HELP!! $3000 in guesses are killing me!
#1
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Here is the history:
96 bonnie with 103,000 km'*. Car has ran like a top for the last year without a problem. The car belongs to my father (who likes to drive a car until the SES light comes on). Thank god for lifetime oil changes at midas! Anyways, he had his serpentine belt go. When i say go, I mean it was so bad that it shreaded into little peices and got wrapped up in all of the accesorry pulleys (see list below of things replaced). The car has not been right since.
Symptoms in the begining were: Horrible noise coming from AC compressor, Backfire, very poor idle, constant stalling. It would hit 3000 RPM and almost immeadiatly drop to 500 RPM and want to quit. So after alot of beer, we began knocking off each possible problem.
1. Replaced AC comprossor ($400 cnd)
-helped idle a bit, no more noise, but still running like a crap.
2. Replaced water pump ($100 cnd)
-didn't help, but had a bunch of chewed belt in it.
3. Replaced Idler pully ($75 cnd).
-didn't help, but had a bunch of chewed belt in it.
4. Replaced Computer (ECM) $200 cnd
-very little change.
At this point, we decided to give up and bring it to a shop. Shop had a look and said it would be 300 bucks for a new MAF sensor. I said NP, do it. Got a call the next day....1300 bucks to replace the dreaded Upper intake plenum!. Agggh! I told them to go ahead. 1300 bucks later, I go to pick up the car. Still running like crap. Mechanic says they cleaned the MAF sensor, but it needs plugs and wires. So, 110 bucks for AC delco platinum wires and plugs....nothing! Still runs like crap. By now, the dying at 3000 RPMs is gone, but still idles very rough and it quits in Drive with the brake on. So back to the shop with it. 3 days later, I get the call. 400 bucks to do the lower intake gasket. I politely tell him to blow me, and pick up the car (Guy was gonna charge me again for the labour he just did!). I grab more beer, and take a crack at the lower intake gasket. While I had the intake off, I took the parts washer to it. Trottle body was cleaned also (was carbon coated). I sucessfully replaced the lower intake and.....STILL STALLING!!!!
I am stumpped. It is getting close to $3000 in repairs and this car just won't run. My next guess would be replacing the MAF sensor or the O2 sensor, but these are expensive guesses.
Anyone have a good idea to point me to?
96 bonnie with 103,000 km'*. Car has ran like a top for the last year without a problem. The car belongs to my father (who likes to drive a car until the SES light comes on). Thank god for lifetime oil changes at midas! Anyways, he had his serpentine belt go. When i say go, I mean it was so bad that it shreaded into little peices and got wrapped up in all of the accesorry pulleys (see list below of things replaced). The car has not been right since.
Symptoms in the begining were: Horrible noise coming from AC compressor, Backfire, very poor idle, constant stalling. It would hit 3000 RPM and almost immeadiatly drop to 500 RPM and want to quit. So after alot of beer, we began knocking off each possible problem.
1. Replaced AC comprossor ($400 cnd)
-helped idle a bit, no more noise, but still running like a crap.
2. Replaced water pump ($100 cnd)
-didn't help, but had a bunch of chewed belt in it.
3. Replaced Idler pully ($75 cnd).
-didn't help, but had a bunch of chewed belt in it.
4. Replaced Computer (ECM) $200 cnd
-very little change.
At this point, we decided to give up and bring it to a shop. Shop had a look and said it would be 300 bucks for a new MAF sensor. I said NP, do it. Got a call the next day....1300 bucks to replace the dreaded Upper intake plenum!. Agggh! I told them to go ahead. 1300 bucks later, I go to pick up the car. Still running like crap. Mechanic says they cleaned the MAF sensor, but it needs plugs and wires. So, 110 bucks for AC delco platinum wires and plugs....nothing! Still runs like crap. By now, the dying at 3000 RPMs is gone, but still idles very rough and it quits in Drive with the brake on. So back to the shop with it. 3 days later, I get the call. 400 bucks to do the lower intake gasket. I politely tell him to blow me, and pick up the car (Guy was gonna charge me again for the labour he just did!). I grab more beer, and take a crack at the lower intake gasket. While I had the intake off, I took the parts washer to it. Trottle body was cleaned also (was carbon coated). I sucessfully replaced the lower intake and.....STILL STALLING!!!!
I am stumpped. It is getting close to $3000 in repairs and this car just won't run. My next guess would be replacing the MAF sensor or the O2 sensor, but these are expensive guesses.
Anyone have a good idea to point me to?
#2
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it sounds like who ever was working on your car was just taking you for a ride squeezing as much $$ out of you when they could. A GOOD mechanic should have hooked your car up to a computer/scanner and diagnosed the problem. Sounds like the guy working on it was just a 'parts replacer' and not a true mechanic.
try and get the car hooked up to a computer, the $50 charge to hook it up would be worth it instead of more guesses.
try and get the car hooked up to a computer, the $50 charge to hook it up would be worth it instead of more guesses.
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#3
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Is the SES light still on? If it is then you still have trouble codes stored.
Also, I would have the car hooked up to a scanner to do some parametric monitoring to see if anything doesn't look right. You would also be better off spending your money at a Pontiac dealer. They have the right diagnostic equipment.
Also, I would have the car hooked up to a scanner to do some parametric monitoring to see if anything doesn't look right. You would also be better off spending your money at a Pontiac dealer. They have the right diagnostic equipment.
#4
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There was SES light on in the beginning. It went out after the AC compressor was done. I was also getting the ABS/Traction light intermittantly too. ABS Lights still come on every now and then.
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Originally Posted by jr's3800
Ummm.... I noticed that you said $1300 for the upper intake...??? Were you serious? Most dealerships don't charge anywhere near that for the replacement of the upper intake... ![Embarassed](https://www.gmforum.com/gm/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif)
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#8
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keep in mind, that is 1300 canadian bucks. He said the parts alone were 650, plus a whole day to do it. Also changed all the fluids. Sad thing is....he was recommended by a friend.
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I definitely agree with getting it hooked up and scanned, but one other thing to think about. What kind of shape is your battery in? I had a Corsica that acted a lot like what you're describing (including eating money), put a fresh battery in it and it ran like a champ.
Just my 2 cents, and I probably deserve change on that, but it'* an idea. At least you could check this for free with a battery from another car.
Just my 2 cents, and I probably deserve change on that, but it'* an idea. At least you could check this for free with a battery from another car.
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You may also have some bad parts. AutoZone in the US gives a free diagnostic.. You may get a similar deal with Canadian tire. I still believe in a trusted shop providing a diagnostic or a Pontiac dealership.
Ty
Ty