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Comments
Chris
http://members.cox.net/2001impala
Thanks
My wife says the trunk has come unlatched a couple times while driving, has anybody else had that problem? I think she is hitting the button with her knee.
A disk brake doesn't have a retraction spring. Brake release depends on the caliper being able to respond to a puny little retraction force from the rubber O-ring around the piston. If there's binding at the pins, the piston in the bore, or the sliding surface between the caliper and the knuckle, the pads drag and wear out prematurely. My cars have worn out brakes from binding at each of these places.
If you don't disassemble the calipers on the earlier cars and clean them when you replace the pads, you probably won't get the full life from the pads. Current brakes may be the same.
We got substantial rain this past weekend and when I got into the Impala, the front passenger floor was wet and beaded with water. I thought I left a window cracked but that wasn't the case.
When the courtesy lamps are on, I could see a bead of water rolling on the surface of the foot lamp. Seems that I have a leak that is making its way through the dash...
I plan on calling the dealer tonight to have them look at it. Not too thrilled as I cringe at the notion of them dismantling the dash! I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. I opted out of a moonroof because of leaks! Sweet irony!
We will see....
RR
Thanks for the info Nathan! I found the report on the "Problems" page. I am taking the info along with me to the dealer.
Great resource for us Impalaphiles!
Thanks again!
RR
Forrest
They explained that a cowl seal was the culprit of the leak and "re-attached" it. They also replaced the blower fan/motor and the cabin filter because of water damage. To be honest, the blower was fine - but he said that it may short due to the moisture so they swapper it - VERY COOL OF THEM.
Anyway, I got a call from the service dept. and he advised me that there was carbon build-up on the injectors and throttle ((bodies?)) I forget the exact term on the service invoice). So they cleaned all of that with some "M.O.C." cleaner. Anyone know what that is??
I can't say I notice a difference in the ride. I didn't notice any issues before tehy told me about the carbon issues. I would assume that carbon build-up is totally normal - goes with the territory of a gasoline combustion engine, right?
Well, the dealer was great. Best service dept. I have ever worked with. The hours are even better 7am - 2am How is that for convenience!
Will have to wait for the bnext torrential downpour to see if the cowl seal is completely attached this time.
Take care!
RR
Every car I have ever bought, for me and my wife have been chevys. In HS, 62 Impala, then a 71 Nova SS, my first new car,(I loved that car), then when 1st child came traded to 79 Caprice Classic (this also had a bad trans replaced, the metric class action suit), then a 91 Caprice Classic that later became the wifes car; and a used Lumina Z34(mine) and a 99 Malibu when the Caprice traded in and finally when my oldest totaled the Z34 Memorial day weekend 1999 I bought 2000 Impala LS. I have always loved Chevy, keep the cars for at least 85,000 miles. Had over 100K on the 79 Caprice and over 110K on the 91 Caprice. The engines never die if oil changed every 3-4K miles. Transmissions on the other hand suck.
ALSO: I had the 'clunking' and they did the shim fix and all ok so far. Never had a problem with rotors, still have originals. Have not had to have a brake job yet. No leaks anywhere as others have reported. Did have the air blower replaced in 6/2000. I think I may have been one of the first to report a problem with the blower. It whined just like the ones in the 91 Caprice. They try to tell you it may be leaves touching the fan or something like that but the axis for the fan is metal and to housing is plastic and metal against plastic eventually makes noise.
Well, bring it to the attention of service dept next time you go in for service. They can adjust the latch so it doesn't happen or at least happen as often.
That's a load of Bull-oney. Too bad Teo no longer posts here. He lives in FL. I'm sure he'd tell you his AC runs perfectly.
Find a different dealer for service.
I've noticed worsening brake pulsating / vibration lately and mentioned that to the dealer when taking it in for the 30k maintenance this week. When picking up the car, they told the front rotors had delaminated and they replaced both under warranty.
How exactly would a rotor delaminate and what would cause that? Anyone else had issues with this? Whatever the cause, the vibration & pulsating is gone now.
Because, even if rotors were ever "laminated" at the factory level for perhaps corrosion protection, you would not want them as such once you actually use them. The pads need to be in direct contact with the rotors.
In any case, your symptoms were that of warped rotors, and they replaced them under warranty, so you've got that goin' for ya...which is nice. Others have not had such acommodation dealers.
