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NOW, I am experiencing a "CLUNK", which can be felt, more than heard. It clunks, and the steering feels "LOOSE". I am certain that this is steering related, and will probably be the Intermediate Steering Shaft...
CLICKS, POPS (Heard) = Shim Kit, (missing welds)
CLUNKS, Loose Steering (Felt) = I.S.S.
IMO
I will be taking it in for the clunks real soon. Today, I am getting Dual Exhaust installed, with Chromed Chevy Bowtie exhaust tips. (I guess "dual mufflers" is more appropriate...
Didn't a few others here suffer from this?
It has been relatively mild here the last couple of weeks and the AC hasn't been on. NO POPPING.
RR
I have the Comfort Pak option with dual power/heated seats.
I adjust the driver seat every so often, but the pass. seat really doesn't get much use. Would it be a good practice to adjust the seat (in all directions) to simply keep the motor and joints in good operating order.
I figure the longet it remains stagnant, the better chance for failure when someone does need to adjust it.
Just a thought.
Thanks,
RR
Here are some pics.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1757607&a=13549298&f=0
OK, kids............. are you ready for the latest on our 2k LS popping noise saga????
We dropped the Impala off at the dealer again this AM, 6 AM that is. About 10:30 the adviser calls my wife and tells her that nothing can be found for the cause. My wife asks the gentleman if they have a set of "chassis ears" to use for diagnosing noises in the vehicles. My wife again points the history of the car and the fact that the first service writer we had told us there was a design flaw in the engine cradle that was causing the noise.
About 4:30 PM the advisor calls my wife while we are driving home in our 2k Silverado (nearly zero troubles with this truck!)....... It seems our Impala has been the main subject of the day for several techs and the manager of the service dept.
They have discovered the early cradle design that is under our Impala is the problem. [go figure] The car needs the updated/stronger cradle installed under it. This is the belief of the service folks at Chapman Chevrolet.
So now we have the car back since the extended warranty company will not pay for the cradle (duh!) since it is a design problem. The adviser told us to pick the car up since it will be a week or so to get final answers on replacement of the cradle. He and his boss agree the cradle has been the trouble from the begining. Getting GM to foot the bill may be a problem. The adviser says he had to ask the extended warranty ppl first to cover the cost. It's a matter of following the proper procedure........ LOL
The history of our complaints and repairs related to our complaints is in the dealer's computer and our paper files at home.
I call upon you folks that have walked this path to suggest our next moves after GM refuses to replace the cradle at their expense ( and they will refuse to pay!) Do we go to the BBB, district/regional office of GM to start our vocal complaints? Mayb to the local TV with the consumer complaint ppl?
The car developed the popping noise at 9k miles , it now has 43 k miles on it. Hopefully by next week we will have an answer from GM.
Tony
Service vehicle soon light was related to body sensor module and the dome light switch (or really map lights) Apparently the computer was not reading the door as closed and the dome light was tripping the service light. so its back for now.
Anybody with a 2k that hasn't had cradle probs, I want to be optimistic. I asked the service dept if the warranty would cover correcting that prob before it becomes a prob and no dice. I'll wait and hope.
Crosley4, I've never heard of anyone changing brake fluid on a regular basis, nor have I read any recommendations in manuals. When the fluid level is low I always identify the problem, fix the part, and bleed the whole system. Is anything more than that really necessary?
I have the cradle pop by all definitions posted here. Mostly feeling in the floor and steering column (can be felt on passenger side floor too) and sometimes a noise when it's acting up the most. However I have a '01 LS built in 11/00. It supposedly has the new cradle (all the welds in question are there). It also has the shim kit. Everyone's baffled.
Tires should never have more than the max pressure put in them. That can be a safety problem. The pressure where the tires wear evenly (at or below max pressure) is the best. I don't really care if others want to overfill their tires, but I hope they don't drive next to or in front of me on the highway. I don't want to take on the debris when it blows.
I had one set of tires that wore more on the edges than the middle of the tread. I ran them at max pressure the whole time. The manufacturer replaced them, calling them defective. They never mentioned putting more air in them.
My coolant level is down about 1/2" after 18000 miles/10 months. There are no visible leaks or dirty fittings. Is it normal to lose a little over time? Color looks fine.
My latest trip (1800 miles in a weekend) yielded an AVERAGE of 31.5MPG with one 220 mile stretch yielding a whopping 35mpg. I had never averaged above 28 or 28.5 on a trip before. Same trip, same climate and terrain as other trips. Some 70mph expressway and some 55mph two-lanes mixed in (with plenty of passing too). ????????? I'm not complaining but I wonder what made a ~10% difference?
