Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60
1996 grand Am. I have been having problems with the Pass Lock feature. I have reset the computer every time, But it keeps coming back. The original keys are long gone. I would like to know if there is a way to get rid of the Pass lock feature forever. I know there are bypass kits for remote starting, but I am looking for a bypass forever thanks. Answers would be appreciated. Delousa@yahoo.com.
I wish I had never bought my 1997 Grand AM. 2.4L
I have had to replace both window motors and regulators, multiple brake and rotor changes, I have gone through 2 batteries and 3 alternators. And now it is sitting at the shop right now with a bad water pump, which I am told is so difficult to change that is should be done by a GM dealer. And it should cost about $600 to replace. I will never buy another Pontiac. I think I am going car shopping next week.
Hello All, I have to agree with every comment regarding the problem issues with the 97 Grand Am. I bought my troubled vehicle new from the GM dealer. Within a 30 day period the car went back to the dealership for these issues.. the headlights would go out or dim badly when applying the brakes (not fun at night) the headlights would turn from daytime to nighttime running constantly, the drivers window would not close completely, the drivers side rear window would not close completely, the drivers door leaked air. Dealership looked Issues were not fixed... motors replaced and all, but not fixed. By 30,000 miles had the passenger window motor replaced, the front brakes w/rotors replaced (I am easy on Brakes and this is all freeway miles)??? finally had the headlight sensor in the dash replaced again, now the headlights don't switch from day to night...Hooray...now they just dim when you brake. Within the next two years I replaced alternators 3 times, battery twice, starter twice, GM recall ignition switch work. Believe it... It is 2006 and I have replaced another alternator and battery, radiator and heater core, the dash cluster ($1000) electrical problem. The light for oxygen sensor problems and now won't pass smog... I am going to get rid of this Carbage this year I pray. Total costs even after purchase of extended warranty...paid over 1/4 the price of the auto or more in repairs, with loss of work time and hidden costs of what is not covered by GM. They will give you the part and charge you the labor and won't fix the damage caused by the defective parts. This vehicle has never been worked on, but by the GM dealership. They stated that they have never heard of these problem before??? I asked the dealership Why Lie??? Just fix the problems. I believe they have gotten worse... Stay away from all GM Vehicles as they are all Carbage, buy anything, but GM. I will.
When reading the comments of you all, I was cracking up laughing because I'm experiencing the same problems. I only had my car for less than a year and about two weeks after I brought it I needed a wheel alignment, I thought fine because it was a used car, but a few months later I needed it again. Then it felt like something was knocking up underneath the car, it was later fixed for free. It seems like when I go over railraod tracks my wheels are going to come off the car. The guy don't know what it is. This past winter I had to have my heater core replaced, and months later it still is runnning hot. Today I wanted to get the air checked out and the guy told me I needed a compressor clutch. I ain't getting it fixed though, I see what it does after I put froen in it. Besides when I cut the air on, it's not making any kinds of noises. But the way the car runs overall is great, it sounds so nice and quiet.
I recently got a 97 Grand Am SE Quad 4.
As read in all of your posts, I almost laughed my ass off..
The drivers side window works, but the track is screwed up..
The passenger side window won't go up even with help (about an inch from the top)...
The stock radio works.. but the lights sometimes og out, and the radio doesn't turn down unless the squeeze the button...
My speakers work...
And the alternator I believe is dying, because the lights pulse... bright, dim, bright, dim, while driving at night...
103k miles... and it runs good... got some clunking when I turn the wheels and back up tho...
Hard on brakes, but it's decent, doesn't get hot even at 85mph...
Great on the highway, I'm 6'5'' with a 4 door, the leg room is crappy...
I've got a 90 CRX, and laugh all you want, it's got more leg room then anything I've ever drove... Including my 86 Monte Carlo CL.
I think the car is marginal, and wouldn't pay more than 1000$ if you're going to buy one.
I love this page. I figured me and my sister in law, who also is the not so proud owner of a Pontiac, were the not only one's with these problems... like everyone else my window motors have went out, I'm down to one... my A/C doesn't work and my glove box is broken!! I also have to ride with the heater on because my car overheats.. LMAO... thanks Pontiac for selling crap!!!
