2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

hunter39

Did anyone besides me and crosley4 have 115 degrees today? Cripes I barely went out of the house. Yesterday we took the Impala up to the high country to escape the heat and it was still 102! Going to be a long hot summer.

Almost forgot that Canada Day is July 2nd (didn't it used to be called Dominion Day?) Happy Canada Day to our friends in the Great White North Eh?

And to my fellow Americans, don't forget the sacrifices of those that came before us and preserve our freedom! Happy Birthday America!
Have a safe holiday!

ludacris

damn...115 degrees? i feel ur pain...west of u in LA weve been getting between 85 and 90

b4z

Duraflex: I had a tetanus a few years ago, so i should be fine. Thanks.

Forgot to tell you guys what i did the first time i filled the gas tank. i am very tall (6'8") and i will sometimes lean up against the car when gassing up. Well, i put my butt against the car and the sheetmetal pops in. I quickly get off the car and it pops back out again. No harm no foul i think. Wrongo. I have the very slightest ding that would not be visible to anyone but me, because i knew where to look.

I guess Gm needs to add some bracing in the rear quarter for those of us with high rear quarters.
I won't be doing that again. LOL

9899olds

You had Impala weekend and I can see you are still adjusting to the new wheels.. The Intrigue wasn't all that bad in retrospect????

On 7/1, my 2nd Intrigue passed it's 2nd birthday with the 45k+ miles, going strong on all 6 bangers and expecting to be pushed every day..

Latest decision!!! No more Intrigues due to the demise factor and lack of closeby knowledgeable dealers..The Buick dealers nearby have a hard time keeping their own familiar brand running and the two Pontiac dealers graduated from the same school "High prices and iffy service".

The Impala is good transportation and probably reliable due to its drivetrain; but it's excitement factor isn't close to the 3.5 Intrigue..

The Chevy dealer is on my list for a Z-28, would like the SS; but for interstate cruising the Z with performance axle, ZR-16 tires with auto, no t-top should fit the bill and come in under 22500.

Watch those sharp edges/burrs and oil-canning sheet metal slabs..

Sould be a great week with temps in the 70s and lows in the 50s..

teo

This weekend I did a complete wax job on the car. Bought a 100mg of Clay Magic and 14oz of Clay Magic 'Lubricant'. Man this stuff is AWESOME!!!!. It leaves the clearcoat feeling so smooth and clean is beyond belief. During the 'Claying' I found some specs of what it looks like 'Rail Dust' mainly in the trunk lid and rear bumper. The Clearcoat in those areas felt rough to the touch and you could see tiny 'rust' spots as well. The Clay bar successfully picked up the dirt embedded within the clarcoat with no effort whatsoever. The process takes time because you have to spray lubricant on the finish as you go and you can only do small areas at one time..but the effort is worth it in the end. Then I waxed the car with the Clay Magic Wax and it is a breeze. Once the car is Clayed and the clearcoat is clean and smooth, waxing the car takes up about half the time. Needless to say the car looks now better than a 'Million Bucks' the shine and reflection depth is great! The Clay Magic Wax is a liquid wax which is one of the easiest and less messy that I have ever used. Just wipe, let dry to a haze and wipe off..no problems.

I want to buy the Zaino waxes, but I am holding on those for another couple of months. If the Clay magic Wax was this good I just can barely imagine how much better the Zaino stuff will be. For a new car I highly recommend the Clay bar (Clay Magic, Erazer, Zaino Z18, etc)and if buying the Zaino products get Z1,Z2 and Z6.

The Clay bar has it down sides. It only lasts for up to 3 full applications because it picks up a lot of dirt and you can't wash it only fold it and re-shape it as you go (The Clay bar is identical to Play Doh). Also if it is very hot outside it tends to melt in your fingers and loose shape but not a big deal. Also if you drop the bar in the ground by accident you have to throw the Clay Bar away. Is amazing how the Clay bar picks up so much dirt embedded in the paint..incredible.

I also did the same procedure for my wife's 4-year old Mercury Tracer....whenever I passed the clay bar on her car's finish the thing picked up so much dirt it can back with a rust color (The bar is blue). Her car had so much paint contamination it was unbelievable...but it pick up almost all of it...did a full wax job and the car looks brand new again...smooth to the touch.

I got quite the workout on saturday and I am still aching after detailing both cars, but happy with the results.

I suggest for everyone to take care of their car's finish since the car is new so you don't have to do double the work with the Clay bar later on. The Clay bar makes waxing so much easier!

Well we had a great weekend and drove almost everywhere in the Impala. At close to 1,600 miles, not a single problem, noise, nada. The car continues to perform flawlessly and feels tight as a drum.

