why is my 06 grand prix cutting off on me if and whenever I dive off from the house or from any stop. It will just cut off with out any warning. what could be causing this and how much should it cost to take care of this problem?
Asked by Phil1980 Mar 09, 2015 at 01:10 PM about the 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix GT
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I just bought this car from an auto auction two weeks ago. I was able to drive it home the same night and drove it to Tires Plus for a diagnostic check with no problems. Someone unhooked the bulb to the check engine light and I have wires that have been cut, replaced, taped in some areas, and exposed on the same side that the battery is on. I have taken it to three shops in the last week who all say that it is time consuming and costly starting at 75.00 an hour. Can someone please point me in the right direction to a mechanic who can fix this correctly and without the high cost.
5 Answers
A good mechanic is going to cost that much, that's the going rate, dealers $100+/hour. Maybe you find a $40/hour mechanic, he will take twice as long. They were telling the truth, that sort of work is indeed time consuming
There are no short cuts here. That's probably why the car was at the auction. I hope you didn't pay too much for it. There are some mechanics and shops that specialize in auto electrical. Ask around and find someone like that, and if he specializes in GMs that's even better, then be prepared to spend a few hundred dollars. Before you invest too much in it though you might consider taking it back to the auction and selling it as is. Sometimes that's cheaper in the long run. This car has trouble written all over it in my opinion.
I would probably get a wiring harness from a junkyard and replace it myself.
So I got the thing started found out it was a loose battery cable. the guy who figured that out also checked all the fuses in the car and under the hood some where missing but nothing that would make the car cut off. however, someone either reposed this car or while breaking into this car did it wrong. cause now my key wont come out and it cranks when it wants to. If I get the ignition replace would this fix the problem with the car cutting off while im driving and I know it should fix the key problem? they want 435.00 to do this at a dealer....is there a better &/or cheaper way?
Yes there is an easier, or at least a cheaper way. There are a couple of Pontiac Grand Prix forums that have been around for years. It may take a bit of searching but you will likely find the necessary codes or at least the GM sources for the codes required to access the security system and get it to release your keys and work again. Having said that I am not convinced that a loose battery cable and some missing fuses are all that is wrong with this car. Someone took those fuses out for a reason and that reason was probably to get something to stop malfunctioning. As I said before this car sounds like it has serious issues and it is questionable whether you will be able to resolve them. You might want to cut your losses now. I hope I'm wrong, but this isn't my first barbeque.
