Thread: 3x A Charm?

1997 Pontiac Grand Prix; 159,000 miles.

Battery 6 months old; new starter.

Started first time, every time during previous 5 months. Last two days car wouldn't start until 3rd crank. Brought it into AutoZone today to see if maybe the battery wasn't being charged, but they checked it out and the battery, starter, and alternator all checked out. I have noticed that my radio's display does some very weird things, too. I thought about the gas I put in recently at a Flying J, but once started, the car runs great. I found a mechanic who will work on 1997 Grand Prix if I need to get it towed, but any ideas why this is happening all of a sudden? Thanks!

Check all your cables for corrosion and tightness. A loose or corrded cable or ground can cause hard starting/wierd electrical things (the radio display). Or it's possible that you have a bad cell in the battery. Did they load test the battery or just check it for charge? A static battery can test out fine, but once you hit the starter the amp draw may be enough that it kills the battery and it can't fire up.

I checked for battery corrosion and I re-tightened the battery cables (that happened to me before because car rides so low and the roads in Salt Lake City are so rutted because of the road salt and the snow.) They did a test for a charge and the tester said it may be a loose ground. I haven't a clue where that would be located.

Thanks. I'll give that a try tomorrow a.m.

Grounds are located on a stud on the transmission bell housing. If you stand in front of th car and look down the edge of the trans you should see it there. Might want to remove them, clean em up and then make sure they're tight.

I tried the fuel pump priming and it worked! What should I look for as the cause and what would I do for repairs? Thanks!

Clogged fuel filter would be a cheap place to start, especially if it hasn't been replaced before. Could also check the fuel pressure regulator. Pull the vacuum line off of it (with the car not running) and see if fuel leak out of the line. If so, then replace the regulator. Other than that it could be a weak pump.