I had two questions for the 'Experts'...

1) Does anyone know if you can turn on the fog lights without turning on the headlights??

2) Has anyone tried to install a remote engine starter in an Impala??

bbrowne74

I've been following a couple other forums off of this server regarding products to use. It seems that there are 2 schools on these servers - the Zaino school and the "Other" products school. By other products you'll see soem use teh 3M Imperial Hand Glaze along w/ 1 Grand Blitz Wax. That's what I've used and the shine is UNBELIEVEABLE on my dark blue Impala.

My only drawback to Zaino is there is no dealer in my area and I'd rather be able to order product online using secured channels. the 3M Product is about 15 bucks, as is the Wax. Now this is a PURE wax so it will attract some dust, but the finish is 2nd to none.

If anyone is interested, let me know and I"ll post teh links to the car care boards I read. Granted a lot of Porche, BMW, etc. owners read these boards and use Pinnacle products (some wax is 70 bucks a can!), but it gives GREAT ideas on cleaning options and supplies.

cookie01

Around here for this week. Most people are out and about. Sorry about the 115F temps! Man, that's smokin'.... Good to be in the Northwest. Probably will have the first nice, warm 4th of July in about 5 years. Highs in the upper 80s, perfect. We'll hit the pool! I have to work all week, including the 4th. How patriotic is that? We sang America the Beautiful in church on Sunday and I got a little bit choked up.

Have fun people. And if your neighborhood is like mine (filled with kids)! Park that Impala inside on the 4th, or else it will be covered with Firecracker debris!

b4z

3M Imperial hand glaze is very hard to get off. As with most glazes it only covers scratches for about 5 days. I used it when my camaro was repainted. I reverted to using the mother's sealer/glaze after struggling with the 3m.

Have never used the Blitz wax. Might give it a try.

What do you guys use to get wax off the mouldings. Put some "back to black" on this morning and got it on the paint. Don't know which is worse. White mouldings or streaked paint. I'm tellin ya i am going to pull those mouldings off at the first opportunnity.

cookie01

I've had wax on the moldings too. Comes off with Armour all tire cleaners. BUT be VERY careful... You don't want the tire cleaners stuff on the paint. Mostly I'm just very slow and careful with the wax around the moldings.

teo

I have had good results with Meguiar's Gold Class products in the past. I have seen Zymol waxes but I have heard that those are junk..not sure whether that's true or not.

Waxing is important even more when your car lives parked at the mercy of exterior elements.

I miss to have my own garage..

b4z

The mouldings should be body color. Then the wax residue wouldn't be a problem.

wyoimp

What do you use to remove these nasty substances? I'm trying to stick to the "mildest means" possible for removing these nasty things. So far I've tried Meguir's swirl remover in the black plastic tube. It works on all but the most stubborn stains but you still need to use the fingernails. I'm leery of the Clay Bar for fear of removing any of the Clear Coat.

teo

I recommend for you to use 'Clay Magic' bar. This would be about the only thing that can successfully remove stubborn stains without damaging your clearcoat or paint finish and of course without braking your nails either!.

That type of dirt is embedded in the clearcoat so its difficult to get out. The Clay Bar somehow picks up the paint contaminants leaving the finish extra clean and smooth. After you apply the Clay Bar all you need to do is to re-wax the area where the bar was applied. The blue Clay bar is non-abbrasive so its not going to leave marks on the finish.

There is a 'Red' Clay Bar but that's used by professional body shops and detailers. The 'Red' clay bar is very abbrasive so if you come accross it, don't buy it. Always get the blue bar.

blueeagle65

Has anyone had their tire warning illuminate only to find out that your tires are OK? My tires all had around 38 abs in them, but none was 12 abs lower than the others, in fact they were no more than two abs from highest pressure to lowest. I deflated all to 32 (the trunk sticker says 30) and reset the message and no additional messages so far. I did roll over 5K miles somewhere around then, but the manual doesn't indicate any thing will happen. Anyone have any ideas? I em-ailed Chevy, but am not holding my breath for them to answer. I also em-ailed Good year to see what their recommendation as to the correct pressure is.

teo

Try leaning against a new Honda Accord...may be you'll squash the car! Honda's have the thinniest sheetmetal (and paint) of any production car. You can ding the door of a honda just by pressing your thumb against the panel. The Impala's sheetmetal is very thick by comparison.

They don't build cars like they use to. in the 50's, 60's and 70's sheetmetal was very thick and heavy thus dings and dents took more effort or a severe impact to make them happen.

