Pontiac Grand Am

sheetz · July 2001

Greetings one and all. This will be my first post here so please be kind with respect for my newbieness

Anyways, I've read this whole blasted thread of messages so that I can go into buying a new car having done my research.

I've narrowed the field down to three cars, the Mercury Cougar, the Dodge Stratus R/T, and the Pontiac GA GT. I test drove all three and immediately following the Cougar test drive my field was narrowed to two. The Cougar's interior is very plasticky feeling and the ride was infinitely more jarring than the GA or the R/T. The dang thing is so small too and I'm not by any means a Ford man so pfffft on them and their Cougar.

I like the advertised gas mileage of the GA, but having read this board I see results vary, but are usually lower than the sticker, probably the same for the R/T.

I'm not a fan of the cladding so I'd likely get a GT w/o the Walmart shield, I'm not afraid of taking up two spaces or walking from the bottom of the lot if that's what I have to do.

The R/T is more expensive and I'm already overextending myself somewhat for a Grand Am so money matters might end up making the choice for me. Dodge is infamous for transmission problems so if I have to choose between the GA's brake woes and the Dodge's trannie fiascos I'll take the brakes.

I do have some questions I'm hoping you all can answer for me.

1) Are the water leak woes present on 01 GTs? I read the whole dang board but I didn't take notes so I can't remember if those problems were pre-01 or if they were SE only or what.

2) Somebody said the brake woes are only on 15% of the cars, does that mean the seeming over-representation on this board is due to a vocal minority or are the brake problems more widespread?

3) I read over the TSBs and one says that when the Service Engine light is on the trannie shifts are more harsh. Has anybody experienced this when dealing with the "gas cap" issue?

4) The TSBs also mention an erratic fuel gauge...any experience with that?

5) The TSBs also mention ATF leaks at either the cooler line seals or at the axles...again, any experience?

6) Another TSB mentions problems with the keyless entry features...last time I swear, any experience?

7) My local dealer said Pontiac doesn't offer 4 or 6-disc in-dash CD changers(Mercury and Dodge do), has anybody installed aftermarket products of this nature?

8) Is the monsoon system all it's hyped to be by the dealer? I didn't have a cassette or cd with me on the test drive so I didn't get to try it out.

9) Timing belt or chain on the GT? My guess would be belt(heaven only knows why makers have forsaken the chain).

Both the R/T and the GAGT are sexy cars, but I'm thinking the GA gives better bang for the buck, even if it is 20 less ponies with the 3.5 ram air.

Thanks in advance for any info and what do you all think...biased opinions expected...R/T or GAGT?

moeharri · July 2001

Hello Sheetz,
I've had my 2001 GT for a few months and I am quite pleased with it. Here are some answers that I have to a few of your questions:

1. My car hasn't leaked water at all. I've gone through car washes and washed it myself, never with a drop of water inside the car.

2. I haven't had any brake problems either. I find the brakes to work just fine.

4. My fuel gauge has worked just fine also, I find it very accurate. However, I have experienced less than desirable gas mileage (about 23mpg with many highway miles, but maybe I'm doing more city driving that I realize? I don't know).

6. My keyless entry works just great. I can set the alarm or unlock the doors from quite a distance too, I've noticed.

8. I used to have a nice stereo in my old car, but now I have the monsoon stereo with CD. I like the sound. I usually listen at a sound level of about 1 or 1.5. I think it goes up to 10 or so, so I would say it is rather loud and doesn't distort. I like the stereo, for being a factory installed one.

The only stratus I've been in is my friends and I'd say that I like the GA GT quite a bit more. The stratus is nice, but I like the styling and I think the GA feels a bit peppier. I hope this info helps you in your decision. Please let us know which you pick and how you like it. Thanks.

