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Pontiac Grand Am

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Comments

  • scott13713scott13713 Member Posts: 11
    i have a 1993 grand am gt with the 16valve high output quad 4. The engine has just been redone, with new valves, refinished head, timing chain... the works. The problem is the exhaust was replaced awhile back by a different owner and they decided to put a single muffler and tailpipe versus the dual pipes and muffler it had. Now, the problem is that the engine is very unresponsive and seems like it has less power than it should ( i had a regular quad 4 with a 5 spd and its comparable to that) My question was reguarding the exhaust: will that extra restriction on the exhaust make the engine run weak and respond terribly to acceleration. i know on the high output engines they really needed to breathe through the exhaust but i needed some input from a more experinced person. Thanks
    scott
  • jtrujillo86jtrujillo86 Member Posts: 300
    hey guys! Today, I was look at a 99 Grand Am SE with the 3.4 V6 fully loaded with 24K on her. I drove it and it was a DREAM next to my 97 Malibu and extreamly powerful, even with the A/C on. What do you guys think? Is this a good deal? Do the 3.4's have the same gasket problems as the 3.1 in the Malibu's? Any response is appreciated!

    Jeremy
  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    On a major carbuying site, I've seen a base Grand Am for $12,214 (incl. all discounts). PLUS there's a $750 GM loyalty rebate, so it's down to $11,500 or so!! Unbelievable, for such a large, substantial sedan. Should I bite? I mean, Accords/Camrys/Altimas are all at least $6,000 MORE expensive right now.
  • jkidd2jkidd2 Member Posts: 218
    I posted this in another forum, but thought I would share with you guys too. Although I no longer own a Grand Am, I still have fond memories of the two I owned.

    http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=6328&n=156,- 178&sid=178
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Yeck!
  • jkidd2jkidd2 Member Posts: 218
    The rear end sorta looks like a Neon don't you think?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    The whole thing reminds me of a Ford Focus also. It looks another cookie cutter Toyota whatchamacallit or Nissan tomuchhpforit. I guess when my 99 finally retires I'm back to a big body Mercedes.
  • dlw2dlw2 Member Posts: 4
    Does this sound familiar to any of you Grand Am owners? Upon starting the car (although not always)it is very hard to start and will sometimes die once it catches. The dealer says I am taking my hand off the key to early and this is "normal". Hmm..I have had 4 Grand Ams and have been driving for years. I now have GM working on this but..they also insist it can't be the alarm or remote starter. It seems to happen more if I drive and stop a few times. Other days it starts on a dime! Help! Am I the only one w/ this problem?
  • moeharrimoeharri Member Posts: 108
    I also have a 2001 gt and noticed that if I put the key in the ignition and turn it right away to start the car, it seems to take quite a while to start compared to other cars I've had. However, if I put the key in and turn it to where the accessories come on (and the gas gauge I believe moves) and pause about 2 or 3 seconds, then when I start the car, it seems to start right up. I've learned to deal with it, but have had quite a few times where I figured the car would have been started and then had to re-try starting the car. Let me know if they find anything :-) Thanks.
  • rubes0322rubes0322 Member Posts: 1
    I read on one of the posts that there are manuals to help the poor...mr. fix-it...car owner. It is for the multi function which I read about in msg. 1565. Question is I don't know where to get it from? Any help?

    Thanks
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    try helm inc on the internet. Do a search. I ordered manuals from them for my 03 LeSabre. They list their manuals on the internet.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • dick59dick59 Member Posts: 9
    My 1999 GT1 has always started instantly. However, the past few months it would sometimes take two times to start and keep running. I replaced the battery and now it starts instantly again and stays running. The other clue that I needed a new battery was the frequent occurrence of the ABS warning light coming on. Apparently, if the battery volt output is low it causes this warning light to be activated. However, with a new battery all these woes went away. I got close to 5 years out of the battery and my tires and brakes are original with 42000 miles. Great car.
  • dlw2dlw2 Member Posts: 4
    See message#1698..Discovered gas leaking into the regulator and fuel inj clogged. Part of the problem was they found debris in the gas tank from the BP gas. I have gone to the same station for 20 yrs. Cost me $140 to clean fuel inj w/ only 11700 miles on the car! For all of you w/ staring problems have the dealer check the fuel regulator!
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    dlw2, sorry it turned out to be an expensive fix, but glad you got your GA running well again.

