2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

rsteph

On both my wife's LS and my work car (9C1), if the key's in the ignition (engine running or not) and you lock and shut the door, it unlocks itself about a second later. The only way they'll stay locked is if you manually do it with a second key from outside. However, isn't there a setting (security something-or-other)in all that crap you do with the radio that can change it??

[Deleted User]

Just a thought. If the Impala is supposed to automatically unlock, when you accidentally lock the keys in the ignition, and yours didn't, and you've been having other BCM related problems, it seems to be pointing more and more to a BCM problem.

crosley4

Our son locked his keys in his car.

it was an hour before the locksmith got there to let his mother and me out of the car.

LOLOL

[Deleted User]

During a power outage, I was stuck on an escalator for three hours.

night_owl1

Imagine if you were on the stairs...

=P

hvan3

I"m taking highway 101 after stopping by UCLA. The highway 5 is too boring to drive.

Go Lakers!

johnclineii

Did I miss April 1 or something?

IMPALA

hvan3

I"m taking highway 101 after stopping by UCLA. The highway 5 is too boring to drive.

Go Lakers!

nosirrahg

...of the time I bought a box of nails, and I thought half of them were defective; until I realized those nails went on the OTHER wall.

nosirrahg

My airbag light had been on for about the past 1,000 miles, but I haven't been able to take my Impala in to have it checked (wife can't drive at the moment, so I'm shuttling her and the kids around). Noticed over the weekend that the light was off now. Thought perhaps the bulb had burned out, but noticed the next time I started it flashed a few times just like it used to, then it went out.

Sure doesn't give one a feeling of confidence as to whether they'll actually deploy when needed (or if they'll deploy at random).

b4z

Just looked at a 20021/2 Impala LS optioned out exactly like mine and it was $1100 more!!!

[Deleted User]

Someone's got to pay for all the overtime labor to crank these things out.

night_owl1

A while back someone asked about the Tornado system. Back in '99, Consumer Reports tested it on a '98 VW Beetle and a '99 Ford Ranger and said that in their acceleration tests, there was no improvements in the Ranger and the Beetle got worse. There was no improvements in fuel economy for either.

spider717

That was me Thanks for the info.

00impala

When I had my '96 Monte Carlo, I was mid way thru a 350 mile trip and the AirBag Light came on when i started it up to leave a rest stop,. it remained illuminated even after I stopped again and re-started, I found a Chevrolet Dealership and pulled in, they dignosed it as a faulty sensor and replaced it, good thing, I was just over 35,000 miles but under 36k, My wife was "petrified" that the bags were somehow going to deploy while driving to find a dealership, they told me that if the light is illuminated, faulty sensor or not the bags "would not" deploy, as long as something triggers the light to illuminate it also cuts the power to the activators that deploy the bags, I gotta say that I was unsure what would happen too while driving this way for 50 miles, they seemed confident in telling me that the "Airbag Light" ""ON"" means "No Airbags".....

Otherwise, I am enjoying my 5.4L 2002 F-150, My 2001 Base Impala now resides in my garage vacated by my 2000 LS, since my Truck will not fit....By a whole inch and a half in height//// Don

nosirrahg

I had a similar problem this winter, when I tried to park my '82 F350 LWB in my garage (I think I was trying to change oil or something, and wanted to try to keep warm). Pulled all the way to the shelving I have on the front wall; the truck still stuck out by just a fewe inches.

Something else I've never figured out; our old house was built in 1954, and it had a single bay carport. This carport was cramped for my wife's Geo Prizm. How did they manage to fit "normal" sized cars from the '50s in these things, when small cars of today don't seem to?

00impala

Our house was built in 1950 and has the one car garage built in under the first floor, I can't imagine parking say a 1949 Mercury or something big from the late 40's in there too? Reamains a mystery...How about say a big Pontiac or Lincoln from the mid sixties? I geuss it would fit, just can't picture,I have a 1965 Lincoln that I someday will be storing here, I think it will fit? I think back then the garage was just a shaded parking spot,(no frills) they had the Service Station at the end of the block for any/all repairs big or small and I geuss if they wanted to wax or polish their cars they found a shade tree to park under....ahh/// a simple point in time....... Don

crosley4

Perhaps some of these folks owned the early 1950's Crosley automobiles.

With a wheel base of 80 inches and a track width of 40 inches the cars are rather small.

just a thought.

