ok its probably been about a month since the problem started. I had been driving for about 6 miles and was in moderate traffic at a reasonably slow speed, and all of a sudden, my car starts dinging (because lights are turning on on the dashboard) and i cant give it gas and the steering wheel is really hard to turn. I immediately turn (not easily)into a parking lot and get out of traffic. I turn off the car and check all of the fluids because i thought i lost my power steering, but all of the fluids were full. I turn the car back on and keep going, and about 2 miles up the road, I was stopped at a stop light and it does it again. so i let the cars behind me go and turn the car off and back on and it was fine, there was garage right around the block so i pulled in there and they looked at it and found nothing wrong with the car. they took it for a drive and it was fine.
about a week or two later it did it again, first when i had just started it and was about to leave my parking spot. i restarted it and left. it did it about five miles later at a stop light. it hasnt done it since, but i only use it to drive 5 minutes to work and then back so it doesnt really have a chance to warm up. im wondering if its a clogged catalytic converter, a clogged fuel pump, or a bad spark plug…? any ideas?
What year Grand AM? how many miles. Is all the recommended maintenance up to date? (see list in owner’s manual) Remember that most maintenance list distance and time which ever comes first.
As the CEL come on when driving? (CheckEngineLight) If so, how about stopping in at one of the auto part stores that will be able to check for error codes for free. If you get codes, write them down and reply to your original message with that information. Get the actual code like [P1234] not an interpretation of the code like “O? sensor”
Year, Make, Model, miles? My guess, check all the above first.
P.S. The engine drives the power steering pump and power brakes. Engine off, no power steering, no power brakes.
2000 pontiac grand am…136,000+ mi, as far as i know everything is reletively up to date.
the battery and oil light come one…just like it would do when its in accessory…i dont think the engine light came on. i put a used engine with about 60,000 miles in when the car was at 120,000. the head on the other one cracked.