The 97-03 W-body buyers guide / Common problems

**brandonl2000** · 10-19-2012

I do not recommend that especially with you being stock. A hot engine is a good thing, it's efficient at operating temp. Don't change it.

**Garrett Mofford** · 10-19-2012

so what temp should i get..

**brandonl2000** · 10-19-2012

Stock temp thermostat. 195*

**goldgp** · 10-19-2012

Stock engine + 180*tstat = worse MPG and no real performance gains

**loopy smurf** · 10-25-2012

Originally Posted by Garrett Mofford

also with winter approaching.. is 180 stat good?

I believe my '01 GT has a 180* thermostat in it (not my doing...bought it like that). In the winter, my check engine light comes on. Code says that the engine is not reaching normal operating temperature. This is due to the 180 thermostat.

**JLiss** · 01-02-2013

awesome write up

**Kilroy** · 03-20-2013

Originally Posted by copgtp

Buying a 97-03 Grand Prix / W-Body?

So I feel like I answer this question, or see it posted, at least once a week on this and other boards. The W-body platform is getting quite old, and they can be had on the cheap. That being said, there are some things one should look into when buying a used W-body……..

Wow, that is an awesome list of things to check. I know what I'm going to be doing this weekend, as I just got my 2003 GTP Limited Edition two weeks ago. You should consider asking that that get "stickied"

**Kilroy** · 03-20-2013

Originally Posted by matt5112

http://www.grandprixforums.net/cooli...ion-67584.html

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**redlined302** · 03-26-2013

Good write up! luckily, my car isnt showing any of those symptoms (knock on wood)

**jmhudgins** · 08-01-2013

Awesome tips. I am actually going to look at one today that the owner thinks needs head gaskets because of water in the oil. I'm thinking it may just be intake gaskets though.

**02NavyBlue** · 11-02-2013

Not a bad thread, although I wish a person who REALLY knows about w-bodies will go through it and fix a few of the things and list price ranges for fixing things. I mean, you see leaking elbows and some may think ah that's a deal breaker. No it's a $4 part.

Originally Posted by copgtp

Oil pan leaks – Another common problem with the 3800 engine. Crawl under the car and look up at the oil pan, if you see oil around the pan where it bolts to the block, you have a leak. This is NOT an easy fix, and requiring the lowering/removal of the subframe. Most of the time, this leak isn’t very serious, but it’s still a leak.

The subframe does not have to be lowered. The motor mount must be removed and the engine temporarily supported.

Originally Posted by copgtp

Pre-mature torque converter lock-up (when cruising anything less than 45mph, torque converter locks and RPM’s dive down)

Small mistake, but still not true. Torque converter locks at a minimum speed of 30 mph. At 45 mph(sometimes 47) 4th gear activates.

Originally Posted by copgtp

most W-bodies didn’t come with a cabin filter installed from the factory, so water gets down into the fan assembly and will seize it.

That's not why water gets in. Even if there's a filter, water can go straight through it. The leak is caused by a bad or missing seal, commonly fixed by installing a $5 deflector from the dealer.

**KrazieLegacy** · 11-05-2013

Very nice and very accurate! This might actually help me with a problem I am having right now I been trying to chase it down for months.

you would think this list would deter people from buying them but if you are familiar you can get a good one and work on the little bugs and have a great car for years

* Rusted rear strut tower – This has been happening more often to cars in the “salt belt”, open the trunk and look back towards the strut towers, pull back the carpet and inspect the top of the tower for signs of rust.<<< I HAVE this problem it has actually broken through the body on the passenger side and rusted on the drivers but not as bad... I did not check this before I bought it although i checked the rest of the car so it was my bad.

* Rocker panels / lower door – The rocker panels are notorious for rusting out, crawl under the car and look at the rocker panel from behind the body molding, you’ll be able to see any signs of rust. Also the lower parts of the doors are known to rust, with the door open, look underneath them. <<< also this although I knew when I bought it about this.

I am trying to get a price on what it would cost to fix.

**Slick2500** · 12-14-2013

When your list of common problems doesnt even take up an entire thread I think its a good thing, there are cars out there that you can list the common problems and probably take pages.

**02NavyBlue** · 12-14-2013

To be fair he listed things only that you can visually find wrong, or test while at a dealer lot. Common problems that just pop up would add more close to filling a thread, like crank sensors, wheel bearings, etc.

**Slick2500** · 12-15-2013

No those are things that commonly go out on every car.

Sent from A Galaxy Far Far Away.....

**02NavyBlue** · 12-15-2013

I guess. I still know that GP's are a little on the high end when it comes to the amount of parts that need to be replaced after 10 years. But sometimes it makes up for it with the prices of the aftermarket being fairly low.

**Slick2500** · 12-15-2013

Compared to any car that is over 10 years old a gp is probably the same as far parts that need to be replaced or break.

Sent from A Galaxy Far Far Away.....

**Basslicks** · 12-26-2013

Thanks for posting this. Just what I was looking for. Plan on buying one by February.

**CadVetteStang** · 06-12-2014

I have started looking for a 98-03 GP for my wife who loves her 98 Grand Am (95,000 miles) that has become a money pit.

I do not want a car with a 3100 or 3400 so the SE is not an option.

Is there a reliability difference between the GT and the GTP?

Is there a year model I should avoid?

Is there a year model I should target?

Is there any option that is a deal breaker like maybe a sunroof that is prone to leak?

Great writeup. Thank you for posting it. I will have it memorized before I go tire kicking again.

**02NavyBlue** · 06-12-2014

Originally Posted by CadVetteStang

I do not want a car with a 3100 or 3400 so the SE is not an option.

Is there a reliability difference between the GT and the GTP?

Is there a year model I should avoid?

Is there a year model I should target?

Is there any option that is a deal breaker like maybe a sunroof that is prone to leak?

Great writeup. Thank you for posting it. I will have it memorized before I go tire kicking again.

No reliability difference between gt and gtp for the most part, although GTP's only have a few more parts than a GT (and a few more parts to go bad) Supercharger rotors, coupler, belt, tensioner, vacuum trees always break, etc. Still just about the same overall.

I'd avoid the 97, being it's the first in the body style and some of the parts are 97 only, and GT's came with the older 4t60 transmission.

To target? Not really. Usually things always get better as a model gets later into production. In 2000 they put rear wheel well covers to help prevent strut tower rust, in mid 2003 the 4t65e transmission was updated with a few new style of parts that are more reliable, in mid 2005 the 3800's came with more reliable lower intake gaskets, and the 2004+ GP's are less prone to rust overall. 97-03 rots the rockers out in only a decade in the salt belt. Other than that they're almost the exact same car minus the styling. The series III 3800 which is 04+ comes with the electronic throttle body which always fails after the mileage gets up there.

No options are deal breakers really, the only options that usually have issues are leather seats wearing out, and the heads up display commonly fails if equip.