Any word of cosmetic/mechanical updates on the 2003 Impalas that will see production yet?

chevyblue

Hello guys, how are you?
I'm looking for the part number for the plastic hood deflector that fits the Impala.
I travel on roads that are frequented by a lot of big rigs.
Thanks.

bh0001

Can't help with the part number, but I can comment on the deflector itself. I have the "official" GM deflector (even says Impala on it). I'm liking it less and less as time goes on.

Biggest problem is if your speed combined with the opposing wind exceeds about 130 km/h (about 80mph) the deflector vibrates. It's quite loud and you can even feel the vibration through the steering wheel. Very annoying.

You also have to remove the deflector to properly wash the car. I also don't like the little bumpers that you have to apply to the hood to protect the hood from the deflector.

I recently saw another Impala with a far superior deflector. I'm going to visit an aftermarket auto place to see what options are now available. I had a great deflector on my Lumina - didn't vibrate, no bumpers required, could easily wash under it, etc.

Just my CDN$0.02 ;-)
Brad

b4z

Has anybody here put 245mm width tires on their impala?
I am looking at some 17X8 Borbet wheels at tire rack.
I want to make sure the tires stay within the fenders.

vince32

for some time and I have a 2001 LS Galaxy Silver with all the options. I wanted to say how much I love this car, and enjoy driving it, especially long distance. I bought the car new back Feb/01 and I have 18,500 miles with no complaints at all. Ive noticed that the LS does terrific gas mileage on long distance drives. Very impressive. I wanted to say hello and introduce myself. The LS is a great car.
Vince

dindak

Saw on the Auto News web site that Oshawa Impala/Monte Carlo plant is now the most efficient plant in North America. It's the only plant that can build a car with less than 17 hours of labor. Oshawa beat out a Nissan plant which was in first place last year. Add the efficiency with initially quality and you must have a pretty good car in the Impala.

Anyone know of the changes for the 2003 model? My dad is interested in the car.

b4z

Don't how much they are changing it, but I do know that the prices are going up. A '02 optioned like my '01 is $1100 more. I would expect a '03 to be at least another $500 more.

[Deleted User]

Maybe they can get it down to 8 hours per car. They don't need all those screws and bolts, do they?

charts2

Tentative changes to the new 2003 Impala:

There are changes in exterior colors and some options have been changed and some standard equipment now optional.

1. Low coolant indicator no longer available.
2. Coin holder no longer available.
3. Trunk sill plate no longer available (not
sure what that is)
4. Glove box lock and light no longer available
5. ABS brakes no longer standard with the 3800
engine.
6. Child seat belt re-router no longer factory
installed.
7. Child security back door no longer available.
8. Driver seat airbag is now optional.
9. Heated exterior mirrors now optional
10. Onstar optional on the 1SA base sedan package
11. New Bright aluminum 5 spoke wheels replacing
current 5 spoke design.
12. Exterior color Forest Green no longer avail.
13. Navy Blue replaced with Superior Blue
14. Dark Carmine red (My LS color) replaced with
Berry Red.
15. Bright Red replaced by Victory Red.
16. Remote Keyless entry standard.

These are the Tentative changes (deletes and upgrades to the 2003 Impala) as per information from Chevrolet Division in Oshawa Ontario.

[Deleted User]

Without all that unnecessary garbage like ABS and side airbags, they ought a be able to crank 'em out in 6 hours!

Woo Hoo!

night_owl1

I thought the child door locks on the rear door were federally mandated.

nosirrahg

So will they offer stripped down 2003 Impalas at a lower price, OR will they end up charging more once you add back in all the things that used to be standard (like ABS and side airbag)?

I think with the possible exception of the crappy front cupholders on my 2000 base model, I'm glad I bought when I did. At least I got a pocket on the back of both the passenger's AND driver's seats (they dropped the one on the back of the driver's seat in 2001).

[Deleted User]

I'm gonna miss that coin holder, if I can only find where I tossed it.

drivinisfun

"I thought the child door locks on the rear door were federally mandated."

Me thinks he is taking about the "Trunk Entrapment Kit" that was made standard in 2001.

