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Comments
ghostwolf
Only the Grand Am and the Acura were made in the US. The Impala, like the Honda, was made in Canada. Didn't you know that? I wonder if the Impala has more than 85% domestically produced parts, as does the Acura?
As for the Yokos, I paid $96 each for the AVS dB's, more than the GY GA's in that size. I was merely pointing out that the Yoko Avids were better than the GY GA's for $30 less. You are welcome to spend more for an inferior tire, if it makes you feel patriotic.
As for who drives the Impala? That would be me. I just wish Chevy would put in the same attention to quality, in both materials and workmanship, as many other car companies do, domestic and foriegn, including other GM divisions. It's not too much to ask for in a car with an MSRP of over $26,000. IMHO, of course.
BTW, my father was an Olds man. It's a real shame to see that brand go away.
Since I am a manufacturers rep supplying the auto world; I can tell you that the Impala is assembled in Canada and I see that you think it is mostly Canadian content--wrong..I won't touch the Acura question because it is not the way it appears..
Glad to hear your Father is an Olds fan..my car background includes "41" Big 3 produced cars and "2" Porsches..
My current brood is a 99 Intrigue GLS w/3.5, 2nd Intrigue by the way, have put 74k miles combined. Other car is a 96 Deville, all bought new and in active duty..Looking to go to a Z-28 in it's final year if I can adjust to its limited frontal vision due to the windshield slope..
Tires are always a good debate; Michelins on the Caddy and the Goodyear LSs on the Intrigue..At 48k on the Intrigue the LSs are gone but have been great--very round and vibration free--carry 34#s cold pressure.. Normal cruise is 75/85, original factory balance was beautiful..My pet peeve is tire balance and vibration at higher speeds.. I find the domestic tire guys and Michelin offerings to be sufficient to cover my needs..
I am sure that the car has to have some positives that probably outweigh the negatives, thus influencing your decision in buying one.
FYI I have also owned several Honda/Acura products in the past. A total of 6 Honda Accords (1 made in Japan and the rest in Marysville, OH) and 2 Acuras (Integra and TL both made in Japan). While these cars did generally display a good level of build quality and reasonable interior materials (The TL had the best of the bunch IMHO while the Integra looked and felt cheap inside) I really never perceived Hondas as having this great Fit and Finish qualities. I have always believed that Toyota, VW, BMW and Audi are vastly superior to them when it comes to interior/exterior fit and finish.
Coming from a background of owning "Premium quality' Japanese cars, I feel that the Impala while not at the same exact level is a pretty well put together car. Exterior finish is very good (No paint problems in two samples I have owned), good panel fit, thicker metal and paint and good and sturdy interior materials. Some may say the plastics lack the tactile 'feel' of the plastics found in Hondas, VW's and the like but I still find them to be pleasant (Kinda exception made to the center console) to the touch and to the eye.
The Impala is a value oriented product. It is loaded with a lot of features for the money which in other similar cars are either more expensive or not available.
How many Accords and Camrys come with standard air tire pressure monitor, Trip Computer, Home Link, OnStar, steering wheel mounted radio controls, Dual Zone temperature controls, power driver's seat, RDS stereo, 5 star rating safety, ABS, Traction control for about $22,000???
Sure the quality of some materials and some finishing touches could be better and stand improvement but overall this car boasts much better quality than say the Chevy Lumina and other host of past GM products it replaces.
At 2600 miles my '01 LS ticks like a Swiss watch..not a single rattle, creak, squeak, groan, no problems, nada. The car continues to excel on its flawless performance and quality. It hasn't even been back for the dealer for post delivery warranty repairs either.
I think most of the quality of the car went into improving the safety of the vehicle, the 'Gizmos' if you will the size, powertrain, room and space. The interior materials and fit/finish of interior components were given somehow a lower priority in the scale but hey something had to give if you want to have this much car for such a low price.
If you want a VW/Audi quality interior in an Impala watch the price skyrocket to more than $26K. At such price point, very few people would be interested in getting an Impala given the tough competion out there.
My sister currently drives a 1999 Honda Accord LX and to be honest I am not impressed with the quality of the interior materials and some chintzy fit/finish touches around the car. Paint is thin as well as the sheetmetal. A lot of corners have been cut into the last generation Accord to keep the prices competitive.
If you think about it, all automakers do some cost cutting and they choose to do it in different areas of a given vehicle.
