2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

mediumfry · April 2001

Before now I had never heard of buy-backs without colossal hassles. I don't know for sure why GM decided to do this so willingly, but I give them credit for doing so, for these reasons:

1. It allows the customer to think that GM cares about them personally. Those people seem to be going back and buying other GM models. This is a success for GM if that happens after a potential nightmare. That might make it worth the cost in the long run.

2. It keeps them out of lawsuits which can be very expensive and painful to both parties involved, while the lawyers rake in the dough.

3. The way most service departments are, it is highly unlikely they can be generally trusted to replace an engine without creating as many or more problems than they fixed. Thus the nightmare continues. One person somewhere in Edmunds boards said "Factories don't make very many lemons, service departments do". I agree.

4. They can use the car they buy back to study problems and learn.

Maybe GM is not that smart...maybe these aren't reasons they decided to buy back cars. If not, though, at least they're lucky. Meanwhile, my car is nearly perfect and I am really proud of them.

BTW: AARP stands for American Association of Retired Persons. Just FYI. So much for T&FLA's.

stnel · April 2001

teo - I have a brochure for the Mercury Sable and it has the Duratec as all-aluminum. Just as iusecad says. It doesn't give any info on the Vulcan. I imagine if the block and cylinder head were both iron, it would say so in the brochure. I'll have to see.

bdime - I guess they don't name Chicago the windy city for nothing. Glad your son won his Rugby game.

On AARP - I believe you have to be 55 to join. Once one spouse joins at 55, the other spouse can join at 50. I talked to my neighbors a few days ago and they told me this. I always thought it was 50 all the way around. In one of the car ads I saw in newspaper, they were giving a $500 discount for AARP members.

iusecad · April 2001

what I could find is on '99 engines, but they're still built the same...

1999 Engine Guide

I hope this helps!

duraflex · April 2001

The American Association for "Retired" Persons is really a misnomer.

I know for a fact that the age to join AARP is 50. Cost is just $10/year.

When you approach your 50th birthday, AARP will automatically send you an application to join.

Why is AARP a misnomer? As the age of "retirement" has been pushed higher than 65, the age to join AARP has dropped over the years. That's right, starting a few years ago, many of the baby boom generation born between 1946-1964 canNOT collect full Social Security retirement benefits at 65. The later you were born, the longer you have to work before retirement - as far as the feds are concerned.

Why did AARP lower the age to join? To increase their membership base.

And for those who look disdainfully at growing older and being eligible to join AARP, consider the alternative.

Some recent well known people to join the list of potential AARPers include Kirstie Alley, Jane Seymour, Rush Limbaugh and Phil Collins. The big "Five-Oh" comes sooner than you think.

pat · April 2001

"The big "Five-Oh" comes sooner than you think."

Indeed it does. And it sure beats the alternative. ;->

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

norbnancy · April 2001

Good idea, Duraflex on marking tires before rotation. Keeps pattern consistent. I do my own rotation so that I also get the correct wheel lug torque and correct tightening pattern. This reduces the likelihood of warped rotors. Enjoy the ride.

stnel · April 2001

iusecad - the web page you gave me had the exact information I was looking for. Thank you!

duraflex - Thanks for the information on AARP. I'm glad to hear that the age is 50. That'll be 5 years sooner that I can join!

platour · April 2001

Thanks for the lead on AARP. It does not operate in Canada but the web site has some very interesting information.

watusi · April 2001

yesturday i was driving up I287 in new jersey a large pickup truck in front of me lost a couple of those large orange barrels that they use for highway construction, thanks to the supurb braking power and fantastic handling i was able to dodge all three of them doing close to 70 mph. the lady behind me driving a 97-99 taurus had to swerve off onto the shoulder as she couldnt brake fast enough...me and my impala kept on going and didnt miss a beat....i love this car more and more every day

platour · April 2001

The snow is not gone yet but the roads are bare. Had a nice drive today at highway speeds. The Impala is a joy to drive. Tracks very nicely at speed with no movement in the steering wheel. Brakes are VERY solid and strong. Did a few tests on a deserted road from about 50mph down. Cruise control is +/- 2mph. Bucket seats are very comfortable after finding my ideal position on the driver's power seat. Gave the baby brother 3.4L engine a shot at 100kph (60mph) and it moved up to 140kph (~88mph) very quickly. You people with the 3.8L have overkill>g>. Do not do that very often but.....Five minutes later caught a nice Impala wave from a Provincial Police Officer going in the opposite direction. Glad he did not pick me up moments earlier. Nice day in a nice car. BTW, calcium chloride (salt) came off the carpets with dish detergent and some gentle rubbing. Now ready for spring. Bring it on. Need the heat to do a polish job. I love it when a weekend comes together (borrowed from the A Team).

pat · April 2001

"The snow is not gone" ... "ready for spring" -- it's 80ish today here in southeastern Virginia!

