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Comments
In any case, when you meet with the AVM or otherwise known as the GM factory representative or Area Manager, insist that even if the car's paint was properly rectified at the factory (so they say) it is an unacceptable quality control flaw. Make it clear as water, that your car can potentially suffer from lower resale value as the paint overspray will always suggest to a potential buyer that the car has accident repair. Seek for a replacement from GM. Typically, Area Managers are enpowered to make buyback/replacement decisions on the spot. Make your meeting as productive as possible.
It sounds way too suspicious, IMO. Tread carefully with your dealer.
This might be your golden chance to get a replacement Impala LS with no spoiler.
Good luck
Very good info to know when we have kids...
Now she only uses a booster in the back of the Impala. And the seat belt alone works well to keep her nice and snug. I think car manufactureres are doing a swell job trying to make it easier, but the car seat makers need to help out too.
My grandson's car seat is much easier to work than the one we bought in 1994. Folks who have older car seats, don't sell or give them away, just turn them in. Most of them aren't very safe.
South of here, in the Flint/Detroit/Lansing areas, things are much different. Much more aggression and intimidation. I have to drive completely differently there. Problem is, skill levels are still quite low considering it's the US's automotive mecca.
We have the standard problems, like tailgating, no turn signals, and stupid turns. But 'down south' in MI folks think hi-beams are OK to use any time, particularly on interstates with or w/out traffic around. I sure like my electrochromic rear view mirror!!!
Just a point about an IMPALA SS. I doubt one will be offered with this current platform. My understanding is that 7/10 impalas made now are base models. I know many of you would like to see an SS model, but with the expense of 17" wheels, V8 engine and other insignia would probably ad $4000 to $7000 to the cost. Chevrolet being the entry model for GM is probably not interested in makeing maybe 1 SS for every 100 Impalas sold. Even the 1994-1996 Impalas that everyone was excited about only sold 55000 units in 3 years. Now that Chevrolet has Bryan Nesbitt on board (PT CRUISER DESIGNER) It will probably be the next generation Impala that he is working on, that might offer more excitement to the Impala line. I believe Chevrolet might offer a higher output engine for the Police in the near future to keep competetive now that Dodge Intrepid is probably entering the Police car market with a high 240-300 hp package. Time will tell.......
Why are you having Cradle problems? What is the build date of your 2001? Was the engine cradle malady a problem of the 2000 model year Impalas only?
Does your cradle has welding all around the two rear frame brackets or are they welded just in the bottom?
Puzzling!
Please keep us posted.
My friends, family and co-workers still can't believe that someone like myself purchased an Impala LS (fully loaded). Since I am only 25 years old and no kids, they think it's odd that I didn't purchase a sports car type vehicle or a lame SUV.
Sure me and finance could of afforded pretty much anything under $40,000 (CDN) I swayed her towards GM vehicles and then the Impala, she immediately fell in love with it.
Before the Impala we looked at the Grand Prix GTP, nice looking car but way too many on the road. Plus the interior looks so out dated, same old dials and stereo of a 96 Lumina (this is 2001, Pontiac get with it) Then we checked out the Intrigue, nice car but really poor headlight design. (Looks like it's a sad car)
So then we swung over to the Impala, and the rest is recent history. Fully loaded (everything possible) Navy Blue with grey leather, 2700KM (1677 miles, for Impala drivers in the US)
I absolutely love my car, I plan on driving through the Canadian Rockies this summer all the way from Calgary to Nanaimo BC, which is on Vancouver Island. We plan on taking our time and making it an enjoyable cruise, not a rush rush kind of thing.
I really respect many people and their views on this board. And I appreciate everyone's input and I will continue to read and post anything in in this room.
Later, I'm off to wash my baby.
I'm considering purchasing a 2001 Impala LS in a month or so. Has anybody tried using Carbargains to purchase the car? I'm very interested in getting the best price I can get without a lot of hassle.
Thanks,
Pete
Nick
Hoping that i can get this paint problem resolved with a new car or by them paying me off.
