I OWN A 2001 PONTIAC GRAND AM 2.4 LITER 4CYL. AUTOMATIC. IT HAS 177,000 MILES RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO SERVICE LIGHTS ON BUT WHEN I START THE CAR STILL NO SERVICE LIGHTS UNTIL I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE OR DRIVE THEN THE SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LIGHT "SVS" LIGHT COMES ON.
IF I TURN THE CAR OFF AND START IT BACK UP THE "SVS" LIGHT IS GONE UNTIL I SHIFT INTO GEAR AGAIN THEN IT WILL COME BACK ON. THIS IS A INTERMITTENT PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.
THIS LIGHT WILL STAY ON UNTIL I TURN THE CAR OFF DOES ANY ONE KNOW WHAT WILL CAUSE THIS? COULD MY TRANSMISSION LEVEL BE LOW, A SENSOR BE BAD ANY IDEAS??? HELP PLEASE. THANK YOU. I do have a code reader but it only checks for codes in the powertrain computer and nothing else so i don't know if this thing ill be helpful at all to me.
Answer: This service vehicle warning light on your Pontiac Grand Am is not related to the transmission fluid level. The service vehicle light is usually related to an ABS brake or Traction Control system problem. You would need to have the computer scanned for trouble codes. A common cause is a problem in the ABS brakes. When the controller see a problem in ABS it will disable the traction system because it is unable to control traction properly. So, scanning for brake trouble codes is the first step.
When you put the car in gear, the computer starts to look at wheel speed sensor data. If it does not see that from one of the sensor, it will turn on this warning. Each wheel has a speed sensor. These sensors are a common failure to cause warning lights. They can either fail and not give a signal to the computer or have an intermittent signal that the control module will get confused with. Replacement of the failed sensor would be needed.
Another possibility is that a wiring may be rubbing. When you shift into gear, the engine and transmission move. This can pull on a wiring harness and cause a problem. Tugging on harnesses and looking to see if you can cause the warning light to come on your 2001 Pontiac Grand Am will give an indication as to where the problem may be. Also, when turning the steering wheel you are pulling on the harness for the speed sensor at that wheel and can cause an intermittent problem. Water also getting into the electrical connection is a common issue.
Either way, a code stored in the computer will give an indication as to what part of the system is having a problem. Once that is fixed, clear the codes, take it for a drive and confirm that the service vehicle, traction or ABS light does not come back on. If you do not have a good computer scan tool, you can go get the codes read for free at most of the large national parts store chains. They do this to try to sell you parts that are common to this repair, but do not buy anything until you know what the problem is so you do not aster money on the repairs.