(Sorry, we've had a long winter here too, even this past Monday and Tuesday were as cold as upper 30's, rain, all kinds of wind, and I am so OVER it and have been for so LONG I just had to rub it in a bit. :-))

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

platour · April 2001

Our first snow was in October. The last, but not the last, was several days ago. We always have a significant dump in April. This has turned into a 6-month winter....%^*& it has been a miserable time. No comment on 80F. We may see that in June. BUT, the Corvette comes out of storage in 2-3 weeks!! The t-tops come off and it is cruising time. Even if I have to have the heater on full blast. Have to take it out. The Wife says get those new parts out of the dining room. They give a certain look to the decor but....

platour · April 2001

What do you use for clean-up on those blackish body trims? Armor-All? Or is there something better?

crosley4 · April 2001

I've seen pictures of snow. ((-;

Actually I've seen snow fall here in Phoenix AZ a few times since I arrived in 1954.

platour · April 2001

Appreciate your humour<g>. But it was tough winter. A few pics below re my Base Impala and the white stuff now basically gone. I do not have traction assist but it must be nice. It might have helped in this weather but I learned at a young age to drive in these conditions without the computer assist. I have read that it does work well. Maybe on my next car.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=223638&a=10790790&f=0

norbnancy · April 2001

Plat our, I avoid salt stains on carpet by using a whit bath towel over the carpet. A large one can be tucked under the edge of the center council and the sill trim. A small putty knife works fine. When the towel gets dirty, just pull it out and run it through the washer. Saves the carpet & the mats. The towel soaks up the moisture and this tends to keep you shoes a bit cleaner also. I have been doing this for more than 20 years on all my cars. Has anyone washed the engine compartment? If so what do you use? Enjoy the ride.

mediumfry · April 2001

Only "50" for the AARP eh? Only 18 short years to go for me. Truth is, I have already gotten some benefit from AARP. Got an AARP discount at the motel my wife and I stayed at on our wedding night. They asked if I wanted it and I said sure! My hair's about 1/3 grey now, so I may get more benefits offered before I'm 50...

platour, Armor-all works great on the charcoal trim, but I found it only lasts a couple washings. First couple times I polished my car I got some polish on the trim. What A PAIN TO GET THAT STUFF OFF!! Scrubbed like heck with a cloth to no avail. Armor-all covered it up but only temporarily. Ended up using (I'm gonna lose all of the credibility I may have here) soft-scrub VERY CAREFULLY and eased it off.

How do you all polish (wax) your cars without getting any on the trim? I think I'm going to have to tape it off like I'm painting or something.

platour and norbnancy, thanks for the info on salt stains issues. I certainly have the ugly stains, and will use the soap idea if a simple water spray doesn't do the trick. Been thinking of covering the driver's side mats with something...a matching towel that I can take off and wash should be a great solution for <$5. We should call you absnorbnancy. OK that was a stretch.

watusi, I've had a couple unfortunate opportunities for evasive action manuevers, and my Impala has been great just as yours has been. I missed a crazy driver once, deer on several occasions, and road debris a couple times too. Seems like people are losing exhaust parts like crazy lately.

I think I have the gas tank clunk. I'm keeping an ear on it. Did that develop gradually for others or was it there from new?

nick01 · April 2001

the bronzemist color more every day. I got the grey leather but I think the neutral leather would have been a better match for the bronzemist.
I traded in a 98 buick lasabre. The Impala is a full size car about the same size as the lasabre. I had a 95 Impala SS. Believe it or not the 0-60 times for all three is about the same. The buick was a 3.8 no turbo like the 2001 impala. But the buick and the Impala 01 get 20 in town and 30 on the road. What other engine besides the old GM 3.8 will give you that combination
First thing I get when I get a new car is a pair of those 'deep dish' rubber truck matts. I take the regular matts out and throw them in the trunk untill the snowy weather is over. The rubber matts come in several colors and its easy to match your interior.

nick

night_owl1 · April 2001

TSB 00-06-04-028 addresses bang/slosh in 2000 Impalas. It's on the TSB/News page.

A car detailer told me that they Armor all the rubber trim before they wax the car. The oily film keeps the wax from sticking. I don't know if the wax sticks to the car if you get Armor all on the paint while you are applying it to trim. I have not tried it out yet.

