2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

free_bsd · September 2003

In yesterdays paper I saw a huge by GM that actually included the Impala! Until now, I have not seen the Impala advertised by GM. (It might be a Vancouver thing, since I swear Im the only private owner of a 2k Impala here).

What I found odd about the ad was it listed the 3.4L Venture Van with 185 HP, and the 3.4L Impala with 180 HP. How can the Van with the same engine have 5 more HP? It weighs over 500 pounds more that the Impala!

Does anyone know where our 5 extra HP is? Leaking out the intake perhaps?

garnes · September 2003

I have a 2001 LS with 40k. I'd buy one again. The intake manifold thing has been addressed with an additive to the coolant. The new Impalas have an aluminum intake. If you get a used one with the plastic intake manifold, make sure the coolant additive has been done under the recall.

b4z · September 2003

My Impala has been in the shop since Friday.
Took it in for the manifold recall, warped rotor, iss, and a rattle sound on acceleration(sounds like a loose heat shield or piece of metal near or on the engine.
On Saturday I went to go get something out of the trunk and set the the alrm off. Came back an hour later with the key fob and reset it.
Monday the technician told me the battery was dead.
He jumped it 3 seperate times that day.
Need new battery on a 27 month old car.
This car will be history very soon.
Have been bidding on Lexuses for the last 2 weeks.

johnclineii · September 2003

Wow.

I feel guilty pointing out I have 135,000 miles and still going strong...2000 LS. Total repairs: Headlight switch, ignition switch, driver's power window switch. Everything else a normal wear item (tires, coolant, struts at 110k, pads at 60k, rotors at 90k!)

t_tookalook · September 2003

My brother has an '02 Impala and you can drive along about 10-20 mph on the flat, take your foot
off the gas pedal and there is a 'clunk' like we
used to get out of the old u-joints. They replaced the motor mounts but that didn't help.
(I haven't had any problems with my '03 Imp)
Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Rodger Ret-leo

b4z · October 2003

Don't understand the rotor/pad thing either.
In my Camaro I get 65-70K from the pads and had the rotors replaced at 198K.

johnclineii · October 2003

So?

In my 94 Chrysler Concorde, the pads lasted 12K and the rotors were replaced UNDER WARRANTY three separate times before 30k, when Chrysler bought the thing back from me....

kimpala1962 · October 2003

Does anyone have the part number for the Front Plate with Impala on it. And what color does it come in thanks. walter

gregp5 · October 2003

Thanks for the replies,

I did decide to buy an Impala and ended up ordering an '04 LS instead of a leftover.

Thanks to all,
Greg

mrpoetryman · October 2003

Greg - Congratulation's on your new Impala LS purchase. I hope you have as many good rides in it as I am having in my 03 LS.

2003 Chevrolet Impala LS - 5500 trouble free miles.

2000 Buick LeSabre Limited - 47000 trouble free miles.

Neil

ghostwolf · October 2003

88954949 (I've ordered it, had it painted and installed it) you can get it from gmpart.com and others.

gw

hvan3 · October 2003

I still love my 2000 Impala LS! By this weekend, I will hit 40K on the odometer. Still drives like a dream.

The only problems I've had was very slight engine hestitation at 5K miles, new brakes at 32K miles, relube ISS at 34K, new tires at 35K, and new battery at 37K.

There's no other domestic car I would own than my Impala LS.

b4z · October 2003

Got the Impala back after a week in the shop.
recall, rotors and pads, battery, oil change, ISS(warranty) for $298.00.

Talked to the dealership about buying it from me. They are not interested. Has too many on the lot already.

