2000 Pontiac Grand Am Repair Question
Asked on July 29, 2012
Sudden shut down/power loss while on highway
You may have answered this one before. I own a 2000 Grand Am SE, 4 cyl. with almost 200,000 miles on it. My wife and I were on the highway, doing around 50 on a ramp, when with a jerk, the traction system went down, then within 30 seconds or so, I lost oil pressure, acceleration, battery power. Soon after, all power was lost and luckily we were able to coast to the side of the road. Any suggestions as to a cause before I bring it in to my mechanic? Thanks
Asked by king28Answer
Replied on July 29, 2012
These all sound related to low system voltage. Generator failures are REAL common on GM vehicles. Start by jump-starting the battery to see if the engine will run, then measure the battery voltage while it's running, (boosting vehicle disconnected). If it's not between 13.75 and 14.75 volts, replace the generator. To reduce the number of repeat failures, replace the battery too unless it's less than about two years old.