I have a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix with 135,500 miles on it. For the past month when I touch the gas, my RPMs go up and down; not to the point that my car chugs but definitely enough that I’m probably not getting good gas mileage and it may be causing other problems. My SES light has been on for many months if that ties in at all. I don’t know if it’s a fuel filter issue or something simple like a gas cap that’s not tight…or something worse (and more expensive). I appreciate any information!
Is your clutch or transmission slipping? SRS light? That means your airbags are out of order, nothing to do with the RPM…Does this RPM change occur at all speeds or just some speeds. Is it just the transmission shifting?
I think that the “SES” light is the Service Engine Soon light. That may be the GM equivalent of the more common Check Engine light (CEL), or it may be an indication that the oil is due for changing. Only a check of your Owner’s Manual will reveal which is the case.
That being said, if this is the equivalent of the CEL, then you need to have the car’s OBD II system scanned for trouble codes. That can be done free-of-charge at Auto Zone, Advance Auto Parts, O’Reilly, and NAPA, to name a few. A stored trouble code will guide you and us to the part(s) that are at fault.
Caddyman, the RPM change occurs at all speeds. It started when I was going slower speeds (30mph) but now does it at faster speeds (70mph on Interstate) as well.
Yes, the SES light is the Service Engine Soon light and I just changed my oil so that doesn’t seem to be the problem. I’ll have to check out one of the places you mentioned to get my OBD II system scanned. Thanks.
Incidentally, if the car is not up to date with ALL of the maintenance listed in the GM maintenance schedule, this lack of maintenance is the likely source of the problem.
When was the last time that the spark plugs, air filter, and fuel filter were changed?
If the RPM is actually changing and it’s not just the tach jumping around, and it has an automatic transmission, then it sounds like you are just days away from a transmission failure…If it has a transmission dipstick, pull it out and see what the fluid looks/smells like…