Impala - Chevrolet :: 2003 - Intermittent Shutter / Buck On Quick Acceleration
Dec 22, 2012
I have a 2003 impala I just bought and it has an intermittent problem. Sometimes when I step on the gas the motor will 'slam'---kinda like if the motor mounts were bad but they look good and it doesn't always do this. Also, if I hit the gas pedal hard and then almost as quickly let off the gas pedal I get the same effect--shutter/slam. I suspect the mounts but they look fine. If I keep on the gas all gears shift very smoothly. Gear shift is smooth thru all gears if I floor it or go slowly accelerate so it seems not to be the transmission either.
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I have a 2000 Impala with 215000 miles and it keeps on running. It has developed a side-to-side shutter and only happens during accelleration. It smooths out once I stop accellerating. I have had a left rear wheel bearing replaced hoping this would solve it. Not so much. It feels like it is coming from the rear of the car. There is no movement in the steering wheel. Could this be motor mounts?
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I have a 2003 Impala 3.4 with an intermittent starting issue. It starts perfectly every morning but after it is hot and I park it over 15 minutes or so it will sometimes not start. All the regular dash lights come on as normal but when the key is turned it does not even try to turn over, it is just silence, To get it started I have to hit the column shift lever upward several times and then it will kick right off with no hesitation. Sometimes I have to turn the key 10-20 times to get it started also. I had the battery, starter and alternator tested under load and they are all fine. It is not the security problem either that many impalas have. The only code I have is a PO 336 for crankshaft position sensors. Is there some kind of linkage in the column that could be worn that could cause this?
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My son has a 2000 Impala which will not start if it has been warmed up and then turned off for 30-40 minutes. If you turn it off and wait 15 minutes it will start every time - wait much longer and you are stranded. The starter sounds normal and you would think it is going to start but it won't. The car sat at the dealership for 2 weeks and they couldn't solve the problem. If the car is cold it starts every time.
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I have a 2006 chevy impala LT 3.9 v6. Intermittently it wont start, crank it and it does nothing. All accessories work fine. Had a new starter installed, switched the relay it works on, had the ignition switch changed (twice), had the passlock system replaced, new keys for the ignition. Had the car to the dealer four, times. It doesn't happen all the time so it cant be reproduced at will. I just keep trying to start it and it will eventually start, it can be turning the key from 4 to 40 times. there's no rhyme or reason, some times it doesn't happen for 5 days, then it happens everyday for a week.. according to the dealer when they reproduced it it was the ignition switch. I doubt i got 2 bad ignition switches so i don't believe the error is being reported correctly. According to chevy they have no other reports of this..
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When turning a corner at low speed (left or right) while riding the brake, if the suspension bounces (e.g., crossing uneven manhole cover) the left front brake pulses for .5-2 seconds. The pulse is felt in the brake pedal. A grunt noise comes from the suspension. Cannot reproduce over parking lot speed bumps.
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I have a 2007 Chevy Impala with the 3.9L. It has just over 110,000 miles on it. I've owned the car for about 5.5 years. Back in 2012, I took the car to a local transmission shop. Here's the reason: Let's say the car has sat overnight. I start it up (regardless of the season) and go to the stop sign at the end of my street. When I go to accelerate, there will be a very short lapse and the car will seem to jerk into gear then go. This is a very intermittent problem and does not happen every day. The car will do this for a bit when accelerating from a dead stop and then the problem goes away.
The trans shop said the transmission needed to be rebuilt. Guy told me they've seen problems with the Impala transmissions and, if I remember correctly, that the parts used inside aren't the best. Looking for a second opinion, I took the car to a Chevy dealer. The dealer was not able to experience the jerking. I had the trans service done (80,000 miles at the time). The problem persists to this day and has not, noticeably gotten worse. I decided to take the car to another dealer last week. Same thing: the dealer could not create the jerking issue. Again, this issue is very intermittent.
I am not sure what to think or do at this point. I called a couple shops around town and have gotten the following advice/information:
1) Bring it in and we can see if we can recreate it, but can't guarantee it.
2) The transmission needs to be rebuilt (this without even looking at the car).
3) Wait for the problem to get worse so that it CAN be diagnosed properly.
One guy said he didn't trust the dealer mechanics, that they "just drive around the block once." I am not sure what to do?
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My 2007 Chevy Impala with the 6-cyl engine is, overall, a nice car. One thing I just do not like about it, though, is the electronic throttle. There is a quite annoying lag between acceleration on the gas pedal and response from the car It isn't just my car, all the Impalas and other cars I test drove when shopping for the car are the same way. Even the 2007 Buick with the last year of the 3.8 L engine had a touch of lag time compared to the 1987 Olds Cierra I had with its 3.8 L engine and mechanical throttle. I'm no lead foot but when I want acceleration I want it now and not later. Guess I got spoiled from 20 years driving the '87 with its giddy up and go.
When making left turns without a traffic light, I have to allow a much wider open slot in oncoming traffic than I ever did since driving the 1973 Toyota Corolla with its four weak hamsters under the hood. I'm not the only person I've heard gripe about electronic throttle. I have to wonder what about drive by wire is superior to mechanical throttle if it slows down the throttle response so noticably???
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2002 F350 single wheel 4x4, 280k miles chipped with a 6
My problem first started when the bottom of my sending unit broke off in tank causing me to run out of fuel at 1/4 tank. I dropped tank and repaired. A week later I noticed fuel dampness on my tank and discovered I crossthreaded cap on sending unit. About this time I started getting a shutter at slight acceleration only and a harder hit at idle. I thought air in lines so I dropped tank and reassembled. No air in line at all now but I still have a shutter so I replaced fuel filter in case of obstruction. No luck. Now since I have owned truck it has been a pain to crank in cold weather if it wasn't plugged in over night. It has been hard lately even in moderate weather since shutter started so I replaced both batteries today.