Do you know why 'paintless' ding and dent repair is so popular right now? Because the sheetmetal in today's cars is very thin and therefore attempts to repair door dings and dents are done easier than ever before just because of this.

This is not a big secret. The techniques of paintless ding and dent removal have existed for a long time but during the decades that cars were manufactured with thick and heavy sheetmetal panels, this type of repair was very difficult to accomplish by just tapping the panels from inside with special tools due to the thickness of the sheetmetal.

I think the Impala is superior to its Asian counterparts in this regard.

teo

Question? Why do you have your tires inflated at 38 pounds???? I think that is excessive. The ride must be stiff and any small bump probably upsets the car! Not to mention that you are promoting uneven tire wear mainly in the center of the tread.

The maximum is 32 pounds for all 4 corners. perhaps if the car carries a lot of cargo, the Eagle's can accept greater amounts of air pressure but I dunno this is safe or good for the tires in the long run.

If after inspecting the tires and not having found any nails or punctures and making sure that the pressure is set to the correct value, then proceed to reset the tire inflation monitor in the Radio head unit (Follow instructions on how to do this as listed in the owner's manual). If the light doesn't come back then everything is OK. But if it does, then you have a problem with one of the sensors for the tire inflation monitor.

Also to get an accurate air pressure reading, try to do this when the tires are 'Cold'. 32pps should be the maximum pressure for all 4 tires and 60pps for the spare.

the trunk sticker specifies 32 not 30.

nutz4ls

Hello, it's been a while since I've posted but I've been reading along most of the time and this is still one of the best place to get info for my '00 Impala LS. I was wondering what information or opinions might be floating around on the message board regarding the purchase, brand and installation of a tow hitch for the LS. I've recently had the chance to jet ski and after only 3 times out I'm in the process of looking to buy a 1 or 2 yr old used or perhaps even a new one if the price is right. The one major thing I need to have before I can buy the ski is a way to get it home...that's were the hitch comes in. If anyone out there has either positive reviews or words of warning, I'm interested in hearing them.

BTW, I live in MD and if anyone out there happens to know of a good deal on a used or new Yamaha 760 or 800, 3 seater, let's talk...

thanks everyone

teo

I believe the Impala can tow up to 1000 pounds. However I have no idea about trailer setups as I have never ever towed anything with my cars.

00impala

Once you verify all the Pressure in all 4 tires are correct 30 or 32 if you wish, You can get in the car and pull the Headlight Switch to the Parking Light setting, 3 times in succession (on-off-on-off-on-off) and you will hear the "BEEP". The system has now reset, and after driving about 10 miles or so the computer will learn the new pressure that you have set, Just like going in to the Radio to reset, but alot easier! Don

teo

How much does a single Jet Ski weighs??

nutz4ls

A single jet ski weighs about 550# and a trail about 150#...I figure it's not the weight of the trailer and the ski that is the issue, it's the "tongue" weight that the hitch has to support. I can easily move my neighbors trailer with the jet ski on it so I doubt weight or loading should be an issue. My main interest is in knowing how many options are out there and the price range I should expect.
I live near the water so other then perhaps picking a jet ski up at purchase time, I would rarely have to drive more than 10 miles towing.

thanks

cyyz

Make sure that you measure your tire pressure when the tires are cold (less than 5km travel) because your pressure will increase as the temp of the tire increases especially if the weather is hot and you have gone a long distance. I don't remember exactly but I think the difference can be 4 to 6 psi. If you measured your 38psi after driving the car, you may want to double check your tires to be sure that they're not low now.

teo

Recommends to add about 4psi extra when adding air to hot tires. Still, the correct way of doing it is to get the measurement when the tires are completely cold.

night_owl1

I have been using Clay Magic for a while. There are other brands that do the same thing. Mothers, Erazer, even Griots Garage makes one. It does a great job at removing contaminants including rail dust, water spots, and paint overspray. Don't let the bar dry out. If you do, you gotta toss it.

00impala

I find the best way is to add some air "over" what I want them to be at the Station say 35 p.s.i. then drive home and let them sit to cool, Usually overnite, then they are COLD and I let pressure OUT down to 30 or 32. It is the only Accurate Way I know of doing it, I have one of those $22 Round Pressure Guages with the 2" Dial that has the button on the side to relieve pressure down to where you want it to be, the pocket ones that slide out I gave up on a long time ago, I check Tire Pressure regularly and often they are all the same and rarley change, But I keep up on it should they vary! Don

night_owl1

You can use any bug and tar remover. I have a bottle of turtle wax bug and tar remover that does a great job. Usually I apply a heavy coat on the car, let it sit for a while, then wash it off with soap and water.

