What is wrong with a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am SE when the Service Vehicle Soon light comes on for no obvious reason?

Answer 1

For me, It meant that in about 12 seconds my alternator was going to fry. If you find the light turning on agin while driving, DO NOT turn off the vehicle and try to restart it unless you are in a spot where you can leave it parked. This happened to me in a busy intersection. The car would not turn over, therefore the steering wheel was locked and I could not put the tranny into neutral to push it off of the road. I ended up with a $45 towing bill for a service station on the far end of the intersection. I would have it checked out soon. ?
I haven't taken my car in to get checked out yet (aside from asking a few people at AutoZone) and the car continues to work fairly fine. Had a few battery problems, as it went dead quite a few times mysteriously, but other than that, the light has continuously been on since I posted and nothing too major has happened......... yet. ?
It could also be an issue with the Daytime Running Lights malfunctioning, or the Automatic Light Control. ?
The service vehicle/check engine light frequently has to do with emissions.
I have a 97 Grand Am, and the light comes on occasionally for no reason. I have figured out that the oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. It's not urgent, and if you drive for a couple hundred miles, the light will go off. However, a bad oxygen sensor means you might be getting a poor mixture of air/gas, resulting in poorer mpg and higher emissions.
I would still have yours checked out asap, as it could be something else, but if they tell you its the oxygen sensor, and they offer to replace it, I would say no and do it yourself, to save some money. ?
Tighten the fuel cap. ?
Experienced this problem with my 2001 Grand Am - took it to the dealership and they basically told me that they "burped" it. I had put gas into the vehicle without cutting the engine and it somehow gave it a "gas" bubble. Mechanic at the shop told me I could have done it myself by removing the gas cap, propping open the little flap that closes off the gas tank and rocking the car manually. ?
Because of an annoying "Service Engine" indicator on my 1998 Grand Am GT, I went on eBay and found a good, inexpensive OBD2 (On-Board Diagnostics) reader made by UIO Tech for about $35. It works great, and comes with a list of trouble code definitions. Also shuts off indicator. In my case, the Service Engine light was still on after I replaced an arcing coil pack cover.