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2008 Chevrolet Malibu

southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Chevrolet
Recently purchased 08 Malibu LZT and on the 1st cold morning remote start the engine made a horrific knocking noise, as if the lifters were stuck, or oil not circulating. This is not a problem with regular key start, or after the engine is warmed up. I called the dealership and they said they would check for any new bulletins on this subject. Are there any other new 08 owners with this issue?

Comments

  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Hmm, that's really, really weird. It would still do that if you had done a key start FIRST, too, so it must be something that just happens when it's really cold and has sat.

    The only noise I've ever experienced was a very, very slight ticking when cold at first start in both an '07 Malibu with the 2.2L I had for a rental and a little bit in the same situation in mom's new '08 Malibu with the 2.4L.

    Hopefully, if you can leave the car at the dealer overnight, the service department would be able to re-create the sound when they go out in the morning and start it up. That's what I would recommend, or expect to go most productively.
  • southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
    Thinking that's what we will have to do. unfortunately the dealership is out of town, and it could be a couple more week before we can make a trip up there. So......hopefully I can be patient till then. Thanks for your input.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    No closer dealer, or just prefer to go to the original one?

    It really shouldn't be a huge problem, as often at start up with a variety of cars you will hear some noises when it's VERY cold out...but I can understand how what you described is very worrying, still.

    Hopefully it's just a minor thing, or even detectable to a dealer, whatever is going on.
  • southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
    We've been dealing w/this dealership for years and they haven't steered us wrong (yet). Did talk to the maintenance super, who advised wait for the 1st oil change, but I have my doubts. So......I'll wait for another 2k miles, but in the meanwhile I think I'll try to find time to take it somewhere more local for a 2nd opinion. Never had a car w/remote start before and with 20 degree mornings I was really looking forward to using it. At least the seat warmers make the ride nice and toasty. hee hee
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Again, I'd refrain from describing it as a "remote start issue".

    Moreso, this is something that happens on the first start (of ANY kind) after a cold night sit. If you walked out and fired it up with the key first, it would be the same way, and the remote feature has zero to do with it.

    I'd still get it checked out, but be careful in how I describe it--a noise with the first start of the day after sitting overnight in the cold, point blank, and nothing more.

    Remote start is still great for warming things up...hopefully your sound is just something easily fixed, not an issue, etc. How cold is it, anyway, where you're at, on these cold mornings?
  • lostwrenchlostwrench Member Posts: 288
    I agree. The remote feature had nothing to do with it.
  • southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
    I refer to it as remote start problem because the knocking does not occur when key started even on the 1st start. We're taking it to dealership tomorrow (Fri), let the car sit in their parking lot overnight, and will be there 1st thing in the morning (Sat), so we can start it in front of the mechanic. (Watch it work fine. Ha ha). Yes it's cold. 19 this morning and snowing right now.
    Thanks for your input. It's very helpful
  • southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
    This is an update to a posting I made back in Jan. about horrible noise when using remote start on 08 Malibu LTZ. Turns out it was stripped bolts in the torque converter. Dealership is replacing tc, we should have car back tomorrow. Hope this fixes it. Also had probs w/driverside front speaker cutting out. That appearantly was a pinched wire somewhere. Less than 2k miles on the car. Better NOT be anymore problems.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    Does buying an extended warranty make economic sense considering the purported quality improvement in the 2008 Malibu?

    We just received an "invitation" to purchase a GM Protection plan that would extend the basic manufacturers' warranty.

    Here are the details of the two plans they offered although other terms are available online at http://www.gmpponline.com

    Plan A
    5 Years/100,000 miles:
    $1,390 with $200 deductible
    $1,550 with $100 deductible
    $1,730 with $0 deductible

    Plan B
    5 Years/75,000 miles
    $990 with $200 deductible
    $1,140 with $100 deductible
    $1,350 with $0 deductible

    To scare you into buying these plans they show the representative costs for typical repairs:
    Air conditioning compressor................$1,198
    Sunroof module /assembly..................$1,214
    Fuel tank..............................................$1,044
    Steering column assembly...................$ 927
    Radiator...............................................$ 840

    Since we intend to drive the car for at least 7 years there is a strong argument for purchasing the warranty.

