I thought my 1998 Pontiac Bonneville with 224k miles had finally clunked this past May - there was something wrong with the fuel line. Stuck in Las Vegas, New Mexico on a Sunday I was lucky enough to find a mechanic with a lean-to, a jack, and some ex-con’s working for him – great people, but VERY interesting. The mechanic, Samples, gave me a ride to Santa Fe to rent a car to get back to Denver and I returned the following week to pick up my car. He fixed a plethora of issues with the main one being replacing the fuel pump (with some twine, I?m told). The following week my Bonneville made it 600 miles back to Denver and then died less than a mile from my house. It started up the next day without an issue and I parked it at home for the next month while I got married and went on a honeymoon.
During the remainder of the summer my car would whistle after about 20 miles and each mechanic told me I needed a new fuel pump ? 3 ?lemons? later my car still makes the same whistling after about 20-30 miles, but only on warm days. This winter the car has ran surprisingly well. I fear taking my car more than about 30 miles?should I keep giving this car more chances? If the fuel pump isn?t the problem, what other issues are likely? Why would the cold weather result in a smoother running car?
If I do give up on the car?what?s the best suggestion of disposal? One friend recommended donating it to a monster truck rally.
Does the whistling come from the gas tank area? It’s possible that your gas tank isn’t venting properly, so that it’s building up a vacuum that works against the fuel pump. The next time you hear it, open your gas cap and see if there’s a loud rush of air being pulled in, followed by the car running properly for a while.