Comments: 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, 46-60, 61-67
I got a 1996 Grand Am SE about a week ago and it dies at random times and sometimes won't start, my mechanic says he checked with the scan tool and the theft system has a short and possibly could be causing this. If anyone knows anything else about why it does this, please e-mail me at jordonlocke88@yahoo.com
I have a 1996 Pontiac Grand am, and have had quite a few problems with it. One of the problems was it would just die on you while you were driving down the road, if you waited a few minutes it would start backup. About 1,000 dollars later we figured it out to be the ignition module.
I bought a 96 Grand Am from my mechanic and I will never buy another one again. It has been nothing, but problems for me when I really needed to have a dependable car. Its been something constantly. Lately there has been a strange rattling noise like somethings loose. Then it started acting like the battery was going on it. I'm assuming its the alternator and or the battery. This car is also hard to get in and out of so if you are elderly or have any physical disabilities I would not recommend this car. People have trouble lifting their feet over the threshold of the door or they get caught on it. I personally will not buy another car like this or one from this company.
I purchase my Grand AM off the lot in '96. With in the first week the radio went dead, returned to the dealer and they "fixed" it. A few years later the controls shorted out and the clock no longer displays. I had the same tape playing for 6 months. I had the alternator go in 2001. I had the stall out issue and it turned out to be an engine temperature switch that went bad that does not register with the computer. Since the part was not reporting an error code to the computer system my mechanic had a hard time finding it. I hope someone finds that information useful.
Have a 1996 grand am, but it needed a starter, but someone took it out, but know I have no idea where the wires go please help.
I Have a 1996 Grandam an it was shutting down for no reason as mentioned earlier by others, It is caused by GM's theft system which ties the radio to the ignition and the fuel system, but it fails after a few years on some cars. My wife found the fix on the Internet, First you have to reset the system by turning the ignition to the run position you don't need to make it turn over the car though, leave it in this position for a minimum of ten minutes it musts be at least ten minutes turn the key off then try starting the car it should fire right up. Next there is a small cluster of wires from the radio to the ignition, it's easy to find just undo the panel below the steering wheel its held on by two black plastic screws then you will see the wires running up to the ignition you need to cut the yellow one while the car is running and hook it up to a toggle switch (the switch is in case the battery goes dead or is unhooked your computer may reset its self) if the computer resets you will just have to turn the switch to the on position let the car sit for ten minutes follow the above instruction then when you start the car again just flick the switch off you will know when the system is disabled because the theft system light will stay on this is the only down fall, but I can tell you this your car will not stall anymore.
Sigh...I, too, have a 1996 Grand Am SE lemon. Trusted a mechanic "family friend" who knew I needed a reliable car. Coolant leaking, requires a gasket repair ($600). I know I was ripped off, now I just want it gone! Also the rain getting through to the driver's floor, and the hardest vehicle to get in and out of...I'll never do a Pontiac product again.
I have a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE 3.1 and it has been OK up
until the last 6 months until the theft system started acting up. I did the flash for 10 minutes and it should reset...mine
didn't...replaced the ignition pass lock system and that did not work... now they are going to try and reset the computer
by removing it and having it re-programmed. But first we have
to find out exactly where it is located... Internet can't seem to help me unless I want to pay... What ever happened
to good old cars without all the computer-electrical problems.
Give me just a standard good built car-crank windows-radio and air-conditioner for the bells and whistles part and I will be happy---lot less problems...
Let me start out with the fact that I am sad to hear that all of these people are having such problems with their GA's.
I have now owned my 1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE Coupe (L4 DOHC) for a number of years, the only time I had an electrical problem was when I first started adding things to it, I overloaded my system to where I quite literally exploded my battery under my hood, in which I had to replace both my battery and my alternator.
I had slight problems with the hesitation and stalling at first, all leading back to the vehicle is designed for octane ratings of 87 or higher, that fixed that problem.
Since the beginning of owning my GA I have added several aftermarket parts, which were rather pricy, but well worth it, I shall list them below along with avg. cost.
Upgrades/Aftermarket:
1. Short Ram Intake System ($250)
2. Simply installed Bosch +4 plugs ($20)
3. Eibach Pro Track Suspention System ($890) <- pro install.
Along with these upgrades I also run Royal Purple (tm) oils in both the crank case and the transmission.
I do have the gas door thing happen to me every once in a while, just get a can of penetrating lube and wet the punch down, usually that does the trick.
The one and only real issue I have ever had was a hose going bad on me which caused it to pool Dexcool anywhere I decide to park my car, replacing the hose myself cost all of $5.
They have released many recalls on the GA to try and fix problems, I am fortunately one of the proud owners of my Grand Am. With as few aftermarket parts on it I am well impressed with being able to stay neck and neck down the track with a BMW 328i.
SLC, UT.
We just bought a red 96 Grand Am with 72,000 miles on it from a private owner. We paid $2,000.00 for it. Nice looking car. My husband owns a gold 96 Grand Am and it has 180,000 miles on it and the engine still sounds good so we thought we were getting a good deal on the red one.
I guess we've had the red card, maybe a week. The engine has blown. There is a rod knocking. Sounds bad.
I have been told that the motor is notorious for leaky head gaskets and that makes the antifreeze leak and mix with the oil; then knock, knock, knock. Any feedback on this one?
We have had a 1996 Grand Am for 10 months. It ran really good till about 1 month ago, other than needing a new gas tank.
About a month ago, all the lights on the dash started coming on and off. The RPM and battery gauge would not move either. Two weeks ago I went to start it and it wouldn't start due to what I thought was no fuel in it. After we put gas in it, it still wouldn't start till about 10 hours later. I still had the dash light problem, but it started good.
Then 3 days ago, I went to the grocery store and came back out and it wouldn't start. My mechanic came to look at it and said my theft system was shutting it down. He said to turn the key to just before it starts for 10 minutes and it should reset itself. Well I still couldn't get it to start, so he went in the am to get it, and it started for him. He took it back to his shop and ran the computer on it. The code for the theft system was there, so he took it out. I was also told it needed 2 sensors for $200 each. But he didn't tell us what sensors they were.
My brother works on cars. He has his own computer, so he came to test it because he could get them cheaper. The one sensor that came up bad was crankshaft sensor. To get a new one would be $20. But we have no clue where it goes. I have no idea what the other sensor was, but my brother said it sounded like the crank was bad. So now I have a dead Grand Am in my driveway. The battery is dead because of trying to start it.
I got a 96 Grand Am in June of 07. We decided to buy it and a week later 2 of the window motors burned out, including the driver side. Clock display barely works and you can only see it in the dark, and the volume knob is going out and goes down when it should go up etc.
Of course being from Oregon, it's never good to have a car that leaks... This one leaks on the drivers side. We drilled a hole in the floorboard and cut out the interior carpet because it smelled horrible from all the water! So now when I drive through a huge puddle, the water shoots up into the car like a garden hose! I have to cover the hole with my foot so it doesn't shoot up into my pant leg!
The CO2 sensor was going out causing the check engine light to turn on. It also causes the car to sputter sometimes because the fuel mixture is too rich. The car dies shortly after (thankfully I'm not going 70 MPH and the car randomly shuts off!). The water tank has a leak in it, so I have to put coolant and water in it about every 10-14 days.
In the summer I had a problem where the keys would be locked in when I went to turn the car off. I was so mad; I thought that it was a permanent thing. My friend however told me that his old car had a button under the steering column that can release the keys if they are locked in the ignition. You raise up the column and reach with your hand in the middle and towards the bottom with your fingers trying to feel for the button. Push that and it will unlock your keys. And then one lovely day I was parking the piece of crap and the button that you hold in to shift slid up and made a clicking noise. I went to pull my keys out and miraculously they weren't locked anymore! The button on the gearshift can slide up and down, and when it is pushed the wrong way it engages the key lock feature. You can hear the button on the inside of the column click when you move it on the gearshift. Lucky!
My car has been broken into 2 times in 4 weeks, and this is the first car that I have ever had this problem with. Somebody told me they are really commonly broken into because it's easy to get in, and was wondering if anyone else experienced this problem..? I have had about 500 bucks worth of stuff (mainly stereo equipment) ripped off out of here and nothing was ever out in plain view. Disturbing and quite a shame. I know they popped the locks because it messed up the dome light it and it never went off when I drove it home. So I had to take out the dome light so it wouldn't kill my weak weak battery. And, after reading this forum, I am hoping my alternator won't go out and that I don't blow a head gasket via my leaky coolant reservoir.
So, interestingly enough, the break-ins were on the same street, same parking spot, 10 feet from my friend's house. We are going to get that loser who ripped me off! Sting operation! Have to wait 2 weeks though since that seems to be the amount of time they let go by before they rip me off again. Who steals from a girl anyways!?
10/18/08.
I need a honest good mechanic to help me how to fix the flashing dashboard lights in my Grand Am SE. Thank you.
I wish I would have found this page BEFORE I bought my 1996 Pontiac Grand Am SE. I paid $3100 for it in Sept. 2005. A week after I bought it I noticed a distinctive knock, knock, knock sound which it still does regularly to this day (no idea what it is). I had it checked out at purchase and the only thing they found was a CO2 sensor that they said may need to be replaced (never have had to but an earlier post makes me wonder if it is related to the engine light coming on periodically for no reason!).
2 months after buying it the belt went ($100 and something fix). Not long after, I took it in for an oil change and the key got stuck in the ignition ($175 to call out a locksmith on a Sat. night as I could not shut the car totally off and if it was stolen with the keys in the ignition my insurance won't cover it!) By the time the keys were out the battery was dead. Borrowed a trickle charger and thought the problem was licked - except that it then kept dying constantly. Took it in and I had a sensor that was shot and continually draining the power (I thought it was the alternator - but apparently that will be coming soon too!). I didn't have $300 to fix it so they charged me less and just disconnected the wire so now my rear defrost, dome light and power mirrors no longer work. It also killed my stereo so I had it rewired to a new power source ($60). The plus is that now the doors don't automatically lock and the car no longer "dings" at me for any reason whatsoever!
A few weeks later the power steering hose started leaking but before I could get it in to fix it I blew both brake lines and lost my brakes (went right through a red light with my kids in the car! yikes!) ($300 or so in total to fix). A couple weeks later I had to rebuild the transmission to the tune of $2300. Then it was broken into (there went my aftermarket stereo and amp, windshield was cracked, broken window etc. - can't blame Pontiac for that tho). Then the regulator arms went in both windows (still don't have the $600 to fix them (and apparently the driver's side had already been done once!) ) My command start melted something on me and cost another $100 or so to fix.
I have had the rad light go on and off sometimes but could never see a leak and only rarely had to top up the antifreeze till recently. Was leaking badly and took it in. They fixed the Intake Manifold Gasket ($868.82). Just got it from the shop today and now the engine light is back on.
Opening the fuel door is a two person job (one to pull the latch and one to use a key to pop open the fuel door) so I try to remember not to close it! I replaced a headlight a while back and now the new one works if and when it wants to.
I have also had the Theft system problem mentioned (usually when starting with command start but on occasion with the key!). Usually just waiting 10 minutes or so will allow it to start. I am sure I will be in for repairs again soon - I have a noise from a tire when I am driving straight or on a left hand curve (may be the result of curbing the car to avoid being hit by another vehicle though - had to replace tire and rim!). Also think the tie rod ends or something of that nature is going due to a noise that I hear (sounds similar to the noise made on my trusty old 86 Buick Le Sabre with over 400,000 km on it - I never thought I would miss that car so much!!) among other things.
All in all, for what I have spent on this car I could have something much better! And at 270,000 km now I don't see a bright future! As a single mom - I sure have learned a lot about mechanics though - probably more than I ever thought I would need to know!
A friend also has a grand am (GT and newer). Her hubby warned her against buying it. She didn't listen and has had similar problems as described by others (thankfully all was covered by warranty!). And guess where her hubby works!!
Oh almost forgot... also had to have the heater fan replaced! Made an interesting ride home as the windshield started to fog up! Don't recall the cost of that fix.