    What do you boardies think. Should we buy the GM warranty or should we pass at this time?
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    its nothing more than an insurance policy...you are betting you will need it and the company is betting you will not use it....shop around and you will find better deals on the GMPP plan as well....google it and you will be amazed at the number of GM dealers that will sell you the same plan at a much reduced rate that you see in your ad.

    with the current warranty on the drive train......the rest of the mechanics is what you are betting will fail..the other consideration is how long do you intend to keep the car and how much you drive mileage wise
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    Basically I agree with you that a warranty is essentially an insurance policy. So one should insure against risk he is unwilling or unable to tolerate. The amount one is willing to pay for that insurance depends on the 'real' risk and not the perceived risk so that's where quality and reliability issues come in.

    Most everyone agrees that the 2008 Malibu's quality is significantly better than the prior model(s) but the compressor in our new Malibu failed upon first use. The dealership said the unit was defective and replaced it under warranty. Therefore, this experience leaves me less confident and more likely to buy the warranty even though I know it is not likely to payoff economically. I read somewhere online that for every $1,000 spent to purchase a warranty only $250 is recovered in claims. That's a high price to pay for peace of mind though....which reminds me of the old Fram TV commercial, pay me now or pay me later.
  • bryanbryan Member Posts: 198
    http://www.gmoutlet.com/quote/emailserver/majorguard/mgn_email2008.htm
    This link takes you to the Black Pontiac Cadillac extended warranty page. They will sell GMPP warranties at substantial discounts. I got this from post #2218 in the Extended Warranties thread on the Smart Shopper board. It's easy to follow; 08 Malibu is a Class B; go to Class B Table and choose what works for you.

    When I went through finance, the guy tried to sell me a non-GM extended warranty for $1700. After I had a great laugh, he then quoted me the GMPP extended warranty (72 months, 60,000 miles) for $1270. That's when I pulled out the full print out from the Black Pontiac site, and said this discounted price is the price I'm willing to pay, or I'll just get it through them. He agreed to match it.

    So, I ended up with an extended the warranty on my 08 Malibu to 6 years, 60K miles, NO deductible for $835 through my selling dealer. I think you can contact Black Pontiac directly and add the extended warranty after the sale depending upon how old a vehicle is and what the mileage is. Definitely worth looking at.

    Hope this helps you--using the Edmunds automotive forums saved me $435!
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    I have purchased several GMPP Major Guard plans with $0 deductible from Blacks Pontiac. I do it for peace of mind, since I keep my cars for 6-7 years and you never know what can go wrong. If car is kept overnight for a warranty repair or it will take more than 2 hrs to complete a covered repair, the GMPP covers the cost of a rental car (if your dealer does not have loaner cars). This is good if you have to go to work and can't take time off to get your car fixed. You also get roadside assistance until the GMPP expires. If you sell the car before the GMPP expires, the time left on the GMPP can be transferred to new owner. A good selling point.

    I just fill out the form, printed it out and mail it to Blacks with a check. They usually give you another $50 dollars off of the discounted price at the bottom of the form. They charge a processing fee if you pay by credit card.

    The other thing dealers try to tell you is that you have to purchase right away or else the price is more. You can purchase a GMPP plan any time during the 3 yr/36k mi basic warranty. The price does go up after 12 mo/12k miles. Then after 12 mo, the price increases again at 24k.

    Also, the clock starts ticking on the GMPP on the date and mileage you purchase it. So to get the best value, it pays to wait until just before 12 mo or 12k miles to purchase it at the new car prices. You basically then get an extra year/12k miles of coverage for the same price , which you would not get if you purchase it at the same time you purchased the vehicle. When you fill out the form for Blacks you just tell them your current months and miles since new. They use honor system and don't check what you put on the form.

    Blacks usually sets their prices once a year in October. So if you purchase from them after October, the price may be higher. Another thing to consider when timing your purchase.

    For the two plans your dealer quoted, the Black's price from their cost sheet is
    For 5/100/$0, $1155, a savings of $575. For 5/75/$0, $825, a savings of $525. You save another $50 if they give that discount on the form.

    Good Luck with your car, no matter what you decide to do regarding a GMPP.

    I have an 06 Malibu Maxx.
  • wlbrown9wlbrown9 Member Posts: 867
    One other thing about buying from Black's or another of the discount GMPP dealers. In many cases if you purchase out of state, you do not pay sales tax. Example, in Tennessee I pay 9.25% sales tax on the purchase even if the dealer matches the price. So, buying locally a $1000 GMPP would cost me $1092.50 with the added tax. If I bought it from an out of state dealer that does not charge sales tax it would cost me $1000. IIRC Black's is in Penn.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    we too purchased an extended plan for out 06 Pontiac Solstice.....best prices around from Blacks...easy to deal with....all over the phone... and received the documentationw within a few days....
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
    I spoke with a GMPP representative last Thursday and he was convinced that the reason Black's warranty price is so low is because it not the real GMPP. What gives!

    Can anybody confirm that? And when it comes to filing a claim has Blacks honored the warranty without hassles?
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    and what GMPP rep did you talk too..was it at a dealership......we havent had to use it..but Blacks doest honor it....your servicing dealership does.....and it is a GM GMPP insurance card that is issued.....the reason the prices are so low is that other dealers jack up the prices so high....and Blacks sells by the volume....it is a legtimate GMPP plan
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    That's actually a damn good question...

    After I got my warranty from Black's, I did two things:

    1. I tried to figure out, using GMPP's online site, if that was the
    true GMPP plan.

    Sadly, I came to the conclusion that it was likelier a "non-true"
    GMPP plan, whatever that meant.

    The card and brochure artfully mimic the genuine plan's docs -- but
    they are not identical to the genuine ones (I don't remember how.)

    2. I showed the card and brochure to my dealer and he said it was "the
    plan" -- but it was not that car's service visit, so they really
    didn't look into it in earnest.

    So, I don't know: I hope Black sold me what I thought was the GMPP
    plan, but I am not sure. I'd love to hear from somebody who did try
    to use a Black-purchased plan for a real repair.

    Anybody?
  • busirisbusiris Member Posts: 3,490
    That's actually a damn good question...

    After I got my warranty from Black's, I did two things:

    1. I tried to figure out, using GMPP's online site, if that was the
    true GMPP plan.

    Sadly, I came to the conclusion that it was likelier a "non-true"
    GMPP plan, whatever that meant.

    The card and brochure artfully mimic the genuine plan's docs -- but
    they are not identical to the genuine ones (I don't remember how.)

    2. I showed the card and brochure to my dealer and he said it was "the
    plan" -- but it was not that car's service visit, so they really
    didn't look into it in earnest.

    So, I don't know: I hope Black sold me what I thought was the GMPP
    plan, but I am not sure. I'd love to hear from somebody who did try
    to use a Black-purchased plan for a real repair.


    I know nothing about these plans, but I do know something about the legal aspects.

    I would ask these questions...

    Exactly how is the plan presented? Is the documentation the same as the GM plan's documentation? What does the contract say?

    These questions should all be answered in the documentation you received, If it is different, and the documentation provided with the plan states that it is different...you are probably screwed.

    However, if the sales agent is representing it as the GM plan, and providing original GM documentation, then the dealer is in for a bout of lawsuits, which he will eventually lose.

    In my experience, I can't imaging a dealer would be dumb enough to sell bogus labeled extended warranties through his dealership. He might, however, have a different company selling them under an "umbrella" arrangement, which he can close up at the first sign of problems.

    I would be highly surprised for that to be the case, but things like that have been know to happen.

    So, to summarize...examine the documentation. If it isn't crystal clear that it is a GM policy, more than likely you have purchased a "knock-off" policy...ie.,you have been flim-flammed...

    Good Luck!
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    I would be highly surprised for that to be the case, but things
    like that have been know to happen.

    So, to summarize...examine the documentation. If it isn't crystal
    clear that it is a GM policy, more than likely you have purchased a
    "knock-off" policy...ie.,you have been flim-flammed...


    Thanks... As I said, examining the documentation left me with mixed
    feelings, when I did it back in May.

    Of course, I searched Web for any red flags and couldn't see any --
    BBB was positive on Black's.

    At the time, I found some site where one could enter the GMPP plan number,
    from the card -- and it didn't accept mine. That was discomforting,
    but I can't find that site now and repeat the experiment.

    Just looked at the agreement text again, and compared it with what's
    available online -- no reasons to worry from that.

    But it would be helpful to hear from somebody who actually used the
    coverage -- i.e. purchased at Black, used elsewhere.

    I am 99% sure everything is all right, but getting rid of the
    remaining one percent wouldn't hurt :-)
  • 08malibu08malibu Member Posts: 2
    Hey there southpaw....so I just bought a 2008 Chevy Malibu 2LT with 6 cylinder engine, had the exact same problem you described with the noise during remote starting. It was about 40 degrees this morning here in Boston, started the car with the remote start, went outside and noticed an awful sound from the engine. It was like a loud vibration that stopped as soon as I put the key in the ignition. The car only has 480 miles on it. I started the car several times during the day when the air temp was in the 50's and wasnt as noticeable but was still heard. Very aggravating already, had the car for a week....back to Best Chevy in Hingham. Hopefully this will be the last time except for maintenence. Will update when I find out what the problem is.
  • southpaw412southpaw412 Member Posts: 6
    I understand your frustration w/having to return a new car for troublesome issues. I'm happy to say, that we have had no more problems since replacing the torque converter.(major repair) I'd just advise that you be persistent until you get the problems fixed. At first the dealership told us it was a 'breaking in' period. Good luck.
    SP
  • 08malibu08malibu Member Posts: 2
    Hey southpaw, so yeah I brought the car back to the dealership, they heard the noise and said they didn't know what it was. They (Best Chevy, Hingham, MA) showed me a memo from GM regarding 2008 Malibu's and remote start issues. The memo said, like your posting, that the torque converter bolts could be either missing or stripped. The dealership assured me the bolts were not stripped and the TC looked fine. Ironically, the morning I took the vehicle back to the dealership I found a 2 inch bolt on the engine block. All this, needless to say does not give me a warm and tingly feeling about buying this vehicle. They said, they believe the noise to be nornal....like I said, it's like a vibration noise that goes away as soon as I put the key in the ignition. So, thats where I am. I have a new car, which I haven't even made my first payment on and it makes a noise when the remote starter is engaged. Sorry to babble on, if anyone is interested in seeing the memo from GM, just let me know and I can forward it on....maybe it could help someone out.
  • MartypaMartypa Member Posts: 50
    I purchased an 08 2LT in May. My father worked for GM so I got the employee price. The F&I guy wanted to give me a "deal" on a 5 yr, 75k GMPP extended warranty for $1400.00. After I laughed out loud he came down to $1000.00. I told him I would give him 50.00 over his price and he countered with 75, so I purchased it....for around $750.00 if I recall. I made him show me his price book.

    Ironically, the day after purchase I compared the GM employee price I received on the website, gmfamilyfirst.com, with the price the dealer charged me which was, surprisingly, $300.00 higher. It was fixed when I brought it to the attention of the dealer, with no explanation.
  • bubby_wubbybubby_wubby Member Posts: 3
    I know it has been a little while since anyone has posted here but i would be interested in seeing the bulletin. I have a 08 LTZ and also notice a weird noise when the remote start is on. The noise goes away just like yours when key is turned on. I do not have any problems with cold start rather then the power steering fluid whinning but that is because it is -50 here when that happens. But know other cold start problems and i think i have probably one of the coldest areas malibu seels in.
  • mfignewtonmfignewton Member Posts: 1
    I would also like to see the bullentin from gm.
  • bwiabwia Member Posts: 2,913
  • e_net_ridere_net_rider Member Posts: 1,380
    Tax laws also vary by state. Many states tax finished goods only and sometimes drugs or food are exempt. That is no tax on labor. Would you pay sales tax if you purchased life insurance? Some businesses are pocketing the money collected.
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