Chevrolet Impala: Problems & Solutions

tqw123

I brought my car to the dealer today after my 2001 Impala had stalled twice (within two month ) while driving on the highway at about 70mph. I lost power steering and power brakes. I was able to put it in nuetral and restart the engine (luckily). The dealer just called and said that no fault codes were logged, and the computer did not notice anything wrong with the car. Has anyone had this same type of problem, and if so, what was done to remedy it? Thank you very much for any ideas!

night_owl1

It is under the instrument panel. If you look at the thirteenth photo on the How-To article on removing the center console, you can just barely make it out. In the photo, it is near the right top corner of the gas pedal.

kalantarir

I have a 2001 Impala with 25K miles. The low coolant light came on last week. I added some water. Checked it agian last night, the level is low, again. Checked around the intake. It appears that there has been leakage through the intake coing out by right rear cornner. I think this explain the anti freez smell I have noticed once in while. I have read the BB, and it appears that others had similar problems, but no one has detected what I have found out. Any suggestions?????

[Deleted User]

Yeah. Bring it in for warranty repair. Sounds like a faulty gasket.

nosirrahg

I took my 3.8l Impala in yesterday due to the "check engine" light indicating a "misfire on cylinder 4". They attributed the problem to dirty fuel injectors, and proceeded to give them a good cleaning (I also had the auto trans. fluid changed, as I'm getting close to the 50k mark).

I feared my problem might be the leaking antifreeze that some have mentioned (which I believe is caused by a composite part which can warp and allow coolant to leak into the engine), but my service manager said if that been my problem, it would have involved more than one cylinder, and thus I would have gotten a more general misfire code. Just thought I'd pass that along for what it's worth.

Also, a friend suggested running a bottle of STP fuel injector cleaner through every time you change oil to avoid this problem; does anyone else have suggestions as to how frequently to do this, and/or any brand recommendations?

[Deleted User]

You should try BG 44K fuel system cleaner. It's not available in auto parts stores. But, I'll bet your dealer parts dept sells it.

Run it through a tank of gas BEFORE you get your oil changed, as much of the crap that it cleans ends up in your oil.

Another good product is Red Line SI-1, which should also be used before you change your oil.

Those are high end products that probably only need to be used maybe once or twice a year. For routine fuel system cleaning, I use Chevron fuel system cleaner available at Costco for approx. $9 for a box of 4. Big savings over the auto parts store.

I've also heard good things from mechanics about Marvel Mystery Oil, which can be used in the gas tank for fuel system cleaning, and in the crankcase as an oil additive.

larryfl

I noticed in your last post you had (are having?) the trans serviced.

I have become a big believer in frequent transmission FLUSHES. I have our trans flushed every 35K miles. This gets out all of the left over transmission fluid which doesn't all drain out in a simple service.

On the cars (FWD) I've done this, I've gone well over 100K with no failures. I currently drive a '95 Olds Aurora with 95K miles(my wife enjoys our '02 Imp LS). I drive it hard with frequent forced downshifts into "go faster" gear without a peep of a problem .. (knocking rapidly on wood). I expect to get another 50K or so out of her.

Just my 2cents. Thought I'd pass along a maintenance tip that I'm a big believer in.

Larry

nosirrahg

Thanks for the advice on both counts; would not have considered running the fuel cleaner prior to an oil change, but it makes sense.

3151972

Have a 2000 Impala with the clunking, and "soundings" coming up the steering wheel column. Had the "shims" installed about 9 months ago and the problem disappeared for a few months. Problem back and seems worse--especially noticeable when cornering and braking. They are now replacing the engine cradle and als found that the U - V joint and surrounding "pouch" was torn --along with a front axle they claim is slightly bent. All will be repaired under warranty, but the dealership claims they really aren't responsible to repair the u - v joint or axle under warranty. Should be interesting to see if this repair eliminates the problem. Was charged for a front end alignment as part of 12,000 mile service when they new I would need a new cradle and obviosly have to align the front end again.

