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Pontiac Grand Am

2589 messages,  Last post on May 21, 2013 at 9:27 PM

You are in the Pontiac Grand Am Forum.

What is this discussion about? Pontiac Grand Am, Sedan

Messages Page 184 of 260

#1822 of 2589 supercharger question.... by eilliott123

Jun 17, 2004 (1:07 pm)

thanks for the info.. i asked him about all the points that you brought up.
 
1. it does require premium gasoline (which really sucks)
2. the supercharger is a gm part and was put in by a pontiac dealership and therefore warranty is not affected
3. the car has extended warranty till 2007 so ill be safe for 3 years.
4. as for insurance it will affect it.. however what the insurance agent does not know cant hurt him
5. im from canada so we are pretty lax about emissions over here
 
and lastly.. that car really flies... i have a 2003 3.4 gls alero... and there is no comparison.
 
i think ill be making an offer pretty soon and see where things go from tehre.
 
by the way is $18000 CAN($13500 US dollars) for the car a good deal? it has 24000km (14900mi) and is a 2002 grand am gt 2dr with sunroof with a magnasupercharger and an extra 3 years remaining on warranty.... let me know
 
thanks

#1823 of 2589 Parking brake adjustment by ijennings1

Jul 12, 2004 (12:54 pm)

I have a 2002 3.4 V6 and the parking brake is coming right up as far as you can go and needs adjusting. Does anyone know if this is easy to do? Does it have a separate inboard drum or use the discs on the rear? I know I can get under there and have a look, but i have a shoulder injury and am undecided to take it to a shop or wait until I'm better and do it myself.
I reckon the cable has streetched and needs bringing in.
Thanks in anticipation.

#1824 of 2589 04 Grand Am GT Coupe by nick4597

Jul 30, 2004 (1:48 pm)

Purchasing an 04 Grand Am GT Coupe tomorrow... lil worried with all the problems everyone has in EVERY board I read. Did they fix any of the common issues that plagued the models pre-04? Just thought i'd ask. Also, anything I should be watching out for in my new car?

#1825 of 2589 Reality Bites by dick60

Jul 31, 2004 (3:12 pm)

My 1999 red 4-door GT1 has provided me 5 1/2 years of flawless driving accumulating 48,000 miles. However, on Wednesday my A/C failed. The cost of repair together with other identified problems cost me $2,087.00. The A/C compressor was replaced at a cost of $1,100; the intake manifold gasket showed leakage and was replaced at a cost of $600; the power steering pump was making a strange noise and was replaced at cost of $150; several hoses, coolant,serpentine drive belt and water pump were replaced at no labor cost.
 
So, hopefully, I have replaced all obvious maintenance items and will get another 5 1/2 years of flawless driving.
 
Note: some of the items were normal maintenance items such as the belts, coolant, hoses etc.
 
However, I did not expect the A/C compressor to give such a short life of operation.

#1826 of 2589 Fuel Fliter change? by ijennings1

Aug 01, 2004 (10:47 am)

Does anyone know if there is a fuel filter change on the 3.4 Alero? It does not say so in my handbook, but I normally chnage them around 30,000 miles maximum. If there is, where is it situated and is there a pressure release switch to activate first?
Thanks.
 
Ian

#1827 of 2589 dick60- by burdawg

Aug 03, 2004 (10:39 am)

I've been led to expect a 5 year lifespan on AC compressors in R134 systems, a little longer for old R12 systems. My own experience seems to also reflect this. Mileage doesn't seem to be a big factor in this, age does.
For example: Our 95 Grand Am had the compressor replaced in 2001. My now wrecked 99 was still working OK till the wreck on 3/31/04 at 93,000 miles. I don't know how much longer it would have lasted, the compressor was getting noisy. My 85 Suburban, now 19 years old, is on it's third compressor (replaced again in spring 03), but remember it's an R12 system. Contrast this with our old 1980 Mercedes 280 (R12) which has the original compressor, and actually the only AC repairs to it in 25 years has been replacement of the high pressure hose (at least in the sealed AC system). Go figure.
As far as the intake manifold gaskets, that's a known problem with the V6 (actually, many aluminum V6's) and has been discussed here quite often before.
I suppose a power steering pump failure can happen that early, but I would need a little more reason than just a "strange noise".
One thing though, why was the water pump changed? Was it leaking?
After my 99 was rear ended (hard), I took the settlement and bought an 04 Grand Am GT. I did the same cost/value assessment, figuring in the same repairs that were done on the 99, and found it to still be a good bargain over the higher priced competition, as long as you don't plan to sell it or trade it within a few years.

#1828 of 2589 Grand Am Water Temp by robnyva

Aug 05, 2004 (9:44 pm)

Bought a New 04 grand am gt v6 Ram Air this past Saturday and I love the car. About 250 miles on the car
My Car coolant temp from the gauge on the dashboard runs from 200-205 Normal load No harsh conditions other than being the summer.
 Any car Ive ever owned never ran this hott, 180-190 seems the Norm.

#1829 of 2589 Normal by burdawg

Aug 06, 2004 (7:21 am)

That's normal. If your out in the southwest desert going uphill on a day that's 110+ it usually goes a little higher.

#1830 of 2589 04 Grand Am GT Coupe by nick4597

Aug 09, 2004 (1:21 pm)

I also just purchased a black GT Coupe end of July. The car is real quick and feels real solid (for now at least). Does seem to go through gas almost as bad as the 4Runner I got out of, we'll see after I break it in a bit. REALLY love the Monsoon MP3 player (I got 190 songs on one CD)... who needs a CD changer? My car seems to run in the 200-205 temp range also, my last car was slightly less but ever car is spec'd differently. Got it for $18,250 w/ the package that includes the moonroof, wheels, monsoon, etc. It's a shame they're re-naming the replacement, Grand Am's have a great history. Oh well.

#1831 of 2589 acceleration problem by lizzy79

Sep 12, 2004 (6:23 pm)

My car did something very scary today. When I tried to brake, my car would not slow down. The RPMs jumped up to 7 and would not go down. Even my emergency brake did not stop the car. I had to throw it in to park. When I did, the car made a terrible grinding noise and finally came to a stop. The engine was still revving so I turned off the car. When I turned it back on the RPM jumped immediately to the red line. It did that both times I started the car. Finally, the third time I started it, it was normal. I've had a similar problem before and the dealer told me they couldn't find anything wrong with my car. Has anyone had a similar problem or any idea about what it might be?

Messages Page 184 of 260

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