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1998 Pontiac Grand Prix


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scatty2010
New User

Jul 24, 2017, 6:16 PM

Post #1 of 7 (1503 views)
1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In

1998
Pontiac
Grand Prix
3.8L V6
196,821 Miles

1998 Grand Prix - RPM running low, vehicle occasionally stalling, temperature running higher than it probably should. I believe it may be two separate issues but I know little to nothing about vehicles.

Unknown what time the temperature started to go odd, but it happens primarily when I am pushing the vehicle to accelerate fast OR the vehicle idles for a little bit of time (30 ~ 60 seconds @ stop sign and the temperature starts to raise very noticeably). Driving at a steady speed for long distances cools it back down, as expected. Temperature has never gone into the red, it usually gets up to a maximum of 210F (halfway point on the readout, give or take a smidge.)

Stalling began before RPM started running lower than usual. Stalling happened only rarely while traveling down a busy road at approx 55 ~ 65 mph. Month or two, possibly more, happening about once monthly or so. Not very consistent or regular. RPM may have lowered without me noticing, the car stalled and died at a stoplight one time, and ever since then I've noticed the RMP running at 1.5 instead of the regular 2+ on the readout while gassing it, and .5 instead of 1 ~ 1.5 at idle. Stalls much more frequently now (but has never died since then).

As I know next to nothing about vehicles I have not tried anything yet, but I will be adding fuel cleaner to the vehicle soon, and shortly after replace the fuel filter myself to see if that fixes the RPM/stalling issue. Regrettably, I have no idea how to read the fuel pressure. I'll post it as soon as I figure that out.

Please give me any suggestions or ideas as to what may be the issue for either of my two problems, so I can find ways to remedy them. Thanks in advance, and sorry for a two-in-one!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 24, 2017, 6:26 PM

Post #2 of 7 (1494 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In

Your first problem, overheating, is not a problem at all. It is supposed to get hotter when stopped or in traffic. The cooling fans aren't programmed to come on until approx 26 degrees.

As for the idle situation.......................




First eliminate all vacuum or air leaks in the system (very important)

. You may have a bad IAC ( idle air control) but try cleaning the throttle body first. Remove the intake snorkel, have someone hold the throttle wide open for you and scrub the back side of the throttle plate and surrounding bore with an old tooth brush and some carb cleaner. Be sure to spray some into the small holes next to the throttle plate. That should help stabilize the idle. If it still has a problem, replace the IAC.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



scatty2010
New User

Jul 24, 2017, 6:32 PM

Post #3 of 7 (1490 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In


In Reply To
First eliminate all vacuum or air leaks in the system (very important)

. You may have a bad IAC ( idle air control) but try cleaning the throttle body first. Remove the intake snorkel, have someone hold the throttle wide open for you and scrub the back side of the throttle plate and surrounding bore with an old tooth brush and some carb cleaner. Be sure to spray some into the small holes next to the throttle plate. That should help stabilize the idle. If it still has a problem, replace the IAC.


Is there a step by step guide for doing this somewhere that you know of? If not, I can google it - I just don't know exactly what I'm looking for so I wanted to check with you first to potentially save time. I don't even know what the throttle body looks like :P Thanks for the quick response!


(This post was edited by scatty2010 on Jul 24, 2017, 6:36 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 24, 2017, 6:37 PM

Post #4 of 7 (1478 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In

My instructions were about as clear as it gets.

You can try searching you-tube for a video about this but if you're not understanding what I said, then this may not be for you.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



scatty2010
New User

Jul 24, 2017, 6:48 PM

Post #5 of 7 (1474 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In


In Reply To
My instructions were about as clear as it gets.

You can try searching you-tube for a video about this but if you're not understanding what I said, then this may not be for you.


No worries, I've just gotta figure out what it looks like. Google is everyone's friend! I'll give it a go and get back to you with the results. Thanks again!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 25, 2017, 1:15 AM

Post #6 of 7 (1440 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In

Quote "Google is everyone's friend!" You must be joking? If that search engine is your friend who needs enemies! Try Bing or another.


All full of junk info, wrong info will lead you off a cliff like a Lemming - any AYOR need to know enough yourself to know it's wrong info,


T



Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 25, 2017, 4:36 AM

Post #7 of 7 (1436 views)
Re: 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix Sign In

That would be Tom's opinion. I have no problem with using Google.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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