2004 Pontiac Grand Am question

[ItalianScallion]

Happy new year, right?!! It has 62,000 miles on it and it developed a rumbling noise in the front end today and I've checked it over as best as I could but can't locate the noise. It's not a wheel bearing, btw, and nothing is hitting or rubbing on the front tires.

There is a rumble as the car picks up speed, that wasn't there yesterday. It sounds like I'm going over rumble strips in the road but not as loud. The noise happens only when the car is moving. As my speed increases, so does the noise. While going down the road, I put the car in neutral to let the engine idle and the noise is still there, so it's not the engine.

I put the front of the car up on jack stands and put it in gear (front wheel drive) and the noise happens. Now this automatic transmission doesn't have a dipstick. The manual says the only way to check the fluid level is to get under it and remove a bolt in the transmission housing, then add fluid until the fluid comes out of the bolt hole. Is this crap or what? GM should have gone under for this one...

I'm going to take it to my mechanic Monday and I can drive it locally but I was hoping to see if anyone here had this problem or has an idea of what it might be. (Transmission is not a word I want to hear either...) Thanks folks!

 

[Ken King]

With the rumble happening while on the road both under load and in neutral and with the vehicle suspended, running and in gear it sounds like it might be a CV joint/half-shaft issue.

 

[dustin]

does the steering wheel shake or vibrate more than it used to?

could be that you lost a wheel weight... and now one of the tires is out of balance.

*edit* nevermind i read again and see that you put the car on jackstands while in gear

 

[ItalianScallion]

With the rumble happening while on the road both under load and in neutral and with the vehicle suspended, running and in gear it sounds like it might be a CV joint/half-shaft issue.

Sounds like a good possibility. If that's the case, I'd still have to take it in Monday. I've replaced CV joints and axles long time ago and it's no easy job (especially since I don't have the impact tools I used to have) or the patience...

CV joints also make a "tinking" sound when they run out of grease (I found out in my old 4WD Jimmy) but this isn't making that sound. It wouldn't surprise me though. All the work I go through trying to keep the CV boot soft and rubbery. It would be the U joint inside that would go bad...I can't win! Thanks Ken!

does the steering wheel shake or vibrate more than it used to?
could be that you lost a wheel weight... and now one of the tires is out of balance.
*edit* nevermind i read again and see that you put the car on jackstands while in gear

No, the car drives perfectly. No shakes or shimmy's and what's more, you can't feel anything in the steering wheel. You can only hear it. :shrug: Thanks Dustin.

 

[Ken King]

Sounds like a good possibility. If that's the case, I'd still have to take it in Monday. I've replaced CV joints and axles long time ago and it's no easy job (especially since I don't have the impact tools I used to have) or the patience...

CV joints also make a "tinking" sound when they run out of grease (I found out in my old 4WD Jimmy) but this isn't making that sound. It wouldn't surprise me though. All the work I go through trying to keep the CV boot soft and rubbery. It would be the U joint inside that would go bad...I can't win! Thanks Ken!

No, the car drives perfectly. No shakes or shimmy's and what's more, you can't feel anything in the steering wheel. You can only hear it. :shrug: Thanks Dustin.

Not hearing the sound myself it is really hard to narrow it down. Hopefully it will be the CV/half-shaft, otherwise it might be in the tranny in which case I'm sure you know what that means - cha ching!!!!

 

[ItalianScallion]

Not hearing the sound myself it is really hard to narrow it down. Hopefully it will be the CV/half-shaft, otherwise it might be in the tranny in which case I'm sure you know what that means - cha ching!!!!

I understand. Heck, the CV axle assembly price alone is sinful; then add the labor. If it's a transmission, I seriously don't know what I'd do right now. Lots of things have crossed my mind though...

I learned 3 things about this car that I didn't know when I bought it and, if I did, I wouldn't have bought it:
The car has front disc brakes but rear drum brakes. STUPID GM! (Stupid me for assuming and not checking)...
No tie rod or ball joint grease fittings; they must be replaced.
No dipstick in the tranny and the fill hole in almost unaccessable.

Good thing Pontiac went away because this is my last one!

 

[Tigerlily]

I understand. Heck, the CV axle assembly price alone is sinful; then add the labor. If it's a transmission, I seriously don't know what I'd do right now. Lots of things have crossed my mind though...

I learned 3 things about this car that I didn't know when I bought it and, if I did, I wouldn't have bought it:
The car has front disc brakes but rear drum brakes. STUPID GM! (Stupid me for assuming and not checking)...
No tie rod or ball joint grease fittings; they must be replaced.
No dipstick in the tranny and the fill hole in almost unaccessable.

Good thing Pontiac went away because this is my last one!

We bought the oldest a 2000 Grand Am two months ago and we realized very quick that this car was made to only be serviced at a dealership or service station. I read the manual from front to back and there are so many idiot lights but yet this car is not very easy to work on at home. The transmission fluid is only accessible by a plug on the underside of the engine.

 

[Ken King]

I understand. Heck, the CV axle assembly price alone is sinful; then add the labor. If it's a transmission, I seriously don't know what I'd do right now. Lots of things have crossed my mind though...

I learned 3 things about this car that I didn't know when I bought it and, if I did, I wouldn't have bought it:
The car has front disc brakes but rear drum brakes. STUPID GM! (Stupid me for assuming and not checking)...
No tie rod or ball joint grease fittings; they must be replaced.
No dipstick in the tranny and the fill hole in almost unaccessable.

