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Chevrolet Impala General Care & Maintenance

50 messages,  Last post on Sep 26, 2011 at 8:07 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Impala, Auto Repair, Oil, Sedan

Messages Page 4 of 5

#31 of 50 Re: 2002 Impala dash/gauges not working [essilem] by mavericks

Jul 07, 2007 (3:22 pm)

Replying to: essilem (Apr 05, 2007 5:30 pm)
oh my! I have the exact same problem as you do! I have a 2001 impala ls. one day I was driving and everything was working fine. all of a sudden my radio stops working for no apparent reason... as of today the radio still doesn't work even though the display shows the radio being on. nor does the door chime when you insert the key. A few days after the first incident; after work, I turned the car on and none of the gauges were working I also noticed that the onstar system lights on the rearview mirror were red. that was about two months ago and I still can't figure out what is wrong, they just don't work. At first i didn't know what to do. when you mentioned that it happens only in warm days i realized it's true. i leave home to work at 5 am and most of the time it works on my way to work, but the gauges stop working after work when it's sunny and warm. another problem that i have is the 'service traction system' light come on and sometimes i hear a grinding noise in the front driver axle when i make short turns slowly. anyways i took my car to have it repaired and they had no clue what was wrong with it. they replaced the ignition switch for about $450 but still no luck. myself i tried disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and cleaning the battery's positive terminal as well as the wires and sometimes fixes the problem but after a few trips it re occurs again. on at least two occassions, while the gauges don't work it seems that the cooling fans fail to start which causes the cooling fluid to boil out of it's reservoir, fortunately that happened on quite short trips so there was no damage to the engine. i'm desperate and i know how frustating this must be. at the shop where they replaced the ignition they also ran it through the computer trouble codes scanner and they said that it might be something wrong with the "egr valve" which is the exaust gas recirculation valve being stuck open or closed. i'm not sure if that's truly the problem, i'll get that fixed. in the meantime i hope i was able to help you somehow, if you get yours fixed let me know what the problem was.

#32 of 50 Re: Faulty temperature gauge? [katya] by blueheron507

Oct 03, 2007 (7:53 pm)

Replying to: katya (Jan 21, 2007 8:40 pm)
I would very interested in knowing what if anything was found out about this; I have the same problem with my 01 Impala with 140,000 miles on it. I need to get it fixed.

#33 of 50 2001 Impala LS Gauges troubles. by mavericks

Oct 08, 2007 (7:03 pm)

Replying to: blueheron507 (Oct 03, 2007 7:53 pm)
hello, well I haven't been able to get if fixed completely but here's what i've found. the radio not working was because a bad factory-installed amplifier. I bought a new amp on ebay from a 2003 Impala and guess what? it didn't fit. fortunately I found a solution; I was able to get an after-market wire harness online from a car sound site to bypass the amp entirely for about $25 and I think it sounds better this way. now as far the gauges not working, this is what I do; remove the fuse box cover located inside the car on the driver side and find a red fuse labeled "CLSTR/BCM" (your manual also shows where it is), if you don't have a manual it's the closest red fuse to the big gray circuit relay. Start the car and while the car is idling pull out such fuse and put it back in. (you may have to do this two or three times) when you remove it, it resets all instrument gauges and they should all come on. Also if your AC was not blowing cold air while the gauges are dead, this will get it fixed. The problem is, this fix may only last for a few driving cycles so it gets annoying after a while; myself i keep the cover removed for easy access and i keep a pair of pliers in the door compartment. you may also want to leave the the fuse a bit loose (it doesn't really matter how far you push it in) that way you can pull it out and push it in with your fingers. Now, if only the temperature gauge is not working but the rest of them are (speedometer, rpm, and fuel) then just unplugging the positive battery terminal for a few minutes should solve the problem, also solving the related issue of fans staying on a while after you turn the car off even when the engine is still cold. And lastly my traction system would go on for no reason while making slow, tight turns. (for example while parking in a parking lot) the message "SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM" would stay on for a while and also the ABS light would go on. To prevent this i always hit the traction button and turn the traction system off before I start driving. It will disable traction but your ABS will still work. Hope this helps. let me know if this works for you.

#34 of 50 Re: 2001 Impala LS Gauges troubles. [mavericks] by mrwayne

Oct 30, 2007 (10:06 pm)

Replying to: mavericks (Oct 08, 2007 7:03 pm)
The gauge clusters are known to go bad after a while. You'll need a new one. The gauge cluster is a computer in and of itself, and a failure in it can cause other malfunctions elsewhere in the car.
 
If your fans are still running after the car is shut off, have your thermostat changed. This usually corrects the problem. Also, check the ground wire under the hood on the left side, above the headlight. Make sure it's a secure connection.
 
The traction control problem is most likely a broken or corroded connection in the ABS "wires" leading to the front hubs. Many have had the hubs replaced, only to have the problem return. The wires the car came with are too thin, and their connections break easily over time. Dealers charge around $250 to replace the wires. You can buy the wires and do the job yourself for a lot cheaper. The part numbers are:
 
Right Side: 10340313
Left Side: 10340314
www.gmpartsdirect.com
 
Instructions are included with the wires.

#35 of 50 Re: 2005' Chevy Impala [rockylee] by jimpala2

Nov 06, 2007 (6:23 pm)

Replying to: rockylee (Nov 04, 2006 12:25 am)
'05 should be under warrenty.

#37 of 50 green fluid leak by jjp3

Nov 10, 2007 (9:27 pm)

My 2002 3.4 liter 6 cycl. automatic Impala with 45,000 miles has a green liquid leak. It has occurred 3-4 times. the leak is on the drivers side front corner of compartment. The cooling system was flushed twice and refilled in April 07 with red colored dexcool. The low engine coolant light is always on but everything is filled to proper operating levels. The puddle that appears is coming from the car and not another source. It usually is about 6 inches accross in diameter. How can I find out what this liquid is and how can I make the low coolant light go off. The sensor may be bad but I am confused as to its location. Is the sensor in the radiator neck or by the intake hose on the engine? I've had this vehicle checked by a mechanic and he did a radiator pressure test that turned out ok. He doesn't know what the problem is.

#38 of 50 break noise Impala LS 2001,3.8L by linw

Jan 04, 2008 (9:25 pm)

I just got 2001 Impala LS 3.8L 144K,2 weeks ago. When I took the test drive, I felt a noise when I push the brake all the way down. However, when I double checked the noise was gone, so I just thought I felt something that did not exsit. Three days before, when I drove in the snow, the noise came up again when I push brake quickly with a very slight trembling. It seems that I can feel the break pad touch the disc. Is there anyone have the same problem? and how do you fix it. Thank you!

#39 of 50 Re: break noise Impala LS 2001,3.8L [linw] by quietpro

Jan 10, 2008 (5:53 am)

Replying to: linw (Jan 04, 2008 9:25 pm)
This was answered in the Impala Brakes forum.

#40 of 50 Re: 2002 Impala dash/gauges not working [mavericks] by petshot

Mar 08, 2008 (11:01 am)

Replying to: mavericks (Jul 07, 2007 3:22 pm)
did u find out the problem? i have an 02 also and i am having the exact same problem with the traction system light and the grinding noise.

Messages Page 4 of 5

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