I'm a staunch GoodYear hater, but I'm beginning to like those darn Eagle GA's. My local service guy has the new wheel balancer that measures actual force exerted on a roller by the tire instead of simple dynamic balance. This takes into account runout (out of round) in addition to dynamic balance. They say a 40lb difference as the tire rotates is the acceptable limit. All 4 of my tires registered between 8 and 11 lbs. That's one seriously smooth ride! Plus the tread is wearing perfectly and it looks like I'll get 60k+ miles out of them. Hard to hate that.
Be good and drive safe folks.
Silicone type fluid does not absorb moisture. You can not mix silicone and non silicone fluids.
Also, I just put a K&N in the Impala, but I think it is a waste - except for the fact that I won't have to worry about changing/cleaning the filter as often. The air box is so restrictive I swear it was done on purpose to leave room for "improvements" in the future or keep it at least 5 HP under some of the same 3.8's in the Pontiacs. The air box feeds and pulls the air from a very tiny area of the filter. The air is literally delivered through a tube that runs through (inside of) the dirty side of the box thus inhibiting the air from entering the filter's entire area. The air is drawn from a small area very close to the filter on the clean side the same way. The rest of the filter is not used. All the dirt accumulates on just a few square inches. The darn car is trying to breath through a straw at full throttle.
Here's my thought - I'm going to look at the Bonneville air box and see if a local Pontiac dealer/service dept. will help me out if it is indeed better. I'd simply like to change out the air box for a better one. What do you guys think?? This engine could easily do 210 HP and maybe 220 with good air induction and dual exhaust.
In the future, if the car is "improved" to 205 HP or more, check out the air box. I heard the Lincoln LS V6 gets 10 more HP for the 2002's because of a better air intake design.
So what do you guys think???
BTW, I posted here a few times earlier in the year when I was considering an Impala. I really couldn't get comfortable with the cradle problem in these cars. In May we found a 1999 Lumina LTZ with 29K mi. at a local Nissan dealer and bought it for $12K. It has leather bucket seats, a moonroof, a 3.8L engine and a cradle that doesn't snap. My wife likes it.
By the way, I can't say enough good things about the Zaino products, which I learned about from this message board. Never heard of it before. Used to use Mothers (which I still think is good for most things) but this Zaino is incredible. I love the wax and the leather soft and the tire gloss and gloss enhancer.
ghostwolf
In one case, I parked and when I came out, the car next to mine had to be a Zaino person because besides my own Impala, I had never seen a gloss like that. In another instance, someone actually noticed my changed center caps on my Impala and waited to ask me about where I had gotten my exhaust tips put on and where I had gotten the impala logo centercaps.
Most people don't notice the car, which is fine with me. Just other Impala owners take an interest. I don't know if its the history of the name, or fond memories of older impala's or what makes this car so special.
ghostwolf
However, if after meeting with your Service Manager/District Manager doesn't yield the wanted results, then you should seek professional legal counsel.
Typically the AVM will meet with your Service Manager in private first to go over the repair history of your car. Since the cradle problem has been well documented since the 9K mile check point, then I am sure that this will work in your advantage. The car developed a problem during the limited warranty period and you as an owner have complied with taking the car back to the authorized GM dealership, report the problem, have the problem fixed and so on. This should give you enough leverage to pursue GM thru the District Manager to foot the bill for the new cradle replacement.
Be calm, polite but firm. Also keep pristine copies of all your service records, take notes of all conversations, write down names and times, etc.
In my experience is never a good idea to let these problems linger for so long as they can always go back and bite you later on when it is already too late.
By the way, who's your extended warranty company?
I don't think a GM extended warranty contract would give such a hard time to cover the costs on a known defective part. Your experience is the reason why I steer away from 3rd party extended warranties...some times the savings don't offset the so-so service you get from them.
Good luck. Stay on top of your Service Manager from now on. In case you haven't, call the 1-800 Chevy customer service number to get a File Case #. Request to have your Service Manager directly involved in your problem.
Check Nathan's site for more info.
You might also have to lift the car to be able to see the rear cradle brackets more clearly.
Anyway, I don't like to park next to ANYONE! I have seen too many dented door panela and quarter panels from careless and ignorant drivers that somehow don't give a rat's you know what about their cars OR anyone elses.
