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I decided to take the car in to the local dealership yesterday and they found that the brake rotors had some corrosion on them, which they removed and the brakes are very smooth now.
Hopefully, this isn't a sign that I'll have to replace any brake parts early!
Just wanted to mention this in case anyone else has the same issue. I did see similar issues here regarding rotor issues... just adding my two cents :-)
You were right on the money! I do take that turn at 20mph. This past Saturday, I went out to Long Island and test drove 2005 Maxx at the GM AutoShow in Motion. Now I know what the car is suppose to sound like without a tranny howl. If I can locate a dealer that has experience in correcting this problem, I will probably go for it afterall. Thanks again!
For many months the AC will cycle itself on and off (light goes out on button) as you drive, is this normal?
Recently the clock (on the radio) shows 12:00 whenever you start it, after you reset it and finish with the trip it's back to 12:00 again. Any ideas?
Yesterday, the tach needle was fluctuating when I tried to accelerate, by that I mean it would drop to zero and after a few seconds it would act normally. A little time after that (hour) the car just died when we slowed down to get off the Interstate. Wouldn't start or anything, 15 minutes later it started up but sounded really rough. Finally got it home though. It's at the dealer now, is there anything I need to be aware of, or suggest they try to fix this? In case my dealer is not as good as y'all....
Happen often to others?
The car has been a good one, until now no problems, and 60K miles to boot.
Thanks for the help.
Mine only does it half the time. [And I never use the remote start while I'm in the vehicle] But, since it doesn't really matter much, I'm not going to worry about that. I just wanted to see WHAT it was, which you explained.
If the majority of your driving is in the city (including the bumper to bumper expressway crawl to work ) or the car isn't used on a regular basis, after the warranty has expired, should the rotors & pads need replacing, consider getting an aftermarket "Heavy Duty" rotor. That should greatly extend the life of your rotors and the added cost isn't that much. For what it's worth, the same thing happened with my previous 2001 Taurus. The dealer replaced the pads and rotors at around 15,000 miles and I eventually replaced them with "heavy duty" after the warranty expired. The Taurus was inspected just a few weeks before trading it at 80,000 miles. The brake pads had over 50% left and the rotors were in perfect shape. Hope this helps !
I agree that with different driving habbits it is difficult to diagnose all the problems as beeing the same issue, but I don't think that the problem I experienced has anything to do with how I drive since it happened a couple days after getting the car. That would have to be some pretty hard driving to cause the problems I experienced after a couple days. Also, since the dealer that serviced the car said the rotors had some corrosion on them, there must have been a problem with them since the day I rolled out of the dealership.
I will definately get higher-end brake parts to replace the ones on the car now once they wear out.
With all respect - If your car was purchased new, as mine was about 10 days ago, the dealer doesn't have alot to say about it. They MUST honor the written warranty issued by GM. The written warranty I received from GM is very short and to the point.
"GM vehicles registered in the USA are covered for 3 years/36,000 miles,whichever comes first. The complete vehicle is covered, including tires, towing to the nearest Chevrolet dealer, and cosmetic corrosion resulting from defects." My written GM warranty doesn't list an exception for the brake pads and rotors. It's very straight forward, "The complete vehicle is covered". If it's a new car warranty and no exceptions are written into the warranty, I don't care what the dealer says - It's covered. Of course there is the usual disclaimer for deliberate abuse/neglect, but even with that the dealer must be able to show such abuse or neglect. Saying it, just isn't enough, they would have to document it. Again, with all respect.
I have a 2000 Malibu also and I noticed the same problem. I'm not sure what it is yet but I noticed it too only at lower speeds than you did around 40 - 50 mph. But the same problem. And everything checks out ok on the car. It does not appear to be getting worse so I hope its just an adjustment issue.
Just my 2 cents.
I will check into this further and if I come up with anything I will let you know.
E2 can you tell me if my car recalibration is up to date. I griped the rought shifting and the dealer told me no pertinent updates available for my car. It is an early build and to my knowledge no dealer has ever done one. I am now leary of having it done. I picked up the car and the AC / heat module was blank - no AC no fan. I immediately returned and after an hour they reset something and blamed the fact that they hooked up to the computer and it knocked out the AC module.
I will definately push GM to repair any problems down the road, if any. I just find you sometimes have to fight with them because they will just say it's normal wear and tear and the parts are just worn out, not defective. And I'm hoping that these early problems with my rotors don't lead to issues down the road with my brakes. I'm just going to make sure I take the car in for service for any little issue I find with my brakes, then at least I will have a service history in case something major happens.
My brother was the sales manager at a GM dealership that I always got my new cars at and I think it's because of him that I've had things repaired on my car that the service department initially stated was normal wear and tear, such as exhaust and brakes. And these things were definately defective. He has since moved to another city and is general manager at a Toyota/Lexus dealership... a little to rich for my blood. The dealership he works for also owns a Chev dealership, so that's where I got my Maxx. But unfortunatly it's about 4.5 hours away from where I live, so I won't be getting the service done there :-).
Sorry this is long but as I was told yesterday by someone "I asked you for the time and you told me how to build a clock"
Your vehicle if I remember was built in late January 2004 and so definitely has older PCM software in it (stuff that others have had updated to correct complaints on starting/shifting). I agree that your PCM has never been updated
It is not a panacea, of course, but I would recommend it based on your complaint.
I don't think there is a TSB regarding this update because it was more of a continuous improvement item. I know that dealer has some method to check whether your module has latest calibration but I don't know what they call it (so that you could say to the service writer, for example, "Could you please check if I have the latest PCM software using the thingamajib whirlybob service interface gizmo?")
If you saw earlier posts, from someone providing a link to a public? website you could plug in your VIN and see the progression of calibrations for various modules in your vehicle. I am not going to post a direct link but you can Google to it pretty quick if you try "gm calibration". Your vehicle started at 12589770 so you can see you are slightly out of date.
In regards to your previous observation of a problem with your automatic climate control system after they had your vehicle previously (probably when you had ABS reprogrammed), that is a pretty simple thing which there IS info for dealer on. It would likely occur again when they reprogram the PCM but they only have to pull out and reinsert a fuse to correct. Tell them to look up PI01535A.
But don't tell them I sent you
.
am checking the cal site for my Maxx....very, very slow.
last 6 VIN digits: 155772
Sadly, the Chevy dealers I visit never give a straight answer on calibration status. I really don't understand why they are so badly informed on that as well as TSB's.
The AC was last week when they supposedly checked to see if I was up to date on recalibration. They tell me there are no updates for this car. I was so disgusted that after leaving the car the night before and them working on it until 6:30 pm the day after and being stuck there for over an hour when I told them the AC was out. I was not up for a discussion on recalibration. At one point they had three people standing there looking at the engine bay.This dealer is supposedly one of the better Chevy dealers around here.
My Maxx is just about 10 days old and this past weekend I took it on a road trip through New England. It never skipped a beat and in just over 800 miles got amazing mileage. No problems with the brakes at all. This is the first new car I've owned, that so far, I can't find any reason to take it back to the dealer. I'm more than plaesed.
The issue with rotors seems to crop up then go away on this forum, then crop up again. For the amount of cars on the road, I really don't think there is an over-all problem with them. Time will tell. You are also correct that sometimes you have to stand up to the dealer to get your problem resolved. I've had to do it from time to time, myself. Mostly the outcome has been positive.
I know this doesn't help you in your situation though
Re: brakes, it *does* seem like there's a problem with rotors on this vehicle. Our Maxx started showing pulsating most notably on highway-speed braking around 10,000 miles. Of course we haven't dealt with it and are now past 15k miles. I'm fully expecting the dealer to turn the rotors under warranty even though we are beyond this magical 12k interval.
Re: door locks. I asked about this a bit before, a while back. Should the lock/unlock button on my driver's side door work all the time, regardless of what sort of locking settings have been made in the Driver Information Center?
I cannot seem to get the lock/unlock button to work on the driver's door. The button on the passenger side works fine - it locks or unlocks all 4 doors (plus the hatch, I think) when it is pressed.
Drej
~D
Yes the lock/unlock button should work all the time. Under factory default conditions if you have a door open when you try to lock the doors it will delay locking until all doors are closed but you would hear a chime. Plus the same thing would happen with passenger door lock switch and you have no complaints with that one.
The vehicle (body computer) actually doesn't recognize the difference between the driver and passenger door lock switch and so I would think you have some type of open circuit. Next time it is dark out when you are in the vehicle turn on the headlamps and crank the illumination knob up to full intensity. Take a look at the driver door lock switch and see if it is backlit like the passenger one. If not, then you might simply have a disconnected switch which dealer should be able to fix really easy.
You are correct that the hatch is "unlocked/locked" with the operation of this switch but that is only a virtual lock/unlock. You still need to UNLATCH the hatch by pressing the other switch on driver door, key fob release, or the touchpad switch on rear applique to actually open the hatch.
I am in the process of purchasing a 2003 Malibu LS but I found the break lights do not come on when the break peddled is engaged. I have search this message board, but not see anyone else mentioning the break lights not working. However, a friend called me and said that he just recently saw another Malibu (year/mod not known) where the break light did not come on as the person was stopping.
My question is - has anyone else had any problems with the break lights on the 2003 Malibu LS? If so, what caused it and was there any reacurrance after fixing the problem?
I am not aware of any problem but you definitely need that fixed!
First thing: Are ALL the brake lamps inoperative? There are 2 brake lamps in each taillamp assembly and also a Center High Mounted Lamp on rear shelf or in a decklid spoiler.
If ALL of these lamps are inoperative when you press on brake pedal then you could check for a blown fuse. The Stop Lamp fuse is a 15 Amp fuse in the Left Hand Fuse Panel which you can see on end of instrument panel when you open the driver door.
