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Pontiac Grand Am Maintenance & Repair

473 messages,  Last post on Jan 21, 2013 at 12:48 PM

You are in the Pontiac Grand Am Forum.

What is this discussion about? Pontiac Grand Am, Auto Repair, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 25 of 48

#239 of 473 Re: 2001 Grand Am V6 intake manifold gasket [scs111] by screwedbygm

Nov 14, 2007 (2:15 pm)

Replying to: scs111 (Feb 10, 2007 2:39 pm)
It's not that the Grand Am is a particularly bad vehicle; on the contrary it's pretty good overall. Problem is that both GM and its dealers will screw you as hard as possible every chance they get. GM supports rogue dealerships in preference to its customers and insists upon keeping Technical Service Bulletins secret from its customers. Dealers keep known problems secret from customers during the waranty period, even when a customer presents with a known problem, since they make a smaller profit from warranty repairs than they do when they are able to sock full price to ignorant customers. The only time a customer can expect a no-cost repair from a known defect is when there is a full NHTSA safety recall and, even then, the typical VIN range of the recall often does not include tens of thousands of vehicles with the identical problem, as is was for me.
     In my case, a 2000 Grand Am GT Coupe with a 3.4V-6, the car was delivered in badly damaged condition by a rogue dealership with dented driver's door column, a damaged wiper arm, a severely scratched windshield and a couple of accessories missing. The dealer refused to replace the missing accessories, to repair the damaged door (it would have needed to be replaced) or to replace the windshield. They did reluctantly repair the windshield wiper arm and repair the windshield by grinding and polishing the scratches. GM took the position that the problem was between me and the delivering dealership and refused to intercede or assist, leaving me with the option to sue if I wished -- and everybody knew that legal expenses would outweigh the amount of any recovery. Not a good start!
     With mileage in the high 20,000's the car started "consuming" both oil and coolant, very slowly at first and then gradually increasing over time. When complaints were made to the dealership within the 36,000-mile warranty period, I was told that this was a normal condition for this 3.4 engine in spite of their insider knowledge by secret TSB's 030601010 and 030601010B of March 1 & October 1, 2003 respectively that there was an intake gasket incompatibilty with the Dexcool extended life coolant that should have entitled me to a warranty repair. Also the blower motor resistor and connectors that permit slow speed operation of the heating/cooling/defrosting fan were burned out, for which a warranty repair was refused on the grounds that the fan would still operate the defrosters at high speed and, as such, did not present a safety issue -- it was news to me that GM's warranty only applies to safety issues or NHTSA recalls!
     Once the car was out of warranty, the original rogue dealer was happy to inform me that I needed an intake manifold gasket replacement for $695 (thank you very much). At the same time, the car was suffering from the now well-publicized, cracked hazard warning switch problem behind the dashboard that ultimately became a recall item under various secret TSB's and NHTSA I/D #'s. This in turn burned out the main turn signal switch on the steering column.
      The car was eventually taken to a different Pontiac dealership where the intake manifold gasket, hazard warning switch and turn signal switches were replaced for a grand total of $986. The extra $291 for the switch replacements were claimed to have been made at a courtesy discount rate since my VIN did not fall within the NHTSA safety recall range -- God help anyone having to pay the full price, however outrageous that might turn out to be! To this day, the blower motor resistor set and connectors have not been replaced even though the problem was documented by repair order complaint within the warranty period.
     So why am I bothering with this extensive Internet Rant? It's because I believe in the principle that "every dog deserves one bite" more then the more generous "three strikes and you're out", although GM has taken more than three strikes for their "out" in this instance. Nobody expects any manufacturer of a complicated piece of machinery to get everything perfect, every time. But when things turn out less perfect than expected, the customer has every right to expect the manufacturer to:-
           1) Deliver undamaged new product to the customer,
           2) Make Technical Service Bulletins public information,
           3) Stand by it's Warranty rather than lying about a problem, or its seriousness, until after warranty expiration, and
           4) Make repairs during warranty for any reason, not just for issues that may be safety or recall related.
     For the past 35-years or so, we have always had at least one vehicle from each of the domestic big 3 manufacturers and one import in the family and have ample history on customer service from each.
     Ford has never presented warranty problems but the Fix Or Repair Daily acronym does tend to present itself more frequently with age. We have had EXPENSIVE warranty issues with both Chrysler and Mitsubishi but, in both instances, dealers and manufacturers stepped up to take care of all problems completely, promptly and at no cost. Longer term, the Mitsubishi became unreliable and very expensive to maintain, however, but only GM has proven to be the renegade. Sadly, one only finds out about it when its too late.
    Our only answer is that my extended family has boycotted GM since their outrageous customer relations attitude became evident and we will continue to do so indefinitely -- that's quite a few vehicles that GM will not sell over a generation or two assuming that their attitude does not bankrupt them in the meantime -- something that it looks more and more as if they're capable of doing with or without any help from me. My hope is that this information spreads far and wide through this and other forums, that readers take my comments to heart and do themselves the biggest favor by boycotting GM too! In the long run, you'll thank me and your pocketbook will thank me, not to mention the frustration you'll avoid in trying to deal with a totally indifferent, adversarial organization.

