Car starts then two seconds later goes off

David Gibbons

• 26 Answers
• Posted on Jan 31, 2009

SOURCE: 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix Thermostat

as you face the engine the thermostat bell is on the right (drivers side) Follow the radiatoe hose. Remove the two bolts and raise the bell still attatched to the hose. the thermostat is there with the rubber seal. You can gently pry the thermostat out with a screwdriver or something similar. Put in new thermostat be sure it is the same as the old one, and then replace or change the seal (be sure it is the smae size and thickness as the old one as I got the wrong size from Napa) Then replace the bell, and tighten, but not over tighten. I hope this helps!

SOURCE: 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix Gt not shifting into OD

Basic Troubleshooting:

Although the Indicator says the vehicle is in "D" or "OD", is it really? If the linkage is mechanical, you may actually be in "3". Make sure the car is in neutral and pull the lever into the first forward position without looking at the indicator.

Does your vehicle have a switch to turn the OD off and you didn't know it? You may have inadvertently done this. In this case, though, usually there is a little dummy light on the dash that says "O/D off" or something like that.

Check the transmission fluid level on your vehicle and make sure it is to factory specification.

SOURCE: 2000 pontiac emergency brake stuck. how do i

Are you in a Northern Climate were road salt is used during winter? The emergency brake problems I have encountered tend to be due to rust and corrosion accumulating on the wires and metal pivot points that operate the brake via the emergency handle on the center console.

Get underneath the car (chock the wheels---ALL FOUR! with bricks or large chunks of wood---be sure the car is in PARK!) and find the wire that connects to the handle of the brake---follow it to the rear brakes, and you will see a split where it goes to the L and R sides via a sliding clasp of steel that looks like a C, and has wires running over the top, and to each rear brake.

At this point, grab the wire on one side of it and PULL HARD several times, slack between pulls. Do this for each side---that should release the assembly, and the shoes from holding the drum.

After you have done this, lubricate the pivot points and the wire connection to the brake handle with TRI-FLOW (NOT WD-40)or another teflon based lubricant.

SOURCE: LOOKING FOR A FUSE BOX DIAGRAM FOR 2004 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX GT

It's under the hood, on the driver's side, under a square, black box with a lightning symbol on it. Loosen the flower-shaped screw that holds the lid of the box down, remove the lid, flip it upside down and when you look at the inside of the lid, you'll see a map of all your car's fuses. There's also a fuse diagram on the very end of the dash, but it's accessible only when you open the driver's side door. When you're driving, that end of the dash is blocked by the closed door.

SOURCE: Squeal under hood 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix GT (3.8 L)

I would start with a belt. While removing it feel how much tension the tensioner has on it, on the 3800 egnine they have a stiff tensioner(sorry I don't have any specs for how much) After you get the belt off you can look at all of the pulleys and spin them to see if the bind or look for stuff stuck in the grooves on the pulleys.
It sounds to me like the belt is streched. I would not recommend one of those gator back belts, they seem to make more noise sooner than a good v notch belt. But thats just my opinion!