering wheel stopped working after 2 years.

C) After 5 alternators it was the ECM went bad and it just happened again 1 month ago for the second time in less than 2 years!

D) O-ring that goes between the exhaust manifold and your exhaust line - went bad 2 times in 4 years.

E) A/C will blow air through the top registers on the dash board once in a while then it will go back to normal.

Had a really bad MOJO although I loved the power of the car and the comfortable ride, I had to DX it (Army term for exchange / trade-in) and selected something more reliable a 2002 Toyota Camry V6. Great little car, very fuel efficient.

montanafan · October 2002

Saw the bulletin you mentioned while getting my Voyager serviced yesterday. (My Bonneville is older and dosen't have the same type transmission). You may have been on to something about the transmission flushing. The bulletin deals will trans conditions due to 1) sediment inside the pressure control solenoid causing it to bind 2) sediment in the valve body causing the torque signal regulator to stick, or 3) incorrect oil levels. Correction is to perform some electrical checks to confim things are sticking, then clean things out and recheck.

renegade44 · October 2002

I have 98 Bonneville SSEi with 45,000 miles, and I'm struggling with 3 electrical problems.

1. When I leave the car the sit for more than a few days, the battery tends to go dead. I have replaced the battery, to no avail.

2. The interior lights do not work. I have replaced the fuse, and still nothing. The power mirrors are on the same fuse, and they still work.

3. When driving, the right speakers (front and back), tend to completely cut-out at the slightest bump/jerk. I've tried "wiggling" various wires throughout the dash, when parked, but haven't found the one.

Any ideas?

ducatibob · October 2002

I have a '98 Bonneville SE that has a few electrical problems:
1. The car will sometimes quit as if I had turned the ignition switch off. It starts right back up.

2. The clock sometimes resets itself overnight as though the battery was disconnected.

3. Most recently, the interior lights are staying on. The only way to turn them off is to pull the fuse.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Ducatibob

hankiwd · October 2002

I had a stalling problem,with my 97 Bonneville, that ended up leading me to the fuel pump. After trying 2 different fuel pumps I started looking elsewhere. I had the same problem with the windows not working properly and the lights being dim.

Answer for me: On the floorboard on the drivers side to the left of the front seat where the carpet meets the molding where the door shuts. Did you get all of that? Anyways pull back the carpet and you will see a bus bar of black wires. I had a faulty ground at this connector, I could wiggle the wire and get the windows to work and the car would start. It was the larger wire going to this ground bus. I fixed this connection and have had no problems since.....that is until now...my transmission will act up until I shut off the car and restart it....that is why I came here.

Hope this helps somebody

kaatuu · October 2002

I have had a stalling problem with my 95 Bonneville for a couple of months now. When scanned we get a code that is "Lean condition detected". Over the past year I have replaced the intake plenum, plugs, wires, coil packs(all), ignition module. I have checked the ECM with a good one its okay. When the intake plenum was replaced the tech "forgot" to put the o-ring on the PCV valve causing a vacuum in the crankcase. A backyard guy figured this one out. The engine runs very rich (you can smell it) I need help! The engine will die on decel and will not idle. It will surge just before it quits. Fuel pressure is in spec. No vacuum leaks. when scanned all seems normal except for that one code. Its fine in open loop but has the problems in closed loop.

mfahey1 · October 2002

How can the computer say the engine is running lean but it smells like it is running rich? I'm certainly not an expert but a number of times people have posted the same type of problem and the problem turns out to have been the coolant temperature switch. When it is telling the ECM that the engine is cold, the mixture is enriched. If the engine is actually warm, it will run rich. There is a procedure if you have a digital VOM to check the sensor that someone may be able to help you with.

krisser · October 2002

I have a 1996 SE with 136K miles. On occasion every few months, it will not start. It will turn over, but not start. There is a constant clicking noise coming from behind the glove box when this happens. I will give it a couple hours and it will start. It will happen a couple more times over the next few days, then it will go 6 or 7 months before doing it again!! I does not leave an error code, and of course, has never happened while it has been in the shop. Any suggestions?? And yes, I've had the infamous truck leak as well.

mem300m · October 2002

Can anyone tell me a way to check the error codes for this car without having to go to the dealer or purchasing a code reader?

