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Now there are some nice looking cars being made nowadays and I just may buy a second car sometime in the future, however, I'd always keep the Impala in the family. To me, it's a great car and I love driving it! [hesitation and all!]
Maybe a edit or delete is in order.
If we all go to the "Reviews" section you will see a "Survey" icon on the right.
Give edmunds' editor's low ratings as I did.
They will eventually get the message.
Their reviews are really poorly done. They write like a bunch of show off smart alecks who are gunning for jobs at M/T and Car and Driver.
I have noticed that the texture and even application of the Navy Blue paint tends to be very different from light colored cars such as Sandrift and Galaxy Silver. The paint is much better and evenly applied on the Sandrift and Galaxy silver cars. I have noticed some patches in my sister's Navy Blue Impala the other day when I was helping her washing it.
My car is coming to a year and during that time it has never seen the roof of a garage. The car has been exposed to the paint destroying South Florida sun and yet the paint has been holding very well. It is very scratch resistant too. The paint looks pristine!
On the other hand the Navy Blue scratches easily and again the texture and consistency of the paint appears to be of lower quality. The Navy blue is a very nice color otherwise, but I am glad I opted for Sandrift.
Sweetpolly::: Welcome back!
Where's cookie? I haven't seen any posts from her lately.
There seems to be something else going on in that paint color.
It sometimes takes on a hazy appearence like my bronze mist intrigue would.
Despite what reviewers said, the IMPALA has been in the TOP 10 sales category for sedans since its reintroduction for the 2000 model year.
REVIEWS are often wrong not just on cars but many things.
I saw a piece on the news today reporting that the hit play "Les Miserables" just celebrated its 25th ANNIVERSARY - 25 years and thousands of performances in theaters throughout the western world.
Interestingly, initial reviews of the musical were very poor and predicted immediate failure.
Guess they were wrong.
On another note, pre-broadcast reviews of the new NBC show "Ellie" with Seinfeld alumnus Julie Louis-Dreyfus were very good. I disagree. I don't think it will make it unless it gets a whole lot better. Of course I also thought that a 1970s sitcom about two frumpy girls who worked in a Milawaukee brewery would never fly. That show was "LaVerne and Shirley" which went on for years.
(Even the theme song was atrocious, for cryin' out loud.)
25k miles, no owners manual. Want to know how to set the doors to lock when put in gear. And also the max speed for 4wd. Thanks you guys are the best. (I know teo will know, or know where to send me for the answer).
I once got a whole convertible full of kids!
They were not too happy, to say the least!
I was gone for about 3 weeks and tried to catch up but still have some questions on the fuel filter and the PCV filter.
My Impala has 20,000 miles, has not had either of those replaced. What milage intervals are they recommending? Is there any other preventative maintance items I should be looking at?
Thanks!
Ghostwolf
Years ago on my '84 Skyhawk, I changed the filter, and the instructions I had for it had me disconnect something and then try to start the car a bit, to relieve pressure and remove fuel from the line before removing the filter. All I did this round was open the gas cap to relieve some pressure, but does anyone know of anything else we SHOULD be doing to remove fuel/pressure from the line (so one of us doesn't end up killing ourselves, or even worse, damaging our Impalas!)?
One thing I do know - after changing oil, adding a K&N filter, and changing the fuel filter with a weeks time, I can say my Impala feels much more responsive; I don't feel like I'm "pushing" it with the gas pedal anymore - more like I'm trying to hold it back now. Haven't noticed any changed in fuel economy, but it surely runs better!
You will notice an immediate change in the car's overall performance.
Steve
About the only thing I will take it to the dealer for is the brake job, since it was recommended that some screws that go into the brakes be replaced with new ones upon being removed. I'm not sure why. Most brake places don't stock the screws so it would be easier to just do it at the dealer, plus the price isn't bad, at least in relation to other shops price for a brake job.
That price for an oil change can hardly be beat even if you did it yourself, not to mention the time involved and disposal of the old oil. Unless it's your bag to do that kind of thing, I'd just as soon sit and watch it...
As far as my Impala goes, I think 70 bucks for the manufacturer recommended service is worth it. Quick, efficient, done right, and not having to worry about a 16 year old that has never seen or worked on an Impala playing "trial and error" with my investment.
Maybe I look at the dealer's service through rose colored glasses, but I want to be confident that if a screw up is made, GM will have to answer to it.
And no offense to the gear heads out there. I am sure that you all know your cars better than I ever will - so more power to you! That's 70 bucks minus parts in your wallet - who's buyin?
Steve
That's true. I'd much rather have a 16 year old who has actually screwed up a couple of previous Impalas, work on mine.
