Car-and-Safety.com
Pontiac Grand Prix Engine And Engine Cooling Exhaust System Manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe Safety Report | Sept 05, 2002
Reported on Sept 05, 2002
| ENGINE RUNS ROUGH, LOSS OF POWER, ENGINE SEIZES UP - THIS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY SEPT 2002. INITIAL DIAGNOSIS: BLOWN HEAD GASKET OR HEADERS. INITIAL ESTIMATES TO FIX: APPROXIMATELY $4000-4500. INITIAL CALLS TO PONTIAC/GM WERE FRUITLESS. RESULT: REPLACED ENGINE OCT 2003 (APPROXIMATELY $3500 W/WARRANTY). INCIDENT OCCURS A SECOND TIME APPROXIMATELY 3 WEEKS AFTER NEW ENGINE INSTALLED. DIAGNOSIS: INTAKE MANIFOLD COOLANT LEAK, BROKEN PISTON ROD. CALLS TO PONTIAC/GM FRUITLESS ONCE AGAIN. RESULT: AWAITING ANOTHER ENGINE AND MANIFOLD REPAIRS. TO MAKE A LONG AND ARDUOUS 14 MONTHS SHORT - AFTER A CONSIDERATE NUMBER OF CALLS TO PONTIAC, I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO SPEAK WITH A PONTIAC ENGINEER (PE) WHO SPECIALIZES IN FUEL AND EXHAUST SYSTEMS. PE EXPLAINED THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM, WORSE CASE SCENARIO AND THE SOLUTION: THE PROBLEM LIES WITHIN THE LOWER (ALUMINUM) INTAKE MANIFOLD. WITHIN IS A TUBE THAT HOUSES THE EGR VALVE AND CARRIES EXHAUST GASES. THIS TUBE WAS MADE RELATIVELY LARGE AND RUNS EITHER THROUGH OR CLOSE TO THE UPPER (PLASTIC) INTAKE MANIFOLD. OVER TIME, THE EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURES OF THESE EXHAUST GASES CAUSES THE UPPER MANIFOLD TO MELT AND CREATES A COOLANT LEAK INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM. AS THIS LEAK INCREASES IN SIZE, INCREASED AMOUNTS OF COOLANT MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE PISTON CHAMBERS. EVENTUALLY, COMPRESSION IS LOST AND THE PISTON RODS CAN EITHER BEND OR BREAK. BOTH THE LOWER AND UPPER MANIFOLDS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE LOWER HAS BEEN REDESIGNED WITH A SMALLER TUBE THAT HOUSES THE EGR VALVE, THEREFORE, IT DOES NOT LIE AS CLOSE TO THE UPPER MANIFOLD. PE EVEN FAXED ME A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN IN REFERENCING THIS PROBLEM FOR 1998 AND OLDER PONTIACS. RECALLS: 2000-2003 MANIFOLDS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 99'S? THERE WERE NO DESIGN CHANGES ON THE MANIFOLDS FOR THE 98'S, 99'S AND 00'S. MOST DEALERSHIP MECHANICS WON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PONTIAC IS AWARE OF THE INITIAL DESIGN DEFECT. THEIR OFFICIAL BULLETINS PROVE THIS. WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR DESIGN DEFECT? *LA | |
| Make: | Pontiac |
| Model: | Grand Prix |
| Manufactured by: | General Motors LLC |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Was a crash reported? | N |
| Was an injury reported? | 0 person(s) were injured. |
| Was a death reported? | 0 person(s) died. |
| Was a fire reported? | N |
| Location: | NORTH BEND OH |
| Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): | |
| Mileage: | |
| Speed: | |
| Number of cylinders: | 6 |
| Vehicle type: | FWD |
| Vehicle fuel: | GAS Fuel injection. |
| Was a police report filed? | N |
| Tire size: | |
| Dealer name and location: | PERFORMANCE HONDA FAIRFIELD OH 45014 |
| Previous Report:Wheels Lugs/nuts/bolts | Next Report:Engine And Engine Cooling Exhaust System Manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe |