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Sedans Chevrolet Impala 2008 Impala Owner Experiences
72 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 5:35 PM
You are in the Chevrolet Impala Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
Please tell me---which size tires/wheels would be the best on a 2008 Chev Impala for the best ride or driving and handling. I was supposed to have 17 inch wheels on it but they put factory 16 inch instead---I am not happy with the dealership not honoring my request in buying this new auto---is there any difference in the ride with the 17 inch wheels and will it give me a better ride???? Please give me some advice. I also requested a 6 CD Changer and got one called an aftermarket---a Pioneer in the trunk and it has to be tuned to an FM signal. Is this the best I can do?????
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Replying to: rwessels (Jul 07, 2008 1:52 pm) My car had blown a high pressure line in the power steering system, which caused the fluid to start leaking out. There was a TSB for this, so the dealer performed the recommended procedure and it has been fine since (my car is just about to hit 30,000 miles). It is amazing that this may still be an issue in the '08's. Check your power steering fluid and make sure it is at the correct level. |
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Replying to: sylviae (Jul 22, 2008 1:24 pm) With regards to the wheels, the 16" wheels/tires will give you a floatier, softer ride. The 17" wheels/tires will reduce some of the float that you get with the 16" and will still be very comfortable. If you like a softer, floatier ride stick with the 16". If you want less float and a more controlled feeling ride then you may want to try for the 17". Keep in mind when it comes time for new tires, 17" tires tend to cost a little more than 16". Which trim Impala did you get? It sounds as though the dealership may have given you a trim line that did not incorporate some of the things you wanted. For example, for 2008 Chevy made the 17-inch wheels standard on the 2LT model only. LS and 1LT models come with 16-inch wheels. LTZ and SS both got 18" wheels standard in 2008. 17" wheels are available for the LS and 1LT as dealer installed accessories. The factory head-unit that includes the CD changer is optional only on 2LT, LTZ, and SS models. So in order get you the 17" wheels and the CD changer, the dealer should have steered you towards a 2LT. The 17" wheels would have been standard and the CD changer in the head unit would have been optional. It sounds like you were sold either an LS or a 1LT. That being the case, the dealer should have been able to honor your request for 17" wheels by ordering and installing the 17" GM accessory wheels and tires for the Impala through the parts department. This, however, would have easily added another $1500 to the price of the car. They could have also ordered the upgraded head-unit with the CD changer in it. Again, this would have been $500 or so. So the options you were looking to do would have added at least $2000 to the price of the LS or 1LT. At that point, you would have been better off going with the 2LT. The 2LT would have given you the 3.9L V6, standard 17" wheels, standard ABS/traction control, and the ability to add the factory CD changer for an additional $300.00. Not sure what recourse you have at this point. GM Accessories is your best bet for 17" wheels. Your other option is to check eBay and look for some OEM take-offs. Many times you can find complete factory tire/wheel sets there for less than $1K (for example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/17-CHEVY-IMPALA-MONTE-CARLO-OEM-WHEELS-RIMS-193B8- _W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ66483QQihZ025QQitemZ380048034721QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZW- DVW). The CD changer you have did give you a solution although it is not the most convenient or best solution from a sound quality standpoint. If they used the option where the sound is patched directly into the FM antenna then that is better than if it is using a basic FM transmitter.
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Replying to: ryster (Jul 26, 2008 9:22 am)
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Replying to: sylviae (Jul 26, 2008 10:45 am) Unfortunately, most dealerships are franchised so GM has little power to intervene on the sales side. They will, however, have a little more pull with dealers when it comes to service issues. It is not that they do not care, they simply have no control over the dealer and their sales practices. It is not just GM dealers that make empty promises. I had an experience with a Nissan dealer a few years ago where they told me in writing they would sell me an Altima for a certain price and then changed their mind when I got there the next day. I sat there for 3 hours while they "ran the numbers" again despite what they agreed to the previous afternoon. I ran away from that place and never looked back. The Impala represents great value for the money. There is very little else on the market that offers the features and comfort for a similar price. The 3.5L V6 is a great engine, and will easily get 28-30mpg on the highway. The car is easy to drive, very comfortable, and very reliable. Put the initial sales experience behind you and enjoy your new car for the next three years...it will go by faster than you think 
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The Impala brochure mentions the "2-Way Advanced Remote Start" as being a dealer installed option with "late availability". I've contacted GM and here is their reply. "The two-way remote start system, or the Advanced Remote Start System (ARSS), is a new technology that has a convenient display screen that shows the vehicle’s current status (locked or remote-start engaged, for instance) and critical vehicle data, including tire air pressure, fuel level, odometer and theft alarm status. This key fob offers greater operating range than the factory keyless entry system, and can control a second ARSS. This dealer-installed option is available on some Chevrolet models, like the Avalanche and the Silverado, but unfortunately is not yet available for 2008 Chevrolet Impala. There are no bulletins as to when this would be available or if it would be available for the 2008 or the 2009 Impala. Furthermore, a check with two (2) authorized Chevrolet dealerships also produced negative replies. " Does anyone have any knowledge of this toy? The extended range for the remote start would be nice. By the way, the ticking noise in the dash has gone away. I've done 15,000 miles since October 07 and have been very satisfied with the Impala.
