2006 Chevrolet Impala

ryster

"The noise I assume is the fuel pump is louder. I've had the seats down before and barely noticed it. It has been since the last service that it seems to have gotten louder. I think they changed the filter. For a while I heard the purge valve with it's loud 3-4 taps, but don't hear that anymore, although the mechanic said I should hear it all the time shortly after it is started. He didn't believe me that it had just begun after the servicing. Now it's gone again."

The '06+ Impalas do not actually have a fuel filter (at least not an easily serviceable one). GM has done away with fuel filters in a majority of their vehicles. GM assumes that if an owner uses a Top Tier fuel, the likelihood of sediment in the fuel is greatly reduced and therefore no filtration is needed. Plus, it is one less part they need on the car and they save money. There is a sock type filter associated with the fuel pump, but the only way to change it is to drop the fuel tank.

The fuel pump on my '06 whines sometimes, but it is sporadic. I hear 3 or 4 clicks from the rear of my car a few moments after I shut down, but never after it is started.

Incidentally, the OEM Goodyears on my Impala needed replacing at 26K miles. The new tires (General Altimax RT) are a vast improvement and have really improved the ride and noise level for me.

wbowl99

I went back and checked my receipt and see that they said no fuel filter needed. They do have 2 parts that I'm charged for with relation to the emission service. . . Element 3.410 and 3M Thrott MMM. One is the air filter; not sure what the other is.

Interesting that your 3-4 taps (sound is almost like someone knocking on a door) is different than mine. I hear them sometimes right after I start the car and sometimes after I park and shut it off. And, of course, right after I said it was gone, yesterday I heard it again right after I left work.

The second shop that went to told me that one of my problems is listening to people on the Internet instead of listening to them who were trained and knew the car and how it was supposed to work. I tried to take it in last Thurs and the adviser immediately got irritated with me because I suggested the vibration I feel might be because one of the tire that they balanced last time wasn't right. He insists it's because tires are never round and will always vibrate some, then told me he could charge me another $49, put it back on the machine and prove it. It escalated from there and I ended up leaving. I called another shop, but they refused to look at it.

wbowl99

After a tie-rod replacement, if the service bulletin calls for a front end alignment, does that mean a regular front end alignment?

The right outer tie rod went bad and they replaced it under warranty, but only set the toe in afterwards. I had seen someone else in a forum say theirs included a full front end alignment and looked up the service bulletin. When I questioned it because the bulletin said front end alignment, they said GM didn't allow enough reimbursed time to do a front end alignment and it really only meant a toe reset, not a full alignment. They also asked if I'd read the small print on the bulletin and saw where it was for trained mechanics and not for my use.

ryster

After my new tires were installed earlier this month, I noted a vibration and suspected it was related to the new tires. I had told myself I was going to get the new tires road force balanced, as opposed to spin balanced, but most of the shops around here that have the Hunter Road Force Balancers charge an excessive amount of money to balance. Upwards of $25-$30 PER TIRE. So I went with the traditional spin balancing. I now have over 500 miles on the new tires and they have smoothed out significantly. Nowhere near as much vibration as when I left the tire shop.

It is a shame that the shop is so quick to discount the knowledge that can be obtained via the 'net. Sometimes we know more about our cars than the shops do, simply because we have access to the experiences of thousands of owners of the same vehicle. Also upsetting is a shop that flat-out refuses service business. That shop is either really busy and didn't want to take on another appointment, or they are a poorly run shop that just doesn't care.

The shop that did the balance the first time should have no issues checking the balance of the tires simply as a courtesy and to ensure the work was properly done the first time. Charging $49 to check their own work is unacceptable.

ryster

Anytime front-end work is done on a vehicle, and suspension components are replaced, a complete alignment should be done. The suspension geometry is likely to be knocked out of spec when this type of work is done.

In my opinion, if the service bulletin says "front end alignment", that doesn't mean set the toe and get the car done. It means make sure the front alignment is to spec.

