2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

hunter39

the exact thing done to my car today srtopor, I wasn't really having a clunk, though that is what they wrote on the work order, the service writer said he knew what it was.

"Noise-front end, clunking sound"(none of my words, I said that there was a loose feeling when turning into driveways and such)Steering coupler making noise, R/R coupler to lube per bul. 01-02-32-001A" Road test, noise gone.

Job 2 Blower Motor, Check blower operation and road test to check customer concern. Is not related to blower, can't duplicate. Check with manager, find he could duplicate high pitched whine, remove blower and check, replace assembly"

Noise gone on the two settings 1 and 2.

I too am at about 6k left on warranty and am wondering if the looseness comes back if it will be covered under warranty.

Hey nathan, is that bulliten that I listed above the same one for the lube of the ISS? I have not heard it reffered as "steering coupler"

joed56

Dear Teo: just wanted your opinion on the practcality of buying snow tires for my car. I live in New Jersey and the winters can be very unpredictable. Sometimes we get a lot of ice and snow and sometimes we don't. I was wondering your opinion on whether or not its wise to purchase snow tires for my car. Thank you for your advice

b4z

Not sure if teo is the one to ask about snow tires. LOL.

hunter39

seeing as though there is not really a whole lot of snow in Miami! But then I live near Phoenix and we have had hard frosts for over a week now, if we would have had some rain, there would have been snow for sure. At least I think thats how it works. I never even saw it snow until I was 18...

teo

Sorry I can't help you on that one, but my experience with snow tires and snow driving is as extensive as my knowledge of the Chinese language....=)

85F here in Miami and it certainly does not feel like Xmas, rather like the month of June.

teo

http://www.gm.com/cgi-bin/pr_display.pl?2316

3800 S/C V6 engine, crosdrilled brakes on all four corners....not bad..

night_owl1

I believe they are still referring to the ISS. The service manual is not consistent in it's naming of parts either. I don't have the latest list of TSBs, however 01-02-32-001 addressed a clunking noise from the front of 1997-2001 Chevrolet Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires. The resolution was to replace the shaft. I am assuming that 01-02-32-001A is a revision to expand the models covered and to lube the shaft vice replace it. I was watching My Classic Car this weekend and a version of the ISS was used on a car built in the 60's. I guess it didn't bother drivers at the time because the car WERE built like that.

[Deleted User]

The way GM is handling this whole ISS issue, plus the issue of brake rotors, which plagues many GM models in addition to our Impalas, is starting to remind me of another major American car company. It begins with the letter "F".

baveux

Where can I find the date of birth of my new Chevy product ?(date and month) No its not an Impala ..but the level of knowledge here will make my research easier , I've tried through The Canadian GM web site and the lady there says that this info is confidential..! Can you beleive that.

teo

Today I found out how AWESOME the Impala brakes really are! This car stops on a dime, very powerful brakes, well controlled pedal feel and no fading. My brakes are definetely solid and a far cry from other GM models such as the Malibu.

teo

If the ISS problem is so widespread among other GM sedans, how come there are very few (or none) references to the problem in the Bonneville, Regal, GP, LeSabre, et al treads.

Gary:: GM is doing something about it. You know who F.... would be already flat out denying any problems and in the mean time would be preparing an attorney team to publicy deny any wrong doing...nope, no comparison there..

[Deleted User]

Well, actually, they are basically avoiding a proper fix, which would be replacement of all affected ISS with a properly re-designed model. They have discontiniued reimbursing dealers for replacement, and have instead issued a TSB to use the lower cost lube kit, in lieu of the above.
The obvious reason they have chosen this path is the cost. Also, if they officially admitted there was a design flaw or manufacturing defect, it would open up all sorts of liability issues, as well.
Ask Malibu owners about their brakes. It sounds like the same deal as Ford's ignition coils. They know there is a problem. But, they'd rather go on making the same mistake, because if they were to correct it midstream, they'd have to go back and retroactively correct all previously built vehicles, as well. Very costly.
Of course, in the long run, they usually have to go back and fix them anyway, at a higher cost, because now there are more to fix. Not to mention the cost of the negative publicity.
Corporate types have a completely different way of thinking than normal human beings. They're not unlike politicians in that regard.

