Comments: 1-15, 16-22
I just purchased the car and not much has gone wrong with it.
The gas gauge doesn't work properly, only works when it wants.
Center console piece broke, not a biggie.
Front end vibrates when stopped or just idling, I think it is the fuel line, I'm not sure. Does anybody know?
The car is a fast car, it gets up and goes, with a little of nothing.
It has the sporty look, which is very attractive.
The interior and exterior are in good condition especially of the fact that it is 8 years old, and has 165000 miles.
This car seems to be one that runs a long time, they are built very good.
The car looks new and runs like new for the age and mileage.
I would reccommend this car to anybody who wants a car that gets up and goes, looks sporty, and one that will practically run forever.
You got to be careful in this car too, because it tends to go faster than you think, so you got to watch your speed.
If your front end vibrates when stopped/Idling, I should assume it will be either an Engine Mount or a Transmission Mount.
OK Thanks. Oh, I think I have a blown head gasket now, because there is oil in my coolant reservoir. Do you know how much it would cost to fix it? And how much do you think a motor mount would cost? Thanks a lot.
You can get the Motor Mounts from Autozone etc, should be from $50 to over $100 if it is a Hydraulic/Fluid Filled Mount. You should not be charged more than an Hours Labor unless it is a Rear Engine Mount/or a Transmission Mount. If this is the V6 Motor, you probably have two Cylinder Heads. Your choice to just fix the leaking one only. It will probbaly run you way over $100 at Autozone for the Head Gasket Kit, then you will have to pay for a Machine Shop to Skim the bottom of the Head, before your Mechanic Re-assembles the Head to your Motor. Mechanics love these jobs and charge high, I think you will be charged between $700-$1200 for the Head repair. You may as well also replace the Water Pump, and Timing Belt, while it is disassembled this much, unless it is Timing Chain Driven. I hope this helps.
Thank you Sir, that really helped me out with a lot. I can't afford to fix my car right now, so I am waiting until I get the money. I am thinking about just trading it in for something new, before it starts knocking. You can't even tell there is anything wrong with my car, I just looked under my hood one day and saw that my coolant was black. I haven't experienced any other problems. Do you think a 99-01 Grand Am would be worth buying, or trading for, or should I just try and fix this one? thanks a lot.
I would definitely steer clear of Pontiac Grand Ams, check the owners reviews on here. You can Trade your Monte Carlo, but they will definitely see the Black in the Coolant. Maybe get the Coolant changed before you gingerly drive it to a Dealer. Also may be worth visiting the Auto Parts store for some kind of Liquid Head Gasket Fix which may help temporarily especially while trying to Trade In. You should try not to drive it though. It will not last long with the Head half gone. I would be draining/refilling the coolant every couple of days If I was still using it daily.
It may not be Oil in the Coolant Tank, could just be a weak dirty Coolant Mix. Way to check is to Get a strip of White Towellete/Kitchen Roll, dip into Coolant. If you spoit oil residue on rag then you know. I should try flushing the cooling system with Radiator Cleaner, then refill with Coolant Mix.
"OK Thanks. Oh, I think I have a blown head gasket now, because there is oil in my coolant reservoir. Do you know how much it would cost to fix it? And how much do you think a motor mount would cost? Thanks a lot."
Hold on a minute! If you can't tell there is anything wrong with the car, you may not have a blown head gasket. With a blown head gasket, you should notice a real decrease in power. Black (or nearly so) engine coolant just sounds like extremely dirty coolant. If you actually HAD engine oil in your coolant, it would be smeary and brown, not black. Actually the sign of a blown head gasket is more often that you have droplets of green anti-freeze in your engine oil when you drain the crank case. Also, with a blown head gasket, more than likely you have a cloud of steam coming out the tailpipe especially when the engine warms up. Why not just get your cooling system flushed out, before getting rid of the car for no reason?
OK, I am the person that is having the trouble with the car. I have asked some people about the situation. I am not sure if it is a blown head gasket, or a blown head now. If my car is not over heating, when I drive it, which is way over 15 to 20 minutes, then what could it be? I mean if my car doesn't over heat, (as some mechanics say, if it's a cracked head or blown head it will over heat usually after a couple of minutes) then why do I have black stuff in my coolant, which looks like oil? Do you think I just caught the problem in time, before it cracks a head or head gasket? I mean does it leak oil in the coolant before it cracks a head or a head gasket? I do not know anything about this, all I know is what I am told? I really like this car, and yea I know I read all the comments on the grand ams, I just like the looks of them. Thanks for replying, and trying to help me.
Well, I failed to answer your Question properly. Steer clear of Pontiac. Been there done that, not cheap, although they are to buy! I think a sporty looking Accord V6 would serve you well. I am not so lucky, but I own a 1991 Accord Auto, and I am now at 249k Miles, and it is still very strong. You really do get what you pay for in Life. Hondas are a good choice, just change the fluids/Belts/Brakes Regular, and the Timing Belts each 60k and you just will not go wrong. I think the V6 Accord Coupe is very classy.The Domestics are not as refined as these imports.My Honda,still cossets me,I look at it as a baby Lexus,the ride quality is absolutely unbelievable,You feel no bumps and the seats are still supportive,feels like a BMW inside.Only wear on any of the interior now is I am ONLY JUST starting to see threads appear in middle my drivers seat!
Are you sure about recommending a Honda over a Pontiac? This is my side of it: I have a friend with a 2002 Honda Accord EX 4cyl-auto and a friend who HAD a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am 4 cyl-auto before they traded it for a dodge. The friend with the Honda has had a lot of major, expensive problems with the car, and last time I saw them they were driving a rental Mazda 3 (nice car) while the Honda was in the shop (again!).