Eric

tsribeye · July 2001

You can't really compare the two. A better comparison would be Impala and Grand Prix. Impala WAS designed to be a police car, but now they are FWD and have lost many of the other police package features. As for getting more for your money, the GA comes standard w/ more features than the Impala. But then again they are different cars...

melvinj2 · July 2001

DECIDED ON THE 195 70 14'S BEING THAT THIS IS WHAT THE FACTORY REQUIRES. I SAW A 88 GRAND AM WITH THE 215 60 14 AND IT DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT. THIS IS A VERY LARGE TIRE AND IT TAKES UP MOST OF THE WHEEL WELLS. I THINK SOME RUBBING MIGHT OCCUR. MY QUESTION IS I'M LOOKING FOR A PERFORMANCE TIRE THAT'S IN THAT SIZE STATED ABOVE THAT IS SOMEWHAT INEXPENSIVE, BUT GOOD QUALITY. HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS.(FIRESTONE IS OUT OF THE QUESTION)

midlifecrisis · July 2001

I'm coming up on 32K mileage on my 99 GT. Haven't had any problems since a few minor warranty things were fixed over a year ago. I had the rotors replaced and the inside fabric on the front doors replaced (near the windows).

Other than a minor squeak when closing the driver door window, there aren't any problems with the car now. I'm averaging 24-25 mpg in mixed driving.

I still get compliments on the car all the time, and usually from people my age (40). And the bright red color just makes the 2-year old car look brand new. People think I wash it every week even if it goes unwashed for a month.

And my neighbor just told me that his 16-year old daughter wants to buy my car from me. Apparently the GT is all the rage with high school kids in my area. Guess I won't have any trouble selling it when and if I do!

amlover2 · July 2001

I hope someone can help me resolve a problem I have with my 1999 Grand Am SE. The car in general has been problem free except for a few small, rather irritating problems. The latest problem has been with the turning signals or flashers. Whenever I go to signal left or right (it doesn't matter which way), after about 30 seconds I can still hear the ticking of the flashers. It drives me nuts!!!! I brought it to the dealership and they told me that it was a bulb that was gone. they fixed it and 2500kms later I have the same problem!! The problem I have is when they fixed it, the car was under warranty @58,000kms, now have 62,500kms and the warranty has run out!!. Does anyone know what I can do to resolve this problem?? I would appreciate any quick responses

Thanks

Amlover2!!

blondie_896 · July 2001

hi...i'm going to be turning 16 and me and my dad + mom have talked about what kind of car i should have. i think i want about a 95-97 2 door grand am gt. i think red looks pretty cool and i want a sunroof...but my dad told me that if i get a sunroof, i have to get a shifter (manual i think is what you're supposed to call it), and if i wnat an automatic, no sunroof!! but that doesnt really matter...so anything i should know before deciding on a grand am gt?? thanks everyone for your help!! oh and is the manual better/worse on gas mileage than the automatic?

agoodwine · July 2001

I recently acquired a 2000 GA SE1 (used). The car drove nicely the first few days, then I noticed that when I pressed the brake all the way down, car would not immediately stop. Pontiac suggested that I take it to a nearby dealership, but the earliest they could look at my car was 2 wks.

There was a problem with the calipers, and I had the brakes redone. It works just fine now. Very nice ride and have gotten plenty of looks and compliments.

drivehard1 · July 2001

I just bought a 2001 Grand Am SE as a Third car for our family. It has the 2.4 cyl motor, is this bad motor, i have enoticed that is vibrates at idle speeds more than my 3400 V-6 in my Alero, is this correct, Also what types of problems have arisen with the 99 or 2000 4 cyl engines, are they as bad as the old Quad 4's Commments would be nice!

midlifecrisis · July 2001

My driver's door window is beginning to squeak loudly when going up and down. I tried cleaning the window frame at the bottom, but the noise seems to be coming from inside the door. I've got to get it back to the dealer before the warranty runs out in a few months. Anybody else experience this problem?

tonychrys · July 2001

Yup, just noticed the same thing at 28K miles.

the_art_guy · July 2001

amlover2...