I try to park as far away from other as possible and inevitably, there will always be some yutz that has to be right next to me when there are umpteen other spots.
I do comment to other Impala drivers. Ususally with "sweet car" or something like that.
If you think I am anal about it.. just wait until you come out of the store to see a fresh dent in your door... the explatives should prove my case!
Later!
RR
I had already ordered Chevy Bowtie Chromed exhaust tips from ChevyMall.com. When I made the deal at the muffler shop, I showed him the picture of the tips I ordered. He said, "I have a used set here you can have for free". After seeing them, I'm not sure I like them. They are smaller than I thought, and are not very thick, or well chromed. He put them on temporarily, and said he will permenantly put on whatever tips I decide to go with. I've decided to see if the ones from Chevy mall are any better...
Anyway, All labor, 2 mufflers, additional pipe, etc. was $235 out the door. I definitly like the Dual look, but the bowtie tips are in question. I love the growl. Should have better performance now as well..
Garnes, I'm sure any muffler shop can do this for you. I went to California Muffler & Brake in Lake Forest (CA).
2000 LS, with Spoiler & Sunroof, Galaxy Silver, Tinted Windows, Dual Exhaust... LOVIN IT !!
Anyway, I wish everyone the very best with your Impalas and many miles of driving fun and pleasure wherever the road might take you.
I have my set of reasons as to why I have made up my mind to leave Edmunds TH, but I prefer not to discuss them here and quite frankly, doing so will not change the way things are handled around the place.
It is likely that I will move to a new 'Home'in the web, perhaps Yahoo Clubs were our Montecarlo and Corvette friends moved long ago.
Take care everyone and enjoy your rides!
TEO
That stinks. I, for one, will miss your fountain of knowledge, even if I did disgree sometimes about minor stuff.
Take care. I hope they appreciate you over on the other boards.
Do you noticed any HP difference with the Dynomax Super Turbo muffler? Do you have the KN fitler with it?
I'm thinking of having mine done as well (once I get my tax refund in the mail). However, my pipe will only be on the right side.
Thanks
You can get me at rwebb@prucar.com
When you say it will only be on the right side, do you mean you will have dual exhaust on one side, or you are just planning on replacing the existing muffler? I think the dual pipes look TOTALLY COOL.
My particular vehicle just recently (within the past two weeks) began to emanate a faint popping sound in the area just ahead of the driver-side floorboard that sounded almost like a cracking knuckle. It would occur most frequently when starting from a complete stop on level ground or when braking at low speed.
The mechanic and I closely inspected the bushing mounts and found the inner surfaces to be rough enough to seize the bushing material and prevent the bushings from swiveling freely in their seats.
The shim kit (previously referred to as a "band-aid" fix) completely eliminated the problem it was originally designed to correct. Granted, this modification will NOT correct either the flexing cradle welds nor the intermediate steering shaft problems. It wasn't designed to do that.
What would really help would be to replace the corrigated tube between the airbox and the throttle body. I'm hoping a company like Iceman will come out with a cool air system.
Here is the link if you are interested.
http://www.overboost.com/iceman/
TEO! I know I'm going to miss your vast knowledge on our wonderful cars. Good luck wherever you end up - and remember you can always come back!
Brad
Maybe I'll see you on the road when I visit my mom and sister over by Ft Lauderdale.
I"m not sure if I want dual exhaust. Perhaps once a see your pics, I may change my mind.
I really like them, but most people don't notice them. I like the look better than the bowtie ones.
On the engine, I have no idea what the cops use in them. I was thinking of pulling up to one the next time I see one and just asking him for a peek under the hood!
I know my uncle has a Regal GS that has a supercharged 3800 engine, I don't know if the cops would use that or not. It gives 40 more horses than the ones in the LS.
Take Care
gw
Take care
gw
I call it the 50% rule. Worst case, only one side of my car will get hit.
The worst thing about parking lots today is the SUV's. Because when one of them opens their car door into you, it is not against the body moulding, but 6 inches above it. Aaaaaargh.
teo,
let me know what what thread you will be in because none of them seem to be very active.
If you were snorkeling, and for some reason you had to put a filter at the end of the snorkel, you would learn in a hurry that the diameter of the pipe would not matter, but you would want the end of that pipe flared out so as to pull the air through a larger filter.
With the Impala air box, virtually all the air is being pushed through a small area of the filter and this simply is not good.