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  • lash92sseilash92ssei Member Posts: 35
    Don't understand why your fuel filter did not catch the trash out of your tank?
  • lash92sseilash92ssei Member Posts: 35
    October 2003

    • October 3-5, 2003, 2003 Pontiac/ Oakland/GMC Western Regional, Long Beach, CA. Sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of POCI at the Long Beach Mariott in Long Beach, California. For more information, contact: Chuck Abbott 949-362-1477; e-mail: Chasroy@cox.net, or visit: http://clubs.hemmings.com/sccpoci

    • October 4, 2003, Pontiac-Oakland- GMC Trucks Show,Thornton,CO. Sponsored by the Colorado Chapter of POCI at Grand Auto, 2000 W.104th Avenue, Thornton, Colorado. Rain date October 11th. For more information, contact: Mike 303-708-9715 (evenings); e-mail: michael.g.kemp@att.net, or Bill Colburn 303-650-4663.

    • October 5, 2003, 24th Annual All Pontiac-Oakland Car Show, Bogota, NJ. Sponsored by the Garden State Chapter of POCI at Sifford Pontiac-GMC, 250 W. Fort Lee Road, Bogata, New Jersey. For more information, contact: Steve Kiellar 201-652-5651 or Greg Pavan 973-471-5619.

    • October 11, 2003, 16 Annual Drag Race Fun Day, Cordova, IL. Hosted by the Blackhawk Chapter of POCI at Cordova Dragway Park (CDP), Cordova, Illinois. For more information, contact: Dean 309-797-4985 or 309-788-7636; e-mail: deanfait@aol.com

    • October 11, 2003, POW WOW at the Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC. Spon- sored by the Palmetto Chapter of POCI. Held at the Nascar Cafe in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For more information, contact: Linda Bray 803-957-0481; e-mail: lbray@sc.rr.com

    • October 12, 2003, 8th Annual All Pontiac Show, Houston, PA. Presented by the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of POCI in conjunction with Houston1s Pumpkin Festival. For more information, contact: Joe Wheat 412-922-0616 (9 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F), or Pete Rust 412- 833-1441 (after 5 p.m.).

    • October 19,2003, 3rd Annual All Pontiac-Oakland-GMC Show, Greenbelt, MD. Hosted by the National Capitol Area Chapter of POCI at Capitol Pontiac-GMC, Greenbelt Road in Greenbelt, Maryland.For more information, call: John Gott 410-604-2577.

    • October 26, 2003, 3rd Annual All- Pontiac Halloween Car Show, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Sponsored by the Hurricane Chapter of POCI at Pines Pontiac-GMC-Buick in Pembroke Pines. For more information, call: 305-648-0623, email: POCIHurricane@ATT.Net, or visit: www.SouthFloridaPontiacs.org
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Can anyone remember if you could get a GA in years 92 - 95 without AC?
    I replaced the alternator recently on our 95SE 4 cyl, and doing so noticed that the belt tensioner had gone bad. Since the car wasn't needed on a regular basis I decided to order parts from GM on the internet. Three parts were called out in the online catalog, the tensioner, pulley, and belt. I ordered all three. I assumed the pulley was the pulley mounted on the tensioner since it's removable.
    Anyway, when the parts came, there was a belt, a tensioner with the pulley already mounted, and another large pulley on a bracket. The belt and tensioner are fine, but I can't figure out what this other pulley would have been for. It looks to me like it would take the place of the AC compressor if AC wasn't installed. As I remember it AC wasn't optional, at least in the US, and at least in 95.
    Any thoughts? I have all the part #'s if interested.
  • dlw2dlw2 Member Posts: 4
    Response to #1706..I am not sure why the gas filter didn't help to keep the debris out of the tank I believe the dealer wanted me to clean the fuel inj for my health not because there was a problem. How do I know if there really was debris in the tank? I never saw it!
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    I have a 96 SE 4 banger w/o air conditioning, not sure of earlier years
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Before my daughter came over and picked up the car, I took a closer look and I'm sure it's an idler pulley for A/C delete. It's to bad the online catalog doesn't list it that way (usually they do). It would make it easier. As it is, the listing for the tensioner doesn't say w/pulley, so it is a little confusing.
  • sbogossbogos Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1999, 4-cylinder Pontiac Grand Am (not a GT model or anything special), and the check oil light comes on every 6,000 miles so that I have to take it somewhere (usually the dealer) to change the oil and kill the light. A friend recently told me that there is some funky combination of turning the car on and off and pumping the brakes. Does anybody know what the secret is to make the "Check Oil" light go off?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Is this the 'change oil' light you are referring to? Check your owner's manual, it will have something in there on how to turn off the light when getting the car serviced.
  • nthdgreeenthdgreee Member Posts: 24
    I have a 2003 Grand Am.
    I want to change the oil but I cannot find the filter location within the engine area, can someone tell me where it is? By the looks of the filter at the auto store it's some kind of inline drop in type.
  • cornellpinoycornellpinoy Member Posts: 196
    To access the filter, you need to remove a black plastic panel that runs underneath the lower radiator support. Its not that hard remove the fasteners. I'm glad Pontiac decided to protect the filter like this since the Grand Am does sit low. I've seen more than my share of damaged engines on other brands due to something hitting the oil filter causing the oil to leak out and the engine to seize.
  • larryk5larryk5 Member Posts: 25
    My 16 year old is about to get a car and she likes the Grand Am. I have an 02 Accord EX and assume the size is about the same. Any suggestions on a used Grand Am, ie, what year model to look for or stay away from and what sort of quality issues will I come up against?

