Pontiac Grand Am

jkidd2 · May 2002

As of now....no.

surzyn · May 2002

I have (had) a 1997 Grand Am with the 3100 V6. Found out Intake Manifold gasket was leaking at 54,000 miles. Traded car in as repair was going to be about $800. Found out that it's more common than you think....seems the Dex-Cool coolant may be effecting the gasket material. Sign the petition at www.petitiononline.com/GMcnsmrs/
You'll find a lot of other people with the exact same problems here.

yurakm · May 2002

The problem is rather common, see here:
rbenton "Common General Motor's 2.8, 3.1, 3.4 V6's engine problems" May 29, 2001 3:01pm
However, it was common even before Dex-Cool.
Price also is on higher end: I paid about $550 a year ago, $50 the gasket, $500 labor. At Firestone - not a cheap chop. CT is expensive state, with probably the highest labor rates.

azwmm · May 2002

I got rid of the Dex-Cool when the gasket was replaced. I paid $700 which included the intake gasket, valve cover gasket, fuel injector "O" rings, thermostat, and green coolant.

freddie01r · June 2002

My 00' Grand Am GT recently broke down at 42,000 miles. The car cut out on me and basically turned off while I was rolling down the highway. I had some work done on it, but the car keeps doing the same thing. Strangely, after it cuts out and I let the engine cool, it will start up again and roll another mile or more. So far, the dealer put in a new alternator and my local mechanic replaced the spark plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter, and did a fuel injector flush. My next step is to get a diagnostic test, but I won't have it done for awhile. Any thoughts or comments out there?

montanafan · June 2002

Whenever I have problems, I remember that in shop the teacher said you need Fuel/Spark/Air to make any engine run. While the alternator provides the juice to run and charge, you would have a lot of warning lights if it was bad. The maintenance items you replace would probably cause the car to run bad more then die and not restart. My thought would be "Fuel". Do you hear the fuel pump working when it dies or you try to restart? If the car continues to do it, it should be duplicatable for a shop to check. Good Luck.

joe3891 · June 2002

Could be either the crank sensor or ignition module,a scan when it quits would narrow it down.

freddie01r · June 2002

I had the test done and the mechanic says he is almost sure it needs a fuel pump. Almost sure is not good enough though. Their diagnostic equipment must not be very good, so I will take the car to the Pontiac dealer to find out exactly what is wrong. The fuel pump for this vehicle can only be found at the dealer at this time and it costs $530 for the part alone. So, we will see, I'm probably going to get an extended warranty regardless though, any recommendations!

joe3891 · June 2002

A tech can scope the fuel pump current and know if its bad,the problem is finding someone who uses the scope on pumps.

burdawg · June 2002

freddie01r, the pump is listed at $208 from auto- parts-for-less.com (which is actually Bob Stall Chevrolet in La Mesa, CA). It's the same part that you would get at dealer service.
I had to replace the pump in our 95 GA at about 50k miles. The charge was about $550 with labor (was traveling at the time, so had to have it done at dealer shop), but that was about 3 years ago.
I've changed electric pumps in the fuel tank before, it's not an easy job since the tank has to be removed.

joe3891 · June 2002

My dealer installed a new sender unit in the fuel tank in my Cavy on a recall,i waited,it took 1 hr.

freddie01r · June 2002

burdawg,

I checked out the website and it showed the fuel pump listed for $208 just as you cited. Thanks, I will put up an update on the discussion board after Pontiac does the diagnosis.

freddie

maxpixie · July 2002

I bought a 99' off-lease GAGT in December with just under 36k - and while I'm glad I got the warranty extended, it's still not enough! About a month and a half ago, I took it in for an oil change, and was told the serpentine belt was all cracked. Joy - indeed it was, so I had that replaced for $130 (lots of interferences = lots of labor time). At 42K, I thought that was a little soon for the belt to look as bad as it did!

2 weeks later, I was all loaded up for a picnic (that I was hosting!) and the car refused to start. Would crank, but not start, and finally started on the 8th try. Had to get it towed, because it kept stalling. Dealership had it for a week (3 days before they even LOOKED at it!!) and were getting wacky codes - so they figured the computer was bad and replaced it.