This problem is not new for the Impala. As a matter of fact some very early production Impalas manufactured between 1999 and early 2000 did experience the same exact problem of sudden engine shutdowns, hesitation and stuttering. As a matter of fact another frequent poster here 'Sweetpolly' has been fighting the same problem on her 2000 Impala LS for quite some time now and she hasn't been able to get a permanent resolution. I have not heard from her lately but I did recommend for her to initiate Lemon buy back proceedings.
Dealer's seem to be unable to effectively troubleshoot and fix this particular problem. Here is the problem. Dealer mechanics belong to a new generation of automotive technicians that rely heavely on computers and other electronic diagnostic instruments to perform repairs on your car. Is not their fault per se as perhaps the first thing they do after you car engine's has failed is to plug it in the computer to see if the ECM spits out a trouble 'Code'. If the ECM says 'No Code' then the mechanic lifts his shoulders and says..'No code, no trouble therefore we don't know where to look for'.
This is the blessing and curse of computers in automobiles.
Mechanics in the old days would spend the time to test each mechanical component in the car with a fine tooth comb. Today this is not practical or cost effective considering the heavy volume of repairs and service a dealership has to manage on a daily basis.
One thing that I can say for sure, is that your problem is not related to the 3800 Series II V6 engine. Rest assure the engine itself is not the problem. The 3800 is bulletproof and a powerplant with proven reliability and four decades total of service in GM's car applications.
The problem could range anywhere from a failed 'Crankshaft' or 'Oxygen' sensor all the way to a failed engine ECM, problematic transmission computer, fuel pump, etc, etc.
To me this problem is a split between a failing mechanical component (Fuel pump for example) and a buggy or defective ECM hardware/sensors or defective engine management software that could be 'Blue Screeing' (Computer lingo for a GPF or Dr. Watson) when you are driving the car.
Again, if the dealer is not willing to spend the time or its personnel is not very good at these things I might suggest trying a different dealership or bring the car to a good trusted mechanic for a second opinion.
Also contact the Chevy 1-800 number and after you have been assigned a case number request for GM to contact your dealer's service manager directly that way he can take charge of the problem and expedite your case as quickly as possible. Remember ride one pony at a time but be firm and polite at the same time.
Become INTIMATE with your state's Lemon Laws and become familiarized with any statue of limitations in regards to how many repair attempts can be performed by the dealer and how much mileage can the car accrue before it can no longer be protected by the Lemon consumer laws...VERY IMPORTANT.
Remember that as much as you like the car, this is a very DANGEROUS condition. If the dealer or GM can't repair the car, press for a full refund or an exchange for a brand spanking new Impala LS..no questions asked.
Keep strict control of all phone calls/conversations with the different parties involved. Also keep a strict paper trail of all dealer service work orders made on your car...this is your best defense if the problem shoould escalate to BBB arbitration and or State Lemon law arbitration.
I have owned 2 Impala LS sedans. One a 2000 Impala LS (Build date 1/00) and a new '01 Impala LS (Build date 4/01) and neither one of them have ever gave me any engine related problems whatsover. The 2001 LS has 2600 miles and it is ticking like a precision Swiss watch,, the engine just purrs! never had a problem with shutdowns or hesitation at all in neither one of them. I use 89 or 93 Octane gas as I personally dislike and distrust the quality of regular 87 octane gas. I use Chevron and Exxon only.
So I have reason to believe that you have a genuine problem and by that this car can easily qualify under Lemon Law as the problem seriously impair the safe use and driveability of the car.
Good luck and let us know on the outcome!
If I had a car that shut off and the dealer said "no can find", they would keep the car until they found the problem and I would drive their loaner...
That reminds me of my wifes Caddy a couple weeks ago when the emergency service was called to jump start it. The dealer checked it out and called to tell me the battery needs to be replaced. Need authorization to replace and you can pick it up in 1 hour..I said you can replace the battery after you call and tell me why the car didn't start..The next day they said the fuel pump module is bad and have to drop the gas tank::::I said "Go for it". Meanwhile I have their rental car and I ain't about to move that beast until I know it is fixed..
You do know that Michelin is a French company that also owns Uniroyal and Goodrich, right?
I'm sure you know that Bridgestone, a Japanese company also owns Firestone. That makes very few US majority owned tire companies, doesn't it?
Goodyear owns Kelly and Dunlop brands, as well as a variety of foriegn brands, so they would be the likely choice for someone who bases their buying decisions on country of origin instead of quality and value.