I had the same problem with my 00 Grand Am SE. One of the rear brake lights was burned out, so I replaced it and within one month it was burned out again. So I took the car into service and they replaced the circuit panel of the offending taillight. That was 4 months ago and I haven't had any problems since.

Last year I had a Chevy Malibu with the same exact problem. I have also seen many Malibus and Grand Ams driving around with the same taillights burned out. I believe this is because both cars are built on the same platform and probably use the same taillight circuit panels.

Have your service department specifically check the circuit panel that the light bulb plugs into.

Hope this helps.

vocus · July 2001

I too see alot of Grand Ams, Malibus, and Cutlasses driving around with brake lights burned out. I always thought it was cheap bulbs, but maybe not.

2villagerowner · July 2001

Was having a problem with the tail/brake lamps of our 99 Grand Am. Took apart the lamp assembly to find out the socket that holds the bulbs allows the bulbs to sit loose and not make contact with the socket wires, hense no lights. Wiggling the bulbs helps until I close the trunk or wife hit bump in road. Took it to the dealer and they knew about the problem. Repaired the lamps in 3 hours. Said they soldered the connection and we will not have the problem any more. That was 12 months ago and so far their right. If you have problems with the rear lamps, take it to the dealer.

jdexter23 · July 2001

I too have squeaky windows, especially the back ones (4 door). Also, Both my back windows rattle when the are part way down. If they are all the way up or all the way down, they are fine. Anybody else have this problem? Also, all the passenger door handles are hard to use. you have to bring them all the way up and then some more just to get the door open. my front passenger door handle is now bent slightly cause of the daily struggle. Hopefully the service people can fix this next month. is this common among you readers?

midlifecrisis · July 2001

My driver's window is the only one that squeaks so far. I have not had any problems with my handles, although the doors seem hard to shut sometimes. Now the dashboard material is pulling away where it connects to the base of the windshield. I don't know if the dealer can fix this without messing up the entire dashboard.

torodave · July 2001

Help! I need the benefit of your collective wisdom. My '97 with 3.1 V6 just stopped in the middle of a busy intersection at rush hour this morning! Had to have it towed. Dealer says it's the alternator. Only 4 years old! I've had cars for 10 years and never replaced an alt. before. I've heard that the GA's are known for burning out alts. Anyone know of any 'secret' warrantees or service bulletins that might be of use to me?
This is the worst car I've ever owned. I've lost track of the number of things that have needed repair/replacement. Look forward to your input. Thanks

vocus · July 2001

Actually, GM products in general are known for burning out alternators and having crappy electrical systems. My mother used to have a 1994 Pontiac Bonneville SE. We bought it with 86K on it, and by 150K when we got rid of it, it went through 8 alternators. And that was within 2.5 years!

vocus · July 2001

I saw a used 2000 Grand Am SE1 sedan with the 2.4L engine in it and 31,200 miles. They were asking $12,000 for it I think. Sound like a good deal or not?

jdexter23 · July 2001

That price is not bad but not good either. I think it could be talked down a grand. my 2000 SE1 V6 w/ 16K miles cost me 13,500 back in February. It has just about every option a SE1 can have without becoming the SE2.

About the altenator...My father burned out his in his 92 suburban, replaced it and the replacement burnt out in a week. Electric item's lifespan can vary greatly. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the car.

Overall Feelings on the car so far: Except for the doors on my car, it works great mechanically at 31k miles. The interior body panels and dash are getting creaky/squeeky. I get an average of 28 MPG w/ 90% highway driving. the car rides nice and corners well (tires squeel a little too easily when taking corners a little fast), acceleration is supple with good automatic shifting. The Stereo is decent for a delco. My back tends to start hurting after an hour of driving in this car, could use some better seats. Don't seem to have the brake problems that others do, but there is slight vibration at breaking, but I attribute some of that to my tires, which after two balencings, continues to shake at 60 plus MPH.