Went to a wedding out in the country today. Turned the radio off and enjoyed the quiet and the canopy of live oaks as i drove the speed limit on the rural two lane.
On the way back there was a very light rain and passed a minivan that was going about 7 mph under.
I gave it about two thirds throttle and it kicked down into second and just took off. I was past him in a few seconds and slowed back down immediately.
Had an opportunity to takes some roads that caused major creaking and banging in the intrigue. Not a problem in the impala.
Have thoroughly enjoyed driving the vehicle and the styling is growing on me.
One caveat though, I was driving down a very bumpy street yesterday and felt like i heard some knocking up front. I am praying that it is not an intermediate steering shaft. After my intrigue fiasco i don't think i am emotionally prepared for another round of service visits.
I had popping noise in my front end when I would turn the wheel. I took it in and the dealer replaced the ISS and actually REPLACED the engine cradle. Seem ok so far. Sometimes it seems that the air conditioning compressor knocks or rattles. Still works so I am going to wait a while and drive out the warranty some and then have them look at it. Has anyone heard anything about the compressors? Alan
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_midmod.htm
Honda Accord and Daewoo Leganza have the worst foot/leg injury ratings:
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_midinexp.htm
Impala and the GM large cars perform the best:
(Impala acceptable for both legs)
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_lgfam.htm
So yes some 'foreign' cars do have this problem..
Does anybody feel that the stereo is overemphasizing certain frequency ranges and underemphasizing others?
It would seem that Delco has taken a tip from the '70s speaker manufacturers and boosted the 80HZ range to give the kick drum and bass region a little extra punch.
The tone controls for bass are also effecting the low midrange also.
Vocals are not as loud as the they should be.
The snare drum is boosted on the upper frequency taking away all of its impact. It makes it sound too thin.
Has anyone put a different head unit in or changed the speakers?
I am comparing this system to my a/d/s and concord system i had many years ago and my home theater which is Sony ES and Mirage M-3.
Am i being too critical?
(1992 and 2001) is that they use a little. I also have a (1996) 3.1 which is a same engine but smaller with 117000 miles and it is still tight. I never had or have to add oil between changes. I go about 4.5 k between changes.
Ever notice when you see someone going down the interstate with the turnsignal on for a couple of miles it usually turns out to be an elderly person although not always (please, I'm not trying to beat up on anyone). Fact of life---when you get older your hearing usually suffers. I think if you could talk to some of the designers you'd definitely find out they were targeting an older market. The fact the LS has such appeal to everyone in all age groups says they did something right.
mediumfry - very hard braking in the first 500 miles on new pads will lead to 'glazing'. I think it even says this in the Owners manual. Of course, not braking hard in first 500 miles isn't always an option as some of our fellow posters will atest to.
So far I've had the shims installed for the front end popping and the rear wheel liners. I have put about 10K on the car since the shims were installed and the noise hasn't come back. I plan on visiting the dealer this week for routine service and will ask about radio amp replacement. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I looked at Nathan's website:
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/Engine_cradle.html
I was not able to find the part he shows with different welds (00Cradle02 and 01Cradle01). I crawled all over and didn't find it. So, no data there.
I found the rear of the cradle (where the two big bolts and rubber pads attach to the frame) is two brackets that fork over the rear tube of the cradle. These are welded all around (see picture 01Cradle05). Actually, everything looks well-attached except the driver side engine mount which is only welded on the bottom. I found the 'shim kit' I think on the very front driver's side part of the cradle, and it looked like a simple application of some sticky-sided black foam tape stuff. Nowhere else had any noticeable grease/shim material attached.
I did get the numbers he shows on (CradleSerial2). My top row is the same but the 2nd two rows are a little different. Here's mine....his for each row::
10288271 BD77....10288271 BD77
30A/40A/1....30D/40C/2
10/26/0 166....10/9/0 1054
Not sure what the numbers mean but assume the first line is a part number and the last line contains the MFR date.