The fact that they claim GM does not allow enough time for a full front-end alignment is not the customer's concern. That is the dealer's problem. The dealer should fix the vehicle such that it meets factory spec. Any less, and they are not doing their job. Apparently a "trained mechanic" is taught to interpret the phrase "front end alignment" as "set toe in after installing tie rod". Interesting.

imidazol97

>also asked if I'd read the small print on the bulletin and saw where it was for trained mechanics and not for my use.

There would have been a loud bomb sound from me exploding on that comment. I'd have been talking to the manager and asking why their mechanics are so poor on customer relations. If GM didn't want those to be public knowledge, they would keep them secret as did/do a a few other companies. They can check all the settings on the front end easily after installing the wheel units for toe-in. The rears require adding those snapons.

wbowl99

I didn't expect them to do a 4-wheel alignment. I'd have even paid extra to get a 4-wheel, but they didn't even do a full front-end alignment. I took it to the shop that does suspension, brake and alignment work on my older cars and had them do a 4-wheel alignment. They had to put the calipers on so they could do all 4 and found both the front and back "way out" of alignment. No wonder my tires were eaten up at 20,000 miles. Interesting, too, since a different dealership said I didn't need an alignment prior to the tie-rod problem.

wbowl99

Oh, it just keeps getting better. When the new dealership refused to work on my car last week, I called the GM customer service line. They assigned a technical specialist to work with me on it. She said she had to investigate and, of course, would have to talk with the district manager (same one that was such a jerk before and through the BBB arbitration).She just told me that the district manager said that I'd been to two dealerships and they could not find anything wrong with my car and that the dealers could not continue to look at them. I told her that some of the issues I need looked at were fixed but have now recurred and she said they could not look at them. I asked about new ones and she just repeated what she had been told. So, I asked if that meant I couldn't take my car in for service and she said that was what she was told.

So, if I can't take it to a dealership to have issues looked at, how am I supposed to get them taken care of? Besides the recurring issues, new issues are I think the rotors are warpping, the exhaust has begun to rattle and I have the chirpping/cheeping noise somewhere in the back, possibly in a wheel and apparently I can't have it checked at a dealer.

Sound like they are unwilling to honor their warranty??? And I have a GM extended warranty as well. Guess that's going to be useless, too, unless something big blows up!!!

ladyz

I have come to the conclusion that GM is not an honorable company. When deciding to purchase my 06 Impala back in Aug 07, the mechanic I used at that time said go for it. He highly recommended the purchase and said GM was a good company. After purchasing the car, I had to take it back to dealership I can't tell you how many times to resolve a service light issue regarding the tire pressure monitor system, but 6 mos later and after I told them what was apparently the problem and insisted they replace all tire sensors (which by the way did solve the problem), I wrote a ltr to GM with copy going to Chevy and dealership with my complaints. I have not had one response. That alone tells me they don't care. I've bought the car and that's all they care about. Selling the car but to hell with customer service. I like this car but it was the worst car buying experience I have ever had and most likely will go back to Mazdas and the dealer I bought them from.

ryster

If GM and its franchise dealers are flat-out refusing to honor the warranty, it may be time to contact a lawyer and see about filing a "Breach of Warranty" lawsuit. Many Lemon Law attorneys will handle "Breach of Warranty" cases. May be worth a phone call to one at the very least.

The only way warranty service can be denied is if the problem was a result of a modification that the owner did...and even then the burden is on the dealership/manufacturer to prove that something the owner did directly caused the warranted component to fail.

This type of behavior from GM is simply unacceptable.

ryster

I would not go so far to accuse GM of not being honorable. Unfortunately the majority of our interaction with a company is by way of their dealers. A bad dealer can make ownership very difficult, whereas a good dealer can make ownership a breeze.

GM has issued a couple of Technical Service Bulletins related to the TPMS on the Impalas. The dealer you worked with should have looked at these right away when you brought the car in.