3151972

On post # 524, dated 12/8/02, I meant to say C-V joint. I'm basically illiterate as far as this mechanical stuff goes. Larry

ariella

Does anyone have any idea why this morning my 2002 base with 18,000 miles accelerated like i was driving a golf cart? It took off at the lights like it was stuck in 3rd gear for about 20 minutes, then all of a sudden it went back to normal. I know I should take it to the dealer, but I have a feeling they are going to tell me they can't reproduce it, so they can't fix it. That brings me here to see if any of you intelligent people can give me a little ammunition to bring to the dealer. Any help is much appreciated.

[Deleted User]

The computer may show a code that something happened. If the symptom you described was recorded, the dealer can read it, even if they can't duplicate it. It won't hurt to bring it in.

When you say it felt stuck in 3rd, do you mean it felt like it went through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd normally, but didn't shift to 4th? Or, that it felt like it started in 3rd, and stayed there?

There is a GM TSB regarding sticking transmission solenoids causing delayed shifts. Also, I, and others, have reported engine hesitation that was cured by a PCM software upgrade.

ariella

It seemed like it started out in 3rd gear and stayed there. No 1st,2nd etc...I'm going to take it to autozone to see if they can get any codes out of it then go from there I guess. Thanks for the info about the solenoid, I searched through the TSB's and didn't see that one.

What kind of engine hesitation did you have, or if it's already posted do you know where I can read about it? Thanks very much

[Deleted User]

standard hesitation. Put your foot on the gas, and the engine seems to stop for a second before revving.

drivinisfun

"have a 2001 Impala with 25K miles. The low coolant light came on last week. I added some water. Checked it agian last night, the level is low, again. Checked around the intake. It appears that there has been leakage through the intake coing out by right rear cornner. I think this explain the anti freez smell I have noticed once in while. I have read the BB, and it appears that others had similar problems, but no one has detected what I have found out. Any suggestions????? "

I am having the same exact problem with my '01 Impala LS with 18.5K miles on it.

Since just about a month ago, I started to detect a strong coolant smell coming from the engine compartment. There was still coolant in the recovery tank, albeit at or below the COLD mark (This is with a hot engine).

I have never had any overheating problems or any "Low Coolant" warning messages. However, knowing about the tendency of these cars to have warped intake manifolds with low miles, I decided to take the car in for a pressure test.

The pressure test, according to them, did not show any leaks in the system. They sent me home and again today the antifreeze smell has intensified. I checked the recovery tank and the little bit of antifreeze left there is well below the COLD mark (Engine is hot and the coolant should be at the HOT mark or at least halfway between HOT and COLD).

The car is going in tomorrow morning. This will be the second visit for the same problem. I have high suspicions about the gasket or the plastic intake manifold with a slow leak.

I checked the oil and it looks crystal clear and very clean. I have no white smoke coming out the pipe which would suggest coolant leaking into the engine.

Not happy about this, let's see what the dealer has to say.

gasoline

I just came back from the service shop to have my 3.8L 2001 Impala repaired for a coolant leak.
They detected a slight leak from the intake manifold cooler gasket and fixed it. I was losing about a cup of coolant every 2 months. I also have creaking sounds from the front end of the car but they could not duplicate the problem since it is intermittent.

drivinisfun

Thanks for the info. Did they replace the gasket or the entire manifold assembly?

I just had a nice little chat with my service manager and he has asked me to bring in the car early tomorrow morning. He is aware that a pressure test was already done last month. He says that there is no doubt that a leak is present somewhere in the system. He also says that the strong smell suggests an external leak, not an internal one. Like I said in my previous post, I checked the oil and looks clean and have no white smoke coming out the tailpipe.

I hope the dealer can sort it out soon. Otherwise the car has been terrific and has been truly a pleasure to drive and own. However Coolant leaks and such mean serious reliability problems down the road.