#240 of 473 Re: 2001 Grand Am V6 intake manifold gasket [screwedbygm] by marjorine

Nov 22, 2007 (5:38 pm)

Replying to: screwedbygm (Nov 14, 2007 2:15 pm)
Honey, that's your own personal experience. My whole family has GM cars and never had an issue.

#241 of 473 98 pontiac grand am by amindian42

Nov 23, 2007 (11:34 am)

can anyone tell me where to find the thermostat

#242 of 473 Re: Security Light is ON [ambernmason] by pinky123

Nov 25, 2007 (3:59 pm)

Replying to: ambernmason (Sep 04, 2007 5:52 am)
Does anyone no the cause Mine came on yesterday and still on

#243 of 473 2003 grand am rear seat removal by rono396

Nov 25, 2007 (7:17 pm)

Does anyone know the easiest way to remove a rear seat from a `03 grand am?
Suggest any websites?
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

#244 of 473 Re: 2001 Grand Am V6 intake manifold gasket [marjorine] by screwedbygm

Nov 26, 2007 (1:47 pm)

Replying to: marjorine (Nov 22, 2007 5:38 pm)
That's the whole point, Marjorine. It's only when you DO have an issue, whether with a dealer or the product, that you will find yourself screwed as I have been. As far as my extended family is concerned, we're not prepared to be screwed again. GM has proven itself, by its actions, to have no integrity in cases where "issues" arise. As a result, our business goes elsewhere.

#245 of 473 3.1 lifter tap - any cures? by gear_head2000

Dec 18, 2007 (10:23 am)

Hey,
 
Sometimes a lifter or two in my '95 Grand Am (3.1) make waaaay too much noise. Sometimes they sound "normal", others I wonder if the whole neighborhood can hear it when I start the thing. Sometimes, it quiets after a few seconds, others it can go on for minutes or until I can't take the noise anymore so I drive something else.
 
Has anyone had this lifter tap on the 3.1V6 and cured it? HOW?

#246 of 473 99 grand am se 4 cylinder 2.4 liter by jenniboo

Dec 19, 2007 (7:50 am)

ok...i bought a 1999 grand am se 3 weeks ago...and have put 1200 into the heating system...thermostat..thermostat housing...water pump...sp's and sp boots...and replaced the egr valve another 200 and the catalytic converter 200...and still having the same problem...when i stop at a red light it idles kinda rough...vibrates bad and acts like it wants to cut out sometimes..im thinking its the idle set too low it idles at 500 rpm...i drove it this morning and it was idleing at 900 rpm and was so much better then went back down to 500 and ran rough again...could it be the idle too low? im at a loss and need some advice cannot afford another mechanic

#247 of 473 Re: My 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT [sparky121785] by jenniboo

Dec 19, 2007 (8:57 am)

Replying to: sparky121785 (Oct 12, 2006 9:19 am)
i completely understand how you feel i bought mine 3 weeks ago had the egr valve replaced and thermostat and water pump and catalytic converter..
 
when i put mine in the shop he told me since im close to 100,000 miles to have the timing chain replaced and timing chain tentioner...and when i replaced the egr valve it helped alot with the acceleration ... however i dont know what to tell you about the problems starting but i hope i have helped you in some way
 

#248 of 473 Re: 99 grand am se 4 cylinder 2.4 liter [jenniboo] by floridaoats

Dec 19, 2007 (5:21 pm)

Replying to: jenniboo (Dec 19, 2007 7:50 am)
Little itty bitty 3" long vacuum hose off the egr.

Messages Page 25 of 48

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