I know that at the dealer I go to, when you drop your car off for service the first thing they do is run the VIN# through the database to check for recalls and service bulletins. They then print them out and attach them to the repair order for the mechanic to reference.

I deal with 2 dealers for service (one close to work, and one close to home) and both have been very good.

Whenever I have questions concerning a vehicle, or issues, I usually call the manufacturer's Customer Service line and make myself a nuisance to them

wbowl99

Yes, I had already been working with a Lemon Law attorney to try to resolve the BBB decision that was not within the Tennessee Lemon Law. I called him and he immediately contacted GM's attorney who said he would check into it and find out why I was being told this.

I called GM customer service a week ago and it took until yesterday to get an answer. None of them seemed to want to tell me what my GM extended warranty I bought would continue to cover. They also did not want to answer what the front end alignment included when replacing the tie rod. They kept saying they couldn't tell me; it was up to the dealerships.

I can't help but think that a lot of it has to do with the district manager since he refused before going to the BBB to make a final attempt to repair some of the items that were later repaired by the second dealership. He's the one that is now telling them to tell me I can't take it in.

priggly

Well, I consider, based on my positive experience, that GM is indeed an honorable company which builds fine automobiles which are improving in quality all the time. I have utterly no complaints about my 2006 Impala SS which is an excellent car which I greatly enjoy driving. I wouldn't touch a Mazda with a ten foot pole.

imidazol97

>I can't help but think that a lot of it has to do with the district manager since he refused before going to the BBB to make a final attempt to repair some of the items that were later repaired by the second dealership. He's the one that is now telling them to tell me I can't take it in.

Are you allowed to post the dealer name? The district manager?

ryster

I would agree that it sounds like the District Manager is the source of your difficulty.

If you aren't "allowed" to take the car in for service, how will you ever know if something that doesn't seem right needs to actually be fixed? A consumer is entitled to all benefits due to them under the terms of the warranty. One person [a District Manager] should not have the authority to override the terms of a warranty, which is essentially a written contract/agreement. If GM intends to cancel your warranty, they should provide you advance written notice of their intent to do so and the cause of such cancellation. Additionally, you should be reimbursed for the remaining term left on the extended warranty you purchased.

This whole situation just does not seem right.

wbowl99

I don't know. At this point I would hestitate to do so in case it should be seen or brought to their attention and jepordize my case. I'm sure you understand.

wbowl99

I'm not sure they can refuse to honor the warranty even if they gave me writting notice. I'd have to read my warranty again to see if it has a clause that allows this. Also, between the lemon laws, Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the UCC the consumer is supposed to be protected from a breach of warranty.

As far as paying me for the reminder of my extended warranty, I haven't used any of it yet since my original warranty just ran out. However, since I bought it when I purchased the car, they will consider it almost 1/2 used because it runs concurrently with the new car warranty. That hurts, but if you wait it costs a lot more and I got the major guard, zero deductible for less than usual. And, again, I'm not sure they can cancel my extended warranty.

ryster

Unfortunately there is a provision in the GMPP Major Guard extended warranty that states the following:

"WE may cancel this Agreement in the event the charge for YOUR Agreement has not been paid, the odometer has been
disconnected or altered, the New Vehicle Limited or Powertrain Warranty has been canceled or voided, or if there is a
material misrepresentation on the Contract Registration. If WE cancel, YOU will not be charged an administration fee. If
YOUR VEHICLE is a total loss or repossessed, YOUR cancellation rights under this Agreement will transfer to the
Lienholder, if any.

This indicates there may be a provision in the standard warranty that allows for it to be canceled as well.

Several years ago I purchased a Chevy Camaro, and opted for the GMPP Major Guard as well. About 10 months into ownership, I decided to cancel the GMPP. Since my car was financed with GMAC, they simply deducted the prorated refund from my loan balance and reduced my monthly payment accordingly. It amounted to something like $800.00.