Drives great though, steering is tight and brakes feel excellent.

hknoepfle · October 2003

I own a 2002 LS with 22,000 miles. This is a great car with no problems to date. I do, however, think I am hearing a dry speedo or tack cable when the rpms start to get around 1000. It is a gritty sound coming from under the dash near the instrument panel. The other thing is when I brake, I can feel the brake actuating in the steering wheel??? It feels like a bit of a thump in the steering just as I press on the brake. Any comments from you folks with similiar problems? Thanks

b4z · October 2003

I had it too and have it again.
I have already had the instrument panel replaced once and the noise started up again a few weeks ago.
Not sure if they still use mechanical cables. I think it is electrical.
You can put the car in neutral and here it. The noise stops at 2000 rpms. Mine makes more noise when the needle is going down.

dgonzalez13 · October 2003

And they are self contained with only one block of electrical connectors that clip into a connector in the dash. The gauges are not controlled by cables in the Impalas, but motor driven by the electronics in the cluster itself. Car's PCM gives a number value (not an electrical voltage, just an electronic number)to your speed and RPMs and the cluster translates it to the motors within the cluster to move your gauges. I swapped a base Impala cluster for a Police 9C1 cluster (different top speed notation) and it still kept the correct speed readout (mph). If it were cable driven or not electronic in any way, it would have skewed the MPH readout by a few numbers as you got higher up in speed. Tested out with a stationary radar.

dgonzalez13 · October 2003

I have the same noise when turning the car off. You can hear the motors within the cluster make a faint whine as the gauges drop to zero.

martyv1 · October 2003

Bought 01LS Impala over a year ago with 29K on it (Fleet rental) now has 62K. ISS replaced by dealer, coolant recall by dealer- new part. New tires - 4 with 52k on them, new pads and rotors at 51k and busted outer tire rod replaced at 51k. Storage compartment light out. That's it so far (knock on wood).

We have used it on all our vacations. Wife likes the ride better then her '00 Accord.

bmote · October 2003

I have an '01 LS with factory sunroof. I want to add the overhead console. Does anyone know if the necessary pigtails will be where I need them? I think there are 2 on the OHC, but I don't have it in front of me to know for sure. The OHC unit I've seen includes the "roof" switch.

Regards,

Bill Mote

charlief1 · October 2003

I have a 2002 LS (16000 miles) and in the last month I too have noticed the noise which I think comes from the tachometer. Noise occurs when coming to a stop and engine rpms are dropping and also when shutting engine off. It is kind of a minor irritant if it doesn't get any worse. I guess I'll keep an eye (or an ear) on it before deciding whether to complain under warranty.

frankf3 · October 2003

I just got my '01 Impala LS back from the shop today. I had the master cylinder replaced on it (under warranty). Intermittently when you would come to a stop, the pressure that the brake petal pushes back on your foot as you push it down would fade away. It had happened at least a dozen times. At one point the petal was down to the floor. I figure that with only 33,000 on the car, a master cylinder should last at least 3 times the mileage it did.

jpstax · October 2003

I saw my first live '04 Impala SS at a nearby dealership. It was tucked away in the corner with a Blazer blocking access. It almost looked like a miniature version of the classic '94-'96 car. Salesman said he drove it and it responded very well. He thought it was a little faster than the classic one, of which he sold quite a few back in the 90's. He's probably right, given the fact the '04 SS is much lighter than the classic SS, which I think was based on the Caprice platform.

jpstax · October 2003

Here's a pretty good link showing the new '04 SS:

http://www.goissca.org/2004_impala_ss.htm

Be sure to toggle down the page to see some nice photos, the power curve chart, and a press release by Chevrolet.

I wonder if some police departments will be buying them?

b4z · October 2003

Impala is in autotrader. Wish me luck.

charts2 · October 2003

The supercharged engine on the 2004 Impala SS is not offered as a police package......the 2004 Impala Police still use the 3800 series II 200 horsepower version.....recent testing of the 2004 Police vehicles at the Michigan State Police academy in September 2003 .....Current 2004 Impala police was suppose to have its top speed increased to 129 mph......the best it could do at the test was 123 mph. The Ford Crown Vic 128 mph.....Dodge Intrepid 135 mph is the fastest production police vehicle in America for 2003 and 2004.....Many of my police officer friends indicate that the Impala definetly needs more power....my friends tell me it lags badly when accelerating from a standing start to 110 mph,(highway persuits).. compared to the Crown Vics and Intrepids....

