2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

mediumfry

I'd get one but follow 00Impala's advice. Go for a late build date. I have a 2001 with build date 11/2000. It's a great car but has something clicking/popping in the front end that can't be identified. It has the up-to-date cradle and no other apparent 'typical' problems. I'm concerned about getting it fixed before warranty is over, but am completely satisfied with the car otherwise.

Even though I've had this problem, I have no intention to trade or fight to replace my car. I will fight to get it fixed even if the warranty passes. IMO it's not a safety issue, though...simply an annoyance. It's truly an enjoyable, solid, efficient, quiet, well-designed&built car.

I'd go for the good financing deals and rebates. Now is a great time to buy.

00impala

My 2000 LS is spending the night again at the Dealership, they had to "Overnite" a New Cradle for my car. They showed one in stock yesterday but it was gone today. I hope this works? Don

harraka

I'll check my file later this evening and let you know.

fathertyricius

My 2001 LS is shear joy. My build date is 12/00, and all the issues regarding the 2000 model year have been addressed. If the 2001 LS you are looking at has a build date of 12/00 or later, I wouldnt hesitate a minute. Go for it. This is a great car. Fun to drive, and solid. Good luck.

b4z

Car was 4 months old on the 1st and hit 7500 miles today. Has been the best car i have owned so far. No problems other than the roof strips, which i have decided not to repair.
This car still feels solid and has not exhibited the usual GM 6000 mile looseness that was prevalant in the past.
I keep thinking something bad is going to happen.
Still getting lots of compliments on it. Even more so than the intrigue which many people thought was a lexus.
I have teenagers and old people tell me how much they like it.

aquaknot

I remember reading post made about having the rear wheel inner fender liners replaced, but can't find messages. Would someone have the info. which might furnish the TSB to have them replaced????

hank64

Document # 764216 and
TSB #00-08-111-004 Should do it for the wheel Liners - according to some past posts.

harraka

Hvan 3, here is the info on the work order:

cause: incorrect pressure
labor : rpl 1-2 shift ctrl, sol
part number K6555

there was also 2 valves, a gasket, filter kit and atf listed on the work order under the words "damaged". It doesn't what the valves were, but one has a list price of $243. Hope that helps.

roderacer

Hi there-

I notice a slight hesitation when the tranny shifts from 1 to 2. I don't notice if the RPM's spike or not. I'd say, "no" since I can't hear the engine rev abnormally.

I can give it a bit more gas and that seems to speed the shifting up a bit, but would you say that these are symptoms of the "incorrect pressure" diagnosis that the dealer repaired for you?

I'd like to nip it in the bud if it is. I have about 9200 miles so far on the 04/01 build date LS.

Thanks!
RR

harraka

Hi RR! I have a 2K base with a build date of 4/00. When I first noticed the tranny problem, it was pretty subtle and not consistent. It was more like a delayed shift from 1-2. On a cold start when the morning temps were below 55 or so it was the most noticeable and eventually you couldn't miss is. If you had a stick shift and were shifting from 3 to 4 but hit 2 instead and then quick jammed in the clutch - that's what the engine sounded like. The RPM's really revved high for a second and then it would shift into second gear. The shift into second was sometimes very rough. After driving for about 10 minutes though and the engine temp warmed up, it wouldn't happen any more. It only took about 2 weeks for this to progress and then I took it in. I left it overnight at the dealer and they could not get it to act up, but the computer stored a code when this happened and they were able to go from there. Hope that helps :-)

roderacer

That does help out! I may be able to see if there is a problem this weekend with the temps going down to the 40's. I will make a note of the revs in between changes. Rough shifting will definitely set off the alarms with me since the tranny is so smooth now.

Did replacing the valves, etc. resolve the problem for you? Hope so!

Thanks again!
RR

harraka

You'd definitely notice with the temp drop because on warm mornings it didn't happen. It runs like a charm ever since the fix. Good luck!