Recently I have had a problem with my 2000 LS (32,000 miles) smoking at start up. When it first started, the car would have to sit for 2 or 3 hrs then when I turned the key there would be 2 or 3 puffs of smoke (white/blue in color)then nothing. The amount of smoke is not alot but it is enough that when there's a breeze I can watch it blow by the passenger window.
I took the car in and the Chevy guys changed an intake gasket and said that it was fixed. I gave it a week after the "fix" just incase there was residual oil or something but it kept smoking at start up and even more frequently so I took it back to the garage. I just received a call from the service manager saying that he spoke with GM reps and they (the manager and the rep) figure that it's just "normal smoke" that can be expected from any car, new or old, when it is started from cold. They offered to do another test where they inject dye into the system, run the car then check the O2 sensor for dye. I'm tired of taking the car in and I plan to have them do every test they or I can think of. The warranty is up in 4000 miles and I think the garage is trying to string me along so I get stuck paying mega $$ in a few months when the car is no longer covered.
Has any one had a simliar problem or does anyone have an idea of what it could be and are the chevy guy and rep trying to play me for a fool?
thanks for any input
I suggest you take this to a higher level. Maybe get an opinion from another Chevy dealer, or better yet, a good independant shop. (Despite what some people think, the best service is not from a dealer. That's an old wive's tale. However, they are generally the only source for warranty repairs.)
Then, offer the independant diagnosis to the dealer or GM/Chevy corporate consumer complaint line.
Repairs to internal engine parts such as valves and cylinder heads can be very expensive. You want to take care of it now.
There are too many folks out there , when the problem won't respond to standard fixes, say "they all do it." 32,000 miles is way too early for any smoke!
Keep us posted.
Seriously though, I definitely wouldn't take the "normal smoke" response. Just look at the number of cars on the road that are much older than 3 years and they don't smoke EVER. Good luck with your battle, and let us know how it goes.
Brad
Thanks for the replies, they add merit to my idea that the dealers are full of it.
Not much new news, I have to pick it up today, drive for a week and then go back to see if the dye is somewhere it shouldn't be.
Considered a few of the comments and once I thought about it, I realized something about the "all cars do it" line. My #2 vehicle is a 94 CK1500 extcab 5.7L Silverado and it is at 99,500 miles...how much does it smoke at start up..or ever...NADA. But hey maybe it's something new that the dealers have built in...you know the "after 30k you start smoking" feature...soon to be added to quality vehicles everywhere (ok..mid afternoon humor..what can ya expect?)
I'll keep everyone informed as to how things go.
Nutz
There is something wrong inside that engine. Period.
Do not accept "no" for an answer.
Oh...that's two things.
Last time I wrote I was complaining about white smoke at start up. Now I am writing to ask, other then the info in the back of the owners manual are there addresses to send formal complaints to? After the third trip to the dealer and the third pile of pointless excuses I've decided that I'm not going to get anywhere at the local level and I'm going to have to contact a regional manager or higher.
Not fixing the problem with the car in 3 tries is bad but the part that made up my mind about going higher is when the service punk said " If the smoke doesn't increase in volume and frequency or the car doesn't stop running completely, then it is just a waste of your time to bring the car back. Each time you bring it in you don't have it to drive and there's not much we can (or will) do if you bring it back to the service again"
Is that the most pompous BS you have ever heard out of a "service professional" or what?
Anyway, any info on how to reach the "big dogs" at Chevy would be appreciated.
http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/gmpistonslap/
Also, a neighbor told me that out of nowhere, his Chevy truck started guzzing oil. He put up a big stink, and got a new engine! They balked that there was anything wrong at first, but he pursued it. I don't remember if you're consuming oil. But, smoke at startup is entirely unacceptable for a new engine. Period. End of story.
Keep us updated on your "journey".
My understanding is the monitors work off the ABS system; they monitor each tire, and can sense when one is turning at a different speed (due to low air pressure) relative to the others. I don't think there's anything actually on the wheels of the vehicle, but I could be wrong.
I can attest to the fact that the monitor works, though. A few months ago mine went off about a mile after leaving work, I got to a service station, and sure enough - I had a low tire which had a screw in it. As it was, they patched the tire and I was on my way. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found the (by then flat) tire until I got ready to leave the next morning, which would not have been a great way to start the day.
I have also noticed a wobbling noise coming from the front end. I noticed this a while ago, almost right after they worked on the car. But I thought it was the road noise. Yesterday, my work colleague took the car for a ride. He came back and said, “What is that ;whoa, whoa, whoa ; noise coming from the front? Now I am convinced that the noise is real. Does anyone have an idea what this may be all about?