jpstax · November 2003

OK. So isn't the '04 Impala SS the logical choice for a police car with faster acceleration than the '04 Impala LS? The press release for the SS also said it comes with a beefed up suspension and better tires than the LS. I don't know what the 0-110 acceleration time for the new SS is, but it's got to be better than the LS, Ford Crown Victoria, and Dodge Intrepid. The '04 Impala SS should be at least as fast as the '04 Buick Regal GS (0-60 in 6.5 seconds). I also think the Impala SS is a lot lighter than the Crown Victoria, and a little bit lighter than the Intrepid. Am I right?

b4z · November 2003

A Supercharged cop car would last about 10-20,000 miles then disintegrate.

What makes a cop car better than the civilian version is all of the stuff that makes it run cooler.
Bigger radiator, extra transmission cooler, etc.

Cop cars usually win high speed chases because they outlast the guy who is trying to outrun them.

A supercharge builds heat, So much so that a recent magazine was unable to do a top speed test in the new Pontiac GTP Comp G.

Temps got too high and boost was cut.

The new 3900 V6 with 240 hp is the engne that the Impala needs.

johnclineii · November 2003

More Holdens in the USA?

What do I think?

Won't happen.

Reasons:

a. UAW and perceived loss of American and Canadian jobs

b. Costs of converting cars to NA emissions and safety standards

c. Corporate CAFE

d. GM timidity

I sure would love to see the Holden line as Oldsmobile here. And some of the European Vauxhalls/Opels as Saturn.

But, it ain't gonna happen. Sadly

rctennis3811 · November 2003

it woulda been great to see them here!

charts2 · November 2003

...Times have changed for police vehicles.....what police officers want is more performance...what most cash strapped cities want today are police vehicles that are fuel efficient and low maintenance costs...95% of a police vehicles work is routine....not chasing someone at high speed. The police Impala and Intrepid are much more fuel efficient then the crown vic...but are more prone to expensive front suspension repairs....the Michigan state police testing for the 2004 police vehicles show that the Crown Vic, Impala and Intrepid run 0-60 in the 9.0-9.5 second range..as b4z states is correct.....example...the police impala has larger radiator, larger alterntor, larger brake pads, transaxle cooler, oil cooler etc....plus carries about 300 extra pounds....with heavier suspension, roof lights, prisoner cage, computer, radio equipment, and a trunk full of emergency equipment....the reason that most departments bid on the Impala and Intrepid is because they come in with a lower bid price and are more fuel efficient, then the crown vic....however recent surveys show that most police officers still prefer rear wheel drive....I do agree that a little more performance is necessary for the Impala for highway police use, a recent survey by Chevrolet revealed this.

charts2 · November 2003

....Importing cars from overseas is 1980's technology regardless of the UAW or CAFE etc.......GM is always following not leading. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, etc don't export many vehicles from Japan ....they developed their technology overseas, and build their top of the line cars in the USA...GM could do the same with their Holden division....they own it why not bring their technology to the USA...I wouldn't pay $4,000 freight costs to have a holden shipped 9000 miles. Holden uses the Corvette 5.7 that was developed in the USA....interesting.. Build Holdens here!! This is one reason Toyota USA car lines outsold all Ford and Chevrolet cars in July 2003...Look out Ford, GM and Daimler/Chrysler....smart thinking, light years ahead companies are taking advantage of your inability to compete....

b4z · November 2003

impala has not been proven to be a great cop car.
Transaxle problems, etc.
Plus officers have to take suspect to front of car to cuff him.
Trunk area is too tall.
officers can't see back of car when backing due to no rear wing.

jpstax · November 2003

Thanks for the info. I did a search for the new GM 3900 (LZ8) motor in Yahoo and found this link:

http://www.auto-report.net/index.html?gmpt05.html

I see the engine is normally aspirated, and GM estimates it will produce 240 horsepower, but only 245 foot-pounds of torque. Is that enough torque to propel an Impala to a 0-60 acceleration time equal to a supercharged 3800 Series II engine (~6.5 secs)? What about fuel efficiency?