Well, I wish my inforation was more complete. I still don't know for sure if I have an '00 or '01 cradle. I assume '01 because of the rear welds and the later date.
The clicking feeling is there, never was any 'popping' but more of a rattle when going over bumps and turning at low speeds. Some things point to the cradle, others at the ISS. If I had my way, I'd get a new one of both.
I'll keep you posted. Thanks for the replies.
Nathan, any comments?
Norbnancy where you at in Northern MI? We should get together sometime and compare notes.
It's becoming obvious I didn't get a shim kit. I wonder what they really did? Something made a difference for a while anyway.
I'll have to stop down and talk it over soon.
I believe that the engine cradle problem has created MAJOR confusion to the vast majority of inept dealer's service departments. If the customer reports steering clunks or clicks the first thing they want to do is to mess around with the cradle. The ISS problem is widely known and well documented at least here in the realm of Edmunds. I also believe your cradle is fine as it appears to be the new updated version. IF I WERE YOU I WOULD NOT LET THE SERVICE DEPT BOZOS GET NEAR IT!!!! Insist in having the ISS replaced before touching that cradle!!!!! If it ain't broken, why fix it?????
Your best bet at this point is to get the Service Manager involved and deal with him directly....the most efficient way to solve with ANY type of problems. Bypass the service writters..these are low level comissioned employees that have no decision making power and are only trained to sell you maintenance packages that you and I don't really need.
Again, your cradle is not the source of your noises. Ride one pony at a time...get the ISS replaced first and see how it goes. If the noises continue after that, then they have to go with a fine tooth comb over your suspension. If the problem persists, then its time to take apart the engine cradle.
If the dealer gives you a hard time about it, take a good print out from Nathan's page with the problem descriptions. Also feel free to print these posts to assist you in solving the problem. Remember that these days, mechanics are computer technicians, not the mechanics of yesterday willing to get down and dirty in a car until finding a problem...it is simply no cost efficient anymore.
The ISS is without a doubt your problem.
When GM bought back the car at the end of April 2001, it had 15,500 miles and the Compressor was making a faint rattling noise again...but this time it was theirs to worry about! ;-)
The A/C Compressor is a Harrison V5 and according to my own sources a very good and reliable compressor manufactured by Delphi. But I was lucky to get one of the 'bad ones'....
I believe the sound quality with the new AMP is superb for this type of car. The sound is rich and powerful something missed from more factory car radios in similar offerings. While I am not dismissing your observations at all, I would suggest for you to see if you can listen to the thin can quality sound of the 'premium' stereo found on the 2000 model year Impalas....you'll understand then where is everybody coming from in regards to the numerous complaints regarding poor quality fidelity...that old AMP sucked big time. I think the new stereo sounds one million times better than the one I had on my first Impala..and I don't intend to mess with it.
Another thing to keep in mind. The radio head unit is the 'central nervous' system of the car...if you jank out that puppy you'll have a lot of problems..such as inability to program the key fobs, set the alarm and lights time outs, reset the oil monitor and tire pressure monitors, etc, etc,. A Big NO NO!!!
Now, it is possible to change the head unit for another radio but you must relocate the original head unit elsewhere inside the car, for example the trunk. Someone already did this and the front radio relocation kit is already offered for Impala owners that insist on replacing the radio with an aftermarket unit. Anything is possible but also anything like this take big bucks and time.
My old Honda Accords have the worst factory radios. Actually Honda radio's problems are the opposite of the Delco's...they overemphasize the high end and have virtually no bass at normal listening volumes. You have to crack these things up to get any lively sound out of them. No wonder most 'Rice Boys' are near being deaf!!
For a factory radio, the sound quality on the '01 LS 'premium' stereo is excellent for the price and class. I am really satisfied with this stereo.
At home, I am more willing to spend $$$ for high fidelity sound...but the car? No, I am pretty happy with what I have.
* Pontiac Grand AM GT
* Oldsmobile Alero GLS
* Chevy Impala Base
* Chevy Montecarlo LS
* Pontiac Aztek
* Buick Rendezvous
* Chevy Venture Mini Van
* Pontiac Montana
* Oldsmobile Sillouette mini van.