I'll keep the board posted.

ryanendres

I have a 2001 Impala and at about 7K I rotors were slightly warped, so I took it to the Dealer and the ground them down a bit and all was well. now at 30k it is back! I'm out of brake warrenty now and I'm sure I'm looking at replacing them. Can anyone point me to other folks with the same problems? Or another forum that is searchable? Don't get me wrong I could read through the 500+ posts here but come'on!
-Ryan

gasoline

They just replaced the gasket. The car started loosing coolant at 5K miles and now it has 10K miles. I hope this isn't going to happen every year or two. I wonder how much it would have cost if this was out of warranty.

drivinisfun

Thanks for replying again. The gasket itself is a cheap part, however to my understanding this is a pretty labor extensive repair and it is rather costly outside of warranty. I have been quoted between $700-$800 US Dollars to have the gasket/manifold replaced in the 3800 V6.

I did some research last night on the problem and it appears to be that defective gaskets/plastic manifolds are plaguing every single GM passenger car V6 engine there is (3.1, 3.4 and 3.8) and some V8 Vortec engines in the Full size trucks, Tahoes and Suburban derivatives.

I really like the 3800 V6 and trust its rock solid reliability reputation otherwise, but these gasket/manifold problems stain what is otherwise a very, very good engine.

If keeping yur Impala beyond the limited warranty, I highly recommend purchasing a good extended warranty contract, such as GM's major guard. For what I have read, this gasket can fail at least twice during the life of the car.

mearle

i also owned a 2000 impala with the same problem.this happened not once but twice.they changed bushings,the cradle,took out the second cradle and had that one welded stronger,replaced steering rack twice.when they replaced the second steering rack all the noises went away.it seems they replaced a bad part with another one.other than this the car was flawless.we just bought a 2003 impala.

mearle

i have a 2003 loaded base model with a sunroof.has anybody noticed when you open 1 window air leaks in around the door latch.my 2000 impala did not do this.

nutz4ls

Greetings,
Some of you may remember my rants about my car smoking at start up after sitting for a while and about how the Chevy Service Stations of Southern Maryland weren't helping. Well, after nearly seven months and too many phone calls and letters, I recently received a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty from GM via the BBB. The car still smokes a bit and come summer when the temp goes up and the "it's cold outside and that cloud is condensation" excuse vanishes I plan to go for "round 2" with the service station now that I won't be paying for the repairs. Worst case, I spend a little time pressuring GM to admit and fix a problem then sell the car a week before the 5yrs is up.

Anyway, just wanted to let everyone know, you can beat "the man" (GM) if you don't give up.

later,
Nutz

pvmay3

we bought my son a 2000 chevy impala two days ago. we didnt notice this at the time of purchase, but the airbag readiness light stays on all the time. the service dept looked at it and indicated it was a low voltage error causing the problem or that cold weather might cause it. we are concerned that if uncorrected we won't know if the airbags are working properly or not. does anyone have any advice on this problem
thanks
peter from pgh pa

bearmer

The light coming on when you start the engine then shutting off means a diagnostic on the airbags was successful. Don't assume that what's going on is a trivial electrical problem. Used cars are being sold with counterfeit or missing airbags because they're expensive to replace after deployment.

If a dealer is looking at it, his scanner will tell him exactly what the problem is. His ambiguity is troubling.

In Virginia I think a car that's acting like yours would fail the safety inspection.

sim3

Just when I was thinking that the Impala has managed the Finnish winter surprisingly well, I got a "Service Traction Control"-warning today Has anyone else had problems with that?

I'm pretty sure this is temperature-related, it being -5F to -15F over here; however, I don't know whether it's just a fake warning or if there's a real problem. Is there a way to "reset" the warning code at home and see whether it resurfaces or should I just take it to the local dealer? (Who, btw, have never seen a 200x Impala before, so I wouldn't count on their expertise too much either)

Nevertheless, Happy New Year to everyone!

bh0001

Did you try re-starting your car to see if it corrects itself?