A week later, go to pick up my fiance (who's 99 Saturn was in the shop for a tranny rebuild!) and the car won't start! Wouldn't take a jump either until about the 10th try, got it home, wouldn't hold a charge - still wouldn't start. Got it towed, only to find out I needed a battery. *grr* Naturally THAT tow wasn't covered. Another $260 later (tow, diagnostic, battery, old battery disposal fee) and I've got the car back. Little fishy though how the battery goes a week after they replace the computer chip??

The dealer calls it "certified" but they can't seem to come up with a checklist of maintenance items that were/should be corrected when a lease ends and the car is re-sold. They told me they corrected the cars brake problems by putting bigger brake pads on it so the rotors shouldn't warp. Well poop, I want to know if the dex-cool has ever been changed (I know it's good for 5 years but still), when the brake pads were changed, would have been nice to know how old the battery was.... etc. That should have been my cue to run, but my lil' Duster was dying at the time and I was desperate. Shame on me!

Now it's making a wub-wub-wub noise up front (my friend tells me I have a hovercar, if only I can find the right button!), a granola-sound in the back - sounds like I'm driving over granola, or with baseball cards in my spokes - and the door panels are doing that bubbling thing other people have mentioned. I LOVE the way it drives - nice tight steering, lots of power - but there are just so many stupid little (expensive!!) things that I just resent it now. I give it dirty looks, like it's a bad ex-boyfriend - do you think it knows??

~Christine~

freddie01r · July 2002

Got my car fixed. The dealer did a diagnostic test and determined the car needed a new fuel injector and gasket. I talked to the service director and thankfully he charged the repair to GM. It would have cost about $400. I also replaced the serpentine belt recently at 42,000 miles and it cost me a total of $60 at my local mechanic. I do have a problem with the key getting stuck in the ignition though, anybody else having this problem?

scott13713 · July 2002

i have friends who have grand ams, i am planning on purchasing a 92 SE as my first car. 85k original miles, with the high output quad 4 and a 5 spd manual. anybody wanna tell me if im getting a good deal, paying $1495, interior is clean and the paint is glossy with no rust. also, the head gasket has been replaced which solves the leaking they had a problem with. With all the bad things you guys are saying about these cars im getting scared, but none of my friends have had these problems and im just wondering how common they are. anything else you would warn me about before buying??

nickper · July 2002

I have a 96 Grand Am with the 2.4 4-cyl engine. It has 108,000k miles on it. For the past three months or so, the "check engine" light comes on along with the ETS light. I see this is common. I never did read a clear answer to this problem--is there one? During my last oil change, the dealer ran the system and got no error codes (they did that free thankfully). They just disconnected the battery for about 5 mins and all was ok. About a week later, it happened again. I put my gas cap on tight and drive mostly on the highway. This happens about every other week, but no error codes come-up. Any suggestions? This car has been very good to me until this. One note: this seems to happen after my car has been parked for an entire day without being started and doesn't happen when I drive my car daily (I take the bus to work sometimes).

joe3891 · July 2002

The best thing about the 2.4 L is the engine is no longer in production.

mkco · July 2002

The cladding is GONE!

tja1970 · July 2002

I just bought a 99 SE2 Sedan 3.4 Liter 3400 V6 Automatic, and the service Engine soon light will not turn off. The fuel enjectors have been cleaned, the spark plugs have been replaced, the wires have been replaced, and now it is still misfiring on cylinder 5 is still misfiring, now the person that is working on it tells me that it may be the computer on the car. Has anyone had an experience with this light not turning off? Any ideas or suggestions would be very helpful. Thanks

freddie01r · July 2002

mkco,
When I was in for service recently, I also saw the 03' Grand Am SE. I wouldn't say the cladding is gone but it has toned down and now the SE looks much more comparable to the GT. When I bought my GT in 2000, I did not even consider the SE because of all the cladding, but if I were shopping now, I definetly would.

ottawaguy · July 2002

Any pics of '03 GA? I've been trying to find any, can't. Just some spy photos...

gagmman · July 2002

It depends on how it has been treated,i have a 1993 pontiac grand am with a v-6 3.3 and i wouldnt trade it for any other car and it has 130k
miles but is still going strong.The headgasket on
that is the only thing that usually goes wrong but you said that they replaced it so it should be a good car to you.

montanafan · July 2002

Have also seen the '03 Grand Am. The "cladding" is gone. All that is left is a 1/2 inch side molding. If you want a picture, just look at an Olds Alero doors and imagine them with Grand Am bumpers.

