:yikes: OMG where to start! It's now been over three weeks I've been stranded in T.O. with this Grand Am SE I JUST put on the road... $1000 later for parts, not including the cost of parts I now need to get which are atrocious.

I broke down on the 401 beginning of May when car just died while I was driving, (fuel pump was howling like mad then it just quit). It had been running like crap since I first put it on road. I was bringing it down to the city to find out what was wrong with it. I Managed to get the car started and get to scarborough. Did paperclip test on computer and only got one code: general misfire code. We figured out two cyl were not firing and ignition module is bad. We attempted to put another module in from junk yard, and the stupid bolt would not budge from the origonal ignition module connector on my car, (wiring harness that plugs into the module) So we had to CUT IT OUT and separate the plug into two pieces. Now the wiring harness kit is screwed and car will not start at all. SO, I figured the plug is now bad and I need a module & and an ignition kit connector, which by the looks of it is a wiring harness that goes around the entire car.??

Went to junkyard again and cut a module connector for same year/engine of Grand Am. Brought it back, attempted to plug it into car module...doesn't fit!!! Went back to the other junkyard, (returned the module they gave that said was compatible but wasn't...and asked about the connector wire) They tell me that GM made several different types of wiring harnesses for the Grand Am, even though the engine size and year is the same... Arghhhh! On top of that, they tried to match my module up with over 15 that they had and not one was the same. They tell me there is no sense in them ordering one because they do not know if the plug in my car will fit it.

So, I guess my question is...when you buy a module you don't get the ignition kit connector with it...so, how am I going to get a module & a connector that match?

I'm really at a loss at what to do and I want to get this car going and back on the road as cheaply and as soon as possible. I just got it on the road last month and have already invested over $1000 in 5 weeks to get it going..and now this! (new tire, exhaust from front to back, suspension kit in front, battery, new plugs, new wires). My dad is doing the work for me; i just need to know what it is he has to do and where we can find matching parts. (I also think it needs a fuel pump, but thats a whole other problem...got to work on getting the car started first before we attempt fixing that)

Am I gonna have to order everything brand new from the GM dealer? I really don't understand why GM would make different size plugs on the wiring harness for the ignition module on the same year and engine size of Grand Am. Stupid!!

Can an ignition connector kit (wiring harness) that is not the same as my car (but comes from the same year and engine) be soldered onto my wiring harness somehow and be made to fit the module? Or do I have to replace it with a whole new wiring harness that is made for my vin of car?


I have a 1993 Grand Am SE, v6, 3.3 ltr. turbo.
Your advice is much appreciated!

 

Holy ...I just got off the phone with GM. They verified that yes indeed there is 3 different wiring harnesses for this same year/ engine of car. Why do they have to make things so damn difficult? One type of wiring harness would have been sufficient!

It's $163 for the connector plug !!!!
& $522 for the ignition module !!!

There is no way I am paying that for two friggin parts...guess I'm gonna have to hunt down the scrapyards for a module and a plug that will work together and do some splicing.

Oh, and the car isn't turbo...seems its just a fancy stamp on the engine.

For those who have this same car and might have this problem some day...

The Ignition module part for the 1993 Grand Am SE 3300 v6 is Part # 10494012
Apparently any 3300 or 3800 engine with the L code (8th digit in VIN) will fit.

Oh, and the car is apparently not Turbo...it's just stamped on the engine for fun I guess. [:-]

 

Well I just don't know what to do now! Got a plug from the same year/ engine of car and it is different. The wires are the same in number and colors, but they are in different spots. We tried connecting the wires to my wiring harness and the car still will not start. Got a module that matched the plug from the same car as well.

I called several dealers to order a plug and they tell me there is no way to know if it will match my wiring harness and the plug has to be paid for in advance, with no return if it doesnt fit becasue it is an electrical part. It's too much money to take a chance... they want $170 just for the plug (ignition connector kit is what they call it). It is the 14 way female plug off the wiring harness.

If I cannot find a plug for this car... can I wire another plug to mine even though the wires are in different spots? Is there a wiring harness schematic somewhere that will show what each wire is for? We thought that just matching up the color coded wires would work, but it didn't. Car would not start, in fact it backfired.

Everyone I have talked to is at a loss as to what I should do being that there are different wiring harnesses for this car. Everyone keeps saying that's impossible, but I just looked at three different cars and they were all different harness plugs, yet from identical cars... Help!!!

 

Ok I've taken some pictures of the parts so everyone can see what I am talking about.

Here is a picture of my old module with the origonal plug in it. Notice how the origonal plug has 5 wires on each side of the plug harness.

This is a picture of my old module showing that one pin is absent. (It's supposed to be like that) See how the bolt is still in the module. That is why we had to cut the plug...the bolt would not come out, and that's why the plug is in two peices.



Now, here is the plug off the car I just got out of the scrapyard, from the same car, same engine. See how it's different altogether? It has the same amount of wires, same color wires, but they are in a different place. This plug has 3 wires on one side and 7 and the other, unlike my origonal plug which has 5 wires on each side.




I hope this makes my problem more clearer.

If I can't find a plug exactly like my origonal (which I seem to be having an extremely hard time finding one,) Can I wire this plug to my cars wiring harness...and how? We tried color matching the wires...It didn't work but like I said my wires on the ignition module harness are in different positions.

 

I had someone look up the wiring arrangement for the 3.3 ltr. They had a hard time finding it becuase it wasn't in the 1993 manual, but apparently it was listed in the 1992 service manual.. Anyhow, my connector is wired different then what the manual lists for the 3.3 engine for 1993 Grand Am SE.

Wire Assembly on 14 Pin Connector
As In Manual: On My Origonal Connector:
A: White A: White
B: tan/black trace line B: tan/blu trace line
C: purple/white C: none
D:black/red D: purple/white
E: white E: white
F: lite blu/white F: none
G: Gray/red G: Drk Blu/white
H: White/black H: Lite blu/white
J: none J: none
K: Dark Blu/white K: none
L: none L: black/red
M: Pink/Blck M: Grey/red
N: none N: white/black
P: none P: pink/black

Now the connector I cut off the same car as mine from the junkyard is the exactly same wire arrangement as what is posted in the manual. My origonal connector is however different, as you can see above. How am I going to wire the new connector when my wiring seems to be different, and why is it different? It's the same year & engine size. Should I wire it like it's origonally supposed to be for my car, and look for a module identical to the one I have, or go by what GM is saying, (that any module made for the 3.3 ltr will fit?)

 

Ok, I got the proper wiring connector plug for my car, as well as another module. Hooked everything up and still no spark!! Car will not start. The fuel pump is priming. I can hear it come on and off when I turn the key to ON position. Retried the computer for codes and all I get is the code 12 repeatedly. We tried pouring gas in the intake as well...still no start. It turns over, but won't fire.

Battery is ok. There's gas in the tank. I'm really at a loss. Could it be the Crank shaft sensor? Anyone got any ideas?

 

After paying $270 to have the crank shaft sensor done the car finally started. After trying 5 different modules, and a new plug, I finally got the car going on all cylinders! Put an Oldsmobile ignition control module in and car runs great now. I still have the howling in the rear problem though. It's probably the fuel pump going.

Thanx to everyone for your help. I sure am glad this nightmare with the module is over with!!!!

 

Update; module has held out good so far.....The howling in the fuel pump I have concluded that is is NORMAL for these newer cars. I guess they are supposed to be noisy because I haven't had any problems with it.

 

looks like the wires are kinda brittle and getting loose it badly needs to be replaced. The ignition module should be out and get a new one.