My friend with the Pontiac however had NO problems during the 2 years they owned it except for one minor problem with an O2 sensor which was replaced under warranty. Honda/Acura have also been having problems w/their transmissions lately. I'm not trying to make your car decision more difficult, but don't pass off domestics because at least in my experience the extra costs associated with Japanese cars simply isn't worth it.
Some of use are trying to help this guy. I wish other people wouldn't take the cheap shot of trying to sell him a Honda when he's just looking for help. Are Honda and Toyota salesmen really that desperate nowadays??
I'm telling you (the guy with the black coolant) the straight story. When you get motor oil mixed with water, it does not look black. If you have black coolant, it is most likely just very dirty coolant. Get your cooling system flushed out and refilled. I think you do not have a blown head gasket or warped head if: 1) the engine is not overheating (you are lucky, because with black coolant, it is so bad that it will boil over unless you get it changed soon; 2) there is no steam from the tailpipe; 3) the idle is not ragged and rough (from having low compression in at least 1 or 2 cylinders; 4) there is not anti-freeze in your crankcase oil; 5) there is not a whistling or sucking sound coming from the mating surface of the head and block.
Finally, stop listening to these people that don't know what they're talking about, or you'll end up getting rid of a car that has nothing wrong with it. Whoever told you that black engine coolant means an oil leak couldn't find their a** with a steam shovel!
(I am the guy with the problem) Thank you Sir, (the guy that last wrote and said I needed help, and told the other guys to shut up about Honda's and Pontiac's) you really helped me out with my car, and saving me $$$. I flushed out my coolant system yesterday, and my coolant is staying clean. I am getting a fuel and air filter to put in now, but other than that everything is fine now. Oh sir, my check engine light comes on and flashes. Sometimes when I start my car the engine light comes on and shuts off, and sometimes it comes on and stays on? What could it be? Oh, and my front end does shake, very lightly, but there is a little vibration, some one told me it was a little misfire. I don't know, but other than that I have no other serious problems. My gas gauge don't work, but that is it. Thank you for your help. Oh, and you other guys! I think I would rather have a Pontiac over a Honda, I just like Pontiac better. Thanks for the info though...
Actually it was not the last poster, it was me who told you to replace your Coolant. Please read back and give me the Plaudits. I thankyou for your time. I am glad your car is better due to my Mechanical Knowledge. As for your SES Light, simply get it scanned.
"13th Mar 2007, 15:43.
(I am the guy with the problem) Thank you Sir, (the guy that last wrote and said I needed help, and told the other guys to shut up about Honda's and Pontiac's) you really helped me out with my car, and saving me $$$. I flushed out my coolant system yesterday, and my coolant is staying clean. I am getting a fuel and air filter to put in now, but other than that everything is fine now. Oh sir, my check engine light comes on and flashes. Sometimes when I start my car the engine light comes on and shuts off, and sometimes it comes on and stays on? What could it be? Oh, and my front end does shake, very lightly, but there is a little vibration, some one told me it was a little misfire. I don't know, but other than that I have no other serious problems. My gas gauge don't work, but that is it. Thank you for your help. Oh, and you other guys! I think I would rather have a Pontiac over a Honda, I just like Pontiac better. Thanks for the info though..."
I wrote on 10:51 and 12:25. I'm glad to hear that things have improved with the car. I just hate seeing people ripped off or led astray on things that are relatively simple, but can turn costly over a misstep.
Regarding the check engine light: if it just comes on for a few seconds, or pulses at start-up, it's probably nothing out of the ordinary. If it stays on while you're driving, then it's something that needs to be addressed. More than likely it's something like an oxygen sensor, mass air flow sensor, something in the ignition like a coil pack, something to do with the emission control system, or something related.
I would suggest that you first do some thorough maintenance. Follow through with your plan to change the air filter and fuel filter, and also change the oil (should be done every 3,000 miles).
Since this car has a few years on it, it could also be a good idea to change the spark plugs and plug wires.
If it has a distributor, change the distributor cap, although I'm guessing it has a coil that directly fires each spark plug, since that seems more common now.
After you round out this routine maintenance, see if the check engine light still stays on. If it does, you will at least have eliminated the obvious things that could give a false reading. Somewhere you have something that looks like an older printer connection (with the pins, not USB), that you plug a code reader into.
Doing a thorough tune-up should weed out some common things that could make the computer think something else is wrong, so when you get the code, it will zero in to what is really wrong.
If your front end shakes lightly when driving, it may be nothing more than a tire out of balance, or tires that are not aligned. Does the steering wheel wobble back and forth as you drive? If it's a misfire, the engine will run choppy at idle, and sound like it's chugging (or remind you of a horse galloping) and you might feel a vibration while sitting in it. Generally when people talk about the "front end" they are referring to suspension components rather than the engine. Interesting that if you did have a "misfire" like from dirty spark plugs, that could also explain the check engine light.
My final suggestion would be to get a repair manual for the car. I've had a Chilton's or Haynes manual for every car I've owned, and it really helps. They have a list of codes for the check engine light, and common causes for the code being displayed, and they also give you a good maintenance schedule to follow as well as a troubleshooting guide. They are typically about $12-16 either through Amazon or the local auto parts store.
(I'm the guy with the problem) I was wondering if I should put the dex cool antifreeze in my coolant? I was told not to ever put green antifreeze in my car, only dex cool. I read that dex cool antifreeze is not good for the car, on some ones compliment. Do you think I should use Dex Cool Antifreeze, as it says to underneath my hood? Thanks.