I'll gladly pay $20, 30, even $35 to have someone else change my oil. I don't have the time or inclination for climbing under the car, covering my hands and arms with hot, black, carcinigenic oil, or the proper storage and waste disposal for it. Same goes for ATF. Coolant? Maybe.
But, I'm not gonna pay for most other maintenance items that cost about 10-20% of what the dealer charges. Fuel filter, air filter, PCV valve comes immediately to mind. Plugs, wires, cap and rotor are also easy. I do my brakes too, depending on my mood and what a shop will charge.
F'rinstance, I spent about $120 in parts for new Brembo front rotors and Ferodo pads for my XJS. I plan on doing the same for the rear. $240 total for new pads AND rotors. Midas wanted about $1000-$1200 for a 4 wheel brake job!
I'm no gearhead. But, I ain't stupid either.
I'll come up with a fuel filter changeout article some time soon. I'm pretty sure I saw instructions for this in the service manual so we'll see what actions Chevy recommends.
They are not only more expensive, but are quite often not as proficient as independant garages, despite the popular misconception that somehow the underpaid, underage, and inexperianced dealer mechanics know how to fix a Chevy better than a guy that's been fixing Chevys for 20 years. It's a CHEVY, for cryin' out loud. It's basically the same 3.8 they've been using for 1200 years.
It doesn't take a lot of skill to plug in a ODBII connector, which os basically what the average dealer mechanic knows how to do.
As for my Imp's maintenance needs I strictly relay on the dealership. I haven't had any problems with them up to this point and the good thing is that I am allowed to watch the tech do the work while the car gets serviced, so at least I have some reassurance that everyhting is taken care of properly, ask questions, etc.
Besides, I have my free 3 year/45,000 mile Smartcare maintenance contract which covers all my oil changes as well as tire rotations so that's yet another incentive to keep using dealer service.
Other than that, I always check the fluids, oil level/condition, tire air pressure, etc on a weekly basis or whenever I happen to stop for gas.
Tomorrow I am getting the wiper blade refills replaced as they are approaching 1 year old and are not cleaning the windshield as well.
Dealer service on a new car still under bumper-to-bumper warranty offers many advantages, namely, leverage for warranty claims should a major component brake or fail. On most cases, the dealership/manufacturer always checks to see if the owner at the very least has had oil changes performed at the dealer. These dealer service records have a two fold purpose:
1) To demonstrate that the car has been taken care of properly by the owner.
2) To demonstrate that the only ones that have stuck their hands in the car are the dealer mechanics, no one else.
Based on past experiences, I have been able to solve post-warranty claims on my Hondas by just taking the car religiously to oil changes at the dealership. When my then 4 year old 1989 Honda Accord A/C compressor failed the first time (Yep it did fail twice in 7 years), Honda paid 100% parts and labor and the car was not even under warranty anymore and I didn't have an extended warranty contract on it either.
I personally admire those of you (And envy to a point) that have a garage, own tools and the time to poke around your cars. But when it comes to a new car still under warranty, I shift that bulk of responsability to the dealer. If something goes wrong, the dealer becomes liable for repairs performed or lack of thereof.
An oil change for a GM 3800 V6 sedan is what $15? $20? more or less? That won't brake anyone bank's account. Why get so skimpy with a $20K+ auto?
Another plus of my dealer (Goodwrench Plus facility) is that if they don't perform the oil change under 30 minutes, then it is free. So far the longest they have taken is 27 minutes!
A free oil change is a free oil change.
Anyway, being a new car owner, not to mention homeowner - I know about getting the most out of my money. When I had my '93 Tbird, I always went to a local shop. They knew their stuff and I had a great relationship with the business. When it comes down to it, I'd take the 'ol LS to them... after the warranty expires, of course.
Teo hit it on the head - the car company wants to know that the vehicles have been properly maintained. Their definiton of properly may not include the Lube-n-go down the street. What better way to show them that the 1 month out of warranty car has been mainained by an "authorized" facility, than to pull the records from the dealer DB? I think if it came to that, the car company would be a little more flexible with performing that repair out of warranty rather than me saying, "oh sure - I have been doing all that maintenace as the manual dictates". Even if that was the case - they don't know.
Guess I am being cautious with my investment is all.
If taking it to the dealer for service exclusively keeps the Impala in the best condition as possible, keeps me from worrying about BIG $$$ down the road for a major repair, and gets me some loyalty points from GM, well, I will take it.
Could I get that service from mom and pop shops? Probably. Would I feel the same. Nope. I don't mind paying a little more for piece of mind.
Like I said - rose colored glasses. I give the dealership techs more credit than a local guy. Not necessarily because they are better, but because they have the GM backing them.
garypen - $1000-1200 for rotors and pads? You sure they weren't quoting for Brmbo calipers too?!
