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

I had a 97 GTP and I would trade off my 01 in a heartbeat to have it back, it had tire a pressure monitor, no traction control, actual lights inside the doors, no stupid cat diagnostic. Only parts on a 97 Gtp that are 97 only is the pcm. The throttle body, mass airflow sensor, tranny cooler lines, lines are threaded instead of quick release, and the blower has a vac tree on it, all of which can be changed.

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

Originally Posted by Slick2500

I had a 97 GTP and I would trade off my 01 in a heartbeat to have it back, it had tire a pressure monitor, no traction control, actual lights inside the doors, no stupid cat diagnostic. Only parts on a 97 Gtp that are 97 only is the pcm. The throttle body, mass airflow sensor, tranny cooler lines, lines are threaded instead of quick release, and the blower has a vac tree on it, all of which can be changed.

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

And the DIC. A 97 gtp is not a dealbreaker but I wouldn't get a GT. Plus here in michigan with rust the rockers would be nonexistent.

Oh I forgot the DIC. Yeah only 97 I would get is a gtp. And my 97 was from Phoenix so the underside of the car looked brand new still.

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

There are still a lot more w body common problems. Such as
LCA hockey puck bushings, known to go sometimes before 100k. In the salt belt I think the collar rusts apart causing it to fail prematurely
Motor mounts are hydraulic and known to fail earlier than solid mounts. Usually around 120k.
Start and stall condition. On n/a its often caused by a bad fpr. Pull the vacuum line and check for gas, anything present means it's bad. The throttle body gets dirty after 100k miles and needs a good cleaning. I've fixed a start and stall issue by just cleaning the tb and IAC valve many times.
On the n/a, if coolant is low, but there is no coolant in the oil, or any underneath; likely the uim is cracked between the coolant and egr port.