3M wax remover does a great job taking off the wax. I think a bug and tar remover would do the trick also, but never tried that.

tomaso7 · April 2001

This is the reply I got from K&N air filters re my 2001LS 3.8 engine:"Dear customer,
There is no replacement filter for your vehicle at this time. Please check
back in 30-60 days for a possible update. Thanks for asking." How can this be? I have read on these posting about others who have bought filters for their identical engines: ANY ANSWERS?

tpken · April 2001

Bonneville greetings to all you Impala folks.

Some of us in the Bonneville forum would like to get together in central NJ on Sunday April 22 for a car meet at the Rockaway Mall (exit 35 off Rt 80) - anytime after noon. We'd like to see a great representation of other fine GM cars including the Impala (one of my favorites!) So if you're in the area or care to take a drive (How about it Watusi), please come on over to the Bonneville forum and let us know or send me an email (see profile).

Hoping to see some great Impalas that day - hope some of you can be there.

Have a great day.

Ken

tpken · April 2001

Pat - I'm with you - As much as I dread receiving that special birthday card from AARP - I'd rather get it than not!

Winter has finally loosened it's hammerlock on Maine - and we in the southern coastal areas are seeing crocuses come up and other brave shoots test the air. Sure is good to see it but after watching those gorgeous dogwoods and azaleas that line the magnificent Tiger fairways in Agusta this past weekend, our brown grass and bare trees still look look awfully winterish here.

Hmmm, I wonder how many Impalas Tiger could buy with his winnings yesterday. A Jade Green LS would match that new jacket very nicely - don't you think? Maybe The Master's ought to include one in the prize package!

Ken

cookie01 · April 2001

Have we considered that a 60/40 seat in an LS would require a "in the tree" shifter? That might possibly be why he's being told you can't get a "bench" in the LS.

kenbuzz · April 2001

A question for you who have the autodimming inside RV mirror.... does it work?

I have learned that my eyes are fairly light-sensitive, and I tend to flip my inside RV mirror to "dim" much more often than most people. I have driven a few rentals with the autodimming mirror and was never satisfied with the performance, though it has been a couple of years. Is there any way to adjust the mirror to be more sensitive and darken earlier, or does the mirror represent a "one size fits all" solution?

night_owl1 · April 2001

Sound's like you got an autoreply. K&N does make an air filter for the Impala. The part number is 33-2141 and a number of owners have already installed it. It is the same air filter for both the 3.4 and 3.8L engine. The 2001 is probably not in their database even though the 2000 and 2001 have the same powerplant.

jeffbog · April 2001

Months ago, someone here posted that they used WD-40 to remove wax from the grey trim. I've tried it and it works great. Give it a try.

wyoimp · April 2001

Have had my (actually my Wife's) 2001 LS (Sandrift) for a little over a month. My wife loves its traction on snow,ice, and rain. It now has 667 miles and we are very happy with it. My teenaged sons are not ashamed to seen in it or drive it. That 3.8 moves effortlesly and goes on on and off ramps like my old motorcycle days! Got up to 3 digits with a crosswind and the car felt quite stable and noise free. That auto dimming RV is excellant, look in it and there's a slight green tint.
Changing the oil filter is not thrilling. The filter mounts at an angle just up and forward of the passenger side inboard CV joint. Any thoughts on to prevent hot oil from spilling? The oil drain plug is 15mm. The underside of the car is quite clean except for the spare tire well. Hope GM has learned lessons from previous spare tire wells. It is protected by the gas tank and the exhaust on the passenger side. Looks like duals would be a simple splitting of the exhaust forward of the gas tank and add sheilding on the drivers side (duplicate the passengers side.
Who designed that puny "Glove Box"? What an insult to a otherwise GREAT CAR!
Looks like the Cheyenne PD is replacing their old Impalas for the 2001. 3 marked and 1 unmarked so far.

nick01 · April 2001

what is the TSB/news page and how do I get there

night_owl1 · April 2001

The mirror works on my car. On the bottom of the mirror, there are 4 buttons. The three center ones are for OnStar. The button on the left is the power button for the mirror. To the right of the OnStar buttons is the rear facing light sensor. On the back of the mirror is forward facing light sensor. The mirror dims when the light from the rear is brighter than the light from the front.