BTW, I remember three of my father's Oldsmobiles: an early 60's Super 88, with the very cool rocket engine tailfins (or was it a Rocket 88?); 1965 98, a huge boat w/ 454 or 455 engine that I learned to drive in. It fell completely apart at 100K miles; and a 1976 Cutlass Supreme. Very sharp looking car. It was stolen. Very sad.
Or, maybe there's just something wrong with my engine. They already had to flush the fuel injectors after only 3000 miles, so it's a distinct possibility.
(remembering my days of getting gas there years ago...:>)
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
The product is called a Power Control Unit and Ray was sent me a copy of the installation manual which I posted as a How To article. On that page, you will find a link to Ray's site where he documented his installation. I have been told that the unit does NOT defeat the speed limiter and there have been reports that the CHECK ENGINE light comes on after installation.
Preliminary reports is that is does provide more HP and the gas mileage goes up. However, you have to switch to premium gas, so your overall fuel bill increases.
BTW, as a general rule, you cannot swap out the chips in newer cars. The EPROMs are not removable. However, you can reprogram them (this is what the dealer does) or do a partial bypass. This is how the JET product works. It monitors and intercepts feedback information between the sensors and the car's computer. Then it sends modified signals to the computer.
I'm still driving around in my LS. Haven't had the hesitation problem lately, so, I have not returned the car to the dealer. I decided to wait until it start hesitating agian. One thing I noticed is that it hesitates in "clusters" that is, if it starts hesitating, it does it for a few days, then stops. So, I feel that I need to wait for the next cluster to kick in before I take it in and leave it with the dealership a few days for them to test it. Otherwise, if I take it in for an overnight stay, I'll feel that I'm wasting my time taking it there because they would probably tell me that they were not able to duplicate the problem (within that hour period). Other than that, I'm not having problems (at least none that I've noticed).
Different subject: does anyone know if the colors are changing for the 2002 models?
http://www.alldata.com/vehicle_owner/index.html and do a search on your vehicle, but this is a subscription based service.
You can also try the NHTSA
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/servicemmy1.cfm
Lemon Laws:
http://www.safetycops.com/lemon_law.htm
There are many more links in the internet.
To use premium in the 3.8 is useless; but if it helps the mind --go for it...
I only owned two Oldsmobiles in my collection--two Intrigues--and with Olds demise the 99 will be it..
You are still cranking about the tire scene, I do Michelins due to their heavy use in the OEM Detroit world and will do the Goodyears along with Firestone beyond that I could care less about the other treads..
Having owned a ton of cars the tire people have sold me alot of tires over the years.. I stay away from General and Uniroyal..Toyos and Yokos are probably going to hit my list of stay away..
If I keep the Intrigue beyond August it will get Michelin XGTH4 Pilots or Firestone SH30s; should work well since the Intrigue has extremely stiff suspension/tractor like..
Try to get more info on that tomorrow when you talk to the dealer. Try to get a hold of the Service Manager to see how they arrived at that conclusion.
The ECM is the brain that controls the engine functions. It is possible that the original computer had a 'fluke' of some sort, but anyway try to find out exactly their reasoning behind changing the part.
I hope they are providing you with a paid car rental while they wait for the new part to arrive.
By the way, what is the build date of your Impala?
the build date can be found in the driver's door jamb manufacturer sticker.
Good luck and I hope that replacing the Powertrain control Module will be the final chapter in your saga.
Why would premium gas lead to clogged injectors anyway? I don't understand.
Also, an octane increase of 5 or 6 should give a boost to more than one's mind, I would imagine.
I do like my Impala. The exterior is not only more stylish than my Acura CL, but sturdier as well. The CL's hood and trunk are extremely light weight, and feel downright cheesy compared to the Impala's. The Impala also rides better on the highway than the CL. That wasn't the case until I ditched those God Awful Goodyears, and upgraded to the Yokohama dB's. The CL doesn't have a fold down rear seat, either, which boggles my mind. I also miss the Impala's compass, auto-locking doors, DRL, and auto-headlights when driving the CL.
That, however, is where the Impala's superiority ends. The MSRP of my Impala LS, fully equipped except for Seating Comfort Package, is $25,996, with a purchase price of $24,000. The CL's MSRP is $28,460, with a purchase price of $25,995, approx. $2000 more than the Impala. Not much, considering the difference in features and quality. I see many people adding things like exhausts, air filters, control modules, floor mats, mud guards, tires, wheels, audio components, etc, to increase the performance or appearance of their Impalas, spending well over $2000.