I've modified my air box on an Aurora with good results. I opened up the bottom to allow free flow to the entire filter area, and removed the inner liner on the top(for sound) that restricts the clean side. The Impala does not have this. I'm using the whole filter area now to limit pressure drop across the filter. It turns out that Wheel to Wheel (they do the GM pace cars) made the exact same modifications when building a 398 HP Deville.
Believe me - there is loads of room for improvement for the air intake on the Impala. The dirt on the filter will show you what is (or is not) happening.
Filter area is VERY important. Visit the K&N site and they even have formulas for calculating the required area. The Impala air box essentially cuts off flow to almost all of the filter area. Again, look at the dirt on it.
That 3.8 could really crank out more power big time with some simple cheap induction improvements.
I imagine that the 3800 could be made to produce 240 hp. after all the 346 CID LS1 makes about 1 hp per cubic inch.
K&n filters will also cause a very small drop in lowend power due to decreased back pressure.
Probably the thing i would like the impala to have the most is the 3.5L engine from the intrigue. Its midrange surge above 3500 rpm is something i really miss.
I took the car to the dealer last week, complete with all my facts and printouts of issues listed on Nathan's website. The dealer looked at what I had replaced my front rotors, no questions asked. By the way, they had already been turned once about 6,000 miles ago. I now have 28,000 miles.
He also drove the car around the dealer lot and said, "YEP, that's the ISS problem". He ordered the shaft and expects to have it on Tuesday.
I'll report how things go.
Our 2k LS just missed the AZ lemon law by 4,000 miles on this cradle issue. The biggest complaint on our car and the time at the dealer has been on the popping cradle issue.
The car was quiet for 14k miles after the shim TSB was applied. Before the shim TSB came about the dealer was applying the band aid fix of greasing the mounts to stop the popping.
Our extended warranty is a third party company. I do not blame them for refusing to pay for the cradle replacement. It's a defective or under designed(?) unit that is not up to the task.
My wife is dealing with the issue of the cradle , dealer and who ever else gets involved. She is one of those people that thinks rapdily on her feet and can respond to various things that come up in a conversation. This comes from her 15 years of dealings in gov/court situations. She regularly deals with elected officals and has been quoted in the local newspapers on various issues within the courts where she works. I am quite proud of her, but don't let that get back to her. (-;
Me ..... I am the hot headed one. Get me started and you need a fire hose to put me out....LOL
Who knows, when the dust settles I may be under the car with my heli-arc welding machine and adding to the welds & supports.
At that time GM will have lost a life long customer.
Tony
FatherTyricius
Or, we can wait patiently for the new SS and see how Chevy modifieds their intake.
As you can see, my Impala is thristy for more HP.
Increasing the air flow to the engine will result in more HP and torque across the entire rpm range. Probably not very much at lower rpms, but it never lowers power. Increased air induction has nothing to do with back pressure.
You are right however about the exhaust. The trick is to lower the back pressure to get more power but you don't want to lower it so much that you lose too much exhaust exit velocity. The exit velocity is what provides "scavanging" of the engine and better removes the combusted gas. Most stock exhaust systems are rather bottled up to provide a totally quiet ride. Fortunately, there is usually plenty of room to open up the exhaust and get more power with very minimal losses, if any, to low end torque. The system you buy does have to be designed and tested on a dyno to know for sure it helps your car. I wouldn't slap just anything on. I'd also be careful about anything that greatly increases pipe diameters because this will lower velocity a lot.
So go ahead and feed as much air as you can (within reason). The mass air flow sensor will automatically adjust and feed more fuel for the greater air flow at full throttle. Gas mileage should be the same or a bit better for everyday driving. A specially designed cat-back system will help too and shouldn't mess up the back pressure if it is designed right.
I am going to look at Pontiac to see if there is a better box for their 3.8's. I'll let you know if I find anything. I seriously wonder if Chevy doesn't improve this in the future just to have something "improved".
Oh yeah, I'd shy away from induction kits that have a cone filter sitting in the engine compartment. K&N induction kits use a heat shield. Pulling hot air off the engine will erase any air flow gains. Caddyinfo.com has an interesting experiment that shows a slight decrease in power.
All in all, I really love our Impala. It's just a big tough looking, smooth riding, very safe car. The interior is really pleasant too. I love how it gets the same or better mileage as the smaller and much lighter Camry V6 on the highway too - same in the city. I guess Toyota is just behind that Chevy engineering. I don't expect Consumer Reports to acknowledge this though. I wonder why it seems to be ignored. For a full sized car, the fuel economy is incredible - and the car does pump out the Hp and torque.
Just trying to find out the best way to go.