2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

fathertyricius · January 2006

I'm having a weird problem with my 2001 LS. This started this past weekend. When you have the key in the iginition and doors opened, there is no audio warning .. no chimes, no bells. Start the car, and put on the raido... No audio. Activate Onstar, no audio, try turning off The Traction control where you hear the four chimes, nothing, no chimes, no yellow traction control icon display. When everything is right, the yellow traction control icon lights up indicating that its off, but nothing. Up till this afternoon,this stayed where no audio at all. I was driving when I just turned on the radio to see what happens, and wala ... sound. I tried the onstar, that worked, the traction control was able to turn off with audio chimes and yellow icon displaying on dash as its suppose to be. I parked the car leaving the key in the ignition and opened the drivers door and bells, BUT... the bells seemed to be a little distorted and it seemed to fade and come back intermittently, then suddenly it stopped. I turned on the radio and no audio, no onstar audio, no traction control chimes when turning off.
Has anyone gone thru this ? If so what was the fix? I have an appointment for service on Thursday with my Chevy dealer, and I'm still under extended warranty which ends next month.
Any advice on what could be causing this is much appreciated. Thanks.

btmark · January 2006

I've posted this in the Radio part of the forum, and gotten no response. With Chevy not wanting to help me, I figured I'd turn to this (more active) side of the forum.

My radio just plain doesn't work. One day, I was listening to my music (loud, but not painstakingly loud), and all of a sudden, it made a noise like someone pulled a plug.

If I turn the car off, it'll come back on (sometimes) for a good 2-5 minutes, then do the exact same thing.

Anyone experienced this problem before, and if so, what the heck should I do?

nosirrahg · January 2006

Sounds like the last two posts are related...I think all the warning sounds/chimes (and maybe even the turn signal "tick tock" sound) all come through the speaker of the car. Does the radio work in both cases, but with no sound? If the radio comes on/functions, but there's no sound, and if things like the traction control tone or the turn signal don't make noise, then the problem is somehow speaker (or amp) related, I'd say.

fathertyricius · February 2006

Well today (Thursday) I went to my Chevy dealer for them to look at this issue regarding loosing all audio warnings to any feature in the car that involved having audio. They found the BCM ( Body Control Module ) defective with a short code. They replaced the BCM and programmed it, which took a half hour to do, and now all is back to normal. One thing I want to mention. Under the trunk lid is a paper glued with all three number & letter codes ( Many ). DONT REMOVE IT. During the course of the programming the new BCM, the service tech had to check to see if a code was posted for that particular part of the reprogram. If it wasnt, then he would proceed to the next step of the reprogram. ( This is like installing programs on your computer ). After all the steps were done, there was a ten minute wait while the BCM configured all the codes. After ten minutes, there was a prompt that said "Program Successful". Once I was given the car, I had to redo all the personal settings, oil reset, tire pressure level etc. All is fine now and its great to hear bells, music, chimes, and even the Onstar Computer voice.

middleageguy · February 2006

I recently had electrical/battery troubles with 2000 Impala. Replaced the battery three times in less than one year. I ended up stranded with no electrical on a Sunday morning. Before towing in, roadside service tried a jump and every noise described above (and many more) came through the radio speakers.

The Chevy dealership called the next day and told me nothing wrong as car started up and no computer codes showed up. Left the car there two days, same thing. When I picked up that evening, would not start. The solution was a new positive battery cable.

faithc · February 2006

I have a 2002 LS with the same problem @ 55,000 miles. The dealer said it would cost aprox. $950.00 to replace steering system....said they have had more steering problems with Impalas than other GM models..they said they've tried to repair but problem comes back, only way to correct is to replace...they said my problem will only get worse until I have to get it fixed.

nosirrahg · February 2006

Ask the dealer to quote you the price to do the "short term" lube fix to the ISS. I can't remember when I had mine done on my 2000 model, but it was at least 3-4 years ago and the problem hasn't returned. Based on my experience (and assuming the lube fix is MUCH less expensive), I'd give that a shot first and see if it works, and if not you can always bite the bullet and get the whole thing replaced later. As I recall the fix basically just involves tapping a grease fitting into the shaft and filling it full of lube, so virtually no money on parts involved, and maybe an hour of labor max.

