Pontiac Repair: 2001 pontiac grand am, fuel pressure regulator, pontiac grand am

Question
hi
2001 grand am, 3.4 l, auto.
over the last 2 years that i have own this car, about once every 3-4 months the security system would lock up and i would have to follow the manual and leave the car sit for 10 mins the start it.
my question is if the security system is what is causing my current problem....
about 10 days ago i went to start my car and the battery was dead. i got a boost, drove it for 10 mins,shut it off and then went to start it again, and the battery was dead. 5 hrs later i went back to my car and tried to start it...it rolled and rolled and eventually started. i drove it 25 mins, shut it off and tried to start it again, and it started fine. Next day battery was dead. So we have replaced the battery.
The car was fine then until yesterday. I went to start the car and it rolled and rolled and then eventually start. same thing again last nite when i got off work.
today i went to start it, and it rolled and rolled and rolled and finally start then stall right away. It did this twice, then the third time i tried to start it the battery was dead. an hour later i got a boost and it started and is running fine, except it is still lugging to start.


Answer
Hi Dianne:

It sounds like you have multiple issues here. #1 a bad battery in the car get that fixed first and foremost. Then look at the rest of the issues.. Low battery volatge will cause all kinds of wierd gremlins to pop up in a car. As for the security lamp issue more then likely the ignition lock housing is going bad that the part that the ignition lock cylinder turns in there is a sensor in that that goes bad. As for the long cranking time It can be a multitude of proplems from a fuel pump that is weak to a plugged or restricted fuel filter. It could be a fuel pressure regulator leaking fuel. You could have an ignition switch that is bad and has high resistance in the contact and it is cauing low volatage issues much like a bad battery would act. when the car will not start and just cranks see if the blower motor works on the heater If that will not work when the key is in the runposition and it will not start that would indicate an volatge issue and I would look at a ignition switch as the fault. Good luck :)