I am satisfied with this car at this time in my life, but wouldn't buy another american made car when it comes time for a brand new one. The quality of interior construction is just not good enough for my liking.

tonychrys · July 2001

"I am satisfied with this car at this time in my life, but wouldn't buy another american made car when it comes time for a brand new one. The quality of interior construction is just not good enough for my liking."

You pretty much nailed it with that statement. The GA is indeed a good value, but nothing extraordinary. I've always went for "value" all my life, but my sensibilities have changed and I now want "extraordinary". You only live once, or so I'm told ;-)

It's funny, I mentioned the idea to my wife the other day about selling our 1999 GA SE2 and taking the infamous GM depreciation hit in the wallet. Even though the GA is not her primary vehicle, she actually likes having it around, she said it's a good contrast to our other vehicle. I like it because I'm not as emotionally attached to it and I tend to drive it hard and fast. So far it's holding up (knock wood).

amlover2 · July 2001

Thanks the_art_guy for your information. After bringing my car back to the dealer a second time, in order to fix the signal lights from flashing whenever they wanted to, they first changed the hazard light switch. This didn't work of course because it wasn't the hazard lights that were giving me the problem. I took it for a test run and the same problem happened. Took the car back and they replaced the signal light switch instead and now the signal lights work fine!! thanks again to all who imputed

amlover2 · July 2001

I have a strange rattle in my 99 GA SE as well. Trying to explain it is the hardest part, I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem. It comes from the passenger side and seems to come from inside the glove conpartment or dash. We have tried taking out everything in the glove compartment and that didn't solve the problem. If anyone else has had the same or similar problems please message back

Thanks

agoodwine · July 2001

My 2000 GA shimmies while I'm at a red light. I heard that using gas with a higher octane will stop that. Already using 87. Any suggestions?

mmilind · July 2001

Hi,
I have a 96 Grand AM DE, with 63 I miles on it. I recently did a 60k maintenance on it at Tuffs, and spent $450 on it. Initially I went to him with the intention of getting the coolant leakage fixed, but he said that there was no leakage. I ended up buying new struts and brakes from him. After a few days, the coolant began leaking again, and when I went to him, he said that the Water Pump is leaking. I asked a couple of service guys what it would cost to replace the water pump, I was told that it would cost between $550 and $600. Has anyone of you replaced the water pump, and what has it cost? Any suggestions are welcome...
Thanks..

highmiler · July 2001

I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but here's what happened on my '96 Grand Am SE. I accidentally tightened my lug nuts on a wheel too tight and stretched the wheel studs. After that, it wasn't too hard to break them off when trying to loosen the nuts. So I ended up having to get new studs and lug nuts for that wheel. I don't think they use very strong steel in either the studs or the lug nuts, as I have tightened many others that tight on different cars with no trouble. Otherwise, it's been an excellent car so far with up to 33 MPG on the highway.

jdexter23 · July 2001

Yea, I have a couple rattles in my car, one of which comes from the same area. It drives me nuts!

midlifecrisis · July 2001

I have a rattle/vibration coming from somewhere within the dashboard area and it is driving me crazy as well! The trouble is it doesn't make the noise all the time, but I notice it more when the car has been sitting out in the sun, like on the commute home. I can just picture telling the service department about it and them responding "could not reproduce problem".

Last week I finally installed a I&N air filter in my 99 CT at 32K miles. I really haven't noticed all that much difference, maybe the acceleration is a bit less effort for the engine. And maybe the mpg has increased 1-2 mpg, but that might just be because the old air filter was absolutely dirty and clogged! It cost me $50 for the filter including shipping. Anybody know how much a regular air filter cost? I just replaced one in my van and it was $24. Anybody else install a I&N filter yet?

midlifecrisis · July 2001

Darn spellcheck! It is a K&N filter I installed on my 99 GT. Sorry about that.

