Chevrolet Impala: Problems & Solutions

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  • herrdon1herrdon1 Member Posts: 9
    Had my Impala in for steering clunk and they said problem was a lack of lubrication. They said they lubed dry intermediate steering per bulletin 412 WC40. Clunk is hardly discernable now, but you can still feel it in the steering wheel. Has anyone else had success with this repair being done? The car is now back at the dealers, a new vehicle should not have a rough spot when moving slow and turning. I have 17,000 miles, 3.8 LS.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    What's the build date of your 2001 Impala? (Open the driver's door and locate the manufacter's sticker in the door's jamb)
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    "The car is now back at the dealers, a new vehicle should not have a rough spot when moving slow and turning. I have 17,000 miles, 3.8 LS."

    Why is it back at the dealer? Because of the same Intermediate Steering Shaft problem, or something else?
  • herrdon1herrdon1 Member Posts: 9
    Yes, it is back there for the same problem the clunk in the steering wheel. After the initial repair the real bad clunk went away, but there is still a slight clunk feel in the wheel when you are moving slow and turning. It is now intermittent. I think they are stonewalling me on not replacing the intermediate steering shaft. You can email me at packerfan9@aol.com. Thanks.
  • herrdon1herrdon1 Member Posts: 9
    A little additional information my car was build in 10-2000, and basically has the same problem as message 214 had.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Have you tried taking it to a different dealership?
  • herrdon1herrdon1 Member Posts: 9
    No Teo, I have not taken it to another dealer. I just got off of the phone with Chevrolet Customer Service, and basically told them, there had to be something wrong with the ISS to begin with and pouring a little juice in there makes me leery. I told them I wanted a new ISS, of course they gave me the run around, so I then asked to talk to a Supervisor at Chevy Service, He basically gave me the Company line. I asked them how many ISS's they had replaced on early build 2001 Impala's and they would not tell me. Their latest fix was to replace the CV boots. I am just afraid this thing will last about 1000 miles past the warranty and I will end up fixing it at my cost.
  • wyoimpwyoimp Member Posts: 87
    What was the difference in driving Rear Wheel Drive from Front Wheel Drive? How does this pertain to "Pursuit" driving?
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    that said "If you have to Jump a Curb...FAST... with a FWD Police Car, You will run over the engine with the rear wheels after the engine falls out"... I thought that was comical.... Don
  • herrdon1herrdon1 Member Posts: 9
    2001 Impals LS 3.8 L Build Date 10-2000. I had steering clunk problem, Dealer lubed Intermediate Steering Shaft. After this I still had a slight noise at times when moving slow and turning. They then replaced the CV Boots. I tried my best to get them to replace the steering shaft with no luck. The service manager at dealership said there was not a production steering shaft change at the beginning of the year 2001. They had been replacing the shafts and the same problem reoccured with the new shafts. He claimed Chevrolet has forbid them to install new shafts. He also claims they have been lubing them for two months now with no comebacks. I dont know if this is all baloney or not, but thought I would post it for whatever its worth to other Impals owners.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    It seems to me that if you were to drive with a dried out shaft, it will become damaged after a while. Re-lubing it would only give you a well-lubed, but still defective shaft. This may explain why it is still a little noisy.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    To be driving a car like it has a handicap, that stupid ISS and Cradle stuff runs thru my mind everytime I drive my Impala's, Would be nice to forget all of this crap....Don
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Well, then under those circumstances is better to get rid of the car. Even if the car is working perfectly, you'll always be bother by the toughts of these items failing to the point that you'll be imagining the noises.

    A car is an expensive purchase and it has to bring some enjoyment. If it no longer does that or your confidence has been eroded, then your best bet is to sell it and move on.

    Just a piece of advice, that's all.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    Yea, I understand, My Wife will be with me at the Dealership this Friday while Both cars are in...:) I hope she is in a Good mood while I persuade her to walk thru the rear lot with all of the new cars...and Trucks... Maybe I can lower my monthly payment and get a new car/truck? Will see.. I'm sure come Friday Evening I will still own the same 2 Impala's (Not a Bad Thing) But I can Dream! Don
  • scottintulsascottintulsa Member Posts: 2
    I have a similar problem and have been going round and round with the service department for months. I hear very distinct metallic cracks or pops when making turns at slow speed, especially when going downhill, and have felt that the front end was rather loose. They kept telling me that it was a frame or cradle problem, which I thought might be reasonable because it sounded like metal being stressed. But they kept telling me that there was nothing that could be done for it immediately and that "engineering was working on it." After three months I've decided that, if engineering is actually working on it, they must be taking an awful lot of coffee breaks. I finally managed to get things moving - a little - very slowly - when I started making noises about wanting to have the car repurchased. I'm now dealing with Chevy customer service, and that hasn't been very productive, either. Craigindc, if you're still monitoring this board, I'm just curious: Now that some time has elapsed, does it look to you as though the steering rack and intermediate shaft replacement has permanently solved your problem? And herrdon1, I'll be interested in reading what more you might discover about your problem. Thanks to both of you for the info.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Year, buid date and mileage of your car?
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Year, build date and mileage of your car?
  • scottintulsascottintulsa Member Posts: 2
    It's a 2001 model manufactured in November '00. It now has about 11,000 miles on it, but the problem became apparent very early on - at 3,000 miles or less. On our last service, they lubed the intermediate shaft per TAC, and that gave us some marginal relief from the sense that the front end was loose on uneven pavement or rough-surfaced roads. But it did nothing to alleviate the very audible metallic crack or pop on turning.
  • wwnfwwnf Member Posts: 40
    I have a 2000 Impala LS, (DUH) build 8/99


    I have had many repairs done to my car. Since I only have one chevy dealership close me, it sucks.


    Anyway I have had the insulators installed on the gas tank, the shim fix for the cradle, a new rack, new center caps, new wheel well inserts, and new front rotors installed by me since the dealership has no clue what quality is. Pending repairs are a left ball joint, right tie rod and a new ISS that will be lubricated via TSB.


    This latest repair will be paid by the extended warranty I bought last year.


    My advice is if you plan to keep your Impala beyond OEM warranty, buy an extended one!!!


    http://www.autowarrantyreviews.org/


    I love my Impala and someday we'll have everything replaced with good stuff.

  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    Took "Hooloo" to the dealer to get an estimate on fixing the dent/chip. $400 to $500!!!!!! Said they need to re-paint the entire hood and blend it into the front fenders. Not bloody likely!

    I'm going to find a place to fix the dent, then I'll try the paint stick/langka(?) approach. Unfortunately I'll have to wait for spring for the weather to be good enough to do this. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to protect this area through the rest of winter?
    Thanks!
    Brad
  • 96g1196g11 Member Posts: 88
    To answer the question of pursuit driving with a front wheel drive vs. rear wheel drive. First it must be understood that most of the vehicles I have had to pursue make a police car look like a moped when it comes to performance. That said, it is up to the officer to "out drive" the violator. Tactics and dynamic vehicle control are imperative. Officers must exercise "due regard" for the safety of the public while the violator obviously doesn't care.
    Rear wheel drive cars can be driven out of situations using throttle to "push" the car out of certain attitudes and the steering returns to neutral more easily.
    Front wheel drive cars "suffering from torque steer" must be "driven" out of the same situations. In a hard turn, letting go of the wheel and expecting the car to roll through the turn results in very interesting behavior to say the least, as the car will continue in the "last known direction. IE. sidewalks, curbs, etc.
  • roderacerroderacer Member Posts: 311
    I used to use a "rust pen". I forget who made it but basically it was a pen with rust prevention and sealing fluid inside. When the fluid came into contact with oxidized metal, it would turn black and chemically seal and treat the area. Even if there is no rust, a couple of coats of it should protect the Impala until the weather permits a repair. Inexpensive, fully paintable and can be found at any auto supply store.

    Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. You can definitely do better going elsewhere.

    Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK.
    RR
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    I'll have a look around for that stuff.
    Brad
  • roderacerroderacer Member Posts: 311
    If it helps, the brand I use has a black pen base and a red cap. WhHen you shake it, you can hear the mixing pellets inside.

    Steve
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    a small white bottle of "RUST Converter" it is near the Auto Paint and it is about $4 and it looks like Milk, Shake it up,and dab it on and in a few minutes it will dry and turn flat black it will convert rusted metal to Black primer and stop any further rust. I have used it before on other things and it works great, the same as the pen I geuss?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Can any of you learned individuals recommend a good rust remover? I want to get the rust off of the calipers on one of my cars. They look unsightly, especially with the new rotors.
    I'm removing them for boot and oring replacement, anyway, so it's a good time.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Which one? The Civic or Grand AM?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    I sold the Grand Am back in October. The calipers aren't visible on the Civic. I wouldn't really care if they were, anyway. :-)
    Isn't there some kind of jelly? Naval jelly, or something? I tried navel lint, but that didn't seem to work.
  • wyoimpwyoimp Member Posts: 87
    The stuff you guys are looking for is "Naval Jelly". It's a pink gel. It will remove rust, but the surface will be so clean that it will start to rust within an hour. So be ready to prime it after drying. For brakes and other high temp areas, use primers and paints that will withstand the heat. White vinegar will also prep a surface after removing light rust.

    Corrosion - Metal reverting back to its original state.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    turns the rust to black primer, I had a rust spot on an old Bonneville and put some on and it never got any worse, it seems to seal it too. Naval Jelly will do as you said. Don
  • night_owl1night_owl1 Member Posts: 760
    If you are going to take the caliper apart, you might want to investigate having it powder coated. It doesn't chip and is resistant to brake fluid.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Do they have Naval Jelly in auto parts stores, or do I have to make a trip to the dreaded Home Depot? (shudder)
    Once de-rusted, I think I'll just use high temp black enamel. It's only the outside of the caliper. There are no leaks, so no worry about fluid.
    Or, I may just coat it with oil or grease, to keep it from rusting again for a while.
    Right now, the rust just looks crappy on such an otherwise nice looking car. Although, it's behind the wheel, so not that noticable.
    On a similar note, when did painting an ugly mechanical part of a car, such as a brake caliper, bright red become fashionable? Why would someone want to bring attention to it? Are people going to start painting their tie rod ends and mufflers bright red as well?
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    After checking out Nathan's "how to" about Langka I decided to order some. When I got my order confirmation from Langka they referred me to...Nathan's site for instructions on how to use it!

    Nathan, your site really is amazing. Thanks for giving all of us a fantastic source for everything Impala.
    Brad
  • djdragandjdragan Member Posts: 3
    Hi,

    I have a 2001 Impala LS and I wanted to rotate my tires....but I have a small problem.

    My wheels have locks on them and I cannot remember if I ever received the lock nuts to take them off. My dealer told me usually Impalas do not have lock nuts on them. They tried all 20 lock nuts that they had, none of them worked. HELP!
  • don102don102 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2001 Impala LS with 16000 miles on it. I don't know if I have a problem yet because I am not taking it in to the dealer until Feb. 14th. But I am wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar to what I am experiencing. When I am pulling away from a stop sign or light and making a turn and the road happens to be rough, I can feel something through the steering wheel that feels like something is loose. If the road is smooth I don't feel it, nor do I ever feel anything on a rough road while going straight. I would like to get some input from other owners before I take the car in.

    Don
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Ruh Roh!

    Who wants to tell him about the steering shaft? Please form a single line, tallest first.
  • night_owl1night_owl1 Member Posts: 760
    Go to my page and look at the How-To section.


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

  • jerseylsjerseyls Member Posts: 2
    I recently had an oil change at my usual service center. The mechanic brought me out and pointed out a small coolant leak between the manifold and engine block. He stated that this is a very common problem for this particular engine and recommended I get it fixed as it would be a warranty item and my car has 30K miles (2001 LS). He mentioned that it would be an involved process because the dealer would have to take the entire top end of the engine off. I was just curious if anyone else had this problem and/or had it fixed?

    It was surprusing because the leak was hidden by that huge plastic "beauty" cover that all cars seem to have nowadays. I would recommend others to remove that cover and look for leaks.

    Thanks for any input,
    Jay
  • bcumminsbcummins Member Posts: 16
    I'm driving a 2000 Impala LS with auto transmission. I bought it with 28,000 miles on it and have only had some minor electrical issues. Now it has about 40K miles on it and it seems like it is hesitating to change gears. When I accelerate (even slowly) from a standstill, the engine revs but I don't get a gear change until after the expected timing. This seems to happen most noticeably between 1st and 2nd, and 2nd and 3rd. Sometimes I start rolling and the shifting kicks in and I spin my tires, just casually trying to ease thru an intersection. I feel like it happens worse when the car has been sitting for a while. My extent of auto repair experience is changing the wiper blades and checkin the tire pressure. Does anyone have a suspicion of what could be causing the problem? Any suggestions on price of such a repair or where I should take it for repairs?
    Thanks,
    Brian
    webbrian@yahoo.com
  • night_owl1night_owl1 Member Posts: 760
    Wow, first I heard about this one. I gotta check my car now.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    There has been a TSB issued for delayed shifting between 1st and 2nd, during cold weather. Apparently, there is a sticky solenoid that needs replacement.
  • jerseylsjerseyls Member Posts: 2
    I called into my local dealer to make a service appointment and mentioned that the mechanic said the coolant leak was a "common" problem with the 3.8L engine. The service manager replied "Well, not really COMMON, but it does happen." He said it will be a 1-1.5 day fix.