Thanks,

jeromy1 · October 2002

Just a couple of days ago, the gas pedal and brake pedal in my 95 Bonneville got really hard to push. The gas pedal is really firm and requires much more strength. The brakes are less responsive. Could it be fluid, hydraulics, hoses, something like that?

Also, ever since we had the brakes serviced (front and back) we get a hard shudder when we put on the brakes around 65-70 mph, and a slower, almost wavelike shudder when braking at less than 10 mph. It feels like something isn't balanced correctly. I brought it into a competing brake dealer and they said the brakes look fine. But the car still shudders.

jeromy1 · October 2002

Well, the solution to the gas and brake pedal problem was easy. The carpet was wedged up under the pedals.

Yikes!

The shuddering, as anyone more familiar with brakes than me could have pointed out, was caused by my front rotors getting too thin and warping with the heat. So, new rotors. And new cylinders in the back to replace the leaking ones there. Cha-ching! I guess it was time for the quarterly wallet emptying.

Next stop, the electronic climate control, which refuses to give heat half the time.

I wonder if I'd save money by putting myself through auto mechanic school and buying a hydraulic lift for the garage.

gmlover1 · October 2002

under the dash board there is a plug with 3 female terminals(A B C). Take a paper clip and short the A and B terminals then turn the ignition switch to the on position. The check engine light will flash the codes as 2 digits (flash flash pause flash = 21). batauto.com has the codes.

mem300m · October 2002

GM Lover,

Thanks for link but batauto.com is not showing the codes. Are there any other sites that might have them?

Thanks,

gmlover1 · October 2002

Try the library. They should have a chilton book.

alcan · October 2002

We have it up and running again:

http://www.batauto.com/GM/

mem300m · October 2002

I'm trying to read the trouble codes on my 94 Bonneville. The emission label indicates the car is OBD-I compliant but the connector mounted into the plastic fascia under the drivers side of the dash has 16 locations not 12. The connector looks like the pictures I have seen of the OBD-II connector but I only see 6 silver female pins in the connector. With position 1 at the far left of the top row (wide side of connector) and position 16 at the far right of bottom row (narrow side of connector) I have female connectors at the following positions - 4,5,8,9,14,16. Which 2 would I jump to read the codes off the check engine light flashing? Or am I looking at the wrong connector? This is a black connector I am looking at. GMlover on this forum indicated a connector with only 3 pins (A, B, and C). I can't see that connector. Where should I look?

Thanks,

mem300m · November 2002

My keyless entry system on my 94 B'ville has started to work only intermittently. I have replaced batteries in 2 transmitters and the problem still exists. Is it possible that there is a relay that gets triggered by the remotes and that the relay is going bad? If so does anyone know where this relay would be so I could replace it and see if the problem goes away?

Sometimes it works on 1 push and other times it takes 5 or 6.

Thanks,

ghansel · November 2002

I have a 95 Bonneville with 90,000 miles on it. I am losing coolant and there are no obvious leaks. After reading through the messages on other folks' experience I am about ready to pull off the throttle body and intake manifold to take a look. Can anyone provide me with a copy of the TSB on this problem. Thanks. George

shesfyne · November 2002

We have Opatience to thank for this info.

Engine Coolant Consumption or Coolant Leak (Inspect for Material Degradation/Replace Intake Manifolds) #01-06-01-007A
Engine Coolant Consumption or Coolant Leak (Inspect For Material Degradation/Replace Intake Manifolds)

1995-1997 Buick Riviera

1995-1998 Buick LeSabre, Park Avenue

1996-1998 Buick Regal

1998 Chevrolet Lumina, Monte Carlo

1995-1996 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

1995-1998 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight

1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue

1995-1998 Pontiac Bonneville

1997-1998 Pontiac Grand Prix

with 3.8 L Engine (VIN K -- RPO L36)

This bulletin is being revised to correct parts and labor operation usage. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 01-06-01-007 (Section 6 - Engine).