roktman47 · February 2006

I am new to this forum and have read several messages regarding hesitation, but have not seen one that duplicates my problem. I have a 2000 Chevy Impala LS with the 3.8 liter engine which hesitates and jerks when accelerating between 40-60 mph. I took it to the dealer and he changed the "throttle position sensor" and the problem is still there. They want to change the torque converter clutch for roughly $800.00. The car has 68000 miles on it and I am hesitant to put that much money in it, as I have had very poor luck with the American cars I have owned that have over 60,000 miles on them. My question is-does this solution seem reasonable, or does anyone have any other ideas about this problem? Thank you for your help.

nosirrahg · February 2006

Seems like some folks have had problems associated with clogged catalytic conveters that involved stalling; you might check that angle (which would also be covered under warranty, most likely).

frankf3 · February 2006

The auto dim rearview mirror on my 2000 Impala LS has stopped working. I have checked the fuses and have not found any blown/bad ones. I have even reseated a few in case they had a bad contact. Does anyone have a wiring diagram or an indication of what I should find on the wires going to the mirror so I can track it down with a meter? I looks like there are 5 wires going to it. The mirror does not have onstar on it and only has buttons for turning on the auto-dim mirror and the 2 map lights.

thanks

nosirrahg · February 2006

Did your mirror stop all at once, or did it sort of fade away over time? I just replaced mine two days ago (2000 Impala); it had gradually quit working - was fine for a couple of years, then it quit working towards the top & bottom (with a band in the middle that worked), which eventually diminished to nothing.

Do your map lights still work? If they do and the autodimmer doesn't, then I'd say the problem may be your mirror. It's easy enough to replace, but kind of expensive (I paid $160 at the dealership here, but installed it myself).

If you're not getting power to the map lights either, then your problem is probably more along the lines of a short or blown fuse.

frankf3 · February 2006

The mirror just stopped one day - all of a sudden nothing. The map lights still work so it appears to be getting some power, but I figureed with 5 wires, one may be a bad signal from the BCM or something like that.
:sick:

frankf3 · February 2006

Well, I've been searching on the internet and I think I found the wires and their functions.

Dark Blue/White = Retained Accessory Power +12
Black = Ground
Grey = Switched Interior Lights to BCM
Brown = +12V Ignition
Light Green = Reverse Lights

If I had to take a guess, I would think it would be due to the +12V Ignition or the reverse light wires since the map lights are working.

veliger · February 2006

I recently bought a 2001 Impala. The tire monitor light on the dash came on the other day because one of my tires had lost pressure. No problem, right? Well, now I can't reset it. I've tried the following: With the key in the "acc" position, hold the disp button on the radio until "settings" is displayed. Then, using the seek buttons, select tire monitor and reset it. The only problem is that Tire Mon is not one of the options in my menu. Is it possible that the dealer could have at one point disabled this with his scanner? I've also had suggestions to try turning the headlights to parking-lights, off, parking lights, off, parking lights within 5 seconds and to simply press a reset switch in the interior fuse panel - but neither of those worked. I can't even find a switch inside my fuse panel...I assume this is because the car is equipped with the RDS. Someone please help - the light is driving me nuts!!

I've had the same problem. Disconnect the positive battery cable and reconnect. You will lose your radio station presets, etc., but it will reset the tire pressure light.

jmdean88 · March 2006

Does anyone know the type of light bulbs that are in the interior of a 2004 impala?

fathertyricius · March 2006

Well for starters you can read the owners manual and every bulb thats used in the vehicle is listed. Which bulbs are you trying to find out about? If you dont have a manual, I do, and I can look up the bulb type and number for you.

wondering1 · March 2006

Has anyone experienced speedometer problems with an 05 Impala LS. The first sign of trouble showed up the first time I drove the car for over an hour. I was on the freeway, going with the flow when I looked down to see that according to the speedo I was going 120 MPH. It then continued to do a 360 and come alll the way around and back to 40 mph. The dealer said they were having a lot of problems with the speedos and that I needed a new one. They said they ordered it and for me to come in to get it replaced. Then they said the speedo was ent out to be repaired. When I got the car back I thought it was ok. Then it got dark and I could see all the warning lights collecting ambient light from the speedo, blinkers etc. They said the place that repaired it didn't put a filter back in. Then I was driving down the road and saw a police cruiser ahead and naturaly looked down to check my speed, which said 48 mph. I was in a 45 MPH zone so I was not concerned until I saw the lights come on and I got a ticket for 60 MPH. I later had my wife get in her car and via cell phones I verified that when my speedo said 48 mph, hers said 60 mph. Testing from 5 mph up to sixty mph showed that the faster I went, the firhter it was off. I took it into the dealer who said they did a GPS test on it and it was only 4 mph off and thats not enough for the warranty to fix it. I said I checked the car myself against 2 other cars and got the same discrepency of the speedo reading 48 mph when two other cars said sixty. They then said they would do the same test, however they did not let me accompany them in my car while they "tested it" Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks

charts2 · March 2006

Get a second opinion. Go to another Chevy Dealership if one is nearby. Have the technician take it for a test drive, not just on a dyno.