It is a very good, reliable engine and much better in my opinion than the old 3100 OHV V6 offered on other GM products. The 3100 just recently has developed a problem with excessive 'Piston slap'. The current 3400 OHV V6 is not to be confused with the old 3400 DOHC V6 offered in the early to mid 1990's in the Chevy Lumina Z34. That engine was a reliability nightmare since it was never a true DOHC from the ground up. It was originally a OHV pushrod engine converted on the 'FLY' to be a cammed engine..it was discontinued in 1995.
For more info on the 3400 V6 (The Impala base gets the 180HP version) go to:
http://www.gmpowertrain.com/engines_cartruck/other/34_main.htm
Hondas are 60 degree designs, this is why they are so silky smooth.
plants...the 3.4 is a purpose built v6...hence the
60 degree configuration...60 degrees is optimal for a v6 in regards to vibration and of course,
for packaging purposes...the engine was originally
a 2.8 offered in many gm vehicles..one version that was in the fiero gt had 180 hp and was extremely fast in acceleration
and top end...the 3.8 was derived from the classic
chevy small block...two cylinders were lopped off..
that's the reason for the 90 degrees between the banks...90 is the optimal vee for a v8 engine...the original version was very prone to vibration...not until the balance shaft was installed did this engine really come into it's own...imo both these motors are aptly suited for
urban type driving conditions...alot of punch down
low and decent fuel economy.
I dunno about the rest, but you can reset your oil life monitor and tire inflation monitor without the radio. One was to turn the ignition switch to ON (don't start the car) and press the gas pedal down 3 times. The other was to turn the ignition switch to ON and turn on your marker lights on three times. I forget which is which, but it's in your manual.
If I were to replace the radio, I would probably get the relocation kit and run the harness to the trunk but not install the radio. How often do you use the radio to program the car? If I needed to change something, I would just plug in the radio, do the changes, and unplug.
I wonder if there is a cut away view so you can tell which end of the cradle is forward...
My old intrigue was definitely stronger on the highway. It is really not a contest. I would say that the intrigue feels about 30 hp stronger due to its powerband and gearing.
The impala is the stronger car around town though.
Still enjoying the car, especially its more solid body and ride quality.
Everyone enjoyed the ride and the comfort of the Impala. My father in law is strictly a Mopar man, but he had no choice but to praise the Chevy and accept the fact that it is more comfortable than his '97 Intrepid.
B4z::: Glad to hear you are enjoying your car!
* Overhead sunglasses 'pop open' compartment for cars equipped with the overhead DIC (Trip computer)
* A/C vents for the rear passengers such as the ones found in the Bonneville
* Padded door armrests
* Re-position the rear view mirror higher in the windshield to avoid aft right field of vision obstruction. (I am used to this already; however)
* Make the exterior rear view mirror housings of the 'Break away' or fold in type.
* Give the option for a trunk mounted CD changer, or even better an IN dash CD changer radio option.
* Make the electronically controlled automatic A/C and climate controls (Dual Zone as in the TrailBlazer) available as an option on the Impala. (I had the automatic A/C on my '97 Acura TL and I loved that feature!)
Minor 'wants', but would like to see them in future issue Impalas. But I really like the way the car is now!
I corresponded with the service manager and he suggested that there's nothing more he can do with the cradle. Of course, I agree. I don't have the degree of rattling that teo suggests but I am going to try for the ISS next. Teo, I'll probably print some posts and I appreciate your time and effort to help out. The service mgr doesn't seem to know everything but he is sure willing to work with me to find a solution. Much better than the morons at the other dealer that didn't want to learn, work, or anything.
Has anyone else had this problem? It has been back to the shop 4 times, the tank has been replaced, but all I have been told is that they do not have a solution for this right now.
I find this noise very annoying and disturbing.
I wonder if the tank will blow up!!
There is a list of TSBs on my site on the News and TSBs page.
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/