I've got an '02 Grand Am GT. A couple weeks ago my Change Oil, Service Engine, Traction Off, and ABS dash lights came on, and have persisted since. I have tried using the reset in the fuse panel, to at least get rid of the Oil light, but nothing has changed. I've disconnected the battery terminal and all that good stuff. Any suggestions, because these lights are getting to me

8/13/2006 6:25:50 PM

It's gotta be related to your fucking alternator. I'll bet two cheeseburgers.

8/13/2006 7:36:16 PM

wouldnt the battery die in a couple hours of driving if the alternator was bad?

8/13/2006 8:19:39 PM

yes it would if the alternator were completely dead.

zxa you got any suggestions? i have a feeling some coolant may have it the alternator, my dang water pump exploded a few weeks ago... could that have seriously jacked it?

8/14/2006 12:35:58 AM

I'd go let one of the auto parts grocery stores check yer alternator out fer ye.

Reason I point to the alternator is that when you get a diode breakdown, you often end up with a backfeed that illuminates several idjit lights at a time. However, this may not hold true for your car as it's so new. I would eliminate that first as it's easy as hell to do. Next will be your error codes.

Now, given that most, if not all, of your car's powertrain/braking functions maintain some sort of computer control, I'd be interested in any trouble codes stored by the system.

Keep in mind that traction control and ABS are intimately tied together...that may be one problem that merits further exploration. A good shop should be able to pull ABS codes. I don't know if that piece of shit scanner that Advance uses will pull ABS codes or not. It's really only set up to read powertrain control module codes.

8/14/2006 1:44:43 AM

My isuzu did some crazy shit like that when the alternator was dying. Except in addition to all the dash lights, it would lurch uncontrollably at stoplights. Had to snatch the parking break to keep it at bay. Even worse the auto transmission seemed to have stuck in high gear(maybe some sort of limp mode). I killed the headlights both times and was able to get a few blocks to where I was going.

8/14/2006 7:37:20 PM