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Replying to: thatism (Aug 13, 2008 1:23 pm)
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Replying to: sylviae (Aug 13, 2008 3:16 pm) The ticking in the dash has been an issue since the 2006 redesign. My 2006 makes the noise as well. There was a "fix" issued for the 2006 model year and I can only guess that the fix for later years is similar. There is a dash piece that rests against the base of the windshield. It is the piece that goes over the defroster vents and the auto-headlight sensor. It is attached underneath with clips. As the temperature changes (either A/C blowing, heat blowing, sitting in the heat and then turning on the A/C, sitting in the cold and then turning on the heat, etc.) that piece is prone to flexing and making noise until it gets closer to the ambient temp in the car. Frankly, I am shocked that the problem may still be present in 2008 cars. I looked at a 2008 Impala recently, and that dash piece was much better installed than my '06. In my '06 if I simply press down on that piece it sounds brittle and as if it could crack easily. On the '08 I sat in, the piece seemed just as solid as the rest of the dash when I pressed down on it. The fix on '06 models was to remove that piece, place "anti-itch" tape over the clips, and then reinstall. In order to do that, the dealer needs to remove the entire upper dash. I elected to NOT have the fix done and have learned to live with the noise for the past couple years and 30,000 miles. There are days where it bothers me, and other days where I just don't care about it. However, past experience with cars and rattles/noises has shown me that dealers tend to make matters worse when working on such things. What the service man told you is true, and his answer was a nice way of telling you that they could investigate the problem but could end up creating problems in the process. His response is not an uncommon one when it comes to rattles and other noises in the dash. If this isn't the source of your problem, I also had a ticking in the dash coming from the glovebox door. I fixed that myself by opening the door and spraying the latch mechanism with white lithium grease. Seems to have helped considerably. At the end of the day, it comes down to how offensive the noise is to you and if you want to take the risk in having the dealer tear it apart to fix it. If the noise is a distraction to you when driving, or literally driving you crazy (some noises will after time), it may be worth it to have the dealer give it a shot. However understand that when you get it back there may be new noises, or even sime minor scratches on some of the dash pieces if the dealer didn't take care when repairing and re-assembling.
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Replying to: thatism (Aug 13, 2008 1:23 pm) "The two-way remote start system, or the Advanced Remote Start System (ARSS), is a new technology that has a convenient display screen that shows the vehicle’s current status (locked or remote-start engaged, for instance) and critical vehicle data, including tire air pressure, fuel level, odometer and theft alarm status. This key fob offers greater operating range than the factory keyless entry system, and can control a second ARSS. This dealer-installed option is available on some Chevrolet models, like the Avalanche and the Silverado, but unfortunately is not yet available for 2008 Chevrolet Impala. There are no bulletins as to when this would be available or if it would be available for the 2008 or the 2009 Impala. Furthermore, a check with two (2) authorized Chevrolet dealerships also produced negative replies. " Does anyone have any knowledge of this toy? The extended range for the remote start would be nice." I have seen this system demonstrated on a Silverado. It is nothing more than a fancy keyfob with an extended range remote keyless entry system. In the test I watched, the demonstrator was able to start the Silverado at a range of 1/4 mile (1280 feet), The fob itself has an LCD screen and a small stubby antenna on it and visually displays the information listed in your post. It is like having a Driver Information Center on your fob. Honestly, I am not quite sure the purpose of such a toy. The benefit of having things like fuel level and tire pressures on the fob escapes me. I can see theft system status, and maybe odometer reading, but the other data seems superfluous. The demonstration I saw made the point that it is a toy more for bragging rights and for people that love new gadgets. The added range is nice but does anyone really need to be able to start their car from 1/4 mile away? I find the 200-300 ft range I have now to be just fine for starting the car from in the house on very hot/very cold mornings, or for starting the car in a parking lot as I approach it. There are even some zones in this area now where drivers are not permitted to idle their cars...they call them "idle-free zones". Anyone caught leaving their car idling while unattended can be fined...and the signs in the "idle-free zones" encourage motorists to report all instances. Whenever I see these signs, I have to remember not to remote start. If you like toys, and it ever gets offered on the Impala, go for it. If I recall, total cost to have installed on the Silverado (parts and labor) was between $300 and $400. |
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Can you fold down part of the back seat or only all of the back seat? The Chevy video shows that you can flip up part or all of the seat and then shows folding down the whole back to have the back seat completely flat. I want to know if you can fold down only one of the backs so that someone can still sit in the back seat but have more room for storage with one of the seats folded down? Thanks.
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