I've had this warning come on twice. Both times it was after I stepped on the gas, the wheels started spinning, and TC kicked in at almost the exact same instant as I pulled my foot off the gas. Immediately the "Trac Off" light, Service TC light, and another light (I think it was the brake light) came on. Kind of a christmas tree dash. Both times all I had to do was pull over, turn off the car and restart after a few seconds. Everything reset both times without issue. Both times were clearly just a weird software fluke.

I've been making hard use of both TC and ABS, including last night on my way home from work on very icy roads. Everything is working flawlessly.

Happy New Year everyone!
Brad

sim3

What do you know, it didn't come back on. Now that I think of it, the light came on in a pretty identical situation to yours. Strange. According to the Owners Manual, the light should come on after a restart also as a reminder, so I guess it really was just a fluke.

drivinisfun

The same thing happened to me several months ago. It turns out to be that I needed to reset the "Tire Pressure" sensor from the radio interface. Remember that the Traction control/ABS and Tire Pressure functions are shared by a single module. Resetting the tire pressure sensor completely cured the "Service Traction Control" warning light and hasn't comeback since.

dschoen

I have a 2000 impala that did the same thing(stalled while driving with no warning).

I took it to my local dealer several weeks ago but they could not find anything wrong with it.

The car stalled again and I brought it in yesterday and they replaced the fuel pump(under warranty). Hope this will fix it.

wwnf

My latest problem with my Impala. A person at work backed into my Impala and cracked the corner on my rear bumper cover. His insurance cut me a check and off to the body shop we went.

I picked up my car a couple of days ago and guess what! The shop put a 2001-03 bumper cover on my 2000 Impala. I like the 2000 cover much better than the new one. I don't like that trim. They told me that they couldn't get a 2000 cover. GM didn't make replacements. What!?

I have found many places on the web that have the 2000 cover.

Has anyone else heard of this?

paul888

I have a 2002 Impala. I've had it about 10 months now. A few weeks ago, I noticed that there is moisture inside the headlights all the time. It looks like there is a bunch of water condensed on the inside of the headlamp cover. I have seen several chevy's in parking lots with the same problem. Does anyone know anything about this? Is it a problem I should have the dealer fix?

Thanks in advance.

nosirrahg

Is the moisture actually within the headlight area, or just in a sort of ring area around the outside edge? I've noticed moisture around the outer edge of mine, but I haven't had any moisture actually inside where the bulb it. It's like the clear plastic extends about 1/4-inch past where the rubber gasket actually makes a seal with the clear plastic; moisture sometimes shows up in this sort of transition area, but I haven't had a problem (or seen any other Impalas) with heave condensation in their headlights.

night_owl1

As nosirrahg mentioned, moisture and debris can collect around the perimeter of the headlight lens. It's mentioned on the News and TSBs page. There could be moisture in the headlight housing itself, but the housing is vented, so when the lights go on, the moisture can come out.

chrisis30

I have a 2002 impala ls with the 3.8 and 7000 miles on it,i keep the oil on full at all times so when i say it is using oil i mean it goes below full i never let it reach add. anyhow between oil changes it will use 3/4 quart of 10w 30 pennzoil per 3000 mile oil change is this normal? thanks.

pluto5

I just heard Pat Goss, auto expert,say that up to 1 qt. per 800 mi. is the industry standard for normal oil consumption.

Since the Imp engine only holds 4.5 qts. with the filter if you're dumping the whole fifth qt. you may be burning more than you think??

jimm7

I have a 2001 Impala. Last night I put the key in the ignition and tried to turn it, but it would not turn. This is the second time this has happened. The first time the car was towed to the dealer who replaced the ignition lock cylinder. I had to have it towed yesterday also and I expect the solution to be the same. I had the same problem with a 1998 Malibu. I have not heard of anyone else with this problem. I can't think of how I might be abusing an ignition lock cylinder by putting the key in and turning it. There is no warning that this might happen. "Fortunately", it happened when the car was at home - not at a rest area in the middle of nowhere. I would appreciate any advice.

