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Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Dealer Service

18 messages,  Last post on Sep 25, 2008 at 5:31 AM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, Auto Repair, Hatchback

Messages Page 2 of 2

#10 of 18 Re: notes on the tranny.. [kurtamaxxxguy] by beedublu

Aug 30, 2007 (5:48 am)

Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Aug 29, 2007 8:44 pm)
Note this "non lock" mode is not available with Cruise control . With Cruise on, the Maxx will simply jump back and forth between 3rd and 4th gear trying to maintain speed.
 
Hmmmm...I did not know this. Which probably explains why going up a hill with cruise on produces this very abrupt downshift accompanied by a surge in RPM.

#11 of 18 How timely by pf_flyer HOST

Aug 30, 2007 (7:59 am)

It just so happens that I wrote about this very phenomenon on my blog today
http://www.carspace.com/blogs/AlternateRoute/Cruising-Attitude

#12 of 18 Re: How timely [pf_flyer] by kurtamaxxxguy

Sep 04, 2007 (1:58 pm)

Replying to: pf_flyer (Aug 30, 2007 7:59 am)
In the MAXX'S case, the engineers told me it was a cost decision not to program (or design in bus bandwidth for) the cruise control to interact with the transmission non-lock modes.
 
Some other GM cars do have cruise controls that can use the transmission's non-locking Torque converter capabilities. I remember the Trailblazer having this ability.
 
The Maxx is Accelerator-by-wire, so all throttle control communication is electronic.

#13 of 18 Re: Ask dealer to check transmission -- now "+/-" doesn't work [fasilid] by dr650

May 05, 2008 (8:04 pm)

Replying to: fasilid (Aug 16, 2007 1:55 pm)
My wife's 04 Malibu has started doing the same thing I think. If I'm going 40 or less and coasting and then step on the gas it is like it isn't in gear, the engine revs up nothing and then the transmission hooks up with a jerk and everything is fine until I coast again. I haven't noticed it at highway speeds. Also our + - shift quit working. I wonder if they are related. Did you ever find the cause?

#14 of 18 Re: Ask dealer to check transmission -- now "+/-" doesn't work [dr650] by meandmymaxx

May 06, 2008 (5:02 am)

Replying to: dr650 (May 05, 2008 8:04 pm)
My + - was not working and was causing some funny shifting and cruise control effects, but not as sever as what you describe. My mechanic traced it down to the the one of the control wires for the + - switch had broken. Under the console where the wires run up the shifter the wires make a 90 degree turn up the shifter, it was right there at the 90. They use such small gauge of wire for everything these days it had just fatigued. Once repaired all was good. As I recall the condition did put a code into the computer. Good Luck

#15 of 18 Re: Ask dealer to check transmission -- now "+/-" doesn't work [dr650] by maxx4me

May 06, 2008 (1:36 pm)

Replying to: dr650 (May 05, 2008 8:04 pm)
my 04 maxx has a similar tranny issue. When my foot is off the gas and the car is coasting to turn a street corner, the tranny is very sluggish to downshift and accelerate. I also have troubles getting the tranny to find a lower gear when I stomp on the gas. I think the issue is between 2nd and 3rd gear. When I had the chain and sprocket work done, I remember the service manager stating that the chain was still pretty loose, despite their best efforts. I'm wondering if that is where the issue is emanating from?

#16 of 18 Re: Ask dealer to check transmission -- now "+/-" doesn't work [maxx4me] by fasilid

Sep 24, 2008 (2:40 am)

Replying to: maxx4me (May 06, 2008 1:36 pm)
First, thanks to those of you who responded to my original post from August of last year. Second, my apologies for not following up on my original posts. I'm correcting that now. The summer of '07 knocked me for a loop in the form of that dealer service department that wouldn't honor the warranty -- even returning the car to me with an additional problem. Very bad news, indeed. I got word from other sources that this dealer service department was notorious for this sort of thing, with customers having to stoop to arguments and threats to have routine matters addressed. Bad news.
 
The good news is that I found a good dealer who turned the whole situation around, fixing my car in short order (under the soon-to-expire warranty) and rendering thoroughly professional service.
 
As described in my original posts last year, my '05 Malibu Maxx's trans developed an issue where the transmission would slip back and forth between gears at lower speeds. Took car to the selling dealer's service department, and was treated poorly from the start. They sat on the car for days and then returned it to me with -- surprise! -- the same transmission problem as well as a brand new problem: the +/- tap switch now did not work! The two men running this service department continued to give me a runaround. See my original posts from last year for the sorry details. Rather than deal with what was clearly an adversarial situation, I took the car to another dealer, in upstate NY. (The selling dealer is in a borough of NY City.)
 
Here's where my happy ending came in. To make a long story short: the new dealer, Ken Wilson Chevrolet of the town of Vestal in upstate New York, put an end to what had been a waking nightmare with the downstate operation. The techs at Ken Wilson found the tranny problem and corrected it quickly and with no fuss. They told me they had found a broken wire underneath the trans console. The car was returned to me with the transmission running smoothly and with the +/- tap shifter working fine. All of this was done in an environment of professionalism and courtesy at Ken Wilson. It was like a tutorial on how the dealer experience is supposed to be. That was one year ago. My Malibu Maxx is running fine with no problems and I've got a reputable dealer to service it
 
Thanks again for the replies. And I hope you all can find the good dealers out there -- as I was most fortunate to do.

#17 of 18 Re: Ask dealer to check transmission -- now "+/-" doesn't work [fasilid] by maxx4me

Sep 25, 2008 (3:34 am)

Replying to: fasilid (Sep 24, 2008 2:40 am)
Gee, I thought you were going to say my dealership here in Alexandria was the offending dealer giving you the run around. What a similar story to mine......except mine resulted in my axle snapping off on Riverside Drive in Harlem (read my posts on the GM Customer Service page). I was giong to recommend to you that you see the GM dealer in Harlem. While not specifically a Chevy dealer, they are a GM dealership, not independently owned, who can get parts and perform service very quickly given their large operation there. They treated me wonderfully during my Malibu Maxx ordeal in NYC. Bottom line however: don't go to a dealer...find a independent shop rated well by your peers. GM, Ford, Chrysler won't intervene when you have a problem at any dealer, so without pressure, these dealers act like big shots because they have the big corporate logo on their shirts, even though they are independent. At least a private shop respects the fact that if you feel cheated, you'll never return and they will go out of business.

#18 of 18 Don't forget by pf_flyer HOST

Sep 25, 2008 (5:31 am)

You can check out what other customers think of a dealer or add your own review of the dealer you're dealing with to Edmunds Dealer Ratings & Reviews

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