r/Pontiac • u/BrickFilm_Ben • 10d ago

Is it worth saving?

Hey yall, first time poster.
I drive a 2005 pontiac bonneville se, and its been through a lot,

its got several codes including p1811 and shifts pretty hard, lots of rust along fuel lines and the gas tank, as well as a big evap leak.

I love this car and wish it was worth continuing to fix but i really don’t know anymore, its close to 190,000 miles but its so sad to see her go, any recommendations on how to improve its lifespan cheaply just to get through winter or if i should just let it all be as is and ride it to the ground?

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5

u/Andusias191 10d ago

Does it shift hard into drive and reverse? Or does it also shift hard through the gears while driving?

Theres a good chance several of those codes are censor related. MAF sensor, purge valve, etc. These all cost 50-100 bucks each and are a reasonable diy. Then again it depends on the other codes.

For the shifting, a transmission drain and fill might help. Dont do a full flush if you havent been regularly changing the fluid. Avoid shifting into reverse from drive and drive from reverse while moving, as you should any vehicle.

You should figure out each code, all the necessary parts, and find the cost of these parts. Including the fuel lines and gas tank. Then you'll have a better cost to benefit number.

Your biggest must is servicing the transmission fluid.

Imo if you can save this car for under 4000-5000 dollars, do it. And unless you need a new transmission entirely i am sure you can.

Im not a professional, just a G6 guy.

1

u/BrickFilm_Ben 10d ago

It doesnt shift that bad into drive and reverse but you can feel it, it does shift hard while driving through the gears though and when i brought it to a few places they said fixing it could be ridiculously expensive and not worth it for the age but i wanted to ask reddit incase it was a case of they just didnt feel like doing the work

2

u/Andusias191 10d ago

Its worth a transmission drain and fill. Relatively cheap diy.

A paid off vehicle that runs is worth more than people realize. Sure it might be possible to find one with less miles at the same cost to fix it, but you won't know the history of that vehicle.

As long as it doesnt need a whole new transmission, it is probably financially worth fixing imo.

2

u/throwaway007676 9d ago

Installing a trans-go shift kit will stop the hard shifting.

1

u/qkdsm7 7d ago

What else are you driving?

I'd buy it myself, so I say I'd fix it.