brandon16 · July 2001

I know that a lot of GM cars with 2.8 and 3.1 litre engines burn up their alternators as they near 100 thousand miles. It seems once one alternator burns up they began to freqeuntly burn up after the intial one. To mmilind, I think 550 + $ to fix an alternator ona grand am is high. I have some friends who have gotten Grand am alternatos on 97 models for less thasn four hundred dollars including parts and labor. I would shop around for a better price if I were you. Good luck!!!

brandon16 · July 2001

I just recently had my circuit panel replaced also. The dealer stated that the metal contacts in the panel were not contacting with the bulbs correctly. I notice the burned out lights on a lot of GA, particularly on the right side. The new circuit panel was covered under warranty of course.

joe3891 · July 2001

When you replace one get a life time warranty its well worth it.

beach15 · July 2001

The old and unrefined 2.4-liter 4-cyl will be replaced for 2002 by the Saturn LS's 2.2-liter EcoTec engine abd is claimed to improve fuel economy by ten percent. Horsepower and torque are down slightly however.

jdexter23 · August 2001

Why pay $400 to replace an altenator when you can buy one for $100-$150 and install it yourself. All it takes it removing 2 bolts, unplug the wires and remove the belt and then reverse the order to install the new one. Its one of the easiest parts to replace on a car engine. Find a friend who has done it to help and give it a try.

joe3891 · August 2001

2.4 150 hp 155 ft lbs torque
2.2 eco-tec 138 hp 145 ft lbs torque
Sounds like a wuff wuff

pwilliamk · August 2001

I have a 2000 SE2. I am curious to know whether any of you out there have noticed any front end noise when travelling over bumpy roads. Lately I have noticed at slow speeds an air noise coming from the front suspension accompanied by a very 'loose' feeling front end. When driving over a curb into a driveway for example and clunking noise is made by the front end, to me this means that some part in the front suspension is not doing what it is suppose to. I have also noticed that there can be a vibration at highway speeds (not that characteristic of an alignment problem) but again a loose type of feeling. Just thought that I would get some input before I would take it in to the dealer and get there typical 'could not duplicate response.
Just another point for those that care. The last time I took the car in I had the brakes and rotors replaced for the fourth time ( at no cost to me) and I was told that it was the last time that they would replace them because it was obviously my fault for being to hard on them. My wife has over 180 000 miles on her 95 Grand Am and it is only on its third set. I drive it the same way that I drive my car and she is way harder on the brakes than I am isn't that funny how that works.
If any of you have any input on the loose front end I would appreciate it.

Thanks, Pete

bobbobby · August 2001

>>I have a strange rattle in my 99 GA SE as well. Trying to explain it is the hardest part, I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem. It comes from the passenger side and seems to come from inside the glove conpartment or dash.
___________

I, too, have rattle in '99 GA SE2 with about 32K (after putting 2200 miles on this past month). But noise is, I think, more likely from right front tire/wheel/axle than from dashboard. Previously replaced rotors under warranty and recently noticed subtle rotational clacking and shimmy at high speeds accompanied by shudder when breaking from high speed. It didn't help when I crushed a large box in the road in the roadway.

I am hoping rebalancing or replacing tires will solve problem. Any other ideas?

photodoctor · August 2001

Pete....I too have a clunking sound in the front of my 2001 GT. (only 8000 miles on it) There is also a "feel" in the wheel that something is perhaps too loose. I took it to a local Pontiac dealer yesterday but they were not very helpful. They insisted it was "normal" for this car. Of course they could not reproduce the sound but I don't think they really tried. I'm heading to another dealer next week that has a good reputation for their service dept.
There is definitely something wrong that I intend to get resolved. I was told some other GA owners are experiencing the same sort of "clunking" when hitting a pot hole, etc. They think it might have something to do with the struts. I'll let you know what turns up.

Russ - Photodoctor

jdexter23 · August 2001

Yea, I have the exact same problems that were just listed. The "swoosh" noise from the suspension on slow bumps, the clanking from the right suspension on harder bumps. I am bringing it in at the end of the month for this problem, hopefully there is something to be done.

