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2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu
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Comments
Any ideas on the squeaks would be helpful.
Had these creaks with my 98 Malibu. Last year at driver side, this summer at the passenger side. They were easy fixed at dealership: the last year for free, under warranty, this year it took 1/2 hour labor, $33 plus tax.
The mechanic simply cleaned and lubed struts. For this he loosen the bolts before the work, and than tightened them back after. The creak at left did not return after about 10k miles and 1.5 years; the right one was fixed last month, have no long-term experience.
Just the past few days I have noticed the Gas pedal to be sticking (harder to press) it is when I am starting out just at first,I have to press a bit hard to get the pedal down (Was not like that at all the past 3 years) and when i do it causes me to give it to much gas and making the car accelerate to fast making me and all others in the car to jerk, it is sorta annoying , has anyone had this issue on theirs ? if so Please post i would like to know if I can fix it (like just a simple lube of WD-40 ? )
Thanks,
Paul
Well I took a look at the artice from Pop Meck and well this job looks pretty complicated , espically for me (someone who is not all that inclined under the hood) , I was thinking of just takeing it to Chevrolet and saying hey look I know what needs to be done , so can you just do that ( clean it for me ) and that is all , cuz I know they will try and find OTHER things wrong , but hey i dunno just sounds safer for me.
Thanks !
Paul
Will keep you updated as we go along.
In the morning, when tires are cold, I am inflating them to 32 psi front / 29 psi rear. GM recommends 29/26 psi. The numbers are for 98 Malibu.
It also forces the tires to wear more evenly with my driving style. My tires are always wear more on edges, because I enjoy turning fast.
However, the OEM Affinity are not good, and definitely will not serve 80k miles. Replaced them after 37k miles, but it would better to do it at 33k. Bought the SH-30 tires and am happy again with the car. My wife likes them too very much.
After long hard searches on the net, I think i might of found a POSSIBLE solution to our problem. Check this site out, under the heading "06 - Engine/Propulsion System",the last point:
http://service.gm.com/gmtechlink/December2000/articles/bulletins12.htm
I'll be interested to hear back from you to see what you think..
The car is very quiet except for some excessive tire noise on these stellar PA roads. But I knew that when I bought the vehicle. I had rented a number of Malibus for work. And had recently driven them to Boston and DC (over 1000 miles total) and was pleasently surprised with the vehicle but had noticed excessive road noise esp. on concrete roads. I knew the noise was primarily from the tires as it got much quieter when the road switched to the much smoother blacktop. I figured I can deal with tire noise and replace the tires with something better when the tread gets low. What is the name of the replacement tires you put on your Malibu?
1. the tire pressure is recommended by car manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer. GM, not Firestone.
2. Concerning to Explorer problems:
again, the low pressure was recommended by Ford. Firestone considered the pressure marginal, but approved.
3. Concerning Malibu:
the recommended pressure for front tires, 29 psi, does not looks very low for me. For my other car, Buick Regal with Goodyear Eagle LS tires, GM recommends 30 psi. Not so different.
However, with the rear tires (Malibu) the recommended pressure is 26 psi, and this looks unusual.
In my experience, when a mechanic once inflated front and rear tires to the same pressure, my Malibu tried to "fishtail" at hard, panic cornering. So, most probably, GM has a good reason to recommend inflating the front tires to higher pressure than the rear one.
4. Last year I bought Firestone Firehawk SH-30 for my Malibu. Like them very much. Especially good in rain.
Bought them because of very positive data from this user survey:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp
1. At highway speeds, I feel a lot of vibration being transmitted through the gas pedal. While not too bad at the start of the drive, it seems to get worse the longer I am driving (usually after about half an hour). Once in a while there is very little vibration and I have the feeling this is the way the car is supposed to be all the time.
2. While waiting at a stoplight with my foot on the brake and in drive, the noise and vibration level is very noticeable and irritating.
3. I am on my third set of brakes (covered by warranty) and I still get the shaking or pulsing that seems to be associated with bad rotors. This usually occurs when I am braking from a speed of 80 kph or higher.
The service agent at my dealer (who also owns a Malibu) told me that the car seems to run smoother when Esso gas is used. This actually seemed to help a bit. Are these types of vibration normal? I am going back to the dealer and would appreciate anyone else's feedback before I go.
Well I swear I have had EVERY type of problem go wrong with this freakin car ! I am in total amazement , HOW !!! Chevrolet can produce such a car and have the gaul to say " The car you knew AMERICA could build" !!
Yes I know I have te cursed year of the Malibu (1998, built 10/97) but it is crazy I have had the Rotors ($450-500) Motor Mount ($400)That was supposed to solve th shaking vibration HAHHA NO WAY ! I was ripped off ! , well I took the car to upstate New York ths summer (1,000 + miles) and when i arrived I needed new control arms (right and left) rear stabilzer bar etc... that was for the clicking when turning (that Was a good fix was happy but the price was $1,300) ok so at the ed of the trip the gas pedal was starting to stick (post above) and the AC Control Unit was going (So on the drive back to Arkansas) I had the Clicking AC and the out of control Compressor going on and off so today I got th car bac hd both problems fixed the pedal is great now ! with a $315 price tag ! I liked this car , and i still do , but all these repairs are getting crazy I mean the car is only a 1998 with now 51,000 on it ohh I have also found the Problem Solver for the Vibration !!! NOW HEAR THIS ! it is MOTORUP !!! ok MOTORUP !! it is expinsive $25 a bottle but it works pleasetry it and it will settle you can buyit at any PEPBOYS Advance Auto Parts have Stopped carrying it ok well I hav now vented thanks .
