Just purchased a Gxp bonneville...couple issues need help!

[iRoll4z]

Yesterday I bought a 2004 Gxp Bonnie with 110k miles and I have a couple of issues.

1. Gas hand doesn't read correct
2. Mirrors and look/unlock buttons do not work on driver door only.
3. Ac blows cold but so does the heater
4. It reads Low coolant and check gas cap on the dash
5. Very slight shake when I let off the gas around 60-70 mph

Other then that the car runs great...just those small problems ...where do I start?

[samples08]

This is maybe helpful!

http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 25362.html


Welcome to the Club home you enjoy that nice bonne!

[ZimGXP]

Add coolant to bring level up to full and see if your heat comes back.

[04BlackGXP]

I agree with Zim on the coolant. Check your coolant level--you might have a leak. I had a leaking water pump and my heat wouldn't start blowing hot until ~210*. Water pump was replaced and the car heats up just fine.

As for the driver's door, check the fuses in the fuse box located under the back seat on the passenger side. Just pull your rear seat up vertically and it will come off.

[CMNTMXR57]

1) Return it to the dealership you bought it at. It's a N* with >100k on the clock. Unless you plan on spending every weekend under the hood of it, cut your losses and move on.

However, if you should decide to keep it;

* READ THE FOG LIGHT THREAD

1) Stepper motor in the cluster, short in the wiring, faulty fuel level sending unit.
2) Check fuses (as mentioned). However, if the locks work via key fobs and other door lock switches work, it's not a fuse issue. Most likely a faulty switch assembly.
3) Coolant level or thermostat.
4) If coolant level has been checked and and is at the specified level, then it's the coolant level sensor in the overflow tank (if I recall). Gas cap, sounds like a bad "O"-ring on the cap and/or rusted/rusty fuel filler neck where it seals to. If you have your MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp), or more commonly referred to as the "Check engine light", on, perhaps you have an EVAP code along with it which could be a couple other things in addition to the gas cap.
5) Hard to diagnose. Could be trans (torque converter, TCC solenoid, etc), or it could be suspension.

*READ THE FOG LIGHT THREAD (yes, I repeated myself on purpose).

[00Beast]

[7tcatvert]

In the shop today because I am having the same vibration issue...last week they told me it was the rear rotors were out of round...what that had to do with vibration at 70 MPH I don't know...but did not fix the problem...

[CMNTMXR57]

Tire?

The fronts on mine were always suseptable to this. Even new tires after a few months of normal driving wear would all the sudden start exhibiting vibrational feeling and odd noises. Switch them around and it was quiet again. Repeated this through two sets of tires while I owned it. And two different sets of tires each time. Yokohama Avid V4S/W4S's, and then Goodyear Eagle F1 A/S.

This is the only car that has exhibited this trait.

[7tcatvert]

They have concluded that it was the tires now working on the tire company to warranty the tires

[CMNTMXR57]

[7tcatvert]

Replaced the tires still have the vibration back to the dealer again....

[CMNTMXR57]

Could still be the replacement tires. I remember with my Eagle F1's, I replaced them with a set of new ones, it still did it, took it right back, and got another set that were quiet again for a couple thousand miles...

Make sure they load balance them too. Again, for some reason, this vehicle puts some odd load on the front wheels causing these noises/wear from the tires, so when balancing, you want to be as realistic as can be.

[DrOlds88]

Replaced the tires still have the vibration back to the dealer again....

I had this issue with my 01 Aurora (another G body with Northstar based power train). As CMNTMXR57 said before...RUN AWAY!

There was an issue with these cars that GM knows about.
Link: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct ... 9e819/5387

All of the fullsize GM FWD cars from this era have suffered from this. My Aurora was in the shop several times to get this looked at. The car would be balanced/etc and drive fine for a few days/weeks and then the vibration would creep back in. I was told the same thing about the brakes being out of balance (the GM dealer charged $900 for front and back brake jobs, balance the tires, and change the oil). The car was okay for a few weeks and then it came back. I remember reading a few years ago that GM was having a secondary issue because these cars vibrated so badly that the owners became "hyper sensitive" to the vibrations on the road....eventually no amount of balancing would please the customer because they had dealt with the problem for so long.

A friend of mine who worked at a GM dealer told me "Its the nature of the beast"...no matter how many of these cars they tried to fix the problem would creep back in. A google search will show you this problem has been beaten to death on the Aurora, Buick, and Cadillac forums.

If your GXP is anything like many of the other Northstar powered FWD cars, this may be the least of your problems.

[7tcatvert]

Replaced the tires still have the vibration back to the dealer again....

I had this issue with my 01 Aurora (another G body with Northstar based power train). As CMNTMXR57 said before...RUN AWAY!

There was an issue with these cars that GM knows about.
Link: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct ... 9e819/5387

All of the fullsize GM FWD cars from this era have suffered from this. My Aurora was in the shop several times to get this looked at. The car would be balanced/etc and drive fine for a few days/weeks and then the vibration would creep back in. I was told the same thing about the brakes being out of balance (the GM dealer charged $900 for front and back brake jobs, balance the tires, and change the oil). The car was okay for a few weeks and then it came back. I remember reading a few years ago that GM was having a secondary issue because these cars vibrated so badly that the owners became "hyper sensitive" to the vibrations on the road....eventually no amount of balancing would please the customer because they had dealt with the problem for so long.

A friend of mine who worked at a GM dealer told me "Its the nature of the beast"...no matter how many of these cars they tried to fix the problem would creep back in. A google search will show you this problem has been beaten to death on the Aurora, Buick, and Cadillac forums.

If your GXP is anything like many of the other Northstar powered FWD cars, this may be the least of your problems.

Nice to know funny does last for about 2 months then starts...Tires were load balanced at the dealership..thanks for the advice...car has to last me until the end of the warrenty another 12 months or 30000 miles....

[DrOlds88]

Reading your post brings back so many bad memories...

When I bought my 1993 Bonneville ,I called the mechanic in town (friend of ours)...he thought i said 2003 and told me to run away.
When I brought my 2001 Aurora to the dealership once, they had another one on the lift. I mentioned to the service adviser that it was a nice looking car...he told me they are junk and to stay away from them "nothing but headaches". It was a little awkward telling him I was there to drop off the same car in silver.

I spent 4 years trying to fix that car, one part at a time....I have up after spending thousands of dollars and countless nights on boards such as this looking for answers.
The 2000era GM full size cars are some of the best looking, more fun to drive, and most affordable full size cars you can buy. Like any car, they have their faults...add in the Northstar engine family and the electronics that the high end models have...and you have a lot of long nights ahead of you.

[7tcatvert]

They remounted the tires and re balanced them...said all fixed...Of course it isnt...back to them tommorow...another rental telling them to keep it until problemis fixed...

[sethjamesrimrodt]

Obviously the issue is not the tire. I have had a slight vibration in both of my Bonnevilles around the same speed and a large percentage of people on this forum experience this.
No offense but is it really worth this much time and money? The car has 110,000 it's not new.

[7tcatvert]

My car only has 78xxx miles and the vibration is very annoying. It has cost me about 300 so far but now the cost will be on the dealership and the warrenty company. I am taking a rental car until they figure it out...

[sethjamesrimrodt]

Ah ok I didn't notice that you weren't the op.

[7tcatvert]

NO My bad..... looks like I hijacked the thread