Figure This One Out...

[rhaltunen]

See the end of my post for my question. What follows here is just an example of how this website has saved me more money!

After getting advice from all of you about why may car is having a hard time accelerating under load and why my a/c only blows cool air from the passenger side, I brought my car in to have the problems rectified. I told them about what I had found out from a "very good website" and I was told that the info was probably not very good-ya right! This website has saved me tons of cash in the past few years. Anyway, after the car had been in their garage for a few hours, I get a call saying that a tune-up will cost me $300+ and a new condenser will cost me another $500+. I told them no and that I would need another opinion (automotive forums.com).

To make a long story short, a buddy of mine added coolant for a cost of $9.00 and I now have a/c again! Saturday, I am going to buy some plugs and wires and change those myself.

Question for you all of you sherlocks: My car drove fine on the way home with no acceleration problems... and they didn't fix anything. How could this be? It's been having a hard time accelerating under load for about a month now and now the problem seems to have magically disappeared. Any idea's of what they may have found and didn't tell me about hoping that I would go ahead and have all of that extra work done? I am puzzled. 2000 Grand Prix GT with 110,000 miles

[GTP Dad]

It is possible that there was a loose plug wire that when they checked things over they replaced the boot. If they didn't do anything else that is the only thing I can think of that may have been wrong.

[vamc]

I have another thought, but i think it would caust you. I think possably they maybe updated your ecu. I know pontiac and dodge have updated from the manufac. they conned it to some cars that come in. But i think that could be a long shot. What do you think Bob? I think it could happen, but not sure if they would have charged him for this.

[rhaltunen]

Makes sense. We'll see if it continues to run ok in the days ahead.

[richtazz]

They most likely wouldn't have risked reprogramming the PCM without charging for it. I agree with GTP Dad that they probably fixed a loose plug wire while inspecting it, and it's a temporary fix. Buy the tune-up parts yourself and you should be good to go. Don't forget to change the fuel filter as well as plugs, wires and pcv valve. Stay away from Bosch, stick with Delco, Autolite or NGK and you won't be disappointed.