Condition
Some owners may comment on excessive engine coolant consumption, or an engine coolant leak near or under the throttle body area of the upper intake manifold.

Cause
Upper intake manifold composite material may degrade around the EGR stove pipe and could result in an internal or external coolant leak.

Correction
Follow the upper intake manifold removal instructions found in the Engine Unit Repair Section of the Service Information Manual.

Refer to the arrow in the illustration of the upper intake manifold above. Inspect the inner diameter of the EGR passage for signs of material degradation. Degradation will appear as "pitting" of the composite material in the EGR port passage.
If degradation of upper intake manifold composite material is found, replace the lower and upper intake manifolds with the following part numbers:
Lower Intake -- 24508923
Upper Intake -- 17113136 (includes necessary upper intake plenum gaskets)
Lower Intake Gasket -- 12537197
Follow the lower and upper intake manifold installation instructions found in the Engine Unit Repair Section of the appropriate Service Manual.
If degradation is not apparent, skip to Step 7.
Verify the repair.
If no degradation is found, evaluate the vehicle for other causes of excessive coolant consumption as noted in the Engine Diagnosis Section of the appropriate Service Manual.
Parts Information
Part Number
Description
Qty

17113136
Manifold, Upper Intake*
1

24508923
Manifold, Lower Intake
1

12537197
Gasket, Lower Intake
1

* Includes the necessary gaskets for upper intake replacement.

Parts are currently available from GMSPO.

Warranty Information
For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:

Labor Operation
Description
Labor Time

J0258*
Manifold, Lower Intake R and R
Use Published Labor Time

J0255**
Manifold, Upper Intake R and R
Use Published Labor Time

* Used for replacement of both the upper and the lower intake manifolds.

** Used for inspection purposes only, where no condition was identified and the upper intake manifold is re-installed on vehicle.

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.

© Copyright General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

adf1 · November 2002

Read that few of you have had the same problem.
I just got my (used) 02 SE and that trim was down when I got the car (at a Buick dealership). Went to Pontiac one to have some under wrnty issues served, and that trim was one of them. The service manager decided to irder a part # 25723806 at NO charge!!!
I Still don't know what it is, but will post an update upon installtion/fix.

adf1 · November 2002

I wonder if anyone (with a bench seat) noticed this design mistake; when the shift lever is in the D position, its handle is hiding the audio system display!! One must really lean forward to read the time, station, info, etc. Where are the engineers?

Has anyone found a solution???

mlm4 · November 2002

I think your dealer just ordered another panel (maybe the one in your car is damaged). There is also a service bulletin on how to secure the panel better.

As for the column-mounted shift lever blocking the radio and/or climate controls, that's a problem I've seen in lots of cars and trucks, present and past, some worse than others. Most Bonnevilles have the console shifter. Just as bad as the shifter blocking the radio is the steering wheel blocking the odometer (at least from my seating position). It's just one of those details that make the Bonneville just less than great.

1990sse · November 2002

Problem with engine is that it stumbles on acceleration during driving, almost hesitating with no power. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

1990 Bonneville SSE
350,000 km

jeromy1 · November 2002

I was having that problem with my 95 SE in February of this year. On the advice of people at this forum I changed all the spark plug wires. That did the trick (so far). There's quite a few posts in this forum that might cover your problem.