teo

Well, I think GM gets the benefit of the doubt with the ISS problem. What about if they are working on a redesigned part as we speak? See we don't know that. What good does it do to replace a defective part with another defective part? Not much benefit either way.

dtownfb

I live in Eastern PA (very similar weather patterns to NJ) and I wouldn't bother getting snow tires. Not unless you live in Sussex county or some very rural area in South Jersey, the streets are normally cleared within a day or so. Nowadays, things are canceled even with the threat of snow. Plus th eall season tires should be good to drive in a couple of inches of snow.

gweilo

"What about if they are working on a redesigned part as we speak? See we don't know that."

I though the status with the ISS is that they DID issue a new part but it's too early to tell if it is a long-term fix. Someone mentioned earlier how a dealer ordered the old part by mistake.
I think the question now is if they went to the trouble of making a new part and corresponding part #, why are there still different remedies being applied by dealers?(replacement/relube/retrofit) Unless of course they A) don't believe the new part is a fix or across the board replacement is too costly.

night_owl1

Check on the driver's side door, next to the latch. There may be a sticker there that has the date. It might be on one of the other doors. Another place to look is under the trunk lid. It may just be marked "DATE" vice "DATE OF MANUFACTURE" or something like that.

macgyver24

You can see my review of snow tires in message 7017, but for each individual driver, they will have to make that decision based on their own situation. How much does it snow in your area? Is it critical that you get to work? Are the roads cleared well or are they salted? Is saving a couple of bucks on tires worth the price of a new bumper?

Living in Toronto or Buffalo, you're crazy to go without snow tires. NJ I think you'll be OK with all seasons.

charts2

If you go your gm service manager with the vin number he can punch it in and give the day, month and year. He might ask for ownership info on the car to prove you are the owner.
Recently a GM rep in Ontario punched in my VIN # he had a lap top computer and it came back June 5, 2001. for my car. 2001 Impala LS.

baveux

night & charts ...thanks !!And happy holidays

mediumfry

I haven't tried these Blizzak things but for the most part these new fangled all-season-look-alike-snow-tires are a farse if you ask me. The only snow tires I've had decent luck with are the old style knobby looking tires (like the Firestone Town & Country model) which I use religiously on my Rear Wheel Drive vehicles. As for Front Wheel Drive, I stick with the all season ones because I don't want to put those ugly old knobbies on the front.

Plus, snow tire sellers here in Michigan won't sell me two snow tires of any kind for a front wheel drive. Only in sets of 4. They say significantly better traction in the front than the back on ice can cause fishtailing, spins, etc.

Sounds weird, but I'd rather lock up all four and go straight than lose the rear and spin off at anyone's mercy. In my opinion, four of these "pseudo" snow tires are way too expensive for the benefit they provide. One would be better off not to let the tread get too low on the existing tires and simply replace them a little earlier.

That's my deal.

spider717

where in Pa do you live? I'm in Lancaster.

vcjumper

I find them unecessary here (urban Toronto, not suburbs 40 minutes away from it) unless you have very poor snow performing all-seasons. I would say 80% of the people I know don't have them and many of the 20% who do drive sports cars. Not enough snow (this is not Buffalo!) and major routes are well plowed.

[Deleted User]

I haven't owned snow tires in years. Obviously, I don't need them since I've moved to San Jose. But, I hadn't used them for years before that in NYC. All-season tire technology has come such a long way from when I was kid, it wasn't necessary to own a pair or two of noisy, space-consuming snow tires. I remember my father dealing with that crap every winter. Hoo boy.

spence30

I live in NH, the OEM Eagle GA's I had last year were fine. I replaced them with Dunlop's this year, and have yet had a chance to see how they perform in the snow. If you do decide to go the route of snows, I would purchase all 4. Not for the fish tail reasons, but you should have the same tread and speed rating on all 4 tires.