Also, his "Decontenting" list might only apply to Impalas sold in Canada. The feature content list for '03 models sold in the US might be different from the items in his list.

drivinisfun

Can you post a link to the Impala equipment list changes for 2003?

dindak

Sounds grim. I hope the base price comes down also then.

norbnancy

Ward's Auto World indicates the Canadian Auto Workers are up for contract talks in Aug / Sept. If they go on strike, Impalas may get rare. Ward's also said oshawa is going to 3 shifts. Changes in content as well as equipment packages and pricing was in the media a few weeks back. Look for a lot of changes. My guess is you will get less for the same money. Some of the things posted by charts2 I can do without. Does anyone know when Oshawa goes down for model change? Should be in about a month??? Enjoy the ride.

charts2

Some of these changes may very well be Canadian only, I don't know. There is no link for this information. You can phone toll free Monday to Friday 9 to 5pm 800-GM-DRIVE. I spoke to the GM advisor of product information today June 14. He is in Oshawa where the Impalas are made.

Its obvious the point of cutting (previous) standard equipment is to make the car more competively priced, hopefully the 2003 pricing will reflect these deletes and offer a lower starting point when purchasing the vehicle.

00impala

$3000.00 rebate.....somehow...to keep them moving at a record pace...Just kidding, maybe they will go back to "NO REBATE" on the Impala..yea right, can a baby go back in the womb? I got no rebate on my 2000 LS and $1750 on my 2001, Can you belive the rebate on the Cavalier these days? Like $3000-$3500.00 ....understandably not the greatest car on the road, but take a base model and deduct the rebate and you have a cheap car (literally Cheap) as far as cost goes... I mentioned all of the cost cutting they were going to do on "all" GM 2003 models, I would be suprised to find a Trunk and Glove Box light on a 2003 also...they were on the list I posted a month ago, along with ABS and a few other in-signifigant items... Don

spider717

Can someone repost that project monte carlo webpage? The one where they redid the entire car

hoowa1

the site that has pictures of totaled cars? Someone hit my door in the parking lot and I'm going to see if I can find a cheap replacement. In the past six months, three people have hit my car and have driven off -- one did it right in front of me! Las Vegas is driving me nuts!!!!

And thank you to those who answered my previous question!

yurakm

http://www.thrasher-ep.com/Monte_Carlo_htm/monte_carlo.shtm

b4z

Teo sent me a email yesterday. He is doing well, but very busy at work.
His impala is still flawless with 15K miles on it.
He told me that he thinks the seats could be more comfortable. The seat bottoms could offer more support.
I am okay with the seat bottoms, but find that the seatback hurts my shoulder after about 2 hours.
He asked me to say hello to everybody.

johnclineii

15k? That doesn't sound right.

john cline ii who has 91,000 miles on his and just got back from a 900 mile two day trip!

crosley4

i was walking across the lot at the local Lowes building supply place.

I watched a guy in a Ford Crewcab diesel roll into a parking spot or I should say try to. He thumps another newer truck in the bumper(bent it).

This guy gets out of his truck after he manuvers into the parking spot. He NEVER even looked at the truck he had hit!

We had a 1970 Impala that was hit in the front right edge of the bumper in a parking lot. My wife was smoked for days on that.........rightly so.

Teo who?? ((-;

nosirrahg

One of the dealers here (AR) is offering "double rebates" on new Impalas; $4,000 off MSRP. A friend of mine in Dallas was in the market for a new car (bought a new Civic Hybrid), but was tempted by the rebates on the Cavalier. They were selling Cavaliers at the time in Dallas for $8,500 after rebate, plus he has $2,000 or so on his GM Card. I suggested he buy the Cavalier for $6,500, then trade it in right away (hopefully for more than he paid) on the Civic. I don't think he did it, but you have to admit a new car (even a Cavalier) for $6,500 is pretty appealing.

copychick

Getting pretty close to deciding on my next car--it could very well be an '02 Impala, but I've gotta choose between the base and LS.

Test drove an LS today and really liked it, except for the weird headrest (hollow in the middle--like a square). No matter how I adjusted it, I just couldn't make it comfortable. I'm buying a bigger car because I have a horribly long commute and need something super comfy. The dealer told me the base model (non LS) has a regular headrest and I found it much better.

Since you all seem so knowledgeable on Impalas, I was hoping I could pick your brains--other than the slightly less powerful engine, how big a trade-off would I be making by going with the base model? I asked the dealer this repeatedly, and he really played it down. But I later realized the ABS and traction control aren't standard on the base. Anyone know if these options are usually included on the base (for a price obviously), or is it hard to find a base one with these included?