The remedies you indicate are beneficial when you have a breach of warranty claim, but they do not proactively prevent a breach of warranty from occurring. Additionally, GMPP's are designated as service contracts which are not covered by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act.

jccinoh

2007 LTZ - 18 months old, 12000 miles getting 22.1 MPG (city/interstate) combined...

wbowl99

Thanks, Ryster. Forgot that the Magnuson-Moss did not apply to the extended warranty, but I'm sure that not honoring a service that you sold is covered under some law. And I have not been notified that they were cancelling either of the warranties although they are not honoring either. They verbally said I cannot take it in for issues already reported and looked at, or new issues that came up even before the original warranty expired or now.

They said they logged the issues and they would be covered if it proved that they were defective. A lot of good that will do if I can't take it to their service depts for the work to see if it is defective. They are not going to accept an independent mechanic's word.

I haven't done anything to void either warranty. No modifications, no accidents. It is financed through GMAC and haven't missed or been late on any payments. It all has to do with the district mgr being the one that I had to deal with through the BBB process. The GM attorney is now saying that they should honor the replacement without a mileage offset as our Lemon Law says. They supposedly are trying to find a new 2007 model still hanging around somewhere with similar features. I'm sure he is not happy about that. We'll see if they come through. They say it will take time, but I'm sure if I wanted to buy one they would know pretty quickly if they had one.

gocasskings

My car is history as far as I am concerned. It has a new owner and I have a new Impala which I have loved from the minute I drove it. AHHHHH! That was never the case with the LTZ. It was in the shop at 305 miles.

I did recently find out though that my problem was the (idle arm???) or something mechanically named like that. That would have been at 35,000 miles. I do hope that the wonderful person buying it has more love for it than I did.

I truly appreciate all of you helping me through these past two years. There are times that I think I would have lost my mind had I not read some of the same problems on this site.

One thing that was accomplished with that car was that the service managers learned to listen to what I had to say.

ladyz

I have an '06 Impala I purchased back in 08/07. Passenger sunvisor has "fallen". It will not stay up any more. I have bobbed my head on it a time or 2 now because it won't stay up any more. Any ideas how to possibly fix without having to purchase brand new one. I am most disappointed that this has happened and the car is only 2006. This happened in my Mazda but my Mazda was 13 yrs old!

wbowl99

I have an '06 and my driver's side visor is loose if you push it toward the windshield instead of straight down. It will drop back down some. It does hold when pushed all the way to the ceiling out of the way. I don't see any way to tighten it, though. My rearview mirror was loose, but service tightened it the last time I was allowed to take it in.

the_big_al

Hey! First off I just want to say I feel for you in your dilema. I deal with these types of things everyday. But having said that, the '06 Impala is a brand new model with new engines (the 5.3 excepted, but it is a new configuration and a new use for it). There are bound to be bugs and hicups to be worked out. I wouldn't fret too much over it. I know the inconvenience of having to deal with a rental (I went through 3 rentals over 3 months while my truck was in the shop). I would hope that the dealer treats you right and works out the problem. At least you have a car to drive and can get around.

the_big_al

This is my first time here and so I have decided to make a comment ... I just bought an 04 (well several months ago) Impala after several months of research. I think I should have waited. From what I read and from what I have seen this new Impala stands to blow the old model clean out of the water. The current one I have now is a great car no doubt, but I am really liking what I see in terms of new motor choices and options. I bougt a base model Impala so it only has the 3.4 motor, but it gets great gas milage and has room to boot on the inside. But give me a few years and then they will come back out with a rear drive Holden based sedan and then I will trade in my Impala for that. The days of rear drive cars!

wbowl99

Those of you who have had the flex fuel recall fix done, did you notice a drop in mpg after the fix when using gasoline and not E85? I am getting a couple miles less a gallon now and it seems to have been since the fix. I saw a couple of people on a different site say they thought it reduced their regular mph as well.

quietpro

I'm not sure...possibly it's just timing. I didn't have a fix performed but noticed recently that my mileage has dropped a little. It then occurred to me that we are probably running the summer blend of fuel that uses more ethanol...and results with lower mileage.