I own and drive a 1993Grand Am SE, Modded GT Intake, 3.3L, ported and polished heads, Flowmaster exhaust, Heavy duty radiator, Alloys, ABS, Power locks, manual windows. I am an ASE Master Tech, yeah the advantage is unfair to the general Grand Am owner. But I do have some insight that the casual observer does not have. I have not noticed one major complaint on this board with the 3.3 aka 3300 V6. The 3300 is a great engine, based on the 3800 which is part of Buicks legacy. Personally I feel the 3300 is the best engine offered to the public for the Grand Am’s. But alas 93 was the final year for this engine.
I have read all the comments here. I work on cars all day every day. A lot of what I am seeing here can be attributed to exorbitant mechanics and overpriced dealers.
First of all the Quad 4 either SOHC or DOHC is garbage, bad design, poor quality control, etc. If you have one I feel sorry for you. If you love it well that makes one of us. Just ask why once they tear up they are GONE, broken pistons, rods and when they lose a head gasket and the head is milled or still true and replaced the replacement does not last. The engine is difficult to rebuild because something ALWAYS goes wrong within a year most rebuilders WILL NOT even ATTEMPT to rebuild a quad 4 if you just have the coolant leak onto the manifold use a bottle of Aluma-seal.
Quad 4’s and the 3100’s water pump is crucial and a fairly simple job. If you are being charged in excess of 2HR labor call around.
Motor mounts- USE ONLY DEALER engine and transmission mounts, for some reason all the other vendors including NAPA are selling cheap mounts made in India, Vietnam, China etc and the rubber is EXTREMELY soft and causing the mount to fail prematurely. When you have the repair ASK to see the invoice from the DEALER you don’t care about parts markup. You care about having to have the job done twice!
If you have a Grand AM or any car for that matter and the car is running hot, have the radiator flow tested, if it is bad or restricted just REPLACE it. Buy an UPGRADED radiator the standard radiator in GM N Body cars is 7/8 in core an upgraded radiator is 1 7/8. Do not play around with having the radiator rebuilt. Bad is bad it will never work like new. Besides a new rad runs $150.
Cooling fans, GM electric cooling fans like to fail every 70 – 120 K miles, just replace the motor, $40 at most parts stores, REPLACE the relay with the motor another $12.
GM window regulators and motors, one poster hit the nail on the head the drag in the window molding, tracks etc is what causes motor burn out. I use a silicon spray on all the GM’s and the windows operate much quicker and virtually noise free. Cars that are exposed to the sun / left outside have more issues with trim binding / swelling this problem appears in 6-8 years for cars that are not garaged 10 or more years for cars that are garaged.
Alternators, Generally GM alternators are good for 6 years or 60K miles; this can be extended if the battery is replaced prior to its failure in the desert every 2 years colder climates are hard to assess, but somewhere north of 3 years. GM alternators run $120 for a decent remanufactured unit at most parts stores. Batteries are batteries Wal-Mart is the cheapest, if you want a REAL upgrade buy an Optima.
The 3.1 aka 3100 has been around since the Citation when it was the 2.8 then the gen II 2.8 in 1988 which set the architecture for the 3.1 in 90 and the 3.4 which can never stay sealed especially the intake manifold. The engine is decent HOWEVER if they are EVER overheated it all rolls downhill.
The Turbo Hydromatic aka TH125C has a problem with the electric lockup torque converter, it is intermittent, but the solenoids stay engaged and the car stalls out when coming to a stop. But when the car cools down it functions normally. Failure usually happens north of 100K. Solenoids can be replaced with trans in car, fairly easy job. It could possibly be attributed to lack of transmission maintance. There are better designs, but at least it is not a Ford Taurus that eats the AXOD-E transmission at 70 – 90K.
I have to put in my two cents worth... I have a 97 Grand Am, the second owner, and with right at 135,000 miles, knock on wood, have had no problems with the car at all, but I'm a stickler for maintenance, damn near anal, so that makes a difference... My car has crank windows, thank God!!...My 2.4 twin cam runs flawlessly, with no trouble at all, and runs cool as a cucumber, air blows ice cold and no coolant leaks that I am aware of...Overall, I am very satisfied with my car, and would definitely buy another, but will continue to drive this one as long as possible...There, not all are junk!!
