TJotR

Hi , Sean here from Hershey Pa . First time Pontiac owner .

I just encountered a prolbem with the Grand Prix GTP ( 3.4L 130k ) that I bought private sale 2 weeks ago .

I purchased this car ( 3.4L , 130K ) from a private sale with intentions of it being my new daily driver . It operates and handles well , and it's in pretty good condition .

Tonight , without any type of warning or strange occurance , it just shut off ( as if i just turned it off ) as i rounded a curve . No dash indicators , no sputtering or any other type of erratic behavior . It cranks over rather vigorously , but it just wont start back up !

I've tried 2 things so far ~ I removed the cover from the timing belt > it is still tight and in very good condition , I also listened for the fuel pump , it still comes on when the key is turned to the on position .

Any one want to take a stab at this or offer Your expertise as to what could be wrong ?

Thank You in advance , Sean

GTP Dad

Welcome to AF!!

You need to try a couple of things. First, is there spark? Is there fuel at the fuel rail? If there is no spark then you will need to work on the ignition side. I suggest you check the ignition module. Sounds like an abrupt failure or the crank position sensor. The CPS will cause stalling and if it totally fails the car will not run. If you have spark then check for fuel pressure at the rail. If you have good fuel pressure at the rail then you may have a failure in the ecm. If not then either the fuel pressure regulator has failed or the fuel pump is gone. You may want to also try changing the fuel filter.

I suspect that the previous owner may have experienced a similar issue and that is why it was sold. Good Luck and let us know what you find out.

TJotR

GTP Dad ~ thanks for the welcome and all the suggestions , Much appreciated ! Not really having the resources to check all the items mentioned myself , I think I'm just going to have a service garage look at it .

It's parked along the road in front of a stranger's house . So I gotta get it out of there soon .

Not doubting Your knowledge here but I'm curious as to what makes You say that You suspect the previous owner could of had a similar issue , therefore selling it ? Are there common recurring problems that plague these cars ?

Thanks Bro , Sean

Madmunky

Check the AUX posative terminal for your battery, I had a similar problem and it just ended up being corrosion on the terminal. If I had known that I would of fixed it myself rather than taking it to a garage and paying them to wire wheel the surface of the terminal. You can find this terminal right beside your battery, it has a red cap over top of it, hard to miss.
Other than that I think GTP_Dad has steered you in the right direction. Maybe even check all the wires on the coil pack, its possible that a wire came lose from there as well. (Located under the front exhaust manifold)

Jamie

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TJotR

Well , it turns out I was wrong ............ sort of , the belt was tight but , it's missing teeth ! Damnit

So now hmmmm , try a new belt and see if it starts or just put another motor in it ?

richtazz

IF you weren't hot rodding it when it happened, you should be able to replace the belt and be good. IT's quite a job, so make sure you know what you're doing or you could grenade the engine. Service interval is 60k on that belt.

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GTP Dad

If the belt is missing teeth then ignore what I said. Replace the belt and hope that there is no internal damage. Like Richtazz said if you weren't hot rodding you shouldn't have any problems. What I said about the previous owner sometimes they will fix up a car long enough to sell it and let the new owner take care of the issues. As for the belt that can happen anytime. I suspect that it is probably the original. By the way I live north of Harrisburg about 50 miles! Small world!

TJotR

richtazz , sounds good my man ! I was just talking to a co-worker of mine and he said the same thing .............. " try a new belt first before getting too excited " . He also stated that 60k interval and that it was probably never taken care of . He explained to me how to go about replacing it , it actually doesn't sound too bad . Much better than the garage wanting $500 to do it

Next tuesday I'm going to have it towed home and with the help of my buddy's service manual I'm gonna tear into it . I have all the time in the world since I also own a TJ I can drive in the mean time . I figure if the garage can do it , I can too .

I'm an industrial maintenance tech by trade , I'm not insinuating that I'm a car mechanic by any means but I have a pretty big tool collection and plenty of patience and persistance with some know how mixed in .

GTP Dad ~ North of Harrisburg eh , where abouts ?

There were a few concerns with it when I bought it of most which I took care of . The ABS light was on in the dash . It ended being a torn wire at the right rear caliper . Easy fix ! It also had a significant oil leak , that was the plug itself . I put a soft rubber washer on it . And I disabled the Viper Alarm .

It's a pretty nice car ( For a GM Product ) I'll keep You guys up to date as I go along . Thanks very much for being here and for being such a huge help to other owners

Sean

GTP Dad

Sean, I live in a the village of Penns Creek, PA. directly between Middleburg and Mifflinburg, PA on route 104!

richtazz

You'll need a lot of patience doing that belt. Make sure you check and recheck everything before buttoning it up. After replacing the belt, turn the engine over by hand to ensure that everything stays lined up after a few rotations. If so, you should be good to go. Keep us posted on how it turns out.
Hey Lynn, my wife has family that lives in West Chester, PA, about 2 hours from you. If we go to the family reunion this year in August, on our way through, the first round is on me!

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GTP Dad

Sounds good to me Rich. Number 2 is my treat!