    I am also having some major ISS "clunk" and he commented that it may indeed be the ISS or a cradle shim issue, and that he would check both. That was reassuring. He also related that this was a more COMMON problem than the manifold leak in his service department.

    I guess it is all relative.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    The 3.8L V6 "Common" manifold leak???

    Sorry I don't buy it.

    I always heard that the 3400 V6 (Aluminum head) has a much, much greater tendency for manifol leaks, but the cast iron 3800???
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    http://tech.firebirdv6.com/3800history.html
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    OK, I have made searches at alldata.com and nhtsa.org to verify the *Mechanic* claims that the 3800 V6 was prone to "Manifold coolant leaks".

    Couldn't find any supporting record logs to that effect. I did searches for 2000 & 2001 Impala as well as other recent GM vehicles equipped with the 3800 in both N/A and Supercharged models...nothing.

    So in conclusion, I am afraid your *Mechanic* is full of it and he is obviously lying thru his teeth.

    I suggest to get a second opinion from a different mechanic.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    >>>So in conclusion, I am afraid your *Mechanic* is full of it and he is obviously lying thru his teeth.<<<
    Or, he's seen a few of 'em. His definition of "common" may be different from yours. He may see one a week, or one a month, but enough to think it "common". Perhaps, along the lines of the leaky battery condition that a few people have mentioned. Not ISS, Cradle, or Amplifier type of "common", but something that has cropped up from time to time with this engine at that dealership.
    It's a model of car, not a member of your family. Why always so protective of it's reputation?
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    I am not saying he hasn't have a real issue with the manifold leak in his engine. It can happen, unfortunately.

    I take issue with the mechanics' comment that all 3800 Series II V6 have manifold leaks...a lie. His comments are not supported by any available data in CR, NHTSA or any other source that tracks reliability.

    If that were the case, lots of newer 3800 Series II V6 equipped cars would be piling up in dealer's service bays with manifold intake leaks and other issues.

    If he has data that supports his statements, fine, so far they are ludicrous in context.

    Get off the line that I am defending the car. If your experience has been less than positive, I symphatize with you but it doesn't mean that everyone's else should be as bad as yours. My first car was very average, this one has been great. Again sorry to hear that your 2001 has been less than perfect. I still contend your dealership has been for the most part the cause of why you soured on your car. You have a bad incompetent dealer, a not so good car and a very unresponsive BBB arbitration board. I don't blame you, trust me.

    But, I take issue with "professional" individuals (Or they claim to be) that issue false statements such as this.

    If you have data that supports claims on frequent 3800 V6 manifold coolant leaks, please pass it along, I'll be very interested in seeing it.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    It has nothing to do with being happy or unhappy with my particular car. If a dealer mechanic says it's common, than he has obviously seen it on more than one occassion. Considering their usual response is "That's normal" or "There's nothing wrong", I would not assume he was lying. Quite the opposite. Especially since he has no real reason to lie about it. I figure it's better to err on the side of caution.

    You have to admit that you've been a little defensive about Impalas. Remember, not too long ago, when you were emphatically swearing that there is no longer an issue with the ISS for 2001 and later Impalas? ;-)
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    I still don't buy his statement.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    So far so good with my 2001 ISS Since the lube, I remember how it was that a few thought I was told a bunch of BS from the dealer pertaining to a 2001...But they said the clicks were the Cradle and nothing would be out for a few months to address that (wonder what will come of that?), IN my case the Lube took care of the clunk...Only thing now is the actual steering wheel can be moved ever so slightly left and right, it did this prior to the Lube and they didn't correct it during the Lube so it will be mentioned next oil change uhhhh Again.... Just like my Foglight on my LS that I told them was something in the wiring,(it was out but could come on by moving the plug/bulb) they said it was a "faulty connection at the plug"...they did something to get it come on.....and stay on when I pushed the button...but unfortunatly it worked for 1 day after the service and has been out for 2 weeks again..... Don
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