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Comments
Last year is when it went way up. Seems unnecessary to me since the 22K was more than enough for my purposes.
We try to keep political discussions out of Townhall.
Tom
It's been awhile since I last posted, but now I need a little info. My '01 LS has been a great car so far, with just new rotors and the bolt recall. We now have snow on the roads here in MD and today while pulling out my driveway the messge came up "Service Traction Control". Also the light "No Traction Control" came on as well as the ABS light.
I have not yet driven the car again and do not know what it will do.
Any experience with this ? Should I get to a shop soon ? Thanks for any info.
I was looking at either keeping my Impala or buying a Tahoe.
I am self employed and use my vehicle for business purposes.
Any vehicle that has a GVWR of 6,000lbs or more allows you to take a huge tax write off.
I think it is somewhere between $50-75,000.
If you decided to take all of it in one year it is the same as taking your income from $75,000 down to $25,000(just an example).
If you take it all in one year then sell the vehicle you have to pay recapture.
You don't think that people are driving big SUV's because they actually like them, did you? LOL.
My theory is that, like any other computer, the system just hiccuped and needed to re-boot. So far my car has yet to prove me wrong.
Brad
Granted, my Lumina brakes held up better than the Impala brakes, but I think that's because I drive the Impala much harder than I drove the Lumina. The Impala just begs to be driven with your foot to the floor - both gas and brake!
Right now it's snowing like crazy here in Ontario, and I have absolutely no qualms about taking my traction-controlled ABS Impala out for a spin. I find it very stable and predictible in the snow (at least now that I got rid of the Goodyear GA's).
I've experienced a few of the problems discussed here (ISS, warped rotors, headlight switch failure) and a few other more unusual problems (ABS component in the steering wheel) but nothing has diminished my love and enthusiasm for this car.
Maybe it's just cognitive dissonance ;-)
Brad
Tom
Frank
The warranty is not the scam and I am satisfied with that aspect. The scam I was referring to was the claim of the Dexcool lasting for 5 years/150,000 miles.
Frank
Two years ago I posted about the Impala DIC driver information centre console....my buddy also has a 2001 Impala LS ...same thing.....we checked the fuel mileage readings and found this device to be out 20-25%......what good is that? if your watch was that inaccurate would you just put it in the drawer or go back for repair/replacement/or compensation....we both went down to the dealership and voiced our concern to the service manager....same old story these devices are only a guesstometer.....we stated that they read to a decimal point, which indicates item should be accurate...nothing he could do.....We phoned GM. You never speak with a technician there only the girl/guy who answers the phone and they try to get info for you.....We asked the dealership service manager if we could meet with the GM rep....never got back to us......We contacted the dealership owner and within in 8 hours we were meeting with the General Motors representative....we explained our concern he got back to us two days later after checking also indicated to us that indeed these devices can be inaccurate as much as 20% or so I have the letter that states that....."thats no good to me"....he said there is no fix and they continue to put these devices in many GM products....then we asked for compensation.....he offered us 6 free oil changes......we said no and we were going to pursue this issue further......The next day the rep called us back and offered us 12 free oil/filter changes and the option to buy the vehicle extended warranty at GMs' cost (not dealers cost).......$800 less then retail......we accepted this offer......It just takes a little persistance...If you are right about something stand up!......if you don't you deserve what you get! (not a personal attack Frank).....I posted here recently....over the years with many items I had warranty issues......not $10 item issues but ones that were in the hundreds or thousands.....to replace or repair.......Everyone of these I pursued until a satisfactory middle ground was attained.....I will NEVER pay for something to be repaired if it should be covered under warranty as per that warranty policy.....
I love my 01 Wrangler Sport.
Tom
My question is how long should I expect this to last before I need to have the ISS lubed again? Any thoughts?
Currently, I have 15,500 miles on my 03 LS.