The clay bar does contain a super light abrasive, but as long as you keep the surface lubricated you won't get any scratches. I imagine it takes off a thin layer, but I don't use it all the time (maybe once a year) and I think natural weathering is harsher on the paint. I used it on my Impala once to remove a couple of waterspots and it didn't leave any marks. And I have a black car.

I agree with Teo on how fantastic the bar works. My wife's white 95 Saturn was covered with orange dots and was really rough. The bar took off all the orange dots and really brought the paint back. I would have expected the bar to become white after removing the paint oxidiation however that didn't happen.

night_owl1

GM offers a square receiver for the Impala. I have a photo of it around here somewhere. I think it's a bolt-on accessory that doesn't require you to drill into the car.

impalanator

Always go by the pressure listed on the trunk sticker (in the impala's case, others are usually listed on the drivers door). The pressure listed on the tire is the MAX tire pressure. I don't believe I've ever seen a tire list the "recommended" tire pressure as this varies by car. The manufactures go to a lot of trouble (believe it or not) to determine what the optimum tire pressure is for that car in order to maximize comfort, handling and gas mileage. In many cars you'll see a difference in tire pressures between base models and sport models such as the LS. The sport models most often have a tighter suspension and different tires (sometimes even a larger size tire).

Even if you change tire brands, as long as you stay with the same size tire then the trunk sticker still applies.

Having said all this, remember that this is for normal circumstances. If your going to take a 1000 mile trip with the car totally loaded out with a lot of weight then it won't hurt and is probably beneficial to add a couple of pounds of air. I believe the Owners Manual may even cover this specifically. Just don't exceed the maximum listed on the tire. We don't want you to be experiencing any Ford Explorer type blowouts.

nosirrahg

The problem with the Explorer is that Ford suggest a very LOW tire pressure (something like 26 PSI), which was mandated to compensate for the propensity of the Explorer to tip over. This tire pressure was generally okay for unloaded vehicles, but when someone loads the vehicle down and takes off on the highway at 26 PSI, it puts too much stress on the tires, and they fail. Everyone will have their own opinion, but I feel the Firestone tires aren't as much to blame as much as the design of the Explorer.

b4z

The explorer's low tire pressure recommendation was mainly due to the horrible ride quality of the vehicle.

Ford should have known better than to recommend such low tire pressures.

I can't see any instance, other than being stuck in sand where a tire pressure of less than 30 lbs would be beneficial.

torodave

Hey there. I've been away for a while, and am wondering what is the latest on the creaking engine cradles? Last year i was reading about welds breaking or something and causing problems. I am back to considering a new Impala, but am concerned about this. Any other problems with these cars? Also, anything new on the Impala expected for '02? Thanks!

bh0001

I hit this milestone on my way to work this morning (I have it booked for an oil change tomorrow morning). My Navy Blue 2001 LS (build date 04/01)is performing beautifully. Very powerful, fantastic brakes, very comfortable ride, and an AWESOME looking car.

Mileage since purchase (average/best/worst):
- litres per 100km - 10.33/7.6/12.23
- MPG (CDN) - 27.81/37.16/23.10
- MPG (US) - 23.16/30.94/19.23
DIC usually under-estimates consumption by at least 4 litres (about a gallon).

Here's what I've done to mine (so far):
- 6(?) coats of Zaino polish (INCREDIBLE shine)
- molded mud flaps all around
- smoked lexan hood guard AND the full bra (I switch between them depending upon where/when I'm driving)
- tinted the windows (35% front doors, 20% rear doors and back windshield)
- class II trailer hitch (for bike rack only)

Still to come:
- full hands-free cellular installation (as soon as my installer can get the proper mounting bracket for the Impala)
- might upgrade the speakers
- might get those nice embroidered floor mats

My boss calls my car the "war machine" because it looks so aggressive with the dark colour, tinted windows, and bra. I'll be posting some picures very soon to show off the shine etc.

Bottom line...I LOVE THIS CAR!
Brad

teo

The cradle issues were solved in the 2001 model year. For more info go to:

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/Welcome.html

Go under the 'How To' section and check out the differences between the engine cradle of a 2000 and 2001 Impala.

torodave

Excellent teo, thanks!

alanwagen

I have a Y2K Impala and they completely replaced my cradle.

teo

http://www.55-57chevys.com/coccc/fifties/ad26.html

Really nice site with lots of pictures an ads from the 1950's...enjoy!

Check out the different Impala reviews made in the 1960's and early '70's....

Our car's have a lot of history behind them!