I drive an SS that's gas only and I'm having the same problem...so it may be the fuel.

cnw

Wanda, Ron,
I took my car in for an oil change some time ago and they performed this update without asking. I was a bit frustrated, to say the least, but removing it would potentially cause problems so I left it alone. Anyway, I have not noticed any difference in gas mileage or performance. Hope all is going well with you. I have looked several times at the 50th LT Impala; it's a trim and suspension package on a 2LT. Just can't justify the trade of a car at this point. Clark

quietpro

I'm doing well although I am a bit concerned that my tie rods may be failing. Did someone post that there was a TSB for them? Do you know if TSBs are valid AFTER the 3/36 warranty has run out? I took my car in for alignment issues and was told all was well but I definitely have something going on in the front. I still haven't managed to get it off the ground to check for myself.

Any info on a tie rod TSB would be great. Thanks all!

Ron

cnw

Ron, I don't have any personal experience with TSBs, so I can't state for certain. However, it seems to me if it is acknowledged as a problem sufficient to warrant a TSB, it would apply to all vehicles regardless of mileage or age. I can't recall anything regarding an acknowledged tie rod problem on our model years; I don't recall there being a TSB. I do recall several folks stating that they had loose handling and tire wear--both of which indicate to me that there are issues with tie rods or 'ball-joint" equivalents in the front end. McPherson struts have an equivalent rotating bearing that can wear and get sloppy. Good luck and keep us posted. Clark

quietpro

I researched this and found the latest TSB regarding front suspension. It's TSB# 060232009 but I couldn't find the details of it. It is applicable to many GM models and may simply be a diagnostic guide to the service techs to help them determine the causes of various complaints. Since it does single out certain vehicles, it may indicate that we are prone to problems. I'll try to get some information from a dealer and report back with anything I can find out. If anyone out there has access to TSBs, please feel free to post what you can find.

Thanks again, all...

Ron

wbowl99

I still think I have something going on with the supension too, but when I had it checked they said it was fine and then refused to let me bring it back for another look. I had a rotation done last oil change and an alignment not too long before that, but my tires are showing some wear on the outside edges again. Just recently there seemed to be a little wobble when I turned sharp to the left. I had a tie rod replaced earlier in the year. I'm wondering if the other one is going bad now.

The tire wear may be due to lower air in the tires. When they checked the suspension they said the rougher ride when hitting uneven pavement and such was because there was too much air in the tire and said that I was not supposed to have over 30 lbs in the tires. They lowered my pressures to 30, but it didn't help the ride.

ryster

Technical Service Bulletins are issued by manufacturers, and used by dealers, to address known issues that might arise in a particular model. TSBs also offer more detailed, or even revised, repair procedures than those in the standard repair manual. If the problem comes up while the vehicle is under warranty, it will be covered under warranty. However, just because a TSB is issued doesn't mean the problem will be fixed for free once the warranty ends.

For example, if the tie-rods go bad during the 3/36 warranty, the dealer will fix the issue using the procedure outlined in the TSB. If the tie-rods go bad after the 3/36, the dealer still uses the TSB for the proper repair procedure but it will not be covered under warranty.

Once the 3/36 expires, the only things that are typically fixed for free are official recalls for a severe mechanical or safety concern. Some manufacturers also allow warranty repairs for concerns that were documented prior to the expiration of the warranty but were not completely resolved at the time. TSB's are very different from recalls. The best way to think of TSBs are as supplements to the standard repair manual.

quietpro

That explains it very well. Thanks for the clarification. My service rep said she would annotate my unresolved (to my satisfaction) issues in my service record. I'm now a couple thousand miles outside of my warranty but I may give it one more shot. I think the only way I can get them to realize how poorly my car handles is to take them on the roads I'm very familiar with (bumps/banks/etc). Whether or not the service mgr will be willing to take the time is another story.

vanman1

GM Canada just started 0%-72 months in addition to a $1250 price adjustment and government $1000 flex fuel grant so I am considering a 08 LTZ.