Let's compare both cars:
Engine:
CL - 225HP V-tech
IMPALA - 200HP Push rod
Tranny:
CL - Auto SportShift, 5 speed manually shiftable.
IMPALA - Regular GM 4 speed AT (Sportshift type N/A on the Impala.)
Headlights:
CL - Xenon "blue" high intensity
IMPALA - Regular halogen ($60 to upgrade to "blue" bulbs that approximate xenon appearance)
Tires:
CL - Michelin MXV4
IMPALA - You know. ($200-300 for higher quality touring tires. $500 to upgrade to performance or grand touring tires.)
Stereo:
CL - 6 disc in-dash changer w/Bose speakers.
IMPALA - Single CD w/ muddy speakers. ($400 for TRUNK MOUNT cd changer, $300 for speaker upgrade.)
Seating:
CL - 8 way power driver w/ 2 position memory, 4way passenger, both heated.
IMPALA - 6 way power, driver's only.($425 for heated seats and power passenger. Memory and 8 way power N/A)
Climate control:
CL - True thermostat temperature climate control. It also cools the car almost instantly, even with black interior.
IMPALA - Simple "slider" temp controls. The dual zone is useless. It also takes forever to cool on a really hot day. (I'm almost home by the time the car is comfortable.)
Floor Mats:
CL - Plush, embroidered logo mats.
IMPALA - The cheapest crap I've ever seen. Chevy should be embarrassed to include them in a $26,000 MSRP vehicle. It was my first clue as to the trim quality of this car. ($100 for Impala logo mats.)
Let's compare subjective "quality":
Stereo - Impala's "premium" sound system is boomy and muddy, with only a single CD player. The 2000 model had the infamous "premium" amplifier that made the stock stereo sound even worse. I upgraded the speakers for approx. $300, and NOW it sounds magnificent, better than the CL, actually. I doubt if I will spend another $300-$400 for the Delco TRUNK MOUNT CD changer, though.
Performance- The CL has better acceleration, more responsive handling, smoother transmission, and a stainless steel dual exhaust with chrome pipes. Don't need to spend that $1000 on a cat back.
Controls - CL uses "standard" arrangement of headlights and turn signal controls on the left stalk, windshield wipers on the right. Impala jams it all on the left, with the headlight control being a pull switch on the dash! (What is this, 1956? I was almost expecting the dimmer switch to be on the floorboard)
Parking Brake - BOTH cars have an antiquated pedal. Hate it. I keep reaching for it on the console after parking, even after 4 months. It is 2001 isn't it?
Interior Trim - As you know, it's my main peeve. Everywhere you look inside the Impala, cost-cutting is evident. The leather is of low quality. It doesn't even completely wrap the seat cushions! Take a look.
The cushions are made of very cheap foam. I had the pleasure of removing the rear seat to access the rear deck speaker mounts. The rear deck is card board.
The plastic on the door panels, dash, and pillars is light weight, dull, ill-fitting, and even misshapen in some places. The darker colored vinyl areas are not nearly as bad.
The sliding roof hatch also feels like cardboard. What's with those vents? When I close the hatch, I don't want sunlight streaming through, making the interior hotter.
The Acura has glove leather seating, firm dense cushions, and pleated leather (or extremely high quality leather-like vinyl) on the door panels.
Nowhere on the Acura will you find flimsy plastic or cardboard that bends when you touch it. There are no jagged edges or exposed foam.
As for gadgets, I would gladly give up OnStar, Tire Pressure Monitor(which many people have complained of giving false alarms), or an Oil Change reminder (I know when I need to change my oil) for more useful features, such as memory seating, ergonomically designed stalks, better upholstery, and higher quality interior trim materials. The Acura still has an outside temp gauge and Home Link, just like the Impala.
I'm not criticizing anyone for choosing an Impala. I chose one. It may not have been my best choice, but it's the choice I made. That is why I will keep driving it, and strive to make it the best car I can, within financial reason. That's why I peruse these forums, and ask questions. I hope I can help others from my experiences, as well, such as with my tires and stereo. I'll 86 the whining from now on, if that helps. It must get annoying. Sorry.
I also hope that in the future GM will not only continue to design beautiful cars like the Impala that combine proven engineering and innovative new concepts, but, will also strive for the highest level of quality materials and craftsmanship to match it.
