Hey guys, I drive a 2004 Grand Prix, 163,000 miles. Spark plugs

>>13874095

I should clarify. It started flashing today after I put the pedal down to pass. It felt like the car was really lagging in power and then the light flashed temporairly.

>>13874111
On GMC vehicles the check engine light flashing means there is a critical engine error such as a misfire condition.
I would recheck the ECU to see what code it's throwing.

2004 gp gtp owner here

Haven't had anything like this at all, but did the issue start before or after you got the spark plugs changed? Maybe the plugs weren't put back together correctly or something. I know my dad had a similar issue and the problem turned out to be the ignition coils were going bad on his Taurus

>>13874163

It had kinda been hesitating, lagging in power, and sometimes it even felt like misfiring before I got the plugs changed. That's why I changed them, I figured that was the issue. It seemed better at first but it still kinda lags and hesitates every now and then. Is the car still okay to drive? It just flashed quick when I put the pedal down and after I came back to normal speed it wasn't flashing anymore. Sorry if I'm kind of rambling and repeating myself but this is the last thing I need right now

>>13874185
w-body driver here, have the exact same problem.
its either the coil packs or the plug wires (just replace both to be safe). stay away from the OEM coils, get some MSD blaster coils and new wires, should be good.
If that doesnt work then just ditch the car, w-bodies are shit.

Just took it to autozone and had them do a readout on the light, the code is P0128, that I need to replace my thermostat. Could a thermostat cause that? Is it safe to keep driving till I get that replaced?

>>13874402
Is it overheating? What's the temp guage doing? Could be malfunctioning and the engine could be thinking it's overheating

>>13874418

The temperature gauge is all over the place. It'll rise up and get close to the red zone on the gauge (a few notches away) like its gonna overheat if I'm idling or stopped at a long light and then once I start driving again it'll fall to a normal level. It's been doing that in conjunction with the CEL for over a year now.

>>13874461
That's hot

>>13874461
Well there is your problem chap. That didn't set a red light off in your head when you first saw it? Dunno what to tell you, idk shit about mechanics beyond the basic layout of the 3800 and changing oil sooo

>>13874461
>>13874473
Mine is leaking a little coolant from the intake manifold gasket and as a result runs a little warmer. I went crazy trying to figure out what was causing it and now that I know I can get that fixed before it becomes an issue. How is your coolant level? Are you leaking/burning any

>>13874494

My coolant level was checked back in July and it was at a good level, not very car saavy so I don't know how to check it myself. Not sure how to check if it would be leaking either

>>13874508
When you park your car overnight, is there a puddle when you move out the next day.

Honestly if you let a serious problem go by like this and didn't get it checked out I would just get rid of it and find a camry or something that can be driven by idiots without any maintenance. Poor car

>>13874530

No, there's no puddle. And not everybody is super car saavy. I had the code read when I got the car about a year and a half ago and I was told it was an O2 sensor and nothing to worry about. No need to be an ass and call me an idiot about it.

>>13874552
If the car is overheating, losing power and acting like it's going to stall; that should set a HUGE flag off that there is a problem with your car. Even if you weren't car savvy, couldn't you have googled "bad o2 sensor symptoms" and seen if they matched? Or maybe just Google the problems you were having. But no, you drove the damn thing like that for over a year and are just now realizing that maybe something might be wrong. You are an idiot. This, if anything, is a testament to how reliable the 3800 is as an engine. Can be driven under horrible conditions and just keeps chugging along

>>13874573
Maybe he's just lazy and not stupid

>>13874596
That would be the best explanation desu lmao imo senpai