Does anyone out there have an 08 LTZ flex fuel and if so, how do you like it? THX

cnw

Ryster--Thanks for the clarification. Obviously I was confusing recalls and TSBs. I appreciate you clearing it up. Clark

whtchpl88

hello friends.....a student of car repair pointed this seemingly OBVIOUS solution to the mystery by only me telling him what was happening and how the engine was mounted(transversely or otherwise). Pure heat, he said. Damn thing is not getting enough air to cool it, because 4 out of 8 cylinders are BLOCKED from the air flow. A basic design flaw is what it boils down to.....it is literally boiling away a quart of oil in 2000 miles or more.

coolafman

Have you gotten any fix for the LOUD turn signal noise issue?
I have a 07 Impala and have had the same issue. Occasionally I also hear a rapid clicking like a priming diesel engine pump that only comes through when the radio is on.
I have taken it to the dealer and they couldn't find anything wrong...they want me to take it back to them when the problem is going on.

cdnone

HI...the car is back at the dealership yet again as we speak. They have engineers down from Ontario,,,, presume not just for my car. They have seen my car when it is malfunctioning but still problem persists. I get car back after a couple more days there and a week later issue happens. Last time I had someone call me on my onstar phone....they can hear me...but I can only make out muffled sounds from the drivers door speaker. The only way I knew the phone rang was from radio display...couldn't hear the ring. I will post here when and if the issue gets resolved...

priggly

Just returned from a 2,800 mile trip, average speed 76 mph, all interstate driving, A/C on all the way - 25.8 mpg. The car performed flawlessly and is a super long distance cruiser. Very, very pleased.

white6

No offense, but this isn't an air-cooled engine. Engine cooling is provided by coolant circulated through the engine and then disipated through the radiator.

Not to mention the fact that if this were the case, anything other than an inline engine would suffer same "design flaw" (i.e. any vehicle with a transverse-mounted V6 would have the same problem).

wesleyg

If I remember correctly you have an SS also? I visited a buddy in S. Carolina 3 months ago with my 06 SS and traveled about 1500 round trip, all interstate. No air, average around your speed and could only get 23.2 MPG just steady cruising but I guess that may just be a difference in the individual cars. I do agree though that it is a very comfortable cruiser, when you need to pass, it's gone.

Very comfortable easy cruising machine.

priggly

Yes, I have an '06 SS. I was actually quite impressed with the mileage. Excellent car.

carl10219

You do realize the SS has a 6 quart oil pan also the one dealer i went to put 6 quarts in said it still wasn't full and added another half quart i didn't go back there . I use mobil one change oil every 5,000 miles no problems.

carl10219

I also have a 2006 SS went to visit our son average speed 70 mph got 26.8 mpg it probably would have been better if the last 60 miles wasn't all hills so far very happy with this car.

wesleyg

just had a thought, you and Priggly are getting about 4 MPG more than me which is substantial, I use 93 octane always, could either of you be using a different octane and maybe that is a factor? About the only thing I can think of that may be a difference.

jeberle

Doing everyday driving to and from the office (10 miles one way) mixed with weekly trips of around 150 miles each , I'm getting 25 MPG. On extended trips of several hundred miles, I get upwards of 30 using regular gas driving 70-75 MPH

wesleyg

the most important question I have is this with an SS, the V-8 engine, since that is what the 3 of us have?

jeberle

No, it is an LTZ with the 3.9

jeberle

I'm getting close to 50,000 miles and my tires are getting close to needing replacement. Any suggestions on what to get? I live in Wisconsin so I need some decent tread for th winter.

Thanks