gagmman · July 2002

I have a 1993 pontiac grand am se 2-door with a
v-6 3.3,and im trying to do things to make it look
good that isnt too expensive but ive ran out of
ideas,anybody have any suggestions on what i can
do to make it look good.Any suggestions would be
appreciated.

ddddddd7 · July 2002

I have a 2001 GT Grand am when i go 70mph or so I get a noise from the front tires sometimes that sounds loud but not like metal, could this be brakes or the do you think the tires aren't balanced? Any Ideas, only at high highway speeds

gagmman · July 2002

If your tires were out of balance it would not
cause it to make a loud noise it would just start
to make the car shake a little,it sounds like you
have a problem with your brakes or other front end
problem,if i were you i would not drive it very
fast until i got it checked out.

beach15 · July 2002

Still want more:

http://www.nncp.com/Pontiac/index.html#grand_am

beach15 · July 2002

http://www.woodbridgepontiac.com/Pontiac/index.html#grand_am

beach15 · July 2002

http://www.woodbridgepontiac.com/Pontiac/index.html#grand_am

beach15 · July 2002

http://www.starcars.com/Pontiac/index.html#grand_am

beach15 · July 2002

http://www.driveultimate.com/Pontiac/index_grand_am.html

beach15 · July 2002

http://www.driveultimate.com/Pontiac/index_grand_am.html

beach15 · July 2002

Sorry for all the posts!

I tried to condense the last few links into a single post, but of course, this stupid Edmunds board kept giving me the "115 character limit" for every link, even though it wasn't the case.

Hope the pics help!

dindak · July 2002

I like the 03 much better though I still prefer the looks of our Alero over all.

rrzepa · July 2002

The warning light in the shape of battery stays
on my 94 when I drive. Car seems little bit weaker
as well. I still can start the car without problems (battery is good ?) so I am coming to conclusion that the alternator is dying slowly.

Can it be something else ? How hard is it to change the alternator ?

pat · July 2002

Folks, you may use the "img src" tags to display pictures in your messages only if you actually own the picture. Otherwise, the Town Hall can find itself in copyright hot water.

Posting links is fine (as long as it is okay with the host site, of course).

Thanks.

Pat
Sedans Host

vocus · July 2002

It looks just like the Alero now, except for the front and rear fascias. That's no fun, it's not unique anymore.

the_art_guy · July 2002

I agree with vocus, the 2003 SE has lost all of its character without the body cladding. It does look just like an Alero with a Grand Am front and rear. The 2003 GTs still look good, except the redesigned chrome wheels don't look as nice as the '02s and earlier.

I own a 2000 GA SE and have to say that I didn't like all of the cladding (I thought it was too excessive) but now I've grown to like it. It sure beats getting your door dinged in the parking lot!

Anyways, that's just my two cents worth. The 2004 Grand Ams are going to be hot! The spy photos look like it's going to be bigger, and the engine is being targeted for 200+ hp to go head to head with the new Altima and Accord.

mwdream · July 2002

has anyone done this mod and if so what did you think? are you happy? is there a noticeable difference in the power gain?

Feel free to email me directly please...

mwdream at aol . com

tomcat630 · July 2002

I think the 03's look fine, the cladding was so over 7 years ago.

The Alero is dying and the GA is taking it's place. So many say they "like the Alero better", anyway.

heng · July 2002

I didn't know they made one

jkidd2 · July 2002

I went and looked at one this weekend. It really does look like an Alero from the side now. BORING! Now, it really looks like a rental car. Glad I got my '02 when I did.

smartguy8514 · July 2002

hi im looking at a 98 grand am gt 5spd with 55,000 miles on it for about 6 grand. i was wondering have any of you had any experience with this 98 grand am. thanx in advance

rat284 · July 2002

Hey...now that the Grand Am SE looks just like an Alero, I kinda like it. I would even buy one, if I never had to go inside, and the Alero weren't still around. What? They're not making the coupe anymore? Nevermind. Anyway, for those who don't like it, just be glad they didn't do to the Grand Am what they did to the Cavalier. Now that's one ugly piece of machinery.

rat284 · July 2002

That price really doesn't sound like such a good deal. I recently saw a '97 Olds Achieva (same design as GA) 5-speed with 49k gradually drop from $6000 to $4000 in the paper over the course of weeks. Granted, they are less desirable. I was never a big fan of the '92-'98 Grand Ams to begin with. But by 1998 especially, they were outclassed by any number of rivals.

