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98 Pontiac Grand am problem

17 years ago

My Pontiac Grand am se 98 3.5 4 cylinder wants to die out on me when im at a red light, or i put it on stop sign. Then i press the gas pedal and it goes. The needle on the rpm that says 1 it flips up and down to 1 then the needle goes down to 0 like it wants to stop on me. It feels like the fuel is getting cut off, another words when i put my feet on the brake the car wants to stop the rpm needle goes down to 0 then jumps to 1. When im driving it or pressing the gas its fine on the highway. HELP!!!

Comments (3)

jnel
17 years ago
By any chance has the battery been replaced or disconnected lately? My son's 03 Galant had the exact same issue after the battery was replaced. It drove us crazy trying to figure out how to get the computer to relearn the idle. Until we read the owners manual about replacing the battery, that said to let it idle for 10 minutes after reaching operating temp. It worked. This might not be your issue. But I thought I'd use your post to bring to light what can happen when the battery is disconnected. Good luck with it.
iggie
17 years ago
Your problem is likely being caused by a dirty or defective throttle position sensor. Get a Haynes or Chilton manual, they both will show where sensor is and how to remove it. Many public libraries have complete sets of thede manuals, many times simply cleaning the part will fix things
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Pontiac Grand am 98 Idle high
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That may be normal. Just how high is it? In cold weather, it might go to 1200 rpm at first start and then pull back to 900 rpm in the next few seconds. After a few minutes, it should settle to about 700 rpm. If the engine hits 2000 rpm on startup and is too slow in reducing speed, it needs attention. This assumes it was started with your foot off the accelerator and allowing the engine controller to control the process. Also, you may note this happening in cold weather: The idle speed increases slightly when the gear selector is moved from park or neutral to any gear. What's happening is this (for automatic transmissions): When the transmission is put into gear from neutral, the engine controller increases the idle speed a bit to compensate for the extra drag put on by the transmission. If the transmission is a little slow in engaging, the engine will speed up and then drop back in rpm as the transmission cluthes fully engage. This effect is less noticable after the transmission fluid warms and the shift from neutral to a gear quickens. The effect is more noticeable with transmissions that have accumulated wear on shifting valve seals and clutch facings.
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If you have an automatic transmission, you may be experiencing problems with the lock-up clutch. A sensor controls the voltage to the lock-up clutch and this is a common failure with GM lock-up clutches. The fix is simple - replace the sensor. To diagnose, temporarily disable the clutch by unpluging the lead to it. If this is the problem, it disappears when unpluged and re-appears when reconnected. The sensor is failing. Within the range of 45 to 55 mph, the lockup feature may be disengaging and engaging when the throttle position is suddently changed by a significant amount and will cause a small lurch. This is normal, however, lurching increases when the torque control part of the engine mount is worn. It may need replacing.
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Probably the interlock need adjusting, or it has some worn parts that need replacing. Banging it around is no cure and may worsen things. Get it fixed and loose the agravation.
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Comments (0)
I have a 1998 Pontiac Grand am se 4 cylinder. I noticed that when i stop put the brake, then accelerate the car likes hesitates or like it wants to stop, Then i have to press the gas pedal about 2 times and the car goes. Whats the problem?
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blue_fastback
17 years ago
Are you sure about that 3.5 4 cylinder engine? GM made a 3.5 6 cylinder engine not a 4 cylinder. How about a 2.4 4 cylinder or a 3.1 6 cylinder.

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