Brad
Anyway, for those of you not in the know, I used to own a 2001 Chevy Impala LS (4/01 build) which I kept for about 27 months and 22K miles. The car was pretty solid and reliable and the only major problem I experienced was the warped upper intake manifold which was replaced under warranty when the car had 18K miles. Never had any ISS issues, brakes, suspension electrical or transmission. car never had any rattles or noises.
I enjoyed while I had it, but since buying a new MINI Cooper back in 2002, I totally rediscover my "love affair" with small, excellent handling, fun to drive and cool looking cars.
The Impala went to a new loving home back in July for $14K. I think I did extremely well. the car was an absolute "cream puff" inside and out. The new buyers fell in love with the car in about 15 minutes...easiest private used car sale in history.
I still see the car around and talk to the new owners....they still love the car and thank me every opportunity they get for having sold it to them. the car was good to me and I hope it continues that way for them.
Right now I am the proud owner of a 2004 MINI Cooper S with a 6-speed Getrag gearbox, 1.6L Supercharged 163HP engine (0-60 in 6.9 secs), Harmon Kardon stereo, automatic rain sensing wipers, self dimming rearview mirror, 16" rims with runflat tires, rear spoiler, fog lights, trip computer, multifunction steering wheel, etc.
Most fun car I ever owned! And the best part, the MINI Cooper is the only car in the market that does not depreciate a single penny when driving it off the lot (hear that GM???). My other '02 Cooper has only depreciated $250 off MSRP in 17 months of service.
Anyway, it was nice to see my old Impala friends still hanging around here and hope that your cars continue to provide reliable service as mine did.
Eventually, the Mini-mania will fade and new ones will be available the day you want to pay.
You have the typical north american mentallity..bigger somehow has to be better. Well not quite, and I am glad that you don't get the MINI's point and possibly never will, which is good for me because they are much fewer of them in the street hence keeping my residuals very high.
BMW only imports 25K to 30K a years of these cars, meanwhile the Impala is selling in the 100K-150K range...two very different cars.
The MINI is all about true HANDLING prowess and true motoring fun, something that I doubt the regular Impala driver ever knows anything about.
Your comparisons of the Impala vs the MINI are truly laughable. At least I have owned and live with both cars extensively, you on the other hand, have never ever owned a MINI before, and probably have never driven one, so please spare me from your armchair reviews.
And here is some food for taught regarding MINI safety vs Impala safety: (I can copntinue knocking down all the myths you can throw at me regarding small cars):
From IIHS.org
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/0222.htm
And here is the Impala:
http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/99014.htm
The MINI protects its occupants much better than the heavier Impala. Embarrasing for GM. A 2,700 pound MINI Cooper received the "best pick" classification from the institute while the 3,400 pound Impala registers the likehood of severe right foot/leg injury in a 40 MPH crash....
GM has to move the Impala off dealer lots with rebates and incentives. MINIs fly off the showroom on MSRP and above.
As far as I know, the law of physics still applies. Mass vs matter....
While I sat and drove the MINI at one time, it's a "neat" car if you're a teenager....
Well I am off motoring!
ps: Isn't this Mini similar to what Mr Bean drives! interesting!....... (don't take this issue so personally!)
No need to fight/bash other vehicles. If you go back and read all 12,300+ messages from 0 you will see that drivingisfun used to post here all the time and really enjoyed his impala.
There are different cars for different sized family's, different tastes, etc. You might think Impala and MiniCooper a wierd combo but my other 2 cars are a 1970 VW Bus and a 1993 G-20 Conversion Van so what is that, right?
I sure enjoy impala for the legacy and the history of the name.. one of the main reasons I got mine was memories of my dads 1966 Impala.
I saw no reason for either party to bash the other. Still don't. And drivinisfun shouldn't tar ALL of us with the "ignorant" brush, either. Just as rude, untrue and unfair.
My next car will probably be a Mercury Montego/Ford Five Hundred. But the 148,000 miles my 2000 LS has given me have been happy, virtually trouble free ones.
The reality is that this is a discussion about the Impala, so let's just drop the conversation about the MINI - it doesn't really belong here, and if it's going to create such friction then let's leave it be.
We all know that personal attacks aren't necessary no matter what the conversation is.
Let's move on.
I did really like the Lexus 430, but $60k is too rich for my blood.
Looks like I'll be unloading the wife's '93 Blazer for a Honda Pilot for now, and keeping the Impala till the redesigned one shows up.
I'm holding out for the new Pontiac Solstice that is due to come out next year. The V6 won't be out until later year. Now, the decision is do I wait out after the first model year, or put my name on the waiting for the Solstice? Hmmm. The four banger retails at $20K, and the V6 starts in the mid $20s. Just what the doctor ordered....
I have not heard anything about a v6 option.
Only a supercharger (dealer installed option).
and really like them. I've had the car for
a year now and still like it. I got rid of
a Mountaineer Lemon.
Anyway, I'm still driving my 2000 3.8l base; have just under 64k miles on it now. Just got reimbursed for the warped manifold issue, and have been through the ISS, warped rotors, etc. But still love the car, and much prefer driving it to my wife's 2003 Honda Accord 4-cylinder EX.
Yesterday I had to go into work, and when I came out, there was an inch or two of snow on the streets. I meandered home, but had to traverse a couple of hilly areas (including a long steep decline down my street to the house). Traction control (and ABS) kicked in several times, with traction control active almost continuously up one particularly steep section (I enjoyed casually driving past a couple of folks who were stranded while driving up the hill!!).
However, once I got to my driveway (which is sort of half-bell curve shaped), traction control was no help. I tried several times, but could not get up the drive. I managed to get the car out of the street, but had to leave it at the end of the driveway until the snow melted this afternoon. I had to go to back to work, and when I did, noticed I seemed to have no power steering assist when turning at low speeds when coasting. If I gave the car a little gas in a turn, I'd suddenly get power assist (but accelerating into a turn isn't very intuititive, or safe). Car seemed to drive fine otherwise, so there wasn't a sense that I might have bent something in trying to get up my driveway. Got home, then had to make another trip, and the problem persisted...then all at once, I made a turn that was especially sharp, and I manhandled the wheel to get the car into position, and suddenly the problem went away. I purposefully drove the car home the long way on a curvy street, and it was as if nothing had ever happened.
Anyone else had a problem like this, and does it magically go away, or will it come back from time to time until the power steering goes out completely? I was able to deal with it, but I doubt my 5'3" wife could have steered the car without the power assist...if it's a tell-tale sign of a fixable problem, I'd rather deal with it now than have it hit when she's driving it sometime.
Traction control is a godsend.
Mine has gotten me out of a couple of situations
one in snow and the other in a muddy field.
Don't know how to help you with the power steering. it was a major problem on the Intrigue, but haven't heard of it being a problem on the Impala.
Have you had any contact with teo recently?
I read back through the posts here from sometime in October forward, and only found one listing of anyone reporting power steering problems (but they did say it was intermittent, and ended up being some type of internal gasket problem which was hard to diagnose originally). If it becomes a regular problem, I'll probably take it in and have the power steering pump replaced...I'd rather spend the money getting it fixed, than risk having my wife drive it and it go out, and lead to a bigger problem.
I haven't heard from teo or any of the other "original" Impala posters from here for some time. I think the last time I came around I met up with mcdill, but that was probably over 6 months ago.
In my case, the power assist was intermittently going on and off (like throwing a switch). Of course, it only happened in corners and/or parking lots and it became very dangerous.
First, the obvious suspect - what I first thought - is that the steering pump pulley is seizing or the belt slipping. I took it in and the culprit was the steering rack was going bad and losing pressure under the load. My favorite independent shop charged me $900 for a new one installed.
I also own a black '04 Impala Ls which I like a lot.
FWIW I have the upgraded radio in it and I think it sounds great and it also has plenty of bass which if I remember correctly seems to have a lot of dissatisfaction in earlier years.
Their stuff comes with complete instructions and all the adaptors and connectors you need.
Give 'em a try.
Tom
Wish me luck!
Soon, my 00 LS will probably become an 05 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT...