95' Pontiac Grand Am SE

[my opinion is my own]

Problems? I bought this car used about a year and half ago with the miles on it were 112,000. It was a little shaky when we got in it and turned the keys to start the car. The sales man in Pittsburgh said it is because it has not moved in a little. So we bought it and it was fine. So few months after i bought the car, the heater core went and had to fix that, new hoses, and other problems. Then 3 months ago it started shaking violently while in park and so it turned out to be a heater pack and a coil and spark plugs and mechanic said it was missfiring the cylinders. Well its doing it again for the third time and does not seem to want to start as easily as it would. It was shaking and would not start but finally did. Any takers or did i get sold a lemon? Is it worth to call 1800 my lemon? I spent 3600 on the car and it does nothing but cost me alot of money and i dont have much .

 

[iceprincess]

First of all the biggest problem you have is that you bought a Pontiac Second of all it is a Grand Am. Get rid of it as soon as possible and stay away from Pontiac's buy something different.

 

[Mad Jack]

From your description, the first thing I would look at is the Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF). This sensor can get dirty and send bad data to the computer. This can be easily and cheaply cleaned. Look for a product called CRC Mass Airflow Sensor Cleaner. This can be found at most auto parts stores. Follow the instructions on the can exactly or you could destroy the sensor making a cheap repair an expensive one. Do NOT use carburetor cleaner or fuel injection cleaner to clean this sensor. You WILL destroy the sensor. This problem is difficult to diagnose, but easy to fix. See the link below for the product description.

Bought my 1995 Grand AM SE new. After about 13 years and 150,000 miles is still going strong. None of the items you had changed has ever failed on my car.

Sounds to me like your mechanic is randomly throwing parts at it in an attempt to stumble upon the problem. As he has not resolved the problem, he has most likely been changing good parts. This is costing you unnecessary money and causing you frustration.

Don't get a new car yet, get a new mechanic.

 

[paul h]

Try another mechanic...could be misdiagnosing the problem. Ignition coils and modules should be replaced in sets as when one goes bad, it puts a strain on the rest and they usually fail shortly...could be other ignition or sensor problems...I've even seen where transmission lock-up converters can cause shaking or hard starts if they lock-up when they're not suppose to...question is how much money do you want to spend before it's better to cut your losses and try another car. ALWAYS have any used vehicle checked over well by a trusted mechanic BEFORE buying....don't listen to salesmen, they just want the sale most of the time. Any car with high miles and age is going to require repairs so be prepared and check how well it was maintained before. Ask family, friends or co-workers for shops they recommend or try this link...just plug in your zip code for recommended shops by others....
http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/

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[wlh1us]

timing chain maybe, yes to being a lemon, the car sales person knew it was a lemon , i have worked for a few used car dealers and some i would not trust as far as i could throw an elephant, they will tell you anything to sell a p.o.s. the snow / ice /salt will kill your car, heater coils last about 60,000 miles on most vehicles, coil packs about the same, a timing chain too, the shaking when the engine is running means that something is very wrong, i would suspect the timing chain is causing that, however, the map sensor could also make it shake some.

 

[Pedro S]

you got to b joking...a 13 year old car with over 112,000 miles...what do u want,,, cars wear out..parts need replacement....

 

[mrlh1423]

try calling the salesman about it....................he`ll be shaking next

 

[J Bahrey]

First of all the biggest problem you have is that you bought a Pontiac Second of all it is a Grand Am. Get rid of it as soon as possible and stay away from Pontiac's buy something different.

First of all i have personally owned 2 grand ams and currently drive one. I have never once had any problems with either one. So i believe that your opinion is extremely biast and it really matters on how you treat the car. Thanks.

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