jons01 · March 2006

I want to change the air filter in my '01 LS with the 3.8 engine, and wonder how difficult it would be. Has anyone ever done this and what is the procedure?

Thanks

batista · March 2006

It's a pain in the [non-permissible content removed]. It's way too tight to get the old one out and the new one in. I change mine once a year and don't look forward to changing it.
Make sure you wear latex gloves since I always get cuts when inserting the new one.
No brainer in the procedure. Remove the metal tabs and push the intake hose forward.

batista · March 2006

Does anybody know what causes a "ding" like noise when accelerating from approx. 25mph to 40mph? I believe the car is shifting from 2 to 3 and the muffler might be the cause. The car only has 30K miles and do mufflers go bad this early?

charts2 · March 2006

It is a royal pain changing the air filter. Many GM service departments do not check the filter when one of these 00-05 Impalas goes in for oil change and a 30 point inspection but they mark it off that it has been checked. I am sure there are many Impalas driving around with extremely dirty filters. Its a 20 minute job but it is aggrevating. Its also aggrevating changing the battery. It fits extremely tight. The more you can do yourself the better.

jons01 · March 2006

Thanks, guys for the info. I did a quick check to see for myself and it does seem almost impossible to make enough room to get a filter through. Do you think the cover could be pried open with a bar or something? I hate to have to pay for a job that the owner should be able to do!

I will post the results of my efforts.

tommy42 · March 2006

Go impala h q. com.Go to section on how to. It has step by step on how to change.

nosirrahg · March 2006

Consider replacing your filter with a K&N filter...rather than replacing a paper filter once or twice a year, you can pop in a K&N and not worry about it for something like 50k miles (may be more, I honestly don't remember). I've basically dealt with the air filter on my 2000 Impala twice; once when I installed the K&N early on, and again last year when I pulled it and "recharged" the filter (cleaned and re-oiled). Even if you don't believe their claims about increased horsepower and such, not having to replace the filter regularly is worth the extra expense.

jons01 · April 2006

After much effort, I got the air filter changed today. A large screwdriver really helped to pry open the air box cover. I considered the K&N but will only put about 2500 miles a year on the Impala now that I am retired - should have done it 5 years ago.

jesse13579 · April 2006

I have a 2002 impala and am having problems with the traction control. At first the traction control didn't engage that much. Now, in the last few weeks it seems like it comes on a lot more. When I pull out of a parking lot, when I turn out of a parking space, and so on. I'm not gunning it or anything like that. Any help or suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

jesse13579 · April 2006

where it the sensor located on the impalas. I know it has to be around the coolant imput and output but I can't seem to find it. Also would this have anything to do with the problem that I mentioned in #13154?

charts2 · April 2006

I have a 2001 Impala LS. The traction control for the past 3 years comes on prematurely as yours does. I don't think its anything to worry about. Its probably a weak sensor.

georgedan · April 2006

Our 2001 Impala LS has 75K miles . Recently the overhead meassge center (gas mileage,miles ,temperature,etc, ) has not come on when starting the car. In addition the AC/Heat blower does not come on and the cruise control doesn't work. After no specific time(somtimes 2 minutes ,sometimes 10 minutes),it all starts to work? This is our second Impala and we have been very happy with both. We are about to trade for a new car ,but I would like to find out about this problem first to avoid being "Screwed" on my trade in price. I recently had a Stroke and I cannot get out there and trouble shoot like I used to. We certainly can't afford to take it to a dealer and let them put it to us either.If I can get a good idea of what the problem is,then I can know if they are putting it to me. Please help me with this problem? Thank you very much.

nosirrahg · April 2006

Have you replaced your tires recently, OR are you due a tire change? I found as my original tires began to wear, my traction control kicked on much more often, especially if there was any moisture on the road, and/or I was accelerating up an incline from a standing start. My 2nd set of tires were a more sporty Bridgestone tire, and I found them to have much more grip than the original Goodyears, but they too began to spin more as they wore down. I put on a third set of tires (counting the original set) last summer, and opted to get a more touring-oriented tire (w/longer mileage warranty, figuring I'd take a less aggressive tire this time around, so when I sell it in a couple of years it will still have plenty of tire tread left). My current tires ride well (quieter than the previous two sets), and wet braking is good (and gas mileage might have improved marginally too)...but these tires are MUCH more prone to spinning at takeoff. I had to get accustomed to taking it easy when pulling off, because these tires will spin (kicking in the traction control) with very little provocation.