    Thanks
    Larry
  • 111203111203 Member Posts: 1
    hi everyone
    I'm new to this board. I just purchased a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am SE Does anyone know of any major problems with this vehicle that I would need to be aware of. First time Pontiac Grand Am buyer. It currently has 35,000 miles.
    Would appreciate any info.
    Thanks Cindy
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I would personally choose something smaller and, hence, less powerful, for a new driver. Maybe a Civic, Corolla, or Protege. The Grand Ams are pretty reliable, and parts and labor is cheap if something does go wrong.
  • stickymanstickyman Member Posts: 53
    Larry, faced with this decision 5 years ago and I chose a 99 Sunfire for my daughter. Two week after her first drive, she was rear-ended and the car protected her to the max...Once she went to college (125 miles away), I got her a 2001 Grand Am GT (V-6) and it has been great. No major issues, just the normal wear and tear things. I just traded it in on a 03 GT GA; zero percent finance and new warranty. Great looks, power, CD player etc....girls love it..Good luck, your daughter is lucky..
  • safetyredsafetyred Member Posts: 14
    If you want to find out if there are any recalls/major problems with your car, go to a website called "Alldata", it's alldata.com. They have a section called "Recalls and TSB's" (Technical Service Bulletins). You just put in your make, model, engine size, and year and then it gives you the info you are looking for.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    But you have to pay for the car and year membership to get the text of the TSB.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Stop by and visit with 0patience and alcan in our own Technical Service Bulletins discussion. They will get you the text of relevant TSBs.
  • drivehard1drivehard1 Member Posts: 20
    Well you probably will have brake rotor problems, maybe some minor fit-n-finish issues, and possibly a intake gasket leak, other than that you shoudl enjoy your car. I have a Galaxy Silver 2003 GT, very nice car. However i have 21,000 miles, the rotors have been replaced twice, the front suspension pops every now and then, and the trim came off my back window. Other than those minor issues I do like this car.
  • deb789deb789 Member Posts: 2
    Im recieving Abs and Low Trac on my dashboard. I have a 98 Pontiac GrandAm Se with 107,000 miles on it. How do i remove these lights on dashboard?
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    The warning lights indicate a problem with the ABS/ETS systems. Since both lights are on it could be a wheel speed sensor problem. Sensor or wiring to the sensor. The only way to get the lights to go out is to have the car repaired. Find a local service station, dealership, or parts store that can scan for trouble indicator codes and see what the problem may be and what the cost to repair might be.
  • the_art_guythe_art_guy Member Posts: 61
    Well this is the first real replacement maintenance that I've had to do to my 2000 Grand Am SE. I've been noticing that my coolant had been slowly leaking out of the resevoir, which was leaking down the engine, collecting dirt and ending up on the ground looking almost like oil. I took it in to the shop and A LOT of $$$ and a day later I had a new intake gasket set and o-rings. Upon doing some research on the web, I've found that both the 3.1L and 3.4L V6 engines that GM puts in these cars (among other models) is prone to this gasket failure.