I don't think there is a way to make it more sensitive through programming. I imagine that if you partially block the front sensor, the mirror will think it is night earlier. Unless it is hooked up with the DRLs in some way. Let me try playing with it and I'll get back to you.

jeffreyw1 · April 2001

Welcome ken! My Impala LS has an autodimming rearview mirror. It does in fact work quite well and to tell you I was surprised how well it did work. Whatever engineer came up with the design of this invention should receive a nice raise. I always wished in my previous autos that there would be someone to invent a mirror that would dim. The mirror automatically dims as the headlight beams from an auto behind the vehicle being driven hits the mirror. I don't know the answer to your last question. Sorry! Have a great day!

night_owl1 · April 2001

It's a new page on the Impala How-To page. I collected all the TSBs that addresses problems on the Impala.

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/

00impala · April 2001

Ever consider tinting the windows? I have mine tinted a conservative 50% and the auto mirror still works great! As far as the mouldings, WD40 removes the dried wax/polish from them, I use a Meguires Bumper Trim Dressing I found at Wal Mart and it works great on the grey mouldings. Armor All does tend to dry up fast and disappear.
I have a K&N filtercharger and it makes my car whistle while accellerating around 20-30 mph then goes away, I put the Original one back in until I decide what to do? Don

cyyz · April 2001

I like using Armour-All Low-gloss on the graphite trim, Windex on the trim around the door glass to get rid of the spots and No-Touch for the tires after washing. I find good results with Mother's car wash soap. For the most part, it melts the tar pretty good with a wash mitt and I use a bug sponge for those stubborn spots. I dry the car with a synthetic chamois.

I finally put the splashguards on the car front and back. Had to modify the rear guards to fit properly, but looks great and works great too(rained big time today - probably because I washed the car yesterday ).

platour · April 2001

The towel idea for the mats and carpets is just wonderful, I will give it a try. I have not tried the Meguire's product on the graphite trim but will do so. I have tried Armor-All and a product called Black Chrome but they do not last long. As to a polish that does not leave white deposit around emblems, etc., see below. I use this product on my Corvette and it is very good. It is expensive, however.

http://www.zainobros.com/

bdime · April 2001

I didn't realize I even had an auto dim on the rearview. I have to say that now that I think on it that's probably why the idiots driving up to my bumper haven't bothered me as much as I thought they would (after coming down from my SUV). I also believe the front windshield
has plenty of tint in it already(IMO). You have to be cautious with adding tint in some states-there are different rules for what is legal.

sweetpolly · April 2001

Is there a way to print out the pages on your website (white text on black background does not print)?

teo · April 2001

Any resolution as to replace/buyback your Impala?

fathertyricius · April 2001

I have my 2001 Impala LS for almost two months now. This car is incredible. The gas mileage gets better by the day, and the performance and handling of this car is superb. Ive noticed that once you put the car in reverse, the auto dimmer feature on the rearview mirror goes off. Reading the manual, thats exactly what it's suppose to do. At first when I started driving my new car, I couldnt get use to this type of rear view mirror, blocking all the headlights, but now I consider it one of the most unique features amongst the many in my car. For all those reading these posts regarding the Impala LS who maybe thinking about buying it or leasing it, "This Car Is Beautiful".

rmartin3 · April 2001

Had the shims installed last month...pops were gone until this week. They are approaching being as bad as before. Anyone else had the TSB done, and have the popping return? Do we know for sure if this noise is just a nuisance, or do the shims in fact bolster the structural integrity of the cradle where the welding is lacking? thanks for your help.

hunter39 · April 2001

Believe the part number is 2131 for the filter on Impala, someone has it on their site, is it you Don or Nathan? I too notice a little whistle if and when the stereo is off which is not often so it's not a problem to me.

Also I have the series 50 Flowmaster but was wondering about taking the bend out of the pipe under the passenger seat where the O2 sensor is located, Hey Matt did we find out if that can be moved?

hvan3 · April 2001

I found a great website for a rear spoiler. Sportwing.com has Impala LS rear spoiler for less than $250 painted (including shipping). The cool thing about it is that the rear spoiler that I ordered already come painted (Silver Galaxy). I was quoted 5-6 days delivery. I can't wait to install my LS with a rear spoiler! For those who wants a Silver Galaxy rear spoiler, they have 1 unit in stock ready for delivery.

Check it out!

http://www.sportwing.com/

I'll let you guys know on the quality of the spoiler and if the paint matches my car.

mediumfry · April 2001

Thanks to all who responded on my polish/trim issues. Looks like there's a myriad of good solutions, none of which involve abrasives.

As much as I've worked on cars over the years, I'd never owned one that has this type of trim and is nice enough to worry about how it looks. I've got a lot to learn about aesthetics maintenance.

On filters, mine uses the AC PF47/Fram PH3387A, a filter used on my '86 Grand Am and well before. I've heard about nightmares with the new Oldsmobile 3.5 liter filter though. Apparently that is a new one. Doh!