So, if the problem has gradually gotten worse and you haven't replaced your tires, that could be the problem. And if you've changed to a different tire (especially a less-aggressive tread design) that could be part of the problem too.

FWIW I was surprised when I first got my 2000 Impala at how more often my traction control kicked in versus the ABS. Granted ABS might be more important in a life-saving situation, but day in and day out I bet my traction control has kicked in 10x as often as the ABS (generally in slippery/sandy/wet/icy conditions).

oronoco305 · April 2006

Our 2004 Impala map lights, rear seat lights and trunk light did not come on one night, then next night worked OK now nothing again. Front floor (under dash lights work OK) might be a fuse? not sure any ideas?

molly2000 · April 2006

:lemon: I got a keyless entry FOB from a friend of mine who had an extra one from when he worked at a car dealership. He told me I could look online for directions to program it. I tried, but it didn't work. I am guessing it is because my radio is 'locked'. I recently had a salvaged BCM installed in my vehicle and because it's not programmed properly for my vehicle, my radio has locked up, my airbag, service vehicle soon light and check engine light are on. Some of these problems were masked by my faulty BCM. I was told in order for my alarm to quit going off every time I open the door to my vehicle is to program the radio. I tried programming it from directions given to me by my mechanic (non-dealership) and it didn't work. I wanted to find out if anyone knows or has heard of ways to program a salvaged BCM without going to the dealership and getting ripped off. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :sick:

charts2 · April 2006

I also put new tires on my car and the traction control activates as often as before. I have heard that this is a common problem with many of the 00-05s.

oronoco305 · April 2006

I put in new 20A fuse lights worked ok for 2 days now fuse blown again. Anybody got an idea where to start looking??

mitzij · April 2006

You need a dealer to program the BCM to match your car. Your remote won't program properly until the BCM matches the car. SES and Airbag lights may be separate problems.

There are dealerships that don't rip people off. Call around, get an estimate to program your BCM, unlock your radio, and check the SES light. There will be separate charges for each as they are all separate problems. Some dealers will unlock a radio one time for free.

If your alarm is aftermarket, expect to pay more. Aftermarket alarms are a pain in the rear to work around.

rafalk · May 2006

Own a 2000LS. Thinking of putting an intake (mainly for mpg reasons and a small boost in acc.) any recomendations?

2002_impala · May 2006

I bought my Impala Second hand, and somewhere along the line, most likely from lack of use, the external key lock for the trunk became seized and the trunk no open soley by pressing the trunk release button located under the dash.. this dosent bother me in the slightest however, for some reason this button only works when the key is in the igntion.. this is bothersome for me, especialy beacause I had an aftermarket keyless entry installed, wich operated the doors fine, but again, the trunk button on the remote only works when the the key is in the ignition, thus making it useless.. I seem to remeber reading that the option to have the button work when the vehicle was off was one of the programable features available (like the door locks and headlight timmers ect.) but I cannot seem to find it now.. does anyone know if this is the case? does anyone have this problem or better yet, dose anyone have a 2002 impala with a trunk release button that works when the vehicle is off? or has anyone found a solution.. i've even tried conecting the trunk release button directly to 12 volt power and still notthing.. it must run throught the computer somehow..

nosirrahg · May 2006

I have a 2000 Impala, and I'm almost certain I can open my trunk with the dash button whether the key is in the ignition or not.