charts2 · November 2003

.....I have talked to a few officers in our city including my nephew who is a police officer, we have about 30% Impalas and the rest Crown Vics......some like them some don't......the 2000-2002 Police Impalas had week springs in the front and rear, since have been upgraded by Chevy. Our provincial police that patrol our busy highways in Ontario purchased 700 police Impalas in 2000, 2001 and 2002.....have since gone back to Crown Vics and a few Intrepids...most officers still prefer rear wheel drive and I believe the high front end maintenance costs outweigh the fuel savings for many departments.....I don't see any major changes coming for the current police Impala platform.....the car will be redesigned in less then two years when the 2006's come along...currently the Dodge Intrepid is cheaper then the Impala and many US departments have been purhasing a few of them....many large departments have recently purchased a mixture of Crown Vics and Impalas and or Intrepids....
The Impala police or civilian versions also needs an under the hood light and stronger lighting in the trunk...my opinion......I like my 2001 LS but I can see where some changes were needed..

b4z · November 2003

Was the '94-96 Chevy caprice.
4100-4200lbs. 260 hp. 0-60 was less than 8 seconds. Considered by many to be the fastest cop car also.
Even faster than the Dodge and Plymouths of the early '70s with 440 engines.
Caprice had 50 more hp than the Crown Vic.
Was so popular that many Law Enforcement Agencies had the entire car rebuilt rather than buy a Crown Vic.

b4z · November 2003

Current Impala with 240 hp 3900 V6 would be quicker than old Caprice. 600 lbs lighter but only 20 less hp. A lot less torque, but gearing can make up for some of that.

charts2 · November 2003

.....I agree the 94-96 Caprice 5.7 was an excellent police car....it had the interior size, comfort, and performance....but during the past few years police chases are becoming a thing of the past as liability costs mount....also so many cities today are more $$ wise with spending....there is a company that rebuilds the old Caprice police vehicles....they redo the engine and actually make it more powerful, replace the suspension, front seats, and other components that wear out......I believe it is about $8,000-$10,000 per vehicle, a lot cheaper then a new one...but they are now becoming dated where police departments are looking at the huge savings in fuel costs that smaller police vehicles offer...Crown vics have been plagued by the crash and burn problems with their exploding gas tanks....I believe that in the next few years Ford will bow out of the police market as they continue to be plagued by this negative news and mounting lawsuits....A perfect police vehicle would be a little larger then the current Impala with a v6 with another 40 to 50 hp...that is cheaper to operate then the current Crown Vic...

rctennis3811 · November 2003

i woulda liked to see Holdens here...even as Chevys or Pontiacs or whatever GM brand..hey, FORD is even using nicer things inside their new cars, why not GM!?!

also, CHRYSLER and DODGE are now making nicer cars with help from MERCEDES-BENZ, just look at the new CHRYSLER 300C!

jpstax · November 2003

I agree that high speed pursuits are becoming a thing of the past. The newer police radios have certainly helped with where to set up road blocks. However, you still need chase cars with enough speed to at least keep up with the bad guys. I really don't know what the answer is for an economical, fast, and reliable police vehicle for the future. Maybe GM, Ford, or Chrysler's design people can create such a vehicle. One thing's for sure, it should be as bullet proof (or rocket-propelled grenade proof) as possible. The latest terrorist attacks in Iraq seem to be showing that.

b4z · November 2003

Doesn't really come down to chases.
Has a lot to do with speed enforcement.
Officer needs to be able to catch up to that guy going 80 or even 100mph in a reasonable time.
The quicker he catches him the safer it is(in most cases).