I turned the wheel to the right and was able to get at the filter easily from the wheel well (on my 3.8). It did spill hot oil all over, which I've found to be typical of ALL cars I've worked with. Fortunately it seems to drip into a pan instead of on frame members and wiring harnesses like on my Chrysler!

I always figure on a good gojo washing after an oil change. If anyone knows how to keep the dripping from happening I'd be interested.

Thanks again everyone.

nick01 · April 2001

Thanks night owl. That was an interesting page and must have been a lot of work to put togeather. I bookmarked it. I think I found what I was looking for about the gas tank slosh and boom.
Nick

norbnancy · April 2001

Ha. Ha. absnorbnancy. Sorry, can't use it. May be mistaken for anti lock brakes (abs). That is stretching it too. I like white towels on the floor because it is striking. Passengers tend to be more careful about dragging in dirt, slush, etc. (except my brother). I haven't waxed my car yet (13 months old). I use Zip wax car wash soap and wash my car 3 -4 times a week. Also use the same on my 93 Cadillac Fleetwood and it always draws great comments on how shiny it looks. The last time I waxed the Cad is over 2 years ago. I will occasionally polish out a scratch or dull spot and then apply a wax to get the shine back. My impala is Black, so it gets washed frequently as I live on a dirt road. Not the best color choice. Someone mentioned dished floor mats. These work good. My son has them in his Cavilear. The only drawback is that in heavy snow/slush the snow melt tends to puddle. This messes your shoes. The towels absorb the water and salt to some degree. Both are good. Enjoy the ride.

00impala · April 2001

Glad i'm not Hearing things! It is not a problem, I wanted to make sure that the Filter was in fact the source of the whistle, and when I took it out and put in the original the Whistle was gone, On Friday night after cleaning up my LS to a "T" I went over to the Home Depot and on the way back I was driving on a Boulevard that had alot of businesses and neon lights and Signs so my LS was Glowing, an older Saturn pulled up beside me and passed on the left and it was 4 Teen Aged Boys and the one Screamed out " I WANT A (%$%$@ 'n) IMPALA" then when we came to red light they kept saying IMPALA,Dual Exhaust..Impala....Bad [non-permissible content removed] Impala....I didn't know what to think, was I going to get carjacked...Shot at?? Turned out to be some Youngsters enjoying the Dual Exhaust and the Shiny Detailed Silver Impala LS on a Friday night cruising...They liked it, the one vocal guy for sure,
Listen to me using the word "youngsters" and I'm only 32! They are cruising around having fun and I'm on my Way home with a Gallon of paint for a room in my House! Reminded me of when I used to burn up some gas cruising around the local Mall back in '88 in my Red over Charcoal 1986 Mercury Lynx XR3.... Cookie what year was your Escort GT? I wish I had kept that little car, It was cool in it's time...I may post a pic of it on my site.... Don

night_owl1 · April 2001

I edited the site so you can print. Go back to the TSB and News page and click on the printer. You'll see what I mean when you get there.

I gotta think about how to make the whole site printer friendly without losing the white print on black background. Anyone know the java code?

teo · April 2001

What year and trim model is your Impala? Build date?

cookie01 · April 2001

My Escort GT was an 89. My first brand new car. I had gone from 3 years of working "parttime" jobs (two) to one good full time job and bought my first new car right away. It was white with black trim, grey interior, had the spoiler and fuel injection and I just loved it. Probably not as much as this Impala, but there's something about the first car you buy all by yourself...it's so YOURS...

I sold it to my step-son in 1995. It was running great. But he couldn't help but think of it as a GIRL car (why? cause he was a 16 year old "boy" that's why) and sold it to a guy I work with.

He drove it a while then got it smushed between a semi and the guard rail (not his fault)... I was sorry to see it go. I was a great car, and I look cool in it with my sunglasses and a Dalmatian in the back!

sweetpolly · April 2001

Hi Teo,

I have not taken the car back to the dealer because I'm still waiting for the wheel liners to come in. The car has not hesitated since the last time, but, I'm stil planning to have them check it again once the liners come in. Will let you know how it turns out as soon as I can.

discgolfer · April 2001

Lately, I have been getting "An error occured processing this directive" from edmonds web page, where the entry to this forum should be. After some time, then I can get it ok. Has anyone else experienced this?

Night Owl - ASSUME WEB SITE !!

As I mentioned before, I used to have the "Clicking". I may still have it, but I don't hear it anymore. I also have the "Clunking", but I absolutly LOVE this car.....

2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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