Also, my commute involves a highway that is filled with aggressive SUV drivers. In my current car (Saturn SL2), I feel particularly dwarfed. How does the Impala feel when you're among these behemoths, all jockeying for space in bumper to bumper traffic?

Thanks!

spider717

I'll just comment on your last question, as I have never driven a base model. I drive my girlfriends Saturn SL1 frequently. It's a nice car but it feel so small. It's VERY low to the ground. Now my car...well thats a different story. I drive a Navy Blue 2001 LS. It handles very nice and doesn't have that "big" grandpa car feeling. It sits nice and high off the ground too, so when your fighting for position your not looking up at everyone

Oh and it gets great highway mileage too. 28-31 MPG on average.

copychick

That makes me fee a lot better. I was on a crowded highway during my test drive, but it wasn't for very long. I definitely felt less dwarfed, but I'd have to spend more time up against the SUVs to know how it will really feel during my commute.

hoowa1

I went with the sedan with the 3.8. I had an LS rental for a week and that slightly larger LS head rest made it very difficult for me to check my blind spot to the left.

I rented eight bases and one LS and I thought both of them accelerated very well. If you get the base with the 3.8 engine, it comes with alluminum wheels, sport suspension, anti-lock brakes, traction control and the tire inflation monitor. As far as acceleration, I didn't notice that much of a difference. I could leave 40 foot skid marks from a dead stop with both -- I looove renting cars! And it's not hard to find the base with those options. You can actuall search GM's site and find one with those options located near you.

The trade-off between the two is not great, you can get virtually everything the LS has on the base, but you don't have to pay for things you don't want. You may want to consider the custom cloth seat package or the bucket seats with the base so you can have the driver's side, side-impact airbag.

Another option would be to find out if you can replace the head rest with one from another GM product, perferably one that is forward adjustable -- might only cost $60 or so.

Why don't you order an Impala and get exactly what you want, if you do, you can ask for an additional $600 or so off the price.

bh0001

I echo Spider's comments. I've never driven a Saturn, but I know my LS never leaves me feeling "dwarfed" on the highway. It's a very comfortable size for crowded highways.

I've also never driven a base Impala, but one of the nicest things about the LS is being able to floor the gas and leave all those "behemoths" behind. I also really like the traction control - it's great to have if you live anywhere with snow.

I have only positive things to say about my LS. I'm sure you would be very happy with one. And if the headrest is an issue, you might be able to buy a set of headrests for a base Impala and put them in your LS ;-)
Brad

copychick

Of course, there are a few things that I can't order on the base, ie, foglights. I know it's a minor point, but I want to have my cake and eat it too;)

Didn't realize I could get the 3.8 in the base. I'll have to have another discussion with the dealer. My sense is they are not willing to swap out the LS headrests for the base model ones.

Now my job is to persuade my hubby that I need to buy a big, brand new car. We'd talked about me getting a used one, but my commute is so nasty, I don't wanna take the risk. We'd also talked about me getting a somewhat smaller, less expensive car, like a Malibu or a Taurus(not that the Impala is expensive, because I think it's a great deal considering what you get), but I think I'll still feel dwarfed by all those SUVs if I go that route.

I might test drive one other car before buying, just for comparison's sake--possibly a Buick Century. My guess is I'll still love the Impala though.

hunter39

I had the same issue with the headrests as you, never did get comfortable with them, I have a longer torso as opposed to legs so my head didn't quite fit right into the "hole" in the headrest. I ended up buying replacement headrests from the dealer (big mistake) that were leather wrapped as opposed to the "pleather" you get with the standard LS headrest. Cost to me? 283.00,not good. Would have been further ahead checking a wrecking yard for possible base headrests even though they might be cloth I didn't really care so long as they were gray. By the way, anyone interested in like new LS headrests? Great deal if you want!

I get a consistent 24.6 MPH combined Highway and city miles on my LS 3.8, great giddy up for merging or blowing by slower drivers on two laners, the addition of a Flowmaster exhaust system (sans resonator and a new 3" catalytic converter) and K&N filter help my acceleration and mileage to be sure. I'm going on a trip to Navajo Nation next week for 4 days and will be almost exclusive highway miles and will check mileage for you all. Elevation changes from 1200 above sea level (in Phoenix) to almost 6,000 near Flagstaff will give me a good comparison.

I have a 2000 LS (Regal Blue, the best color of course) with 39,000 miles