The '99+ Grand Am is a great car, if you like the styling, but they're also going for a lot more money than the '98s. Unfortunately, they didn't get a manual until '01.

If you're looking for an American car in this class with a manual transmission, my favorite is the Contour/Mystique (and I'm a GM guy). I'd look around some more in any case.

oakland · July 2002

I have had to take my 200 GT in for brakes 3 times. Once at 17,000 miles, at 28,000 miles and now at 32,000 miles. Does any one else have this many problems with their brakes?

burdawg · July 2002

The 17,000 sounds about right, and the 28,000 isn't off to far (I assume you do a lot of suburban/city driving), 32,000 is way to soon. Sounds like something wasn't done right last time. I have two GA's and 12 - 15K on front brakes has been the norm. I never go more than 30K on rotors (that means they are changed every other brake job) and I only use high quality aftermarket ones. Most of our driving is stop and go around town and freeway, which is actually pretty severe on brakes.

azwmm · July 2002

'99Grand AM SE2 44k, with original brakes. I guess it all depends on where you have to drive, city or freeway. Did just replace the original Goodyear Eagle LS tires with Bridgestone Potenza RE 940. Anyone else try these tires on their GA?

the_art_guy · July 2002

I have a 2000 Grand Am SE with about 58k miles. I do a lot of driving (about 320 miles a week) but it's mostly highway/parkway driving. I have the 3.4L V6 and I consistantly average between 29-32 mpg. I recently had my serpentine belt changed at my last oil change. While I was there, the service tech also told me that my struts might be the next thing to need replacement within the next 10k miles or so. This was at Midas, and he was very nice and informative, I might go back there in the future.

Any how, I was wondering if what he said is true. While my struts are fine now, should I expect to have them replaced in the near future? He also told me that it is hard to judge when struts need replacement because all of a sudden they just wear out, and that you should replace them in pairs (i.e. both front and/or both rear at the same time). Is this also true?

I've also heard that people have had their water pumps replaced around as many miles as I have on my car. Is that something that is costly, and are there any warning sings that I should look for to know if my water pump is starting to fail?

All in all, I have had no major repairs on my Silvermist metallic Grand Am. Just as a note, I did have my brake rotors replaced (under warranty) at around 34k miles and have not had them even turned once since then...I guess I'm one of the lucky ones!

burdawg · July 2002

All these shops like to advise replacing struts (or strut cartridges) at about 60K. It's something they do a lot of and it's relatively easy money if you have the right equipment. Personally I wouldn't change them unless you notice some strange tire wear or bouncing on rough pavement. Replacing in pairs (both fronts or both rears) is the right way to go however.
Another issue is the replacement of serpentine belts. The factory manual specifically addresses the fact that cracks in the ribs of the belt aren't reason enough to replace it. The strength in a serpentine belt is in the flat part of the belt, the ribs keep it aligned on the pulley. The manual recommends replacing the belt when sections of rib are seen to be missing, or the flat part of the belt is damaged or deteriorating. This is different than old v-belts, which when were found to have a good bit of cracking were ready for replacement. The local tire center recommended replacing all the v-belts on my old Suburban the when I had tires put on the front. They didn't look that bad to me, and it's been three years, and they still don't look bad. I did change the serpentine belt on my 99 SE at 65K, but it was more for peace of mind since I drive through a lot of desert areas on a regular basis and try to avoid breakdowns.
I wouldn't worry about the water pump unless it's leaking. Here's another area where there's no way to predict longivety, and don't let anyone talk you into replacing it early. Just keep your eye on the coolant level and any orange puddles (I assume you still have Dexcool in it) underneath. It's less expensive to change a water pump in the V6 than the Quad 4 because of accessibility.
I also haven't had any major repairs on my 99 (72K miles). I did have to change the fan speed control board (resistor board) but that's pretty minor.
On our 95SE we did have to have AC work last year (70K miles) to the tune of about $800, and the combination switch on the column replaced some time ago, but that's all.
Both cars still look real good. That's amazing considering my daughter has been using the 95 at college for three years. That ugly cladding sure has saved the sides!

Pontiac Grand Am

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