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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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Holy cow, bcmalibu99ls, how come your odo on the bu is so low? Just keep watching to see if oil leaks from either side of the engine...if so, you probably have the gasket problem. Well, good luck.
credman41, it's good to hear your Lumina had such a great engine. How come you didn't fix the power steering? Was it too expensive? It couldn't have cost more than a new Malibu, could it? :-)
Doesn't surprise me as the braking system in the Malibu is definitely a weak spot in the car.
My car also had the problem with intermittent operation of the air conditioning. The little green indicator light in the A/C button on the HVAC control unit in the center console would go out and would require the A/C button to be pushed again to restart the A/C. This problem got worse and worse until the A/C could not be kept on. It turns out that this switch on the HVAC control unit is a problem in a lot of Malibus - just tapping on the HVAC control unit near the A/C switch (not pushing on the switch itself directly) could cause the little green light to come back on and the A/C to resume operation.
To fix this problem, the complete HVAC control unit must be repaced with new. The switch itself is not replaceable as the the HVAC control is a sealed plastic encased unit. Refer to the following website for additional information about this problem:
www.aircondition.com/wwwboard/messages/26579.html
Check the 3 followup messages at this location also.
The GM P/N for this assembly is 22626483 for the version for a car equipped with rear heated window.
The current list price for the assembly is $162.40. I don't know the P/N or cost for a Malibu without the rear heated window. I was able to purchase this part new at 50% off list from this online dealer: www.gmpartsdirect.com
Their charge was $81.20 plus $9.18 handling charge plus $7.06 UPS ground freight for a delivered total of $97.44. This part is relatively easy to install yourself using the folowing procedure:
1) Use a little pocket screwdriver to pop off the black trim plate around the ignition key cylinder. It just snaps in place.
2) Then pull out the ashtray and grasp the bottom of the radio trim plate and pull out. It just clips in place also.
3) You don't have to unhook the cig. lighter. Just lay the trim plate down on the console with the lighter still plugged in. You may have to move the transmission level out of the PARK position to open up space for the trim plate
4) Then, there are two screws in the control head - one on the left side and one on the right side. Remove both and pull out the control head. Then remove the 4 connectors on the back and reinstall the new head in reverse order. Two of the connector are electrical and the other two are fiber optic lighting connectors. Be careful to unlock the latches holding these connectors in place. They will come off easily if proper unlatched. If you don't unlatch them properly and pull too hard on them - things might break!
5) Then install the new HVAC control unit using the above steps in reverse order.
chevymalibu19: I can't imagine it would cost any more then just an hour or so of labor. Not unless something is wrong. Next time you have the oil changed and tires rotated, I would have them look at it.
Component Description:
33. INTERIOR SYSTEMS:INSTRUMENT PANEL:GAUGE:INDICATOR NHTSA Number: 629749
Bulletin Number: 040202
Bulletin Date: FEB 2002
Vehicle: 1999 Chevrolet Malibu
Summary:
SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT AN INTERMITTENT SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LIGHT AND/OR AN ELECTRONIC TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT OFF WHICH MAY ILLUMINATE AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. *TT
My other options are 2002- 626/galant at 10K or 2002 -malibu at 10.5K.
While, I realize that these cars are not really comparable and that the maxima is better, which do you guys think is the better deal. Price is quite important to me, but i can spend more if I know it will work out better in the long run.
thanks!
So only the maxima and malibu are left to decide between! Like you said the malibu has reliability problems. If i buy the malibu from Hertz that can give a good warranty, would that help. test drove both today and the malibu was better than I expected but the seat was a little uncomfortable. could have just been the one i drove. With the price at 10K for a malibu 2002 miles and 15.5K for maxSE 02, my mind says malibu cause its much cheaper. but my heart says maxima! So i'm still in a dilemma!
FYI:This is a message I just posted on the maxima discussion list:
I've been following your discussion forum for a while and wanted to ask you guys for some help.
I'm getting out of college this Spring and looking for a car. I have shortlisted my choices to 2 cars:
Chevy Malibu 2002 25K miles for 10K
Nissan Max SE 2002 25K miles for about 16K
While, price is certainly a big factor to me as I'm just getting out of college and also I don't really need a maxima type of car right now. But I can get the maxima through financing if the deal is good and if it'll be a better and more economical car in the long run. I wanted to know what you guys thought about it as most of you own maximas. Also, would you know anything about the difference in insurance rates for the 2 cars. I'm thinking that the maxima will have a much higher premium.