Paul
I believe warm tires can raise the pressure by at least 4 psi. Most likely more. I would try your tires at 32/29 and see how that feels.
so far I have 1700 miles on my Malibu and I am really happy with my purchase. So far we have recorded 28 mpg, 22 mpg (lot of stop and go driving that tank) and 24 mpg. This coming tankful should yield close to 30 mpg (90% highway driving). I'll know after lunch when I fill up the tank. My only gripes about the car is the tires (can't wait to replace those) and the small fuel tank. The tank should be at least 18 gallons instead of 14. But we are still getting much better gas mileage then our 96 Explorer (main reason we bought a car). I just hope I can get 100,000 trouble free miles out of this car. First time I have bought a Chevy. I just hope I don't regret it.
I'm hoping my experience is similar to yours..trouble free. We tend to drive a lot of highway miles and have had very, very good luck with our vehicles even my 1989 Ford Tempo. I think driving highway miles is the key. We have never been straded and have had very few $1000 repair bills. Actually only one for our 1991 Explorer at the 80,000 miles checkup. It needed a bunch of little things that just added up (brakes, muffler, A/C,etc).
Hope you continue to have good luck with your car. Kepp us up to date too. We need more positive conversation on this board.
Now I recall that the engine coolant was added every 3 months when the car was serviced at dealership during the warranty period. Possibly, the leak already was developing. There is a lot of reports on Edmunds concerning this defect with the 2.8l, 3.1l, and 3.4l v-6 GM engine family.
rbenton "Common General Motor's 2.8, 3.1, 3.4 V6's engine problems" Feb 4, 2001 12:15pm
Pressure test costs about $20-$30: cheap insurance. The repair cost about $550, mostly labor, at Firestone, and probably more at dealership. In my case the price does not matter, because I have a 3-party extended warranty. However, it took time to get authorization.
As to the body leak, my dealer repaired it for free, under GM body warranty, even while the original 36/36 warranty was expired a year before. I believe, this defect is unusual for Malibu.
1900 miles on the vehicle and running great. Last tankful of gas - 31.5 mpg.
Reason For This Recall: GM has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1997 and 1998 Chevrolet Malibu and Oldsmobile Cutlass model vehicles. If a buildup of snow or ice restricts the movement of the passenger side wiper arm, the pivot housing can crack and the wipers will not operate. Reduced visibility in inclement weather could lead to a vehicle crash.
Comments, anyone?
As for the coin holder, I'd be surprised if they took it out of the LS. It's just a rubber insert that fits in the space in front of the console.
The A/C problem requires the climate control panel to be replaced. I don't know how much it costs, since mine was replaced last year under warranty.
A resistor was replaced at dealership. It took at most 1/2 hours. If I remember right, the repair had to cost $24 - it was replaced under warranty.
A lot of people reported the same defect on this board, so Chevy dealers must know it very well. Not a big deal.
Did not hear you for long time. How are you?
P.S. Regarding earlier discussion - my 97 LS does have a coin holder.....
If your alternator is going, the car's electrical system will be drawing from your battery while the car's running. If you disconnect the battery's positive cable with the engine running and it stalls, this is a sign that the alternator is probably on its way out and will continue to fry other circuits as it goes.
Be careful when you do this, of course, as you're making some sparks around a charging battery and that can theoretically lead to an explosion. Then there's all the moving parts under the hood. You'll probably want to do this with good lighting and good ventilation.
Thanx for the input. I will pass on the info next week.
One question: I notice the temp gauge tends to run between the half way mark and 2 "ticks" hotter than half. Is this normal? Seems a little hot to me, but maybe that's where it is supposed to be.
Thanks.
It already got the improved 170hp engine (can be checked by a letter in VIN). From 2000 there was a lot of small changes mostly to worse, including a tiny glove box (it used to be huge).
Additionally, a batch of engines with bad pistons was produced and installed in 2000 and/or 2001 models.
There is something verrryyy weird about the tires on our car. two of them seem to be low profile, but two don't, i checked the size/brand and they are the exact same, i just don't understand it.
Thanks
P.S. 2300 miles and going strong. 31.5 mpg last tank probably about 26-27 this tank.
to message # 539. I would like to learn the source of your information concerning defective pistons in the 2000 & 2001 3.1 Engines. The Dealership's Service Manager said they would replaced my engine . He also stated the noises I was hearing was common to all 3.1 engines. Before I go having an engine replaced I'd like get few more facts. Note Engine has 11,000 miles to date.
Thanks, Sparky 51
I don't really need coin holders, but I"m suprised they were available in the base model.