As everyone who drives in snow knows, it doesn't matter how good your tires are, if you are on ice or slush, you'll go which every way the car feels like going.

dtownfb

Good old Easton, PA. Home of the Easton Assassin, Larry Holmes. Lived in harrisburg for eight years prior to moving to Easton. Very familar with lancaster though. Did a lot of traveling in that area. Watch out for the buggies on 896 and the out state license plates going thru Intercourse checking out the tourist traps...I mean craft shops.

[Deleted User]

So, Intercourse isn't just the name of the town then, but also what's done to the tourists?

00impala

Check it out! There are more than a few

http://policecars.topcities.com/impala2.html

Enjoy......Don

emtb

Picked up my new Impala today. 2002 Chevy Impala, base with 3400 engine and ABS brakes. Very sweet car. Got the blue with grey interior. I'm digging the taillights and my dashlaser looks sweet up front.

[Deleted User]

You're what looks good up front?

dgonzalez13

I have the Whelen Dual Strobe self contained. In my 2000 Imp here in NYC with the Whelen UAF 2150B alternating high beams and break light controller. Looks good when you need to move traffic. Check out the animated gif of an imp in my color with my light setup ...

http://hometown.aol.com/dennisgonzalez13

woo_by

I saw a non-police car Impala yesterday with the steel wheel-lock things (those small circular disks used instead of hubcaps on the police Impalas)

anyone know where to get these?

teo

I think you are right about the current resale values of the 2001 Impala LS. A search performed on Autotrader.com shows an average resale price for '01 LS' between $18K and $22K with mileage ranging from 7K to 22K miles. I search the whole entire 20 pages worth of 2001 used Impala listings and I would say that 95% of all used Impalas are base sedans with an average of 25K miles and prices between $13K and $17K. LS' are very, very few and far in between.

very good resale value for an "American" car...

ghostwolf

At first my message was going to be like garypen's..

i wonder if those dashlasers are legal for civilans to have

Cool office on wheels you got there!
ghostwolf

dgonzalez13

I bought the car last april after leaving the ex-wife. She was violent and I called the cops. As they gave me a ride home in an Impala (NYPD) with lights and sound going I asked them how they liked it. They gave me a rave review, and said it was the "most comfortable to drive" for the reason that in NYC our streets are mostly stop and go traffic. I do side work for DOJ occasionally and in the past DOD, so the lights are not used much unless I am on call after hours. Love the car. I would have been assigned a Chrysler something or other from the carpool but opted to buy myself a new car and use it for work. Chevy Lumina's were used a lot locally by Fed offices here, but they seem to be replaced by Chrysler instead of Impalas. Hope the trend reverses and we get more Imps.

By the way, in NYC it is a crime to have Red/Blue. Fire and Volunteer Fire get RED and EMS/EMT/Paramedic get Blue, or BLUE/CLEAR.

dieselone

One thing to remember is asking price and selling price are two different things. I'll bet they are being sold for quite a bit less. Who'd be dumb enough to buy a used base impala for 17K. With the interest rates and incentives you probably could get a new one for about the same amount of $.

I sold my 00 Jetta TDI by listing it on autotrader. I was asking 18K, sold for 17k in one week. Most TDI's with more mileage had asking prices closer to 20K which was way out of line. Now that gas prices are down I'd bet used TDI values have gone down too.

teo

There is a guy that lives 8 miles away from my location and he is selling a 2001 Impala LS, Black, Spoiler, tinted windows, leather seats with 12K miles for $22K. Sure his price is way out of line but I am sure he can sell it for at least $20K which would still be high retail private sell price.

The wave of Zero percent deals has indeed affected used car sales prices but also keep in mind that current GMAC zero percent deals only apply to 36 Month loans on 2002 cars and to qualify for that deal buyers must have pristine credit records that most people don't have, so a slightly used Impala for a lower price than new could still make some sense.

As I said, the great majority of Impalas for sale are base sedan models that appear to be out of rental fleet models with 25K + miles on the odo. The few LS models listed are mostly dealer/private sales and only 3 or 4 LS' were being sold by Hertz auto sales. These LS' had 27K miles and the asking price was $17K a piece.