If it's a programming option, you can access that through your radio; I can't recall all the options there, but I do know there's an option to reset things back to factory settings, which might do the trick.

fathertyricius · May 2006

Your problem could be solved two ways. One... go into your settings on your rds radio .... you may have to reset your settings to factory default. If this doesnt work, then most likely you may have to have your BCM reprogrammed. I own the 2001 LS and my trunk release works no matter if the key is in the ignition or not. Sounds more likely a BCM issue. All your settings for all your accessories are programmed into that computer board. I know ... Ive been there with audio issues a few months ago.

this_is_nascar · May 2006

I have an '03 LS with the Sports Appearance Package. Just recently, I started having an issue when using the key FOB to unlock/lock the car and open the trunk. If I use the FOB to either unlock the car or trunk, the reverse lights and headlights come on and flash like they're supposed to, but they never stop now. If I enter the car, I can hear a clicking, similar to what you'd hear if a relay was engaging/disengaging. They only way out of this condition is to turn the car onto the ACCESSORY or ON position. It stops the clicking and turns the lights off.

Any suggestions please?

jmedlin6 · May 2006

Ok I am not sure if this is normal or not. I just bought an 05 impala (3.4L) a few weeks ago. I didn't really take notice to the noise when I was test driving the car. It seems like when I press the accelerator slowly it sounds like I can hear fuel being pushed through the line. The noise seems to be coming from the passenger side of the engine compartment. I am assuming that that the line runs on that side of the vehicle. I saw a service bulletin stating that w/ the 3.4l that the fuel line is noisy and makes a whistling noise.

raxelsonjr · May 2006

Does anyone know the location of the DRL module in the 2000 Impala? Thanks.

blokie · May 2006

HI There,
does anyone know the correct size of the torx headed bolt that holds the caliper on, on both the front and rear brakes.

THanks in advance
Chris

blokie · May 2006

Hi There,
silly [non-permissible content removed] me! they are hex heads not torx, no wonder nobody was answering me

sc00bs · May 2006

that is my question.

I really like the way this car drove during a recent test drive. My questions are this:

1. 3.4 or 3.8??? I certianly do not need a race car but am concerned with the longevity of the engine.

2. What year is the most reliable? I was thinking about 02-05 models. I would like to stay away from the 00 and 01's as they seem to be the most plauged with problems.

3. The prices on edmunds seem inflated to me. There are several lots in my area that have 05 Base Models with 20k miles on them for WAY under what edmunds is listing as dealer retail. For instance, a base model 05 impala is listed on edmunds for 14482. Dealerships have them listed for 11,000 (and im guessing you could go lower than that through negotiations). 04 base models can be found with about 30k on them and around 8900 asking price. What is a good price on these cars?? I am not getting a good picture by using edmunds.

Thanks

nosirrahg · May 2006

Given a choice I'd probably go for the 3.8...not only for the proven engine, but also you should get things like traction control and such with the 3.8 that you don't get with the 3.4.

I've got a 2000 model, and it really hasn't been that bad...I mean yes I had the ISS problem, and the intake manifold problem, and a few other things, but overall it's been no less reliable in 93k miles than the '89 Toyota I had before it.

rbrase · May 2006

I have a 2004 Impala with 80K - the check engine light came on this morning while I was driving to work. Then the engine started to hesitate ( I was driving at 60 mph and the engine would sputter and then catch again ). I live in Dallas, TX and the gasoline was recently blended with 10 percent ethanol. I wonder if it has something to do with the ethanol or if water got in my fuel system or if this is a fuel pump/fuel filter problem.

Help.

Thanks,
Randy

sc00bs · May 2006

You said: Given a choice I'd probably go for the 3.8..I've got a 2000 model, and it really hasn't been that bad.

I say: YIKES!!! I test drove some of the 05's today, they had about 23k on them and were base models. Most certainly found the 3.4L to be under powered (of course I just had test drove a Nissan Altima with the 3.5 engine and that could be why the Impala felt so sluggish and ick, the altima literally jumped off a dead stop even with light pressure on the pedal. The thing was really speedy and kind of scared me with the power it had. I could not imagine driving one in the snow, but I digress).

One other thing that bothered me. The noise. That car on the highway sounded like a wind tunnel. I was not impressed at all. My tracker with convertible top is just as noisy as those Impalas. I drove a 2000 model (rental car) a while back and it most certainly did NOT sound like that car. The trim on the interior of one was falling out along the back. The stereo sounded HORRIBLE!!!!

This has really put me off on buying a GM car. What the heck happen????

06blksrt8 · May 2006

I don't know if anyone is a collector but Eagle Automall/Chevrolet in Long Island NY, has a 96 SS that's signed by Dale Earnhardt Sr., it was sold by Earnhardt Chevy, has 27,000 original miles, all the build sheet and original paperwork. It looks mint, just thought I'd let everyone know.

2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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