guym1

I had a problem with a lock cylinder... Key chain was too heavy...

nosirrahg

For those who have experienced the warped plastic intake manifold problem that leads to coolant leakage, I haven't heard of anyone suffering engine damage from this, just a leak of coolant to the outside of the engine. If I suspect I've got the same problem (smelling hot coolant in the garage, steady but slight decrease in coolant level, etc.) is this something that should be dealt with right away, or if left alone, will it simply mean I'll have to top off the coolant occasionally? My "low coolant" light has never come on, and except for a "check engine" light a few weeks ago due to a clogged fuel injector, I've had no other engine-related problems.

drivinisfun

Yes, this is a problem that has to be dealt with RIGHT AWAY. A coolant leak is serious whether it is internal or external. Further, if you leave the warped manifold the way it is you run the risk of developing an internal coolant leak and if the antifreeze mixes with your engine oil, your engine is finished.

If you are outside of warranty, expect to pay $800 for the warped manifold and gasket replacement. Mine was done under warranty and the repair took about 5 hours to complete, so you need to plan ahead and leave the car at the dealership for at least 1 day.

Believe it or not, it is cheaper to pay $800 now for a new manifold than $4K+ for a new engine. My service manager told me that I had brought the car in in the "Nick of time". Never leave it with a manifold intake coolant leak...It is a serious fault that needs to be remedied as soon as possible.

Good luck.

PS: My "Low Coolant" warning message never came on either. So don't think that everything is all right if the light never comes on.

drivinisfun

I have never ever had a problem with the ignition key lock in my '01 Impala LS with 19K miles. I believe that this problem is mostly caused by very heavy keychains. A mechanic friend of mine told me some years ago, that the number one cause of bad ignition key lock cylinders is that people keep the car keys in very heavy key chains. Heavy key chains excercise severe pressure on the key lock assembly and overtime it either gets stuck or becomes useless.

My suggestion is just to keep the single car key attached to your remote entry keyfob and out all other unrelated keys and keychains elsewhere.

If you have experienced this problem in 2 separate cars, that tells me right away that you are using a very heavy keychain thus causing damage to your cylinder key lock.

jimm7

I want to thank drivinisfun for his advice. I had no idea that heavy keychains could be a problem. I never had any problems with ignition lock cylinders on cars other than my 98 Malibu and 2001 Impala, even though I had kept the same number of keys on the key chain for over 30 years. I have kept some cars 7 - 10 years and never had a problem with the ignition lock cylinders. You can bet I will follow your advice.

dcngo

I tried to replace the air filter in my 2000 Impala the other day. To my disappointment, this is no trivial matter!! You would think replacing air filter is the simplest car maintenance one can do. Unfortunately, the design of the air filter housing was such that it takes two persons to do the job. The space around it is so cramped. What a studpid design! Has anyone tried this before? Any good tips on how to replace the filter easily? My experience was it was very difficult to get the filter in or out, and just as difficult to close the filter housing.

-DN

atbear

Check my post in the Impala Sedans folder.

nosirrahg

I took my 3.8l 2000 Impala in today and had them do a pressure test of the cooling system, and lo and behold they found two leaks - a leaking gasket on the lower manifold, and a warped upper manifold. Total damage was $830 and some change, and included the new upper manifold (part #17113136), a gasket kit, replacement oil and filter (as well as fresh coolant), a few odds and ends, and a chunk for labor.

I took a chance by not buying an extended warranty on this vehicle, primarily because I felt the drivetrain was pretty much "bullet proof"; having proven itself over the years. Even with this repair, I probably spent less than I would have initially for the warranty - I'm not sure how long the extension on the warranty would have run, but hopefully this is my last "big" issue (having already dealt with the warped brake rotors, and clunky steering shaft a couple of years ago). No guarantee the replacement manifold won't warp as well, but hopefully it will A) be another 47k miles from now, and be covered by a recall notice.