Please let me know what you guys think being firsthand owners. I have shortlisted to these 2 cars using help from discussion forums, and i'd really appreciate information. Thanks!
If you want the car for a long time, the Maxima would be a better choice for reliability. Even though the cost is $5,500 more now, that would disappear in say 10 years.
However, if you only keep it for 3 to 6 years I believe you will come our ahead with the Malibu by at least $3,000 to 4,000.
That said, you should also consider the feel of the cars. The Malibu ride, handling and power is, in my opinion, the best for the money in it's class. We drove the Accord, Camry and Maxima, and for the $ we took the Malibu. We love the ride, feel it is better that the other three. The Accord is the only one with better handling.
Now, this also assumes you are looking at a LS Malibu. We did not like the seats or fabric in the base Malibu. Interior is also better in the LS, and you get antilock brakes. Antilock is standard in the Maxima, and the interior is better than a NON-LS Malibu. I would take the Malibu if it is an LS, the Maxima if the Malibu is not an LS.
For at least 4 years, the only problem you may have with the Malibu is the brake rotors. But those are cheap to replace.
I've started reading a few pages on this discussion and have learned a bit about the Malibus. Any advice on year models to go for or stay away from?
Thanks.
As far as fuel filter, 30k is a safe bet to change them although they can last to 45k miles without a problem. Fuel filters are pretty cheap to buy and install so 30k miles is not a bad idea.
Also, I have the same battery in my car from when I bought the car new in September of '99. Should I be proactive and think about replacing it? Any thoughts are welcome.
Magnus
If so, you might try taking the garden hose, not a high pressure car wash stray, and do a real good job of washing off your undercarriage. Then, after it dries, spray a good coating of silicone or teflon lube all around the control arm bushings, and sway bar bushings. Don't use a petroleum based spray, as it can attack the rubber. Most good auto parts stores have silicone spray, and I like to use a product called "Slick 50-1 Lube". Dirt/salt/sand getting into your moving suspension parts can cause noises, and wear out the parts if not cleaned out periodically. If that doesn't help, I would go to a good suspension shop, and have them check it out before spending $800 for control arms. Unless you bend the arms by hitting a major chuckhole or having a wreck, the balljoints should last for much more than 32K. A good shop may be able to replace some rubber bushings for much less.
With regard to the battery, you probably have a Delco sealed battery, and they are usually good for 4 or 5 years. On the top of the battery, you should see a small "window" that shows a green color. Green is good..red means get a new one. Also, you can meter the battery after the car has sat overnight. A good battery should show about 12.5 volts after sitting idle for several hours. A weak battery will barely reach 12V. A third thing you can try is see how long it takes to recharge to full capacity. If you have a good automatic 10 amp charger, hook it up, and see how long it takes for the charger to shut off. A good battery, holding good charge, will only run the charger for a few seconds to a couple of minutes. If the charger stays on for an hour or two before it shuts off, you can start budjeting for a new battery.
tamu
RE: batteries, I've noticed the OEM batteries tend to last between 3-4 years 9regardless of miles). It also depends on how many extras you have on the car as well (power seats, cell phone, etc.). If your battery is at 5 years, it will problem go sooner rather then later. Probablay no reason to replace it now, not unless it will give you peace of mind. Personally, if it were the beginning of winter, I would replace it. One cold morning of sitting overnight could easily kill the battery without warning. In the summer, you will most likely get some ype of warning as mentioned in previous posts.
BATTERIES: I also have found that OEM batteries only last 3-4 years. Actually, it is easy to know how long a battery will last. They are manufactured with a specific amount of anode and cathode material, so it is known to the manufacturer exactly how long it will last under known conditions. These conditions may be different depending on how it is maintained, what temperatures it is exposed to, etc. That taken into consideration, at best it will go for about 6 months longer than the warranty, at worst 1-2 years less than the warranty. When I notice a battery is getting "sluggish" in it's performance, and it is in the above time frame, I just replace it on my own time (as someone else said), so I'm not left stranded.