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Power loss with ticking sound getting worse. '97 Grand AM GT 3.1L.
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skseattle
Novice
May 11, 2010, 3:19 PM
Post #1 of 4
(2342 views)
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Power loss with ticking sound getting worse. '97 Grand AM GT 3.1L.
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Hello all,
I have a 1997 Pontiac Grand AM GT, 3.1 V6, about 120,000 miles.
For about 2-3 years I heard a ticking when I first started the engine but with no other problems. It would warm up and then the sound would go away. The engine still ran great.
Recently, for 2-3 months the ticking got worse and I started to loose just a bit of power every once in a while. That slowly got worse too. Now the ticking is much worse and constant. Now I can only accelerate slowly and I have much less power than I should.
Going up a hill is tough. I have to find just the right position on the throttle and even then it's very slow and sluggish. She used to love hills :(
Now the ticking has become or is accompanied with what sounds like air escaping, as if a valve is not closing completely or a seal blew. I hear a pish, pish, pish.
It almost feels like I'm missing a cylinder or a rocker assembly is loose?
I haven't tried anything yet with the valves. I did just replace a heater core and just after that the water pump blew. I'm assuming this is an unassociated issue. I had an overheat recently.
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
May 12, 2010, 5:59 AM
Post #2 of 4
(2329 views)
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Re: Power loss with ticking sound getting worse. '97 Grand AM GT 3.1L.
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Do a compression test to narrow down which cylinder is the culprit here. Your cooling components failures are most likely unrelated, as this is a 13 year old car and those parts going out are par for the course. But how bad was it overheated? Do you have any coolant in your oil? The pish pish noise you hear could be a valve sticking open, could be a cracked exhaust manifold or leaking exhaust gasket too. All must be looked over. Exhaust leaks leave a black sooty trail to show themselves.
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skseattle
Novice
May 25, 2010, 2:15 PM
Post #3 of 4
(2307 views)
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Re: Power loss with ticking sound getting worse. '97 Grand AM GT 3.1L.
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I took the thermostat out and kept filling it with water so I could get it home.
It ran incredibly strong and had all the power it used to have. No pish sound, no power loss, no ticking.
Because of this I'm assuming it's a loose rocker assembly or lifter that sticks sometimes.
Does anyone agree?
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
May 28, 2010, 1:38 AM
Post #4 of 4
(2291 views)
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Re: Power loss with ticking sound getting worse. '97 Grand AM GT 3.1L.
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If it was a loose rocker, the trouble would persist. Taking the thermostat out is making the engine run cold, which the coolant temp sensor then tells the ECM about. The ECM thinks the engine just got started on a cold day, and richens up the fuel mix to compensate for it to protect from a lean burn. Your car isn't getting the right amount of fuel normally. Running without the thermostat will screw the settings up badly enough to kill your cat in no time, and thats BIG bucks in a short time. You need to find this fuel issue out quickly. This isn't a fix, merely a bandaid on a gaping wound. Your car and wallet both are looking to see trouble on the horizon otherwise
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