However, it's pretty annoying that GM has seen fit to use this plastic piece instead of a stronger metal (aluminum?) piece - either as a means of saving weight, money, or both. I limited my GM search to vehicles with the 3.8 engine; had I known this manifold problem existed, it is doubtful I would have chosen the Impala. Knowing about it now, I've got my doubts about ultimately replacing it with another GM vehicle.

I do know my wife is in the market for a new car to replace her '95 Geo Prizm, and based on her experience with that vehicle, my previous Toyota Celica experience, and my Impala experience; she's looking at Camrys - period.

atbear

Sorry you had the problem, but it's very uncommon. But I understand you've got a bad taste in your mouth.....

nosirrahg

I really like the car for the most part; roomy, comfortable, good gas mileage, safe, etc. But I should have known not to by a 1st year production vehicle. Consider the following problems I've encountered in 47k miles (just under 3 years):

1) "clunking" steering shaft (ISS) - fixed once under warranty; now in the early stages again.
2) "creaking" engine cradle - never addressed this; problem seems to have gone away.
3) Poor response from radio amp (the early "bad" amp which some folks went to the trouble to bypass; mine has not been replaced or bypassed).
4) Warped front rotors (resurfaced at my expense).
5) Intermittent air bag warning light; dealer can't replicate problem, or find any stored codes (guess I won't know until I actually have an accident if they'll work or not).
6) Loose seat back ( pops regularly, as if something is broken/loose - dealership says operation is "normal").
7) Warped intake manifold/gasket leak (repaired at my expense - hoping a recall occurs so I might get reimbursed).

About the only thing I haven't had happen to mine, which was a common problem with some others, is the rain channel trim coming loose.

The thing is, many of these things are "1st year" problems; which are to be expected to a degree. Most have simply been annoying. But the intake mainfold thing REALLY bothers me - the 3.8 engine was the primary reason for picking this particular vehicle. And the only known fix for the problem is to put a new copy of the exact same part back on - what's to keep it from failing as well?

txguy

Thanks to this group I was prepared when the low coolant light came on tonight. Luckily my 01 Impala has an extended warranty. It has 38K miles on it. I bought it used and don't know if it has had the repair done previously.

If this group is any indication, GM has a big problem with this manifold part. I am going to start agitating through Chevrolet to get this addressed. Any other ideas?

My mechanic says the DexCool should never be allowed to stay in the car for more than 2 years despite what Chevrolet says.

nosirrahg

I don't know if allowing the coolant to stay in the car for 3 years made any difference or not in my case, but replacing it every couple of years certainly wouldn't hurt.

As I understand it, there is a recall on the 3.8 engine, but only going up to the year 2000 (I don't remember the beginning year), and not including the Impala. But based on the reports here, I suspect (hope) it will get added to the list soon.

drivinisfun

I just had mine replaced (Upper manifold and gasket) about 2 months or so ago. My manifold failed at 17K miles and was leaking coolant on the right side of the engine. Fortunately the leak was external but the burnt coolant smell coming out the engine compartment and the low coolant recovery tank were the 2 red flags signaling a coolant problem developing.

The repair was covered under warranty. The original factory manifold lasted for 21 months and 17K miles.

There is no recall on the plastic intake manifold and I doubt there will ever be one. The current TSB only applies to GM midsize sedans built between 1995-99 with the 3800 Series II engine. The TSB only suggests to replace the original plastic manifold in these cars with the current manifold part number which also happens to be warping in our current day Impalas!!!!

In 1995, GM released the Series II engine and one of the changes made to it was the switch from the aluminum intake to the current thermo plastic intake design/part. This is a big problem in the 3800 (Despite of what other claim to the contrary) and other V6 GM pushrod engines such as the 3.1 and the 3.4.

I am in the process of selling my car and the decision was partly influenced by the premature failure of the manifold intake. Great car, no doubt, but this manifold problems mars the otherwise reliable and smooth 3800 V6 engine.