[Deleted User]

The shifting symptons you both described sound exactly like mine! If I ever find the time to get back to the dealer, I'll have 'em look at it. I've got to get a new seat at some point, anyway.

harraka - Did they actually find a diagnostic error code? If so, do you know what it was. I like having some info when I go in, so I don't get the standard "We couldn't find a problem" or "That's the way they're made".

lrcobra

The things you all are saying about your transmissions is similar to the way mine started out only it was the higher gears that started acting up on mine. Ended up getting bad at @40k miles. The dealer changed out the valve body and so far no problems. Whatever you do make sure you get it on record at the dealer before your warrenty runs out. The cost on mine would have been close to $1000 if I would have had to pay for it. As it was I still had to pay for a service job on it which was only $124. Make sure the dealer gets it on record you are having a problem even if they cannot reproduce the same when they are driving it.
LRCobra

licavy1

I have a 2001 Impala LS that was built in August 2000. My question is. I have 6000 miles on the car with no problems. How can I tell if I need the cradle replaced, in other words what are the symptoms of a bad cradle. Thanks.
Frank

[Deleted User]

The main sympton of a bad cradle is when the engine falls through onto the roadway at highway speeds, causing a huge shower of sparks and a trail of engine parts behind you.

Just kidding. That hardly ever happens.

The real way to tell is if the "Bad Cradle" warning light comes on. It's located next to the "Check Spoiler" light.

hvan3

I rarely get engine hestitations. If I do, it's not related to the tranny shifting from 1st to 2nd. Most of my hestitation occurs from the time I go from Park to Drive at a speed of 15 mph.

Once I get the hestitation, I immediately release the gas pedal. At which time, the car is back to normal as if nothing had happened.

[Deleted User]

One thing I've noticed with late model GM transmissions is that the transmission must be fully engaged, which takes a second or two after shifting into Drive, before you can give it gas.
Otherwise, you get some serious hesitation. I think that some people might confuse this tranny hesitation with engine hesitation. It's similar, so it's understandable.

As for my late shifting between 1st and 2nd, my revs go up to 4K, sometimes 5K, before shifting into 2nd. That can't be right.

evilpancakewom

Believe it or not GM has the best transmissions on the market. Even BMW uses their transmissions.
As for the shifting problem, that is probably a computer problem that can be fixed if you go to the dealer and explain to them the problem. I do not own a GM but I have heard that over time the shifting "problem" goes away and is regulated.

licavy1

I'm positive that's how you found your problem. You sure thank GM for Idiot lights.

[Deleted User]

I'm still not sure what to do when the "Check Spoiler" light comes on.

harraka

Here is the address for a scanned copy of the workorder for the work as a result of the tranny problem. Hope that helps.

www.geocities.com/pinktrixrabbit/workorder.html

vcjumper

Check the angle at which your spoiler sits. It may have become misaligned over time.

jerseyimpala

This is for the guys with the hesitation from 1st to second-

There is a service bulliten listed on NightOwl's website that addresses this. You can also find the TSB on the ususal sites that list TSB's for our car. I had a 2001 ls, 6/00 build date that was purchased in Aug. 2000. I had this problem all winter. I live in Jersey so I would have temps. around 30 in the mornings. I brought the service bulliten in and the replaced a ROM or PROM chip or something along those lines this summer. So far the coldest morning I have had has been around 42 and there was no hesitation at all. Hope this helps!

mediumfry

kennya1

The main way I found my problem was the sound it
makes It starts out very discreetly and gets louder as it worsens. This can be checked by turning your steering wheel while sitting still
if and the front driver side of car is near a wall
kinda like a drive up window at BK and you will hear a sound like glass being ground up this is not a loud sound so if ride around with windows up
and radio jammin you will not hear it

impalaboy2001

I'm looking for an Ignition source in a box box, suck as the radio one, I need a current coming out of a fuse when the key is turned to ACC. Anyone have any idea which empty space i can use the fuse box?
Thanks
Chris

b4z

Recently i have been comparing my home system to my impala stereo and have found several things that are done incorrectly.
Too much bass. THe flat settings on the tone controls are not flat. Obviously delco has added some punch in there. probably a boost around 60-80hz.
I have found that the -1 setting on the tone controls are closer to what i would call flat.
Also the tone controls are not shelved properly.
The bass tone control goes way up into the midrange. Same for the treble.
Just my observation.

woo_by

are you looking for a fuse location for the JET chip installation?

impalaboy2001

na, I'm looking for a 12volt ACC for the New aftermarket headunit I'll be installing.