Happy motoring, all!
Steve
The f'ed up thing is that 3 weeks ago took it to the Big O to have the tires rotated and they told me 50% on the pads. The Chevy dealer let me look at them on the car, to prove they are not full of crap.
Also they took care of the steering shaft at no charge to me, I should of had to pay a $100 deductible.
And could someone help me with my Blazer?????
I did a quick search. The programmable door lock/unlock feature is optional. Are you sure you have it? You might want to call the Chevrolet customer service hotline or talk to your nearest dealer. You could ask to see the 2002 owners manual. You can also order an owners manual from Helm Inc. I think it's $35 for your car. www.hemlinc.com
I don't even know what brand they were going to use. Probably OE.
I could swear I saw little dollar signs in their eyes where their irises were supposed to be, accompanied by a "cha-ching" sound, when I drove up with the Jaguar.
Brakes are generally pretty easy to do oneself, anyway.
Have the Brits organized the fuses in a centralized location or they are still spread around the car, even below the seats?
Kinda funny how you mention brakes being simple. I think I have had only one decent brake job performed on a car of mine. The rest always were accompanied by annoyances like grinding, fading, and even a mechanic that forgot shims.
I can see why I am jaded.
RR
The fuses AND relays are located all over the place! None under the seat, as far as I know. There are a couple of fuseboxes under the hood, one on each side of the dash, and possibly one or two in the trunk. I know there are relays in the trunk. I believe there are inline fuses in various locations, such as under the wooden "ski slope" of the console. Perhaps there are inlines under the seats!
There's something to be said about having the relays close to the item it's controlling. Less distance, hence less resistance and thus more current to the device.
Oh yeah...Impala.
It might not be a Benz or a Taurus, but it isn't a Metro either.
After the Consumer Reports SUV fiasco, I read Car reviews with a large grain of salt (maybe 2).
Dealer Maintenance - Good Service departments are to find. If you find you like and trust, use him. Once a car gets long in tooth, independents and yourself is the way to go. Just be smart enough to know your limits and the limits of the garages you frequent.
With my 2000 Buick, I changed oil twice at the dealership where I bought it. Close to my home. Free for life. But takes sooo looong: about 2 hours for a simple oil change. Even while I was the first customer when they opened the shop in the morning. And had to wait about a week for the oil change appointments.
Passable for retired persons, maybe...
Had to check after them. The last time they put a wrong filter, and overfilled oil. Additionally, I feel bad at the dealership. Cannot forget how they threated me.
The other two times changed oil at Firestone, together with tire rotations. Very good shop. Close from my home. Open 6 days a week 8am to 7pm, 8am to 2pm on Sunday. No appointment needed, and they are doing small jobs fairly fast.
Put 15.5k miles. Time for 15k mile service. I am waiting only when my Malibu' transmission will be replaced. Cannot without the both cars.
Going to do the Buick service at my Chevrolet dealership. They are the best. Unfortunately, not so close: 11 miles of dense suburban traffic, or about twice more by highways. 25 minutes or so one way. Only with appointment, and they are closed in the evenings and week-ends. Not sure about Saturday morning.
Wow! are GM dealers that scarce in your area?? Or are they overbooked with work??? It sounds more like a VW dealership!
My dealer is great. For oil changes I don't need to setup an appointment, I just show up, they write the ticket, have someone drive the car to the service bay area and 30 minutes later I am out of there!
I even get faster service when I go early on a weekday morning. Dealer is only 7 miles away from home.
Ironically, I have yet another Chevy dealer around the corner from my office. I can walk over there in 5 minutes. But I hate that dealer. Always crowded, bad customer service, terrible sales staff, old facilities. I despise the place completely. I prefer to drive a few more miles down for excellent service.
We planned to buy an Impala at first. After test drives, I was sold on the extra 40 hp and 50 lb-ft, and my wife too.
I would like to buy the Regal from my Chevrolet dealer. I like the place, like the people who works there and how they threat us, like the service. I asked; it was impossible.
The same with warranty work. GM says: only at Buick dealerships. You bought a new Buick, and have to endure the Buick service. No hope of upgrading to Chevrolet service, at least for warranty.
My understanding is that your new car warranty is honored at any GM dealership whether it might be Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, Chevy or GMC.
Your Regal GS is essentially the same car as our Impala LS, with the exception of the Supercharged engine. I don't see why a Chevy dealer could not work on a Buick Regal. In fact in my dealer I see Buicks, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles getting serviced as well. The dealer is a standalone Chevy operation.
If the dealer tells you that your Regal can't be serviced for warranty repairs at a Chevy dealer is pure B.S.
Glad that you like your Regal GS. Very powerful and nice riding car.
Steve