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Pontiac Grand Am Electrical System Safety Report | Nov 02, 2009
Reported on Nov 02, 2009
| THE CAR WAS PURCHASED WITH 26,700 MILES FROM MY FATHER. HE BOUGHT IT NEW. THERE WERE NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH IT OTHER THAN THE A/C, WHICH NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 28,500 MILES WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN SUDDENLY. IT HAPPENED ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT IS 55 MPH. THE CAR COULD WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER SEVERAL FRANTIC ATTEMPTS. FINALLY, IT STARTED AFTER 10 MINUTES AND RAN LONG ENOUGH TO DRIVE IT THREE MILES TO THE HOUSE. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND THE CAR RAN WELL FOR ANOTHER 200 MILES BEFORE THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN SUDDENLY AGAIN. A BATTERY CABLE HAD OVERHEATED DUE TO A POOR FACTORY TERMINAL CONNECTION THAT ONLY USED A PORTION OF THE CABLE STRANDS TO SUPPLY POWER TO THE MAIN FUSE BOX UNDER THE HOOD. THE CABLE WAS REPLACED. THE CAR RAN WELL FOR ANOTHER 300 MILES WHEN SUDDENLY ALL THE INSTRUMENT WARNING LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, BUT THE ENGINE DIDN'T SHUTDOWN. THE BATTERY WAS DAMAGED DURING THE BATTERY CABLE MELTDOWN. IT WAS REPLACED. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN THE NEXT DAY AND THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN SUDDENLY AGAIN. IT EVENTUALLY RESTARTED. IT FAILED AGAIN AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN ON THE WAY HOME. IT RESTARTED AND WAS PARKED ON THE DRIVEWAY. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET INDICATED THE PROBLEM COULD BE CAUSED BY THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM), WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE DASHBOARD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE BCM WAS REMOVED AND ONE OF THE THREE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS (PINK) WAS FOUND TO BE WET AND CORRODED AT THREE OF THE MALE AND FEMALE CONNECTOR PINS. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHERE THE WATER CAME FROM. THE CONNECTOR PINS WERE DRIED AND THE CORROSION REMOVED. A DIELECTRIC GREASE WAS APPLIED TO AVOID FURTHER CORROSION. THE CAR HAS OPERATED PROPERLY, SO FAR. POSSIBLY, THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM WAS INTERMITTENTLY LOSING A CRITICAL SENSOR INPUT DUE TO CORRODED BCM TERMINALS. INVESTIGATE THE FAULTY BATTERY CABLE CONNECTOR, AND WATER CORRODING THE BCM TERMINALS. *TR | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Grand Am |
| Manufactured by: | GENERAL MOTORS LLC |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | |
| Was a death reported? | |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | SPRING HILL FL |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | 1G2NF52E41M |
| Mileage: | 28500 miles. |
| Speed: | 55 MPH |
| Number of cylinders: | 6 |
| Vehicle type: | |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | |
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