They're certainly better than they were in the 70's and 80's, but still have a way to go yet.
Is the higher the % means it's darker? Or is it the other way around?
Does anyone know the laws in pennsylvania about tinting? thanks in advance!
oh and Night_owl1 thanks for the info!
What's wrong with the pushrod design? This has been argued before and it has been agreed that the V6 is a bulletproof design.
I would classify a manually shiftable auto as a gadget
I don't have a problem with the "regular" lights, stock tires, or radio.
I find the slider controls on the AC very easy to use. If I want it a little warmer, I slide the control down. And my wife thinks the dual zone feature is one of the best features of the Impala (she's normally only a passenger).
I pulled out the mats and replaced them with rubber "all weather" mats from WalMart. I didn't see the mats as being cheap, just not sufficient to protect the carpet from mud and dirt. I would have replaced them even if they were embroidered.
I prefer the foot mounted parking brake. Why should it take up space in the console? I also like the fact that the light switch is on the dash. Not to mention, how often do you use it with the auto-headlights? You forgot to note that the ignition is also on the dash vice column and that you cannot crank the starter while the car is on. A nice feature since the engine is pretty quiet and the vibration is nonexistent.
I like that everything is on one stalk. It really irritates me when there are 2-3 stalks sprouting from the steering column.
Sunroof is another gadget type item.
High quality leather like vinyl? Is this similar to genuine faux fur?
In light of the Ford Explorer issue, the legislature is considering making some sort of tire inflation montior standard on all vehicles.
I am not dismissing your opinions. My point was that what you may consider failings of the Impala, I see them as pluses.
I was only trying to compare overall value and quality of materials and wokmanship. If you ever have a chance, test drive the CL, or better yet the 4 door TL. You'll get a better idea of what I was trying to say.
Personally, I prefer setting the climate control to the exact temerature I want.
You're right. The "manual" autoshift really isn't necessary, but nice. The tranny does shift more smoothly on my CL, however.
The pushrod engine is certainly a proven design. I was just pointing out that the Acura has more HP. It certainly has better acceleration.
The "vinyl" on the door panels may very well be leather. I don't know. It looks that good!
I use the Impala auto-headlights, as a rule. I think it's a great feature of the Impala (and my Grand Am, too!).
I certainly did forget to mention the ignition on the dash. I apologize. I prefer it there, as well.
Personally, I prefer carpeted floor mats. Rubber mats are too truck-like for me. I'll probably eat those words once the rainy season hits. ;-)
Isn't it great that people prefer different stuff? If not, we'd all be driving the same cars, wearing the same clothes, watching the same TV programs. It would be like living on some planet where evryone dresses like Robin Williams in Mork and Mindy.
In the mean time, I still look forward to your advice and tips for the Impala. After all, I'll be driving it for the next 3 years!
I'll even upload some pictures, as soon as I get the mud guards and logo mats. Do you think a pictorial on replacing the speakers would help other Impala owners, as well?
Has anyone ever checked their DIC fuel used amounts? I am constantly lied to by mine which says I have used 1.5 to 2+ gallons less than I really have on each tankfull. This is also where the mileage is calculated so it looks like you are doing better than you really are. I was told that the fuel used is an estimation based on the tank level. I would think a meter would be more appropriate for this task. My 93 caddy had the same type DIC and was extremely accurate.
My '01 LS has 10k miles on it, I had the tires rotated last week and now I have more road noise than before! Michelins baby, moving up the list quick!
Some sucky areas:
Undersized glove box
High door sill (I keep dragging my shoe on it when I get in/out of the car)
High trunk lip (what's the deal with that?)
Cheap taillight treatment (still have not gotten used to the dinnerplate stop lights, but why does the lens have to run the width of the car?)
Small cupholders
And what's wrong with Mork? (Adjusting suspenders)
I do know what you mean about the A/C not cooling fast enough. It is a lot faster than my wife's 95 Saturn SL1, but on some days, it seems like it takes forever. The vents under the front seats really doesn't help the rear passangers. I found that aiming the dash vents up so the air travels along the roof cools them faster than relying on the floor vents. Does it help for heating?
When I purchase the LS, the window sticker says leather "accent" bucket seats. What does "accent" mean? I don't believe the seats are wrapped all around with leather. Aren't the front driver/passenger seats made of vinyl on the sides and backs? If so, then I was misled on paying $600-700 for full leather seats.
