ETS light stays on

[bruno4]

Help!! My Grand-Am 1996 has a problem, can anyone advise? THe traction control "ETS" light has started to stay on continously, along with the "Check" light. I've read the handbook, all it says is get it checked at your dealer. At the prices they charge, I'm loathe to do that.
Has anyone experienced this one? As the roads are dry right now, I can't test the ETS system, therefore, I do not know if the fault is genuine or maybe electrical.
Thanks in anticipation.

Ian

[Shortbus]

You probably better take it to the dealer before it gets worse.
Here is an old bulletin that may give you some information about the Enhanced Traction Control System. I am not to familiar with it though.
Good Luck

ETS OFF INDICATOR LAMP STAYS ILLUMINATED #67-65-20 - (04/15/1996)
SUBJECT: ETS OFF INDICATOR LAMP STAYS ILLUMINATED AND/OR A RPM SAG ON A HOT SOAK RESTART WITH THE A/C ON, SAE J1978 OBDII SCAN TOOL MAY NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE PCM (NEW FLASH PROM)

MODELS: 1996 BUICK SKYLARK 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH 3100 V6 ENGINE (VIN M - RPO L82)

CONDITION:

SOME OWNERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE ETS (ENHANCED TRACTION SYSTEM) OFF LIGHT LOCATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STAYS ILLUMINATED AND/OR A RPM SAG ON A HOT SOAK (45 MINUTE) RESTART WITH THE A/C ON. ADDITIONALLY, SOME SERVICE TECHNICIANS MAY COMMENT THAT THEIR NON GM TECHLINE SAE J1978 OBDII SCAN TOOL WILL NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE) WHEN IN "CURRENT", "FREEZE FRAME", OR "TEST PARAMETERS AND RESULTS" MODE.

CAUSE:

FOR "ETS OFF" INDICATOR LAMP STAYING ILLUMINATED, THE DIAGNOSTIC CALIBRATION WAS SET UP SO THAT IF CERTAIN DTC (DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES) WERE SET, THE PCM WOULD THEN DISABLE THE ETS. DISABLING THE ETS WOULD THEN ILLUMINATE THE "ETS OFF" INDICATOR LAMP. VEHICLES WHICH HAVE HAD RPM SAGS ON HOT RESTARTS WITH THE A/C ON WERE CAUSED BY ENGINE CONTROL ALGORITHM. A SOFTWARE/CALIBRATION ANOMALY PREVENTED THE NON G.M. TECHLINE SCAN TOOLS FROM COMMUNICATING WITH THE PCM.

CORRECTION:

A NEW FLASH PROM HAS BEEN RELEASED TO ADDRESS THE CONDITIONS MENTIONED ABOVE. THE CALIBRATION WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM SERVICE TECHNOLOGY GROUP STARTING WITH THE # 5 CD RELEASE.

PARTS INFORMATION

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ORDER THE CALIBRATION NUMBER FROM GMSPO. THEY ARE PROGRAMMED INTO THE VEHICLES PCM VIA A TECHLINE TOOL DEVICE.

CALIBRATION NUMBER EMISSIONS

16238674 NATIONWIDE

16238684 UNLEADED EXPORT W/O OBDII

WARRANTY INFORMATION:

FOR VEHICLES REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, USE:

LABOR CODE: J6355 USE PUBLISHED LABOR OPERATION TIME.

FIGURES: 0 ATTACHMENTS: 0

GENERAL MOTORS BULLETINS ARE INTENDED FOR USE BY PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIANS, NOT A "DO-IT-YOURSELFER". THEY ARE WRITTEN TO INFORM THOSE TECHNICIANS OF CONDITIONS THAT MAY OCCUR ON SOME VEHICLES, OR TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT COULD ASSIST IN THE PROPER SERVICE OF A VEHICLE. PROPERLY TRAINED TECHNICIANS HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND KNOW-HOW TO DO A JOB PROPERLY AND SAFELY. IF A CONDITION IS DESCRIBED, DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE BULLETIN APPLIES TO YOUR VEHICLE, OR THAT YOUR VEHICLE WILL HAVE THAT CONDITION. SEE A GENERAL MOTORS DEALER SERVICING YOUR BRAND OF GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLE FOR INFORMATION ON WHETHER YOUR VEHICLE MAY BENEFIT FROM THE INFORMATION.