If the fuse is OK then next thing would be to check to make sure there is a brake lamp switch on the brake pedal and that wiring is plugged into it. I guess could be adjustment issue as well.
Good luck - even though I didn't really answer your specific question :P
Your answer is comforting as I was concern this may be a potential reaccurring problem.
To answer your questions: Yes all of the lamps lights including the one on the spoiler are not coming on. The fuse is not blown and the dealership has the car now to check the switch. I hope that is all there is wrong. I would hate to have back out of the deal on what seems to be a very nice car.
If anyone else has any break light problems - I would definitely be interested in hearing from you too.
Thanks again e2helper!
kmjbrown
If there doesn't seem to be a problem with the switch then it will be a wiring issue. There is a point where all the brake lamp circuits come together - that would be my next suggestion. It is located in what is called a "splice-saver" and is located in a wiring harness underneath the front passenger seat. I think the service guys would call it "SP303" or "S303"
NOW.. I have several issues, all of which, GM has said they cannot duplicate.. any ideas would be great..
Keyless entry: The car didn't have the remotes with it when purchased, but it is equipped, supposedly. When they hooked up the equipment to program the remotes, the equipment was "unable to communicate with the car".
Cruise control: Push button.. turns on.. push button turns off.. the problem is actually engaging/disengaging it. It only works intermittently.. it could work all day one day perfectyl, and then get in the next day.. engage, hit the brake (or use the button to speed up or slow it down) and it won't engage again.. it just quits.
Door locks: The power door locks on the driver side work fine.. the power lock on the passenger side.. it will unlock, but will not lock. Chevy, on Friday, said that they fixed some "actuator" problem, and that the locks tested fine afterward.. I drove it home that afternoon, only to find the same problem exists.
Lastly.. this MORNING..
DIC: "CHECK GAS CAP".. The gas cap appeared fine when I pulled over since the car began chiming while I was driving down the road. I turned off the car.. removed and replaced the gas cap.. same problem.. continued on to work.. turned the car off.. removed and replaced the gas cap.. looked into the cap (as if I actually know what the heck I'm looking for) didn't see anything out of the ordinary and started car up again.. same problem.. did that one more time, just for fun, apparently, to find same problem.
Any suggestions would be great.. someone mentioned something about a "BCM"??
Thanks..
-Valerie
:confuse:
Sorry about your experiences so far. You have a bit of a list so this will likely take a few messages. First of all, if you don't mind, could you provide the last 6 digits of your vehicle identification number (VIN)? Don't post the whole thing. With this information I can figure out a little more about your vehicle
1. Keyless Entry - Yes, the technician is likely having some problem with their Tech 2 scan tool. If they are not used to working on a 2004 Malibu it is possible they are not using a special interface tool called CANdi which is required to communicate with a 2004 Malibu. Other potential might be they haven't updated their scan tool to the latest version of software or have a problem with their test tool cable. Best thing for them to do would be to try same tool on another 2004 Malibu and see if it communicates. Regarding the remotes, it is VERY important that they use the correct style for your vehicle. Whether your vehicle has remote start option or not tells them which ones to use.
2. Cruise Control - Until the technician is able to communicate with vehicle using his scan tool he will have some difficulty here. He might be able to communicate with what is called the PCM and that might have a trouble code that could help point in right direction. You might want to suggest TSB #04-08-45-009 but it might be a little premature without reading trouble codes.
3. Your vehicle has 4 doors so how are the rear doors working with respect to door lock operation? Is it only the front passenger door that doesn't unlock? That is important to know.
4. "Check Gas Cap" - once you get this message it will take a while for it to go away even if you correct issue (such as a loose gas cap) because it has to successfully pass a diagnostic test which requires certain pre-conditions before it will run.
I am sure the technician might consider replacing the BCM but believe me when I say that most BCM replacements on this vehicle don't really correct the problem.
I really don't have too much for you to do personally here, feel free to provide these suggestions to service dept if they are willing to listen to some anonymous Internet poster
I will keep you posted and let ya know what happens.
-Valerie
I will run this by "the expert" and see what he has to say. I will post back
This was done so that in case you didn't close your door/hatch completely (thus doors never lock) that the system still provides you some level of alarm.
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I just got a GM certified 2003 Malibu from a dealer. I checked the air filter and it was filthy at 45K miles. Does the dealer need to change the filter to be certified in order to sell it?
Also I have a hard brake pedal and when I press it down I hear squeeking coming out from underneath the dash or firewall. The brakes act like they are not grabbing, I have to press down hard it seems. I am sort of leaning towards a brake booster problem or vacuum leak. But I get no dash light. I also checked the rotors and pads the other day. The pads seem new and the drums are new as well and adjusted. Seems like the rotors are not shiny though. Maybe they need turning. They look a little brown in color. I appreciate any suggestions.