    Apparently, the gasket material is inferior and not of good quality, causing a failure which results in a coolant leak into, or out of your engine...bottom line is this is not good and I can't believe that GM is recognizing this and not doing anything about it. If you let this leak go long enough it can SERIOUSLY damage your engine.

    So all I can say is take a good look at your engine, or have your intake gaskets inspected and replace them if necessary...oh and be ready to pay because it's expensive! :) The labor alone will run you around 8 hours.
  • frazier2003frazier2003 Member Posts: 1
    I have had my 2003 Grand Am GT 4 dr for 3 1/2 months and it has 3800 miles on it. My low coolant light came on last week quickly and then didn't come back on for a week. When it came on again I looked at the coolant and it was practically gone. The dealer said the intake manifold has to be replaced, it was manufactured poorly they said. Has anyone else had any problems similar to this with a newer car? It seems like a strange problem to me and I question the long-term effects on my car from this.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    The intake gasket problem is well known on 3.1L and 3.4L V6. I keep an eye on my 2000 Alero and hope it holds out. How much did it cost and was it a GM dealer who did the work?
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    I had the intake gaskets replaced on my 99 at about 84K. It was around $1000. It had been seeping for awhile, but finally started to leak to much to manage. The oil pump drive shaft o ring was replaced at the same time along with coolant and oil flushes. In my opinion the oil flush is of dubious benefit since I change the oil at 3K intervals.
    I already knew this was a potential problem and wasn't surprised by it. Actually, the Pontiac has been no better or no worse on the average than any other vehicle I've owned, foreign or domestic.
    All work was done at Westminster Pontiac GMC in Westminster, CA. By the way, that's one of the best dealer service departments I've ever dealt with.
  • mikey00mikey00 Member Posts: 462
    My Alero has been a wonderful car and if the intake gasket goes, no big deal. I was hoping to get closer to $500 for the job by staying away from the dealer.
  • the_art_guythe_art_guy Member Posts: 61
    Mikey00...
    I second what Burdawg said, my situation was exactly like his. I have almost 90k on my 2000 Grand Am and I had my repairs done at my local Midas shop, they have decent prices, are always very friendly and curteous and have a nationwide warranty on all their work. My total cost was $940, which included replacing the intake gaskets, oil pump O-rings, but that also included an oil change and tire rotation. If you can do it for $500 more power to you...the labor rates up here in the Washington DC metro area are around $70/hour.

    I avoided my dealer like the plague because I don't think they do very good work and they are really expensive. And my car is well out of warranty so I don't really have any reason to take it there anymore.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I didn't know you lived in the DC area. If you think the Pontiac dealers are expensive, you should try the VW dealers! Labor there is $82 an hour, I was told by one in College Park...
  • goblues1goblues1 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone! Just wanted to get any info possible regarding a coolant leak I have developed on my 2000 Pontiac Grand Am GT Sedan. The vehicle has only 34,xxx miles on it but is out of warranty due to purchase date. I have noticed a antifreeze smell and a small amount of antifreeze (Dexcool) beneath the vehicle after it sets a while. The leak appears to be on the drivers side. I popped the hood and noticed a small amount of antifreeze on the side of the head and leaking down to the transaxle and settling there. Could this be a cracked head or bad head gasket? Or could it be leaking from the temperature sensor next to the head at the water neck? Any previous similar cases out there?
    Thank you.
  • burdawgburdawg Member Posts: 1,524
    Sounds like the intake manifold gasket as has been discussed here numerous times.
  • bobkondz1bobkondz1 Member Posts: 1
    The problem with heating cooling fan problem is very typical in Grand Am's. The problem typically starts with the fan's 1st & 2nd speed not working but the 3rd-5th working fine. Although it is an annoyance, most people deal with it. My '00 Grand AM Gt had the problem for several months. One day, I started to smell plastic burning, then smoke, then I heard a pop.

