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2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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Comments

  • road46road46 Member Posts: 18
    The rear spoiler is perfect for helping you back up for parking. It helps measure the back of the car and provides a visual aid to help you back up when parking.
  • bh628bh628 Member Posts: 100
    Thanks, road46,

     

    for all the tips on the headlights and the crash test results vs Camry. Camry was the car I fell in love with before I "met" the Impala.

     

    I am enjoying this car more and more each day. We checked the lights when it was bright out, and now we think we know what the daytime running lights are--the lights in the middle? Anyway, there is so much to love about this car!

     

    I just found the Scotchguard that's made for carpets, and will be applying that later today. The weather has changed, and I want to protect the carpet/mat before it gets wet here. Hope you had a wonderful holiday, and have a great New Year.
  • hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    2006 Impala will debut at the LA Auto Show in early January. I can't wait to see what it looks like....I'll post some photos for all to see.
  • hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    The best feature about the Impala is that I NEVER have to worry about turing on or off the headlights. It does it automatically....

     

    As Martha would say, "it's a good thing".
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    the changes that I have heard are the front grille is larger, the rear lights will be in the corners like the Malibu. the interior will be updated, the SS will have metal trim interior instead of fake wood...new wheel options...engines 3500 (200 hp) 3900 (240 hp) no v8 or 6 speed at this time...very little change to the current sheet metal as we currently know the impala....major changes coming in 2008 or 2009....
  • hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    Whatever change GM decides on the Impala, they desperately need to improve in the interior. Their dashboard is so OLD SCHOOL!

     

    I want GM to bring back the original 5 star aluminum spoke wheels (2000-2002).

     

    In order to compete with the Accord V6 EX, Maxima 3.5 SE, and the Camry V6 XLE, GM needs to price the Impala LS at $25K fully loaded, and not a penny more. Anything more than that, they'll need rebate to move the cars off the lots.
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    ...and to compete with the Ford Five Hundred, which I traded my 173,000 mile 00 Impala LS for. Very happy so far. The Impala was a great car, but the interior DID need improvement. But, under Lutz, features (like coin trays, PRNDL lights, glove box lights, etc.,) disappeared, while the profitable OnStar appeared.

     

    Another feature that drew me to the Ford was/is AWD. Something GM ought to be thinking about!
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    I doubt the OnStar is seriously profitable. I have impression that very few owners renew the $200 basic OnStar subscription, or upgrade to $400/$800 subscriptions.

     

    Mostly hopes of profit, I believe.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    There is no doubt GM is lagging in some departments. I don't believe they have any AWD options in any of their car lines, and no 6 speed automatics yet like the Ford five hundred....7 years is way too long for this Impala to wait to be upgraded....you want to keep the public coming. eg. If you drive an Impala for 3 or 4 years and interested in a new one there should be some major differences or improvements in order to excite the person to buy another Impala, not the same one they just sold......GM takes way to long in bringing new products on stream and is contiuing to play catch up with many of their features...This new Cobalt supercharged SS was shown at all the major auto shows in January 2004 and still not on the streets yet! Its going to be 2008 or 09' before the Impala is done over completely....WAY TOO LONG!!!!!!
  • hvanhvan Member Posts: 56
    <<There is no doubt GM is lagging in some departments. I don't believe they have any AWD options in any of their car lines>>

     

    I think the new Cadidlac STS will be coming out with AWD next year.
  • 2k_impala_ls2k_impala_ls Member Posts: 311
    My chevy salesmen told me that V8 and RWD is coming soon. As soon as next year for the Monte Carlo he says.
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    ...I wonder where he is getting THAT information. Nothing I have read, seen or been told confidentially coincides with that prediction...
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    There was a rumour a few months back that the 2006 Monte Carlo might go rear wheel drive that would offer a big V8 to differ itself more from the Impala and be in the same league as the current GTO ..but I don't think that will happen until both the Monte and Impala are redone on the Zeta platform in 2008 or 09.....The latest rumour is the 2006 Impala SS will offer the 5.3 V8 with 303 HP.....front wheel drive...and probably the Monte Carlo SS as well....
  • dhski04dhski04 Member Posts: 10
    I've seen a lot of problems occuring with the 3.4 engine and less with the 3.8. Is this a fair generalization? I am trying to decide between a used Impala and a Crown Vic and the better gas mileage is attractive but I am concerned about the quality and reliability of the Impala. How will a 3.8 engine hold up? How will the car as a whole hold up? I'm planning to purchase a car that has around 50k-60k miles on it and run it up over 100k in the next 4 years or so...will a 3.4 or a 3.8 do this?
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    Well, let's see. I put 173,000 virtually trouble free miles on my 00 Impala LS with the 3800 V6. So, it can be done.

     

    Much depends on how your used Impala was treated prior to your buying it....

     

    And, for what it's worth, my new car is a Ford Five Hundred!
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Be careful when purchasing a used Impala or Crown Vic. Make sure either is not a retired Police vehicle...as of late there have been a lot of mechanical issues with the Police Impalas. Transmission failures, catalytic converters plugging up, front suspension problems. If you are going to tow something a Crown Vic would be the way to go. The Impala has better fuel economy and is comfortable....the best would be to buy something that still has some warranty on it and have it checked out....you should get years of service from either. The Impala 3800 engine has a better track record for reliabilty then the 3400...If you buy a 2000-2001 Impala 3800 make sure that the intake manifold issue has been dealt with under warranty, it could be costly....check the roof straps on any Impala after a couple years they tend to lift especially at the back...
  • hvanhvan Member Posts: 56
    The Impala 3.8 is highly reliable. I would recommend the Impala to anyone who looks for good gas mileage, safety, reliability, fun to drive, and above all, inexpensive to buy/own.

     

    Go for it!!

     

    Crown Vic is a clunker!
  • hvanhvan Member Posts: 56
    <>

     

    I stand corrected. The new STS V8 has an AWD as an option today, not next year.
  • madridjoemadridjoe Member Posts: 28
    I sell Chevrolets in FL. Our Dist. Training rep told us this last Monday.

     

    Impalas and Monte Carlos will be redone and introduced later this summer as early 2006's.

     

    In 2007 we will have a V-8 RWD similar to the GTO. She would not give us a name but said it will not be Camaro.

     

    BTW just bought my wife a 2005 Impala LS in Sport Red. A very nice car, that may in fact be dated, but offers much of what I was looking for, good safety scores, acceptable performance, very good MPG for it's size, and proven reliability.
  • evolkevolk Member Posts: 9
    I inadvertently drove through some high water yesterday...not sure how high it was, but I'd estimate/guess it was between 10 and 16 inches. It was dark out and no oncoming traffic so I had no real warning. Fortunately, I was only going about 20 mph when I went thru it. The car wanted to slow down, but I gave it some gas and got through the estimated 40 yds of the high water. Unfortunately, I had to turn around and drive through it again, as I spotted more high water and no other way around it. I got thru it the second time also.

     

    My question: The engine died after going thru the second time. I noted the temp. guage did not change at all thru the entire process. I let the car sit for about 2-3 minutes, then started it up again. It coughed some, but started, and emitted a ton of white smoke from the exhaust, which seemed to go away after I drove it a mile or two. I was still getting some smoke/steam off the engine about 2-3 minutes later whan I stopped at a light. I drove it about another 3 miles, then parked it for an hour, then drove it again twice a short distance each time (2-3 miles), which by then the outside temps had dropped to below freezing. When I started the engine then, more white smoke, but less than before. Also, less coughing/hesitation.

     

    It sat overnite and it started and performed fine this morning, and didn't hesitate or cough.

     

    What was the white smoke? What things should I get checked out or look for (other than high water!)?

     

    Thanks!
  • lortolorto Member Posts: 25
    Eric,

    The white smoke you're seeing is actually steam. Some water has entered the air intake system and is being ingested by the engine. If too much water enters the engine it would stall and "hydro-lock". Water in the cylinders doesn't compress very well so the engine would "hydro-lock" and not crank when you tried to start it. It starts so I'm guessing that only a little water was sucked in and a little water in the engine isn't going to hurt it. At a minimum I would do two things. 1. Check the air filter and if it's wet I would replace it. 2. While the engine is warm (not running), pull the dipstick and check the oil for traces of water. If you see any traces of gray to milky white in the oil there's water in it. Of course, if you are close to being due for an oil change anyway I'd change it a little early just to be safe. Hope this helps.