[Deleted User]

I'd say you'd have to cut the bass to more than -1 to get "flat" reproduction. As for the shelving, most two-way tone controls use shelving, that is boost and cut all frequencies above or below a certain point. If you had a 3-way, graphic, or parametric EQ, each band would have a "Q" or bandwidth, cutting and boosting the frequencies closely around a certain frequency point.
Personally, I've brought the bass back into the realm of normalcy by replacing the speakers. It also brought out the mids and highs, which are sorely lacking in the factory jobs. Psychologically, the lack of mids and highs will also cause the perception of increased bass.
The best $200-300 you'll spend on your car would be a speaker replacement. I used the JBL Power Series. Roderunner used Alpines. I believe someone else here used Boston Acoustics. In every case, the audio quality improved drastically.
BTW, this discussion would better be suited for the newly-relocated "Impal Radio" forum in Chevrolet Impala Owners.

b4z

We haven't had too many prospective new owner's on this thread recently. I wonder what is up?

[Deleted User]

Don't you get CNN? :-)
CNBC and CNN-FN might also hold a few answers.

teo

New owner: My sister and brother in law picked up a brand new 2001 Impala Base saturday night. We got there exactly 45 minutes before closing time.... I negotiated the price down to $19,9K and they got ZERO percent GMAC financing for 60 months. TIP: for the best price on a new car, go to the dealer when everyone is getting ready to say good nite and go home.

The car is Navy Blue with Neutral custom cloth interior. It has the 3.4L OHV V6 engine, front manual bench seat, Upgrade Stereo CD, Keyless Entry, ABS, Tire Pressure monitor, Custom 16" Alloy wheels, alarm, Interior passenger assist handles with independent reading/courtesy lights, cargo net, illuminated visors and cruise control.

Very nice car and they couldn't be happier. The build date is 6/01, meaning that theirs was among the last built 2001 Impalas. Noticed that the Roof strips are perfectly fit with no signs of lifting on the edges. Fit and finish of the car is excellent all around. The Navy Blue color is gorgeous when freshly washed/waxed. The MSRP on the car was $21,774. Almost $1,900 discount, plus GM points, plus 0% financing...try that at your nearest Honda/Toyota dealership. They got the car at invoice price.

I miss you all folks, I have been extremely busy at work, but I am not poised to come back to Edmunds. Just wanted to share the news on the newest Impala in our family.

I'll be hanging around Yahoo clubs...

b4z

Thanks for the update. I have seen your posts on other threads but not in yahoo.
Hope everything is well.
I have noticed that there are very few impalas on the dealers lots. They are selling well.

jons01

My son-in-law was very impressed with our Impala and wanted to by a new LS in silver with no options. Unfortunately, none could found anywhere in his area (within 50 miles) except a demo. Since his company had a terrific short time deal on car purchases, he had to buy one within two weeks and could not place an order.

He bought a new Saab hatchback instead as a second choice for about the same price as the Impala. I hope he has good luck with it, but it seems kind of puny compared to the Impala. Too bad there weren't any available. I wonder if this is happening to other car buyers.

teo

2001's are very, very scarce. The 0% free financing are helping these fly off the lots. The 2002 Impalas can be had under the special GMAC finance incentives but not as good as the ZERO deals on the '01's.

On 2002's:

36 Months = 0%
48 Months = 1.9%
60 Months = 2.9%

b4z

The dealer i almost bought from has a beautiful green LS 2002 that i told you guys about several weeks ago and a white base car.
The dealer i bought mine from has a sandrift(?)
2002 and thats it.
Wonder why. maybe they are going to the northern states.