    After an investigation, an a conversation with a friend that is an engineer at Denso Automotive - the Japanese company responsible for the system - the fix was rather cheap and simple.

    There is a small circuit boad that is relativly easy to get at that controls the fan. The board was poorly designed and is not thermaly protected. The replacment part is around $23.00 and dealers typically stock them because the problem is common.

    To get at the board, remove the kick pannel by the passenger RH seay. Upon removing, you can look under the dash and see the fan motor. Toward the drive side of the fan, you will see a wire harness facing up going into the board. remove the harness. To remove the board, simply unfasten the bolt (its a little tricky to turn without a very small cresent wrench cause it's hard to get a socket up there) and the small board will drop down. You will probably be able see the burnt part that is shorted. The replacement part from the dealer will have a black thermo coating and will be protected for this problem.

    I have fixed this problem in the Grand Am's of 3 friends and co-workers including a '99 GT, '00 GT, and a '01 GT
  • flatblastflatblast Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 grand am gt.....i had the problem of the low coolant light and then checking my coolant and having it be totally gone. I had my water pump replaced and it had been fine since.
  • the_art_guythe_art_guy Member Posts: 61
    goblues1...

    It sounds like you might have the same problem that I had, your intake gasket might need to be replaced. I would take it to your local shop and have them check it out, they can tell you whether or not it has failed. I just had mine replaced and it's not cheap, the majority of the cost is for the labor since they have to take part of the engine apart.

    We have GM to thank for this wonderful problem! :(
  • jtrujillo86jtrujillo86 Member Posts: 300
    Hey guys! I was wondering what everyone thinks about the 03 Grand Am SE1 with the V6 engine. I am 17 shopping for my SECOND car. I did have a 97 Malibu with the 3.1 V6 and that was a heap. I already know that the 3.4 V6's in the G.A.'s are prone to the same intake manifold gasket problems as in my Malibu. I figure that if the car is awesome EXCEPT for that problem, I'll be happy. I was getting pretty tired, however, of paying $200-$500 per month to keep my Malibu running well. I can't handle the stress with that and if this car is high maintenance, let me know now. Anyway, the vehicle that I am looking at is a 2003 G.A. SE1 V6 with about 28.5K miles on it. It has power windows, locks, mirrors, A/T, tilt, A/C, alloys, and a spoiler. It is light driftwood metallic (not the color choice of any normal 17 year old, but I think it looks kinda cool on the G.A.'s). I can pick it up for $10,988, but I'm sure if I tell them $10.5K OTD on the spot, they won't put up too much of a fight.

    Anyway, please let me know what you think. Thanks a lot!

    Jeremy
  • jtrujillo86jtrujillo86 Member Posts: 300
    I went to look at the 03 G.A. - I wasn't THAT impressed. I think the stereos that GM is putting into the G.A.'s and 03 Malibu's are disgusting and WAY to plain. Also, I wasn't a fan of the interior patterns. It did, however, have decent power and good brakes. It didn't come with a remote keyless entry system which I was hoping for. I asked (since it was a Pontiac dealer) if they could throw one in for free and his reply was, "absolutely not". What the?? It's called dealing pal!

    On the bright side I saw a nice 02 Oldsmobile Alero. It had a few more things than the 03 G.A. (traction control, for one). It was a bit less than the Pontiac and had about 4K miles less on it as well. I'm going back Friday to do some dealing. We'll see what happens.

    Jeremy
  • buggywhipbuggywhip Member Posts: 188
    My 95 Achieva (same 3.1L engine as the Grand Am) has been slurping coolant for years. I add about 2 cups/wk to the plastic reservoir, although I could probably add even more. My reservoir is NEVER full. I really have no idea where it's going. I don't smell it, there are no puddles, perhaps it's burning off. I replaced the heater core and I thought that would solve it but no chance.........the thing is, it's livable. I'm not dumping $1k into a car from a now-defunct GM division that's barely worth $2k itself (Edmunds TMV). Cars can survive with leaky intake gaskets for years. But if I had a 2000 GA with the same prob, I'd be furious........the most tragic thing is that the 3.1L mill is a wonderful engine otherwise. Great power and economy and flawless shifts. Never leaked a drop of oil. GM, it seems, can never get the whole package right.
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