I like the parking brake on the floor where it belongs and I wish the dimmer switch was back down there too. I have to pull the light switch on my 1971 Chev truck, not the Impala though. ((-;
Any body old enough to remember the "wonder bar" radio??? A button on the radio face and on the floor for changing the stations, AM only ya know!
Imports have put too much crap on the steering column that sticks out for years IMHO. I do like the control buttons on the steering wheel of our LS.
The dual zone feature seems to function fine for my wife and I. The A/C cools our LS off just fine for us, but it does not get very hot here in the metro Phoenix Arizona area. ((-; We do have a 35+ mile drive each way for work.
I don't need blue headlights, I seldom watch myself driving down the road. The blue units may provide better light , I don't really know. We live outside the city, there are no street lights for several miles around our house. No curbs or side walks too. ((-;
Now....... I would worry about getting our floor mats dirty with my work shoes(I do not drive a desk/computer for a job), turns out they are already crap, dang!
Goodyear tires are low quality & noisy, mine were removed at 39k miles. I'm a cheap butt so I put up with the noise.
Stereo system is of basic quality at best, but with my hearing it does not matter too much.
Our car seems to be the only Impala in our area that has mud flaps on it. They sure keep the crud off the side of the car that the tires throw up.
I would have to be given an Acura, I would never purchase one. My next purchase for the car would be an ad in the local fish wrap(newspaper) to sell the Acura.
But that's just *me* LOL
Tony
And ride. The Impala doesn't attempt to compete with other cars in that department. It has that big car "GM Ride" that used to mean 'floaty' but now has been stiffened tastefully to allow a nice combination of performance without harshness. No crackerbox feeling as is usual with the foreign models (and somehow quite popular too).
-The glove box is TINY. But, why is the door so BIG?
-The cupholders aren't too small for my mug, but the damn liner keeps coming out. That's what bugs me.
-The cheap plastic treatment, running the width of the tail, would look much better if it were steel, painted the same as the rest of the car, with only the taillight lenses made of red plastic. What do you think? (I like the round tail lights, actually. Reminds me of the old Impalas).
-I personally haven't had any problem with the door or trunk lips. But, a number of professional reviewers have mentioned it, so you're not the only one..
Mork's suspenders were cool. I meant that jumpsuit he wore when he was communicating with his fearless leader.
Are you sure there are rear vents in the Impala? Oddly enough, I think Chevy only put them in the Monte Carlo, which is weird for a 2 door. I've never felt anything coming from under the seat.
You must completely remove the rear seat back in order to remove the deck cover. You must remove the seat bottom cushion to remove the seat back.
1. Unbuckle the center seat belt. Fold down the rear seat. Remove the four bolts that hold the upper panel to the body. Close the seat back.
2. Remove the seat cushion by grasping firmly under the front lip, and pulling up.
3. Remove the two bolts holding the bottom of the seat back to the body. Remove the entire seat back.
4. Carefully pull up on the left center of the deck cover. careful. It's kind of similar to cardboard.
4a. You can work on the deck without removing the cover, just by holding it up like that. Or, you can pull the cover out. Be careful of the pillars and the foam rubber lining that is partially attached to the cover and partially attached to the deck. I chose not to remove the cover.
5. Remove the connectors from the speaker terminals.
6. The speakers are screwed into black plastic mounts. Do not attampt to unscrew the speakers from the mounts yet. The mounts are held into the deck by one fixed tab and two squeeze tabs. reach under the deck to squeeze the tabs, and remove the entire speaker mount assembly.
7. Unscrew the speakers from the mounts. Screw the new spekaers onto the mounts.
8. Pop the mounts back into the deck, making sure the squeeze tabs lock into place.
9. To connect the Chevy speaker harness to the new speakers, I recommend getting aftermarket connectors that match. Crutchfield.com has them for about $5 each. If you buy your speakers from them, they are included free. I chose to use the wire that is included with the speakers instead, jamming the bare ends into the connector. Whichever conductor was attached to terminal "A" on the factory speakers, I connected to the "-" terminal on the new speakers. I did this with all four speakers, so I know they are all in phase.
The front speakers are much easier, as you probably know. I recommend replacing them, as well. I also added tweeters to the upper door panels. It sounds absolutely breathtaking when playing CD's. The radio doesn't sound as good, though. I'm still using the factory "premium" amp and head unit.