1990sse · November 2002

Ok, seems like the problem was a cracked wire for most part as well as the cam sensor magnet... the code was 41 which is for the sensor but does not tell you it's the magnet... the mechanic also suggested that the timing chain be replaced since the car had high km's and that I'm going to keep it... total with parts and 4 hours labor was $750...oh well, now it's good to go for a while (I hope), thanks.

mem300m · November 2002

I have a 94 Bonneville w/3.8 litre non-supercharged engine w/109,000 miles on it. In recent weeks the "Service Engine Soon" light has come on at times and then gone off. My local mechanic checked the trouble codes and it showed a problem with the EGR Valve system. He said that the tube leading from the manifold to the valve can get clogged up with carbon and may need cleaning out. He said if I need a new EGR valve that it would be about $300.00. Cleaning the system out to see if that fixes the problem would be about $100.00. It involves removing the throttle body and some other hardware.

Is this something I could do myself or is this better left to him? Has anyone else had experience with this? Car has run a little rough at times. I've replced plugs and checked all vacuum lines. The only other code he got was for the cruise control position sensor. Cruise has not worked for months. Does anyone know whether the servo unit is repairable or that I just need to buy a new one?

Thanks,

mybonnie · November 2002

New to the board. have a 99 SE. Have read many of the messages that seem related to my problem. I see people going through multiple alternators and before I start down that path am wondering if anyone has found a more direct solution that addresses why multiple alternators are failing. I read several posts where people have replaced alternators only to have the car completely die shortly after. Am worried about that result.

My problem is that the car has become noticeably somewhat harder to start. Still starts after it makes a little effort (2 to 3 seconds) but just a short while ago would fire up at the twist of the key.

At this same time I have noticed that after I drive for about two to three minutes, I will be stopped at a light (Same ones, either near my house on my way to work or near my office on my way home.), and the tach will drop to 0 for a split second as if the car has died and then surge over 1500 for a second as if the ignition switch has been turned on. The car tries to lunge forward but luckily my foot is firmly planted on the brake (and I don't tailgate!). This has happened about a half a dozen times over the last month. Then yesterday the car died as I pulled on to a freeway on ramp by my office. I pulled it over and it started back up, again with a couple of seconds of effort, not the flip of the wrist I had been used to. In this same time frame I have noticed some minor sputtering and surging while cruising down the highway.

I get no check engine lights and my dash amp meter reads as it always has. Is this an alternator going bad? What else should I be looking at?

shesfyne · November 2002

When I had a surging problem it turned out to be the transmission. It felt like the tranny was searching for the gear during acceleration, and then it would surge. If you look through the past posts, you'll see that the transmission has been somewhat problematic with this car. Hopefully you're still under warranty.

mybonnie · November 2002

Thanks, I had a system check run today and the electrical and charging were OK. Thought it might be the throttle position sensor but that checked out ok too.

This doesn't seem like a tranny problem, but I could be wrong. Seems more like some type of sensor or something. Doesn't feel like its searching for gears. I'm thinking i'll turn my search to the fuel, air, emissions sensors(?)

Of course it's out of warranty now at almost 44K so I'm hoping its not the tranny. I plan to have that serviced at 50K so I'm hoping I can find a simpler solution before then.

mybonnie · November 2002

I've seen a lot of posts about intake manifolds made of composite material and subsequent problems with coolant in the cylinders (shesfyne I read the horror story in the headgasket problems board) but the problems look like they occur on 97's and older. Is this still a problem for 99's or was the manifold issue addressed by then?

shesfyne · November 2002

. Is this still a problem for 99's or was the manifold issue addressed by then?

I went back and looked at that petition. I noticed that it appears to run through the years 95-2000. So I'm guessing that no, the problem hasn't been resolved.
But, the part they are using for the repair is metal, not plastic. So for your 700 bucks it looks like you get the part that was meant to be on there in the first place.

bonnevillessei · November 2002

I have replaced the left side outer tierod end. It was definitely worn out at under 40,000 miles. Pontiac changed these production parts in '99, 2000, and '01, which tells me they can't get 'em right. That took the slop out, and it worked great for 200 miles. Now the steering grabs and jerks, especially when turning left. There are no obvious loose or worn or broken components in the whole front assembly. Is there any effective way to lubricate the steering knuckles on the steering wheel shaft above the rack. How about lubing the rack and pinion. It feels like something needs lubed. What can I do to make this steer smoother? I am not aware of a single grease zerk on the whole car. This car was priced like a BMW and built with Sunfire parts.