I also have a steering wheel shimmy at highway speeds and wheels shake when breaking. The rotors aren't warped cause they don't shake all the time. I had my tires balenced twice in the same week to fix the shaking, but it still continues. Not sure if there is something wrong with the steering itself. Probably should have paid more and bought the Accord...Just kidding.

tonychrys · August 2001

"...and wheels shake when breaking. The rotors aren't warped cause they don't shake all the time."

Yer rotors are warped. Trust me on this.

jdexter23 · August 2001

Would the warped rotors also cause my steering wheel to shake when I am just cruising on the highway (without using the brakes I mean)?

Thanks.

JD

tonychrys · August 2001

No, but even worse, did anyone take off/put on your wheels lately? I've seen mechanics either retorque the nuts unevenly or forget to put a nut on and that will cause the exact symptoms you described.

There was a guy in the ML320 board that complained about the same thing, I asked him to check his wheels (since it just came back from the shop). Sure enough, there was a missing nut. Took it back and problem solved

Those darn air wrenches can wreak havoc if the torque limiter isn't working or the grease monkey doesn't use a "star pattern" to retighten the nuts.

Hope this helps, let us know what you find.

burdawg · August 2001

More than likely you have a front wheel or wheels out of balance. If it only occurs at certain speeds then it's the likely cause. If you've recently hit a curb or pothole hard, there's a chance that you have a bent rim.

jdexter23 · August 2001

No, this happened right after I got out of the tire place. I had the tires balenced twice in the same week to stop the shake and it didn't help.

tonychrys · August 2001

Bingo, cause and effect. If it happened right after the tire place, there's your ground zero.

Possibilities:

1. Tire is out of round. It happens on any brand. You can balance all you want, won't completely eliminate the problem. You can prove it's the tire by rotating front to back. Should alter the front end shake or eliminate it (unless all 4 tires are bad, not likely).

2. They screwed your hub/alignment/etc. Over tightening the nuts as stated previously is a common culprit. I'm not sure how to prove this one, maybe a front end alignment machine can prove/disprove it.

Keep us updated.

jdexter23 · August 2001

Thats what I figured (tire out of round), but I didn't want to buy new tires, since these tires are practicly new. I also have a slow leak in one, maybe I should bite the bullet and buy new ones. Winter is just around the corner...:)

tonychrys · August 2001

If they are practically new, they are under warranty. Should cost you nothing or close to it. This is a workmanship defect, not a road hazard problem, so no extra road hazard warranty is necessary.

Who's the manufacturer? Ever since the Firestone fiasco, most tire manufacturers will be very accomodating to win/keep your business.

Give it a go.

jdexter23 · August 2001

These are the Goodyears that came with the car when new. I have 31K miles on the car now. Would this still be under factory warranty?

Thanks

tonychrys · August 2001

I'm not sure, look in the owner's manual. It's either in the manual or there is an addendum, it'll state the tire warranty which is provided by the tire manufacturer, not GM.

If you can't find the warranty, call GM/Pontiac Customer Assistance 800#.

joshuad · August 2001

I have discovered another possible cause of the front end squeak that plagued my 99 for 35,000 miles.

A GM TSB for earlier Grand AMs notes that that the front end suspension bushings are susceptible to "molecular breakdown" which causes the bushings to rub against the sway bar. The proposed fix is to remove the affected suspension parts, sand the bushing material off the metal, and apply "molecular tape" to the suspension piece before reinstallation. Sounds very expensive, time consuming, and not worth the trouble.

Has anyone figured out the brake problem yet? I'm about to turn the second set of rotors on my car at 80k miles, and I'd like to know if I have a chance of getting through these rotors before I hit 100k miles. I suspect it's a design defect with the single piston calipers, but I'm not sure how to even attempt to fix it.

Pontiac Grand Am

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