Good luck! I hope I remembered everything. You'll enjoy the improvement. I would imagine that almost any quality replacement speaker will improve the sound in your Impala, but the level of improvement will ultimately depend on which ones you choose. If you are not replacing the amp, make sure to choose efficient speakers that don't require much power to drive them.
BTW, didn't you hear that the major manufacturers are going back to the dimmer switch on the floor?.......to many blondes getting their foot caught in the steering wheel!!....I apologize to all the blondes but I couldn't resist.
I just missed the $1000 rebate. But, I still thought that $2000 off the sticker, $200 above invoice was a relatively good deal. That doesn't even come close to your $3000 below sticker, and $1,000 below invoice.
I'll need to take some lessons from you before I get my next car! How did you do it?
on a side note, if anyone has purchased the relocation harness for the factory stereo, whatabouts did you pay for it?
"CL - True thermostat temperature climate control. It also cools the car almost instantly, even with black interior.
IMPALA - Simple "slider" temp controls. The dual zone is useless. It also takes forever to cool on a really hot day. (I'm almost home by the time the car is comfortable.)"
Dude, you must have a big malfunction in your A/C system. I live in Miami and for instance, today's temperature at around Noon time was 97F and muggy as heck. The A/C on my LS always cools down the interior in about 4 to 5 minutes. The A/C is extremely powerful and it is comparable to the system I had on my '97 Acura 2.5TL. The A/C on my sister's '99 Accord LX takes as much as 15 minutes to half-cool down the interior...very weak system I might add. I set the fan to speed #4 or #5 when the car is extremely hot and after 5 minutes I set it down to 3 or 2.
Have the A/C checked to see if it is undercharged or has a leak somewhere.
The CL and Impala are cars that belong in two very different classes. One is marketed as a near luxury/performance coupe and the Imp is marketed as a value priced family car.
You can get a new Impala LS fully loaded for around $23K. I got my '01 LS for $21K.
I appreciate your response.
TEO
One of the reasons I don't like the high lip is that if you try and stick something long in the trunk (2x4s, conduit, etc) it's really difficult to clear the lip, the opening between the passanger compartment and the trunk, and the top of the folded rear seat.
I had it checked. They tell me it's OK. It works OK on sub 90 days. Once it gets over 90, it takes about 15 minutes before reaching comfort level.
It may also be me. I like it cool when I drive. I even run the AC quite often when it's in the 70's.
My main point about comparing the two cars' climate controls was the thermostat that allows precise temperature control, which I like. Imagine if your home HVAC system only had a simple slider labeled "cool" and "warm". Even if it had two zone sliders, I think you'd prefer the thermostat.
I suppose I would have only paid $23K, if the rebate was in effect.
Chaotic,
You only paid $100 less than me, so I don't feel so bad. I imagine you got the Comfort Seating though, so I am a little jealous. :-/
Night Owl,
I'm gonna ask my body guy if it's possible to paint the center piece to match the body. The problems might be to properly mask the taillight circles and the paint may not be compatible with that plastic.
In the mean time, I've ordered some galaxy silver spray paint. I'm going to paint a couple of license plate frames to match the body. I think that'll look cool. If not, it's no big deal.
I do see what you mean about the trunk. Just this morning I was removing a large box, and I was getting ticked of at it. Immediately, I little light bulb with your name on it appeared over my head.
Almost beginning to sound like the tire scene..
I also enjoy the Acura tales..
Just hanging around and amusing myself until my business lunch tomorrow and golf Thursday..Golfed today in too much heat and really didn't enjoy the whole affair..
Who pays what for what is the most fun to read..
sticker on my LS (every option but leather and sunroof)was 23,890 but got them down to 22,300 then took off the 500 from GM and 3000 from GM Card.
TOTAL WITH TAX AND FEES WAS $19,900. NOT BAD.
I bought a 2000 LS with leather, but no moonroof and no spoiler. Sticker price was $23,985. Dealer desperately wanted to move 2000 inventory. Dealer marked off $4600. Plus, GM offered $2000 rebate. I used my GM card with $3780 rebate points. Tax and license out the door was $15,430.
One month later, California DMV sent me a $100 rebate check.
Life is good!
By the way, maybe I can use the LS for two years and be able to sell it for the same price I paid for it. hehe
hvan: You da man!
For $15K, it can come with paper floor mats and Kumho tires. I wouldn't care.
I gotta get me one of them GM Cards.