00impala

Cradle installed and the rear door latch plate adjusted, I am crusin' now! The Steering is Tight as a drum and no clunks,pops or rattles in the front end, all of this without changing the Steering Shaft, It was all the cradle causing my multitude of jiggling noises! Don

picturethis

Well, I'm dropping my 2000 LS off at the dealer tomorror for some repair work. It has the steering "popping" and a thumping from the rear left tire. It's still under warranty so at least it should'nt cost anything.
Otherwise I love the Impala!
The 3800 engine is really great too.

hvan3

Gees, you guys need to fly over to Southern CA. There's plenty of Impalas for sale.

socalchev

Just got a 01 sedan, sandrift, 3.4L, custom rims, 04/01 build date. Car is great,very comfortable and good MPG. Compared to the competition I think the Impala stands out in terms of style, feature content and price.

lrcobra

I spent about 2 hours with my dealer the other day trying to find a silver ls in the 2001 model year. Here in Ohio there seems to be a shortage of the kind we were looking for. There is a dealer in northern Ohio that had three but would not sell any and said he wanted a total of nine for a company that wanted them for lease. Even tried in the sandrift and found one a long ways off. So we tried the burgandy and found one. My wife is trying to decide if she wants the burgandy, but I am afraid that they won't be able to give us what we want out of our 2000 Silver Bullet. If it is meant to be it will be I guess.
Happy Motoring
LR Cobra
PS--good to hear from you again Teo!!

teo

Interesting....current Impala owners seem to come back yet for another new Impala or recommend them to family and friends.

Let's hear your stories!

LRCobra: the feeling is mutual.

charts2

I am from Southern Ontario In Canada. I purchased a new 01' Carmine red Impala LS in late August. Before this I was a lurker and added a few posts to the forum. Very happy with the car. Curious to see what freshening they will do to the 03' models for next year. Anyone know of a sight that has any pictures?

woo_by

woo_by

I finally installed the module in car this week (I've had it for a couple months...just haven't had the time to do the install)

the hardest part of the install was getting the wire harness from the interior of the car through the firewall to the engine
the rest was decently easy for someone who knows something about cars -> I had to have a friend help me
the only exception was that for the 3.4 engine, the MAP plug is located in a very difficult-to-reach location, but the wire that needs to be cut actually comes out in a different connector that's very easy-to-reach

after the installation yesterday, there was no check engine light
this morning when I started up the car, that light was on (presumably because the MAP wire was cut, so the car thinks it's disconnected when it actually feeds back through the JET module)

there was a somewhat dramatic difference in performance of the car
the car makes a much quicker decision to downshift when I'm pressing the accelerator
it also holds its gears much longer before upshifting when the accelerator is held
the car's pickup and acceleration are markedly improved! (keep in mind the effect might be multiplied because of other mods on my car -> K&N, Flowmaster muffler, Tornado device)

the module itself provides a "cool" visual effect -> since the module taps into the Throttle Position Sensor, it's led display shows exactly how far the accelerator is pressed in red bars
mash the accelerator and the display goes full red, at idle, the display shows two bars red
this was especially neat when using cruise control!

tpken

Good to see you again, buddy - and your sister's car sounds beautiful. That color combo has always been at the top of my favorites on the Impala.

Best wishes

Ken

00impala

I got a set of the front ones, I now need a set of the rear ones, it makes no sense that they would quit selling the ones that fit the early 2000 Impala w/o the Fender liners, Sure they don't fit the 2001-02 unless you snip it a bit, I am on a Wild goose chase, Hutton had them listed when I ordered them just to e-mail me and say they do not have them, then they showed up yesterday on the www.partszoneonline.com site, now today they say invalid part number. Darn, I need a rear set. BTW they are like $23 per set now, I bought them for my 2000 Impala LS in late '99 and they cost me over $35 per pair....Anyone know of any other parts suppliers on line that may have a set? GM has pulled them all and placed them in a warehouse somewhere hidden from us. Don

00impala

From gmproshop.com They are a dealership in Hingham Mass. and they at least show them on the search feature, I ordered a set, I am geussing I will get an e-mail later telling me they are not available. Hope not. maybe they have a set on a dusty shelf to sell me? $23.90. Don