alcan · November 2002

Disconnect the tie rods and rotate the steering knuckles/struts left to right. Any bind indicates a worn upper strut bearing. Check the condition of the serpentine belt and tensioner. The belt might be slipping. Check the condition of the p.s. fluid. If it's turning black there's oxidized aluminum particles in the fluid from the rack and pinion's valve housing, requiring r&p replacement.

sonnyb3 · November 2002

I just bought a 96 Bonneville and the drivers side lower seat belt retractor does not work well. What is the warranty on Seat belts? I heard it ws lifetime!!

mlm4 · November 2002

I have the same problem with the steering on my 2000 SSEi, which still has less than 10,000 miles on it. I notice it on low-speed maneuvers, such as in parking lots or backing out of my driveway. I'm also experiencing the steering wheel shake and it seems like the tires are flat-spotted but warming them up doesn't improve things. I'm starting to wonder if the tires are the problem (factory Goodyear Eagle RS/A).

mem300m · November 2002

My EGR woes continue. Local shop recommended cleaning all the passages feeding the EGR valve on my 94 Bonneville to see if that would fix the problem of the Service Engine Soon lite on. Code reader was reading and EGR problem. Had passage cleaning done Tuesday for $100.00. Light back on yesterday!!!. New digital GM EGR valve and gasket is about $140.00 from AutoZone or Advance Auto. Just as a last gasp attempt, can the valve be dissassembled and cleaned with something soft like a toothbrush to see if by chance that might do it? Maybe some carbon trash inside the valve? If so, what and how do I clean it with. Any tricks or cautions. It's not working right now so I figure I don't have much to lose as I'll be buying a new valve anyway.

Any thoughts.

avcrompton · November 2002

Has anyone had significant shrinkage of the Bonneville weatherstripping? Mine appear to have pulled away from the upper right hand corner of the door jam by about 1 inch - on all 4 doors. This has been pointed out to me in the process of trying to source the water leaking in under the carpet. My Bonneville is a '93.

I appreciate your comments.

twobrowns · November 2002

I recently noticed on my 2001 ssei that the trans. appears to shift into the lock mode at low speed ie. the tac indicates about 11-1200 rpm and at that low rpm the car will labor. It always did do that since new to some degree but appears to be more frequently. Is this normal.

charko2 · November 2002

Hi: Got a 2002 Bonnie Se brand new on my fourth, guess the laws of average caught up with me cause I never had problems with the other three. Anyway why should my trunk leak in heavy rain? not the whole thing just the right side of it. In love with my dealer, so I think I'll ask him to check the weather striping? Son took it in 2 weeks ago but they couldn't find the problem.

mfahey1 · November 2002

Fisher Body has lost a lot of its ability to deliver a good product, IMO. My 2000 is due to go in shortly for the 3rd time for the trunk leaking and it turns out, it is a very common problem with these cars. I mean, how hard can it be to keep water out of a trunk after building cars for close to a century? This time, I'm going to tell the dealer to not give it back until they have actually tested it, not just think they fixed it. GM has identified 4 different areas that can be causing the leak so be persistent with the dealer and don't let them tell you it is fixed unless they have tested it for themselves. Absolutely be sure to check the spare tire well because the water collects there.

mem300m · November 2002

The remote transmitters on my 94 Bonneville are dying. I think the operational guts are still good but since I won't pay GM $75.00/transmitter, I plan to buy an aftermarket keyless entry system. Can anyone tell me where the receiver module is located in the car so I can just hook the new one up at the old location instead of having to trace wires?

thanks,

Mike

Pontiac Bonneville General Maintenance and Repair

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