COPYRIGHT 1996. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

INFO. ON 'ETS OFF' INDICATOR LAMP ON #63-50-09 - (03/01/1996)
SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON "ETS OFF" INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH NO DTC'S SET

MODELS: 1996 BUICK SKYLARK 1996 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 1996 OLDSMOBILE ACHIEVA 1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM, SUNFIRE

ON VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ENHANCED TRACTION SYSTEM (ETS), THE "ETS OFF" INDICATOR LAMP MAY COME ON AND ETS AND CRUISE CONTROL MIGHT BECOME DISABLED. THERE MAY BE NO ABS OR PCM DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC'S) STORED AND THERE MAY BE NO "CHECK ENGINE" LAMP ON. THIS CONDITION HAS CAUSED A HIGH RATE OF UNNECESSARY IPC REPLACEMENTS.

THE PCM SETS A TYPE "C" OR "D" FAILURE RECORD WHICH SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE (EBCM) TO TURN THE "ETS OFF" INDICATOR ON AND TO DISABLE ETS. THE PCM CAN THEN DISABLE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT MAY NOT TURN ON A CORRESPONDING "CHECK ENGINE" LAMP. THESE TYPE "C" OR "D" FAILURE RECORDS ARE NOT STORED IN THE NORMAL CURRENT OR HISTORY MENUS.

THE TECHNICIAN IS INSTRUCTED TO CHECK NORMAL OPERATION OF THE "ETS OFF" SWITCH AND THE ETS SYSTEM. THE TECHNICIAN IS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CHECK FOR FAILURE RECORDS AND DIRECTED TO SECTION 6E3-A OF THE SERVICE MANUAL, SEE ATTACHED CHART. WHEN THE PCM FAILURE RECORD IS CORRECTED, NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ETS SYSTEM AND CRUISE CONTROL SHOULD RETURN.

FIGURES: 00 ATTACHMENTS: 01

Figure 1

GENERAL MOTORS BULLETINS ARE INTENDED FOR USE BY PROFESSIONAL TECHNICIANS, NOT A "DO-IT-YOURSELFER". THEY ARE WRITTEN TO INFORM THOSE TECHNICIANS OF CONDITIONS THAT MAY OCCUR ON SOME VEHICLES, OR TO PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT COULD ASSIST IN THE PROPER SERVICE OF A VEHICLE. PROPERLY TRAINED TECHNICIANS HAVE THE EQUIPMENT, TOOLS, SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND KNOW-HOW TO DO A JOB PROPERLY AND SAFELY. IF A CONDITION IS DESCRIBED, DO NOT ASSUME THAT THE BULLETIN APPLIES TO YOUR VEHICLE, OR THAT YOUR VEHICLE WILL HAVE THAT CONDITION. SEE A GENERAL MOTORS DEALER SERVICING YOUR BRAND OF GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLE FOR INFORMATION ON WHETHER YOUR VEHICLE MAY BENEFIT FROM THE INFORMATION.

COPYRIGHT 1996 GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

[bruno4]

Thanks to you guys for your help and suggestions. I had arranged to take our Grand-Am in for this to be checked and on that day as i was driving to the repair place, the light went out!!!
I thought carefully about what I had done differently in my driving over the last day. 2 things came to mine, 1) I turned the air con on for about an hour as one should of course, and 2) at a long red traffice light, I left the gear selector in "3" with the parking brake on.

It seems fine now.

Kind regards

Ian

[fastasshell]

so that fix the problem with the ETS light you having the car in 3rd on your gear selector.and having the air on too. please tell me more. did this fix it.because if it did i will try this as well! please let me know if this is what i need to do also??

[xeroinfinity]

fastasshell, you shouldnt hav brought up this old thread.
That TSB is from 1996

I'm sure the TSB has been updated/changed, and most likly you will still need to take your car to the Stealership.

But ny all means try the Ebrake/AC thing, I dont see how that would fix anything tho!

[cathyc]

Daughter has 1996 Grand Am, 4 cyl. Low mileage (2x,xxx).
Just had both CHECK ENGINE and ETS OFF lights go on. The button does not allow ETS to be turned back on.
Had Auto Zone and PEP Boys read code: both read P0440--said tighten cap. We tightened the gas cap, both lights came back on. We tried a new cap. Both lights came back on.

I see posts to go elsewhere for a better read of codes -- holiday weekend so we are stuck with all shops closed for 3 days.

Any more ideas? Thank you!

[thephantom1492]

Do you have any other code beside P0440? OP just P0440?
If not, it could be the evap purge solenoid, could also be the evap vent solenoid.
Could be the fuel tank pressure sensor.
Could be a damaged vent hose (or other hose, or tank).

If you have a P0460 (fuel level sensor curcuit malfunction) it could trigger a P0440 too.