Good thing Pontiac went away because this is my last one!

Half-shafts should only be $75 or so, not that sinful. You can probably get a remanufactured one in the mid $50 range.

 

[ItalianScallion]

We bought the oldest a 2000 Grand Am two months ago and we realized very quick that this car was made to only be serviced at a dealership or service station. I read the manual from front to back and there are so many idiot lights but yet this car is not very easy to work on at home. The transmission fluid is only accessible by a plug on the underside of the engine.

You mean the backside of the transmission. And you're right! You need 2 people to fill the tranny; the car has to be up in the air, running, level and one person has to add the tranny fluid from on top while the other under the car waits for the fluid to start leaking out of the bolt hole. No wonder GM was failing! That is soo stupid! What idiot...nevermind!

Half-shafts should only be $75 or so, not that sinful. You can probably get a remanufactured one in the mid $50 range.

I sure will if that's the problem. My mechanic uses local auto parts places unless it's a dealer only item. I sure hope that's all it is...I'm not ready for a tranny replacement at only 62,000 miles.

 

[Ken King]

I sure will if that's the problem. My mechanic uses local auto parts places unless it's a dealer only item. I sure hope that's all it is...I'm not ready for a tranny replacement at only 62,000 miles.

I just checked for your make and year, Duralast Gold are $74 and Duralast Remanufactured are $54 at AutoZone. A factory rebuit tranny will set you back about $1300. And then the labor costs.

 

[ItalianScallion]

I just checked for your make and year, Duralast Gold are $74 and Duralast Remanufactured are $54 at AutoZone. A factory rebuit tranny will set you back about $1300. And then the labor costs.

Hey thanks Ken! I'll take it in Monday morning but I'm not sure he can get to it right then. $1300 isn't too bad for a tranny these days but I'm sure the labor will hurt. I'm really optimistic though. I've heard many cars with tranny problems and this doesn't sound like one; especially since I take excellent care of it by having the fluid changed every 50K miles.

 

[Ken King]

If it is the tranny I've had good luck with used ones, you typically get a 1 year warranty with the guys I use and have never had a problem with them. Is it a 2.2L or the 3.4L? The price savings might be enough to cover labor.

 

[ItalianScallion]

If it is the tranny I've had good luck with used ones, you typically get a 1 year warranty with the guys I use and have never had a problem with them. Is it a 2.2L or the 3.4L? The price savings might be enough to cover labor.

3.4L I've only had one automatic tranny replacement back in the 70's and it was not good, but I'm 99.9% sure this isn't a tranny.

I raised the car up but I didn't crawl under it so I couldn't pinpoint the noise to the CV joints or the transaxle but I can say the noise wasn't coming from a wheel bearing or the tranny. From listening under the hood, it was coming from the area in the middle of but behind the engine. Funny, though, I hear it best from inside the car. :shrug:

 

[Ken King]

3.4L I've only had one automatic tranny replacement back in the 70's and it was not good, but I'm 99.9% sure this isn't a tranny.

I raised the car up but I didn't crawl under it so I couldn't pinpoint the noise to the CV joints or the transaxle but I can say the noise wasn't coming from a wheel bearing or the tranny. From listening under the hood, it was coming from the area in the middle of but behind the engine. Funny, though, I hear it best from inside the car. :shrug:

Just so you know, there are two different trannies for the 3.4L. I'm still thinking that it is a cv/half-shaft issue, but it might be something as simple as a worn bushing on an engine or transmission mount or another bushing in the suspension allowing the vibration to resonate the noise. Any way, good luck and I hope it's nothing serious.

 

[ItalianScallion]

OK, drum roll please! Thank you very much!

The problem was a bad wheel bearing in the right front wheel. I would have never believed it because no noise was coming from the right side nor did either front tire seem loose. I guess the front wheel drive axle kept it tight? No matter; I didn't have the impact socket to get the axle nut off anyhow.

Much better than a tranny or even a CV joint but still not cheap. $310 thanks to GM! The bearing doesn't come by itself; no, of course not! They couldn't rape the customer if they sold it separately! The bearing comes in an assembly with the ABS sensor, the tire pressure sensor and the mega bracket that holds it in; $147 worth of parts!

I remember when the wheel bearing was separate and could be removed with just a pair of channel lock pliers...(that was eons ago). I'm just glad that they got to it today though. Thanks to all for your input.

 

[Ken King]

OK, drum roll please! Thank you very much!

The problem was a bad wheel bearing in the right front wheel. I would have never believed it because no noise was coming from the right side nor did either front tire seem loose. I guess the front wheel drive axle kept it tight? No matter; I didn't have the impact socket to get the axle nut off anyhow.

Much better than a tranny or even a CV joint but still not cheap. $310 thanks to GM! The bearing doesn't come by itself; no, of course not! They couldn't rape the customer if they sold it separately! The bearing comes in an assembly with the ABS sensor, the tire pressure sensor and the mega bracket that holds it in; $147 worth of parts!

I remember when the wheel bearing was separate and could be removed with just a pair of channel lock pliers...(that was eons ago). I'm just glad that they got to it today though. Thanks to all for your input.

Well that is good that you got it properly diagnosed and fixed. Noises can drive one crazy tracking down the source. At least you know what it sounds like should the other side fail.