1997 pontiac.
I have owned my Pontiac for 4 years now and can say that it has done me well. I do have a misfire in valve #2 and it occasionally wants to overheat. I blame that on "Just brakes" though. Only after I took it in for an oil and transmission flush did I start to see any of those problems. In the beginning I did have to replace the water pump, but expected to replace something seeing as it was used. Currently I'm at 115,000 miles. My windows are going dead and need to replace the head gasket. I'm just hoping that these problems are not just the beginning of what could become my worst nightmare. Other than that, like I said, the car has done me pretty good. I would buy from Pontiac again.
1997 Pontiac Grand Am
Well I now own a 1997 Grand Am and I'm living in a nightmare that seems to never end. I bought the car from this little car lot in Fort Worth Texas. This is the very first purchase I have ever made in my life. I knew there would be some problems, but never expected to have this many like everyone else has commented, my drivers side window motor is shot and goes up and down whenever it wants to, and not on my command. The stereo speaker on the passenger side isn't working and the knob in broken off. Just recently it is starting to blow black smoke and now that I'm reading everyones comments, I'm beginning to get very sick to my stomach cause I can barely afford to pay it off let alone head gasket repairs. I am very disappoined in this vehicle as well as the company that sold it to me. Someone needs to read this and feel like sh*t.
VERY UNSATISFIED PONTIAC OWNER!
Forgot to add: I drive a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM ( (not sure past that) )
Wow, what an interesting read this has been. It seems the CE light that has been randomly showing up may not be a serious problem for me. Ill just have to be cautious over the winter and not strand far from home.
At this point my car has 160,000 miles on the counter.
The engine was replaced at roughly 70,000 and the used engine had 40,000 on it... so 120k driven.
Transmission replaced once, alternator replaced once (I can blame that on me, serious high reving when passing somebody)
Kept daily maintenance up on it otherwise, tires/rotation done all at the same time and its held up pretty well. I came here looking for an explanation on the random CE light just showing up for no apparent reason, but I got my answer. Drive it till it pukes and see what happens.
Oh yeah, my radio button is absolute crap as well. I won't disagree with that one.
Jay.
I thought my 97 grand am gt was the best car for about a year!! I bought it in 2001. So far I have replaced the battery once, the alt 3 times, the brakes (which was routine) once, the heater core twice. the ignition switch twice. and I replaced the electrical coiling?? o yeah and the pully or something like that for the alt...ughhh I will never buy a grand am again!! my driver side window is slow slow slow!!!
I bought my 97 grand am in August of 2006 and I'm here mad as hell cause I'm only expecting the worst after reading this. I got the same problems that you guys are having, but not as bad... I bought the car with 138,000 and running smooth. I was very satisfied at first and even after fixing some minor stuff... Like the rest of you guys the passenger side motor for the window won't work, but I replaced it for about $120...the thermostat thing broke and I had it fixed for around 60 bucks back in october. I haven't spent that much money exept for regular oil changes cause I drive the car a lot. It now has 153,000 and was running great till last week. My tranny started to slip... I thought it was low on oil so I put some oil in it, but its still slipping going from 2nd to 3rd gear at around 1500 to 2000 RPM then jumps all the way to 2500 and performs fine. All of a sudden today I drive it and the check engine light comes on and the traction light won't go off... I was very satisfied with the car up until today and I'm now afraid of driving it..
Do yourself a favour guy, bang some Snake Oil/Miracle Cure in the Tranny and sell it on while it still runs. These never run right.
I don't know what all of you people are doing to your cars that you have so much to complain about. I have a 97 Pontiac Grand Am, bought in 2003 for about $5000... I only changed the battery and alternator when I first got it and have had NO PROBLEMS what-so-ever in the past 4 years. I have only invested maybe 1500-2000 including regular maintenance, an added stereo/Cd player, tinted windows, and replacing two tires (not because of any damage that has to do with the car). I think it's a great car that gets awesome mileage and is much more dependable than any of my friends' cars.