The market region also has a lot to do with used car values. In western states, American cars don't sell well (new or used) so their values tend to be lower, where as in the midwest and north eastern states values are more on an even field.

Market, demand, product and price are the 4 variables that affect used car prices on a given region.

[Deleted User]

You'd be shocked to see the low prices used Impalas are going for at dealer auctions. I was. 2000 LS have an average dealer auction price of $12K, base is $10K. 2001 LS is $15K, base is $12.3K. Remember, a dealer is going to offer you less for your trade than he can sell it for at auction.

BTW, those Hertz 2001 LS's go for between $15K & $17.5K, dependinmg on area. The 2000's are going for $12.5K - $15K. Remember, these are LS, not base models. They have about 24 2001's and over 50 2000's available for sale nationwide.

teo

Dealers will offer KBB Trade-in value based on "Fair" condition.

So yeah, my 2001 LS will go for around $13.5K on a dealer trade-in transaction. Now, would I be willing to lose that kind of money? No way Jose..

hvan3

<<There is a guy that lives 8 miles away from my location and he is selling a 2001 Impala LS, Black, Spoiler, tinted windows, leather seats with 12K miles for $22K. Sure his price is way out of line but I am sure he can sell it for at least $20K>>

Dang! You mean I can sell my 2000 LS for approximately $20K? Mine also has 12K miles and leather seats. The only difference between my 2000 LS and the 2001 LS is by ONE month. My build date is 6/00.

I think I would make out a bandit on this deal since my total out of pocket for a brand new LS(including tax and license) is $15.4K.

If I roll $20K into the stock market, I bet you I can double my money within 12 months. By then, I'll get myself a Toyota Sequoia. Whoo! Whoo!

[Deleted User]

I've never had a dealer offer KBB, unless it corresponded to the actual going auction price, which is rare. Most dealers laugh at the trade-in values published by KBB. They would never offer an amount more than they can sell it for at auction. That's just bad business. (Unless they can get you to pay too much for the new car to compensate.)
You can check with the salespeople in their various forums, such as "real-world trade in values".

teo

KBB "FAIR" condition trade-in value. I have a friend that works in a Lexus store and he tells me the same thing...they laugh at High retail and Trade in values based on excellent and good condition cars. The most his store gives to customers is KBB "Fair" condition values, even if the car is absolutely pristine.

[Deleted User]

That sounds "fair". ;-)

00impala

Every other Chevrolet, or Domestic car once they depreciate past 3-4 years, they will be another $7-$8,000 used car, What is the retail on a mid 90's Lumina? How about a '98-'99 model, Well under 10K , and the fact that is an IMPALA will have no bearing, you will see the Base models go under 10K soon, I see bunch for 11-12k already. I think I am at the break even point, I have a Loaded 2000 LS with all options and 23,700 miles and I owe around 13.7k on it, so I will be driving it for a long while (Until I trade it for a Certified V8 Toyota Tundra TRD Limited) someday? Don

mediumfry

I have many friends that like to outfit their cars (Crown Vics and Caprices) like police cars. But the alternating headlight circuits (locally called wig-wags) and dash lights are a good way to get you tossed in the slammer for impersonating an officer.

Cops, EMTs, and volunteer firefighters get to use them though, and they are pretty darn cool.

teo

Merry Xmas and a happy new year to everyone!

jeffreyw1

May all have a happy holiday and remember it the birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate. Not a ficticous man who has a beard and dresses up in red and white clothing giving out gifts. Remember, Christ is the reason that we celebrate this holiday.

teo

Amen!

[Deleted User]

That may be true, but you shouldn't dis Santa, though. Santa brings real joy to millions of children each year. Just because he doesn't physically exist, doesn't mean he doesn't exist in the hearts and minds of people of all religions all over the world.
So, he's got that goin' for him...which is nice.

teo

Santa is OK, but unfortunately he is too commercialized like most of the Xmas season is in the western world. St. Nicholas is a saint I believe from either the eleventh or twelveth centuries, so he is not a totally fictional character. However, he did not live in the North Pole or flew around.

I am Roman Catholic, but I love and respect all faiths.

[Deleted User]

Right on!