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Maintenance & Repair To Fix Up or Trade Up, That is the Question
536 messages, Last post on Jul 24, 2009 at 9:12 AM
You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum. Your Host is mr_shiftright
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Replying to: jchan2 (Oct 24, 2008 6:49 pm)
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Replying to: srs_49 (Oct 29, 2008 3:46 am) The Ranger trannys seemed to be non-rebuildable. Something about when any bearings were damaged, they usually also damaged the housing/case where the bearings were encased. Not way to pull old bearing out and put new one in. Maybe a Toyota tranny has problems that kill bearings and therefore they are also not easily rebuildable, using the old housing. If a new housing was needed, the cost up increase a lot. |
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ok, tranny is repaired and my tech called to say that it was ready to go in, but that the clutch should probably be replaced while it is convenient. 120k miles, already paid labor to have the tranny removed, probably a good idea. then he said it was going to cost another $275 on top of the $2000 that the tranny work is costing me . . . seems kinda high. any other opinions?
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Replying to: bastimret (Nov 11, 2008 12:52 pm) |
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Hello, Don't get scared away by the length of this post. Over the past few months I've been posting problems with my 2001 3.8L Impala. It seems I haven't been able to resolve any of them. I'm ultimately trying to decide if I should fix this car by doing a major overhaul or just cut my loses and ditch it. I would appreciate any feedback/solutions/advice as to what can be causing my problems, how to go about fixing them and whether or not it's worth it to keep investing in this piggy bank of a car. My goal is to get the car to last until the spring. Some background: Car bottomed out in a ditch, did a 180. It seems all the problems stemmed from this incident, but maybe not. Pre-existing problems: Passlock :: happens about once a month, sometimes more, sometimes less ABS don't work :: this is attributed to a faulty hub sensor, fixed it once, it reoccured, not fixing again Problems after bottoming out in the ditch (developed over time): Intermittent speaker outages :: radio, chimes, cd player cut out from a split second to a few minutes once in a while Frequent stalling :: happens while in gear and while idling. Radiator fan always on :: coolant temp needle on dash stays at lowest point even when car is warm Intake/Intake manifold ::oil collects on engine block, under intake manifold (small amount, but cause for concern). It seems like the dex-cool ate away at the gasket. :: there's also a small gap between the intake manifold and the metal sensor housing/air intake to the right of the manifold. :: one of the wires going into the mass air flow sensor was disconnected, reconnecting it did not solve stalling problem. Disconnecting the sensor during idle has no effect on engine rpm. Here's some info I got by hooking up to the computer: OBD codes: PO128* - [Pending] Coolant thermostat (coolant temp below thermostat regulating temp) PO172* - [Pending] System too rich PO332 - Knock Sensor 2 Circuit Low ~codes associated with an O2 sensor and a sensor in the wheel hub (causes ABS, TC, not to work) came up when hooked up to mechanics code reader (mine didn't find these) short term fuel trim: 0% to -1.5% long term fuel trim: I've seen it between -8% and -17% ::  1500rpm -11% :: idle (700-800rpm) -7.8% after a drive: intake air temp 12C coolant temp 102C idle intake manifold pressure: 31kpa (is this high enough??) air flow rate (MAF sensor) 4.2g/s My observations/opinions: From talking with mechanics there are a few possible culprits causing these problems: ECU or PCM, intake manifold, MAF sensor, coolant temp sensor We're talking a worst case scenario of thousands of dollars to fix unless I find cheap parts somewhere and do the labor myself. The MAF sensor seems easy to replace. Same with the coolant temp sensor. How hard/involved is it to change the intake manifold? Is there a guide/procedure anywhere? Any advice on fixing the ECU or PCM if it came to that? A big thank you for your help!!! |
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Replying to: bartron36 (Dec 08, 2008 9:45 pm)
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Replying to: fezo (Dec 09, 2008 7:43 pm) I guess I'll take this opportunity to update my situation as well. Thus far, I picked up an aftermarket MAF sensor and upper intake manifold (Dorman) for about $400CDN total. I'll see how far this gets me. If my temp gauge/stalling problems aren't resolved after these two parts are installed, I'll move on to the thermostat. Thanks to some advice on the impalaforums.com I saved myself tons of money by getting aftermarket parts and installing them myself (yet to be done). Originally, I was quoted $650CDN just to do the upper intake manifold replacement. Also, a GM MAF sensor is $560CDN (not including labor). I'll post back after I replace these two parts. If anyone has can point me to a manifold replacement guide for the L36 engine I'd be very thankful. Cheers. |
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Replying to: bartron36 (Dec 08, 2008 9:45 pm) The Passlock and stalling issues may be related to a bad ignition switch. I replaced my ignition switch back in June. It took me an hour.....the second time. The first time I tried to clean the ignition switch which didn't help. Of course things are easier the second time. Part cost about $100 (aftermarket). Directions for changing was posted on a dedicated Intrigue forum on another site. Recommend checking a dedicated Impala website. Guarantee others have dealt with this issue. It could also be the fuel pump but I would start with the igniton system since the security system is also giving you trouble. You really need to address the intake manifold gasket. If you allow that to continue too long, the coolant will cause damage to the engine. I've read some shadetree mechanics doing it themselves but an independent shop should be able to do it for between $600-$750. Most mechanics are very familiar with this repair. I would have them change your thermostat at the same time. I just changed the thermostat myself on the Intrigue 2 months ago. All I will say is it is not worth doing yourself. I spent way too much time on this project. If money is tight, it is doable with common tools. Thermostats are pretty inexpensive (<$30). Heck, the coolant may cost more than the part. You can replace the wheel hubs yourself if you are handy. I bought a pair from Advance Auto parts for $90+ and had my mechanic install them (his parts charge would have been about $60 more). They are all over Ebay for cheaper. Most carry a one year warranty. Of course it could be just the wheel sensor wire and not the entire hub. Mass Air Flow sensor is very easy to change yourself. Check EBay for used ones. You should be able to find one for less than $60 (including shipping). Most carry at least a 90 day guarantee. Personally, I would attack the MAF, thermostat, wheel hubs, ignition switch and Passlock myself and talk to a mechanic about the other issues to see what it would cost. yes you are well over a thousand dollars on these repairs. Even though you will get rid of this vehicle in the spring, there are certain things that are safety issues like the stalling and lack of ABS or severe car issues like the intake manifold gasket leak that really need to be addressed or you may not make it to spring. One thing i have found is independent shops will work with you on costs and repairs. |
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Replying to: bartron36 (Dec 08, 2008 9:45 pm)
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Replying to: jchan2 (Dec 10, 2008 7:40 pm)
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Maintenance & Repair To Fix Up or Trade Up, That is the Question