If it is a CV boot, they aren't expensive to have replaced. However, it should be covered under the warranty, no? Also, CV boots usually do have a metal band around each end. That's what holds it to the half-shaft, and keeps the seals tight.
If it's a boot on the ISS, then it is definitely covered under warranty, especially since the "highly-skilled and factory-trained" (ahem) technicians apparently messed up (gasp!) the simple ISS lube.
Coincedentally, I had a girlfriend that made the same "whoa whoa whoa" noise.
I just bought a 2000 LS with 37000 miles. It has the standard problems: warp routers, etc. However, I have encounter one usual problem that I hoping someone else might have seen.
If I'm playing a CD on the stock system, each time I hit the break the volume goes down and each when I accelerate the volume goes up.
Talk about weird. Any help would be great.
Thanks!
BH
I just bought a 2000 LS with 37000 miles. It has the standard problems: warp routers, etc. However, I have encounter one usual problem that I hoping someone else might have seen.
If I'm playing a CD on the stock system, each time I hit the break the volume goes down and each when I accelerate the volume goes up.
Talk about weird. Any help would be great.
Thanks!
BH
It's not too annoying when set to "low. It's much more subtle. Plus, with those loud Goodyear tires, it even helps a little. I can't imagine using it in high mode, though. That would drive me nuts.
First of all, I have a 2001 base Impala with 27k on it. At 19k I replaced the front pads with Performance Friction Carbon Metalic pads. The stock pads were starting to squeal a bit in stop and go driving, and while they weren't terribly worn, I was shocked at how small the actual friction surface of the pad material was....about half of the backing plate as compared to the PF pads which are about twice the amount of friction surface.
Now on to some observations: The gentleman who stated that metalic and carbon-metalic pads "all squeal" is terribly wrong. The PF pads are dead silent and stop considerably better than the original pads did. I've been fortunate to not have any rotor issues, which I would have expected as I drive probably a bit harder than the average driver.
Usually just resurfacing a warped rotor will not fix the problem, its a lot more complicated than that, basically brake rotors warp because the temper in one area of the rotor is different then the rest of the rotor. When subjected to thermal(heat) stress or mechanical stress (like unevenly or over-tightened lug nuts) the rotor warps. Turning or truing the rotor will alleviate warps that exist when the rotor is cold, but will not solve the problem when hot, the uneven temper still exists within the substrate. The only permanent solution is to replace the rotor.
As far as cross-drilled rotors are concerned, dont waste your money. They do nothing to improve braking, nor are they any less likely to warp than non-drilled ones. Actually the holes, no matter how carefully drilled or chamfered, are potential stress risers in the surface of the rotor, which means a great place for cracks to develop. As for their "racing heritage" go to any auto race where heavy sedan-type cars subject their brakes to heavy use every lap. Ideally something like the SCCA Trans-Am series or any NASCAR race that they run on a road course would be a good place. You will not see a single cross-drilled rotor on any of those cars. You will see some slots in the surfaces and those are useful for reliving the gasses that the pads expel when hot. Oh, and the myth that the cross-drilled holes allow air to cool the pads is bunk as well, there is no cool air coming out of the middle of a rotor in use! Again, look and see that the people who really use their brakes the hardest rely on as much cool air ducted from high-pressure areas of the bodywork and aim it squarely at the rotor and caliper.
So, if you brakes pulsate, replace the rotors......period. If you're spending the money yourself, get something like the PowerSlot rotors, not as much for the slots as for the fact that they're made for "performance" use, which usually means when the rotors are cast at the foundry they are allowed to cool in the molds longer than the "cheaper" rotors. This allows them to temper more evenly than ones that are pulled from the molds quicker. A more even temper means they withstand higher temperatures better. It also means they cost more because the longer you leave them in the molds the fewer you can produce, so the production costs are higher.
So, the best bet for good, trouble-free brakes for what is basically a big heavy car would be good pads (I'm prejudiced but I think the Performance Friction ones are the best) and good rotors, proper care and torquing of the wheels and realizing that you don't have the braking system of a Trans-Am or NASCAR sedan, and driving accordingly.
P.S for you people who ride the brake pedal with your left foot......stop it! That builds up heat at an alarming rate, and you'll be warping rotors regularly, no matter what car you drive.