1996 Pontiac Grand Am smoking engine

1996 PONTIAC GRAND AM
96,000 MILES • 6 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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LLOYDRICHEY
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I bought a used 1996 Pontiac Grand AM GT with a new engine for my wife. All the gauges soon starting going crazy and it shifted really hard when putting it in reverse. After research I think I have traced it back to a bad ECM, which I will soon replace. One day about a month later she started to drive it to work and 1 minute into it smoke started coming up out of the vent right in front of the windshield and in the cab. After work I started it up just long enough to get it on the road (15 seconds) and it filled up with smoke again. It continued to lightly smoke out of the front vent mentioned earlier for hours. The lights and gauges still work the way they did before the problem and the belt seemingly turns fine. Can't figure it out.
Apr 19, 2010 at 4:40 PM
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MHPAUTOS
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Hi there,

Thank you for the donation,

Is there an smell with this smoke, is it there all the time or only with the air or heater working, is it there with out side air only or re cerc or both?

mark (mhpautos)
Apr 19, 2010 at 6:30 PM
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LLOYDRICHEY
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The smell was slightly rubbery, like the rubber on wires maybe. Definitely didn't smell like oil or anything. When the smoke happened it was set to outside air on low. There was soo much smoke that I was afraid to start it up again to test other scenarios. I only started it up again to turn it around so i could push it home. The only way i know that the belt still turns and is not locked up is because I've tried to start it this last weekend and it wont start. It fires, and the belt turns, it just wont get enough gas to run after it fires. My mechanic buddy told me that its probably not related and its just cause the gas has set for two months and is probably not any good. Thank you for your time.
Apr 20, 2010 at 10:14 AM
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MHPAUTOS
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Hi there,

Start with checking the drive belts for any indication of wear, try and drain the fuel and change the filter, there may me water in the tank, clean the plugs and get a good charge into the battery, try and start it up, check under the bonnet with it running for any signs of this smoke, start here.

mark (mhpautos)
Apr 20, 2010 at 7:06 PM
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