2k_impala_ls

I felt like I was driving a different car on the way home. I went from zero bass to now at 1/2 bass is almost too much. On my receipt it said something in reference to "amp replaced as per service bulletin" but it gave no #. They fixed it in 10 minutes and are mailing me the final copy. If the SB # is on that one, I will post it. Good luck. Go get yours fixed!!!!

For more info visit my website for a printable page.
http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html

wldock

Yeah, get the amps fix because the system needs all the help it can get. I had a chance to listen to the 2000 stereo systems and I was not at all impressed with the sound. The system suffers from a bad design from the start. I just read this Edmunds review and it seems that they got the same impressions about the stereo.

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/comparison/articles/43901/article.html

I am sure this 2000 Family Car Comparison Test was covered way back but the Impala finished dead last. The top choice was the Passat which by the way cost several thousand dollars more than the others. Nevertheless, the Passat is a very nice car and is very well built. If you never checked one out, do so. This cars fit and finish is right up there with some of the more costly Euro luxury sedans like BMW, etc. My last car was a Euro and I am a fan of Euro cars but the cost to own and maintain is pretty high. I am hoping to find an affordable American sedan and the Impala is on my list but I am not sure what I want to do? I just wish that there was more to choose from...

I mean...an American car with the fit and finish and fun to drive of the Passat but...at a cost of thousands less???

mediumfry

38 abs may mean 38 psia (Pounds per Square Inch ABSolute) which actually equals 23 PSIG (Pounds per Square Inch GAGE). Gage pressure is what your gauge actually measures (difference between the pressure in the tire and atmospheric pressure (which is 14.7 or ~15 psia)).

If this is true, blue's tire pressure is a little low.

hank64

My engine's random stuttering has increased from about once a month to about three times a week now. I haven't seen anything on this board relative to the problem in a long time. I am reluctant to take the car to the dealer because random ocurring problems are almost always non-duplicable. When I do take the car in, I would like to have some possible solutions in hand. Any solutions from those who had the problem corrected would be appreciated.

wyoimp

Check the Computer for fault codes, then the hard part - clogged filters, ports, or other metering orifices. Plugged or partially blocked vents. Deteriorated, collapsed, or misrouted lines and hoses. Bad sensors or bad fuse. Bad wiring - poor ground or deteriorated.

2k_impala_ls

Just turn to page 32 in your 2001 Impala brochure to see my quote. Did you know that the 2000 Impala was 2nd only to Mercedes in resale value. Impala beat honda accord, toyota camary, and yes passssat in resale value. Impala dollar for dollar has more value than any foreign car. Even consumer reports rated Impala a best buy, now that is saying something. stop buy my website, I have about 9 reviews on the Impala to read from major news sources. In the end the decision is yours, but I am glad I own the impala.
p.s. and by the way, Impala has better gas milage too.

2k_impala_ls

I have pictures of the new amp on the site now.

http://www.luckyjdr.homestead.com/impala.html

cgaydos

Just to be accurate, CR did rate Impala "recommended" but not a "CR Best Buy". I don't recall ever seeing a car rated a CR Best Buy. It's possible another consumer magazine gave a Best Buy label to the Impala.

bh0001

Go here to see some pictures of my car. The pictures show the wonderful Zaino shine as well as some close-up shots of the hood guard. Brad

<http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1694777&a=13443628&f=0>

billb15

Does anyone out there have a problem with the direction the AC vents blow the cool air? I have to close one or two of them so that they don't blow directly on me.

bbrowne74

Wow - we're twins! Same car - I got the lexan hood as well, only thing different is that I added teh window vent visors.

http://www.bradbrowne.com/impala

bh0001

Yeah! I remember your pictures from before - we were even listening to The Matrix soundtrack at the same time!

Do you have any pictures of the car with the vent visors?

Brad

jeffreyw1

Have you received that final copy of the service receipt of the replacement of your amp? I would like to get a copy of it today if it is at all possible. Thanks! I am glad to hear that your system now sounds better. I hope I will be able to have my amp replaced.

jeffreyw1

I talked with the service manager at the dealership I bought my car from and he said that the 103 amplifier would not connect to the wire harness like the 104 did. Is this correct? He seemed to act very helpful and was willing to exchange the bad amplifier. I told him about the poor sound quality and the lack bass adjustment. Any suggestions?

Does anyone who had their amp replaced can verify that the 103 amp will connect to the Impala's wiring harness just as the 104 amp did? Please answer. I do not want to be stuck with this 104 amp. Thanks!

Teo, do you know which posts in particular that I need to print out to justify replacing the 104 amp?