     

    Bruce
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    I own the 01 LS...Yesterday while driving thru a parking lot, I noticed that my Security light was lit on the message center on the dashboard. I stopped the car, and restarted it. The Security light did'nt display and I continued on my way. I only drove about two miles to get home and parked the car in front of my home. The car was parked for about three hours. When I had to run an errand, I go to turn the key to start the car, and it was dead. I got battery while turning the key, but no cranking of the starter at all. I tried several times with no luck. This is the first time that this ever happened to me with this car. I called Onstar and the representative connected me to GM roadside customer service. I explained the problem, and also mentioned that earlier in the day for a few minutes the security light was lit on the dashboard. The representative told me to turn the ignition key to just the on position where all the lights and displays on the dashboard light up and leave the key like this for ten minutes, and then after ten minutes, turn the key off, then start the car. I followed his directions, and sure enough the car started after ten minutes. The representative mentioned that my ignition key has a computer chip inside the stem, and if the computer doesnt read the chip, the computer will disable the vehicle from being started. He mentioned that likely my key is defective. Ive been using this key since buying the car almost four years ago, and he mentioned to have it replaced with a new one, and use the spare key that was provided when buying the car. Ive been using the car with the spare key since, and no reoccurances of the Security light displaying. I wonder has anyone else on this board experienced this. Regards to all.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    It would be more easy to simply clean the key...
  • frankf3frankf3 Member Posts: 96
    I had the exact same problem with my 1999 Olds Alero. While the Olds has a key that looks almost exactly like my Impala key (except for the logos), it turned out to be the hall sensor assembly that is part of the anti-theft system in the Olds. As the ignition key is rotated in the ignition switch, the key also rotates some magnet past some hall-effect sensors. These hall sensors which detect magnetic fields, send a series of pulses to the body control module. If the series of pulses received match what is stored on the body control module then a password is sent to the powertrain control module to allow starting of the engine. If the the series of pulses received do not match what is stored on the body control module, then the password is not sent to the powertrain control module. To relearn a new hall-effect assembly or in the case of a bad read from the sensor, I had to do the same relearn procedure as you did.
  • batistabatista Member Posts: 159
    Has anybody had their intermediate steering shaft lubed and then re-lubed? My 01 impala had its ISS lubed at 15K miles and now at 30K miles it is starting to make clunking sounds.

    Apparently there is a new re-designed ISS that no longer needs lubing. My dealer is charging $100 for lubing and $350 for installing the newer ISS.
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    Well I had my ISS lubed around 24,000 miles and that corrected the problem. Now at 48,000 its starting to do it again. I called my dealer and told them of the problem and they will be putting in a new ISS next week, covered under my extended warranty.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Even under extended warranty isn't there still a $100 deductable cost involved?.....
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    Not with my extended warranty. No deductable.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    You paid a premium to have that $0 deductable extended warranty. Most extended warranties have a $100- $250 deductable...Extended warranties are huge money makers for the dealerships....(or they wouldn't offer them)
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    The extended warranty cost me under $900 back when I bought the car in Feb 2001 with no deductable. I dont remember the actual cost. Looking at the history of my 01 LS ... new rear window ( Defroster line grids and radio antenna issue )... upper manifold issue... and the infamous ISS issue. It was a good investment.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    I had the manifold and ISS issue done under the original warranty.....maybe in your case you feel that you have come out ahead. You have still spent $900. The big 3 wouldn't offer extended warranties if they weren't making money, and they make a ton off extended warranties in general. Just make sure you keep excellent service records for fluid, filter changes when they are to be done or they can void your warranty for repairs to certain components, it happens all the time. If you get into a serious accident they can also void future repairs under warranty....Good luck!
  • hvanhvan Member Posts: 56
    Uh? If you bought the LS back in Feb 2001, then the repairs should have been under factory warranty. Did the car break down after 3 years? I'm not so sure you even used the $900 extended warranty yet.
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    Don't forget warranties expire based on time OR miles. My warranty on my Chevy Impala lasted less than a year. A LOT less than a year....

     

    Not to mention it has already been well past three years from Feb 2001...It's TWO THOUSAND FIVE, remember???
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    A V-8 RWD for the Impala in '07. Now that would make a great cop car. It would certainly be an alternative to whatever Ford is selling at that time. My son-in-law's a cop in Michigan and he said they tried to buy a few Impala SS(s), but the dealers wouldn't discount them. I told him I'd read where somebody said the supercharger would eventually burn up because of the high performance demands placed on cop cars. That's one of the reasons why most police departments are staying with Crown Vic police interceptors.
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    The original ISS lube service performed on my 01 LS back in Oct of 2002 was covered under the factory warranty. Also the upper manifold replacement and rear window replacement ( defroster/antenna issue ) was under factory warranty.

       Today the ISS was replaced with the new improved version. While inspecting the LS they noticed that the right front outer tie rod was a little loose. They replaced that, covered completely under my extended warranty, no deductable.

       While I was there, I had them replace and flush the power steering fluid. This service was the only cost to me. $100 including tax. Not bad. They also did a tire rotation too. When they were finished with all the service, they even cleaned and washed under the hood. Fantastic service provided by Mr.Goodwrench.

      I've owned five new cars in my life time. Ive purchased extended warranties on every one of them. Of course I realize that GM is making money on the extended warranties, but I feel its peace of mind to me in case anything should go wrong. Today's service alone parts/labor was almost the cost of the extended warranty.

      When driving the car out of the dealer, I felt immediately the big difference not feeling the clunks or clicks when turning the wheel. It was solid. Im a very happy customer.
  • frankf3frankf3 Member Posts: 96
    I have had the ISS "relubed" three times on my 01 LS. I feel the problem is coming back again. fathertyricius, do you happen to know the part number of the replacement ISS they used on your 01 LS from the repair invoice so I can get the new and (hopefully) improved version on my 01? I feel that going back for a 4th relube job on this part is a little ridiculous.
  • fathertyriciusfathertyricius Member Posts: 116
    Sure no problem. The part # on the repair invoice says 10376430. Goodluck.
  • batistabatista Member Posts: 159
    If you check out chevrolet.com it mentions that the base engine in the 06 impala will be the 3.5L OHV engine that puts out 211hp. The 3.8L engine has been stuck on 200hp for the last 7-8 years and even the Series III couldn't increase the power. I wonder why that is?

    Also, the 5.3L V8 in the SS will be lousy when hooked up with a 4 speed automatic. My 01 3.8L isn't even that smooth when pushed hard let alone the 323lbs of torque the 4t65 will have to handle. I don't think this transmission will last more than 50K miles.
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    Why do you think the 5.3L V8 in the SS will be lousy when hooked to a 4 speed auto? Won't it be the same set-up as for the SSR? If it is lousy, I hope they offer a six speed tranny as an option.

    I wonder why they just don't drop the LS1 in the new SS, since the '05 C6 and GTO are getting the LS2, and the LS1 won't be offered. GM seems to allow engine and parts sharing among divisions.
  • batistabatista Member Posts: 159
    The 5.3L V8 produces a lot of torque that the 4 speed transmission cannot handle. All they have done is made it heavy-duty but it's not that much different than the regular impala transmission(same code of 4T65-E). I have spoken to mechanics at the dealership and they tell me that some impala police vehicles have transmission problems because they abuse the car more than regular folks. If the 225lbs/ft is causing problems I wonder what 300+lbs/ft can cause? It may be reliable if driven gently but if I am paying an extra $5K more for the V8 I expect to have some fun.

     

    They should at least put the Cadillac 5 speed transmission or better yet a 6 speed like you mention.
  • venus537venus537 Member Posts: 1,443
    am i correct that the impala is going to remain FWD?

     

    isn't it going to be lousy putting all that power through the front wheels no matter the transmision?
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    The heavy-duty version of the Impala transmission works fine with 280 lb*ft supercharged engine. The setup is/was used from 1997 in Gran Prix GTP, Regal GS, and lately in Impala SS. Probably GM is capable to beef-up the transmission even more 10 years later, with better materials available, as well as better transmission fluids and better electronics.

     

    To my understanding, the police Impala uses the stock transmission, not the heavy duty one.
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    I checked the Pontiac Grand Prix forum, and someone posted a message with this link:

     

    http://www.fast-autos.net/pontiac/pontiacgrandprixgxp.html

     

     

    If you scroll down you can see the following tranny will be used in the 2005 GXP:

    The 5300 V-8 engine is mated to a high-performance Hydra-Matic 4T65-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with standard TAPShift. The transmission is strengthened to handle the prodigious torque of the V-8 engine.

             

     

    I wonder if high-performance means a beefed-up version? As I said before, GM is sharing parts among its divisions, so there's no reason why the Impala SS can't have this same tranny.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    Once upon a time, about 3-4 years ago, information on the transmission was published on the the GM WEB site. When I checked it recently, all the details were deleted.

     

    As well as I remember, 4 modifications were described:

     

    - a standard one, used with the 200 hp 3800 engine,

    - a better one used with 215hp 3.5l engine in Oldsmoble Intrigue,

    - and the heavy-duty version for 240 hp supercharged 3800 engine, Regal GS / Gran Prix.

     

    - The 4-th version was/is weaker than standard. It was used with Chinese Buick, not available in USA, and irrelevant to this discussion.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    Anyone thinking of buying a new Impala SS, I think it would be wise to wait a year for chevy to work out any bugs that are going to come up.....they changed a lot of tech with this car...It will be interesting to see if even a (so called heavy duty transmission will hold up with this high performance from front wheel drive)I remember when Chevy introduced the Police Impala for 2000 and said the car could run all day at 120 mph with no problems, ask most police departments that have Impalas about that!.....Transmissions have been the biggest problem they have had...even with transmission coolers many police agencies have spent a fortune and a lot of down time with transmission failures......They have actually given chevy a bad name....It will be interesting to see the posts on google after awhile from owners of these 2006 SS cars to see how the trannys hold up......I was glad to see chevy give some performance to the Impala with a V8 but I don't think this kind of performance running through the front wheels is the way to go! For future owners of 2006 SS just hope you don't pull up beside a 2006 hemi charger at a red light!
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    With equal level of technology, a car with 5.3 liter engine of course cannot compete with a 5.7 liter one. And, of course, the first year models are not as reliable as the same models 3-4 years later. Children diseases, you know... Personally, I would expect more problems with electric / electronics than with transmission, simply because engineers and managers would look harder on engine / transmission combo before putting it into production.
  • charts2charts2 Member Posts: 618
    There is a few hundred pound weight advantage to the Impala SS over the Hemi Charger....the SS will weigh around 3700 and the Charger around 4050....but 390 foot pounds of torque and RWD is a winning combo for sure......
  • frankf3frankf3 Member Posts: 96
    I took my 01 Impala out this morning to run an errand. I don't know if it was the cold temperatures or if it just happened to be related to how bright it was outside, but it seems that I had no lights on the dashboard. The headlights were on and I even tried rotating the control to turn on the dashboard lights to the point of turning on the dome light, but to no avail. Is this a common problem or something new for the books. Could it be the control that affects the brightness of the dashboard lights?
  • johnclineiijohnclineii Member Posts: 2,287
    It's almost certainly the headlight switch. Mine went the same way. Get it checked quickly. Your headlights themselves could fail.

     

    If I remember correctly, switch replacement at an Orlando, Florida dealer took all day (they had to drive across Florida to get me a switch, I was on business travel and night was coming). It cost about $300 parts and labor.

     

    This was the ONLY major repair my Impala had in 173,000 miles. NO ISS problems, nothing else other than routine wear and tear (shocks, tune-ups, etc.) and an airbag sensor (about $60).
  • jpstax1jpstax1 Member Posts: 197
    A friend told me the '06 Impala SS will be FWD. In previous posts I said there shouldn't be a problem using the same engine/tranny combo that the '05 Grand Prix GXP will be using. However, I now see the GXP will be RWD. That same engine/tranny combo could be a problem in the Impala SS because of FWD, albeit Chevy's engineers seem to apparently know what they're doing.
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