I'll never forget when I was on I-95 driving about 78 mph.
I see this Volvo sedan coming up behind me at a ton. An easy 100 mph.
He flew past us and literally 5-6 minutes later here comes a SC trooper in a Crown Vic. Came up fast behind me but would slow down when he got close to vehicles then speed up in areas were there were no cars.
10-15 minutes later we come upon the Volvo and cop on the side of the road.
The whole thing probably took at least 20 minutes.
(Not the chase, but from the time the Volvo first passed me to the time we saw him on the side of the road.)
I'm not saying I want cops driving 120-140 mph catching speeders, but a quick accelerating car can put a stop to a potential chase many times.

charts2 · November 2003

....RIGHT ON!!!!!!

jpstax · November 2003

I agree with you on speeders. A fast cop car will usually catch up with a NASCAR wanabie. In my post I was referring to high speed chases of suspects who have committed robberies, or worse. A road block with some spike mats spread across the highway can sometimes be an effective way of stopping a fleeing car. I think we could probably argue for hours about the most effective, and safe, police techniques for catching speeders and criminals on the run. Am I right?

b4z · November 2003

Somebody out there must like these things.

262,000 made so far this year. Almost 50K more than last year.

Last month they made 25,000!

b4z · November 2003

magazine just tested one and got a 0-60 of 6.48 secs. Which is fast.

Fast enough to make me think that preproduction prototype had a balanced and blueprinted engine.

GM wouldn't do something like that?

charts2 · November 2003

The best I heard was 6.8 to 60.....if thats true with a production engine that is fast for a large front wheel drive sedan.....I have done 7.7 in my 2001 LS...

b4z · November 2003

I bought a lexus LS400 on ebay Sunday. It will take about 10-14 days to ship it to my house.
'95 LS 400 127K miles $9775.
payment is over $200 less per month on shorter time than the Impala was.
Doctor owned and well maintained. Nice tan leather. jade black exterior.

Refinanced the Impala also and dropped the payment by $200.
Car is still in autotrader.
Made a appointment today to have the driver's side seat leather redyed. $125 for that.
Bought new floormats last month for $49.
Have some paint touch up to do, and it should be ready to go.

Payments for both the Impala and Lexus are now the same as the Impala used to be by itself.

tomcat630 · November 2003

Ford ain't "giving up" on Police cars, and the fires were characterisitics of hard 70MPH rear end crashes. I have seen many carshes listed online and in the news wehre NO fires occured. This isn't a mere bump in the rear end, and is there any completely safe car at that kind of crash? Maybe a Sherman tank or NASCAR racer, but what government is going to pay for them?

The FWD cop car days are numbered anyway. Chrysler is dropping the Intrepid, and GM has a new RWD car platform coming.

hvan3 · November 2003

In February, my 2000 Impala LS will become 3 years old. I now have about 42,500 miles on it. I'm thinking of selling my Impala in January, and getting a preowned '92 or 93 SL500 convertible. It's always been my dream car. It'll be very hard for me to depart my Impala. It is such a great car! No problem since the warranty expired. Only major repair done on it was the ISS. My Impala has been such a workhorse. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to go up to the mountains twice (snowboarding) before I sell this great car!

loupie8 · November 2003

I am an owner of a 93 Lumina (was new and I really enjoyed it for the most part). Have the opportunity to buy a 2003 Impala Base model, 3.4 with many options that take it up a notch for a decent price. It was a trade in from Budget Rentals with only 17K and more than 2 years left on the warranty . I like the way it drives (so Lumanesque), felt OK after reading reviews in the AAA magazine, but after finding the "problems" discussion group, I'm extremely nervous about buying this car. I was going to buy it next week but I'm really concerned about what I've read concerning the manifold, ISS, etc. I can't afford new cars often, so I need this one to be reliable and long term.
Need some honesty here from you guys! Should I take the plunge, or look at other options? The concern here is the repair record and potential problems. Would it be better to look at a new 2004? Won't have the options the 2003 has and I can't seem to find any significant improvements on the new model.
Also, what is the website for recalls on GM vehicles?
Thanks, Jo

b4z · November 2003

What is the price?
The Impala is a better car than the Lumina.
Do the recall for the intake manifold and have them do the ISS lube kit and you should be fine.

2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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