I replaced the ICP today also because I noticed the other day when there was oil on and around harness to it and when I unplugged it today the truck changed idle and there was oil inside. After I changed it I took it out and it still had the shutter and sound of a miss. At about 8 miles in it just died going down the road. I coasted to the side and it cranked right back up and drove home. The shutter doesn't fill as bad but there. Also I live in the mountains and on my way home after cutoff I had chip in Stock position and had to put peddle to the floor to climb hill. I've never had to do that. I'm getting worried I work for a living and caint keep throwing money at it aimlessly. I'm thinking at this point IPR or CPS. But I'm no mechanic so I could be completely wrong.
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E 350 with a 5.8 drive ability headache 94 E 350 with a 5.8. about 1/2 throttle or under quick acceleration it bucks violently and will die if you don't let up on the throttle. This all started when it was run out of fuel. I found the condenser wire was shorted to its own body. Causing the PCM fuse to blow. I have since replaced the condenser. Same problem exists. I have replaced the map sensor with a known good one, same with the O2 sensor.
The TPS is in range and goes through its range smoothly (this was done on my scanner) Also replaced the fuel pump either due to the fuse blowing or running it out of fuel it wasn't working. Fuel pressure is 30 to 32 psi. I've checked the EGR for leaks and proper operation. I have noticed its very hard to start when its cold. Someone has had problems with it in the past as cat is new and i have noticed some things have been removed or replaced recently. The van was just purchased a few weeks ago by my buddy.
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I have a 99 Suburban with very high miles. Going on 306K mostly highway miles. This is our baby and the best vehicle I've ever owned. This is a solid vehicle that I think we can get more miles out of.
The problem is that it will intermittently surge or shudder between 40-60mph during acceleration. It's hard to pinpoint because it doesn't happen all the time. It seems to be worse if the vehicle is low on gas or the engine is cold but I'm not certain about that. It's not hard enough to call a buck, jerk, or sputter though. Maybe I've over-analyzing but basically it will shift to the correct gear and then back down then back up etc., and back and forth for very brief seconds. Then levels out after 60mph and there are no other problems. If the gas is low or engine is cold is does this in lower gears as well but usually only around 4th gear. I hope this description makes sense.
Here's where I'm confused. The transmission was rebuilt 2 weeks ago specifically the torque converter and rear planetaries. The day we got it back we performed a tune-up so all new plugs/wires/cap/rotor. The fuel filter was replaced about 8 months ago and the fuel pump 2 years ago. All regular maintenance has been performed on time since we bought it 4 years ago. Yesterday the Service Engine Soon light came on and it only showed one code (OBD II), PO161, so we replaced the 02 Sensor (Bank 2, Sensor 2).
However the problem persists and there are no other codes providing any direction. I've tried to search the internet for drivers with the same issue but the fixes vary too much and seem uncertain.
Other known issues for diagnostics: four wheel drive hasn't worked for years (haven't needed it in our flatlands) and ac compressor went out last spring.
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On my newly purchased 2003 chevy impala i believe my starter is going out. Outside of turning the key and nothing happens how does a mechanic test or verify its the starter?
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Bought a 2003 impala recently and all has been great, but most recently there just is no power and when you press on the gas it boggs down lifters rattle and no forward thrust. check engine light starts flashing and if you find the sweet spot you can ease it up to speep. Fuel filter clogg? new pumb needed? or worse trans problems. Car has 161,000 miles
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I replaced the thermostat, flushed the radiator and have the same problem. it can idle just fine but it gets hot driving less than 15 minutes. There are no visible leaks.
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As of late I am hearing a sound coming from the front end of my 2003 impala. It doesn't occur all the time but sounds the same each time. The sound has the sound of what a bolt that is loose hitting against a piece of steel. At first I only heard it when I excelerate from a stop. It was a quick sound and didn't always happen. Then yesterday I drove over a pair of rough train tracks and now itore often. However it continues to be a sound that does mot happen all the time.
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I have a 2003 Chevy Impala LS with 120,000 miles, equipped with sentinel lighting. Recently, the instrument cluster lights along with the lighted controls on the door panels and steering wheel stopped working leaving me unable to see the speedometer while driving at night. All controls seem work properly. I did some internet research and it appears there are several causes and/or fixes out there. I would like to have one or two more probable approaches than just throw money and time at a trial and error approach.
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I have a 2003 Impala, total mileage little of 122,000 miles, I bought the car back in Dec 2014. When I bought the car I got all the paper work on the work the dealership did on the car prior to me buying it. One of the things they did was put new brakes and rotors on the front. Since then I have replaced the backs. However after about 4-5 months I notices that from the front passenger side when I had to slam on the brakes or was braking from high speed I would hear a grinding sound coming from that area. I have taken it to two places and both have inspected both the wheels and rotor's and say they are fine, they commented that the pads were not the best but more then adequate for this car. Of course when they drove it around it didn't happen and it doesn't always happen. Both places said it could be the pads or rotors but without replacing them there is no real way to tell. How can they both be viewed as good and in good condition and I get this grinding sound from the one front wheel from time to time when I break.
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I have a 2003 chevy impala ls, now I felt wobbling in the front more on the right a few weeks ago and it started getting worse especially when I would brake, I had it looked at by a mechanic who shook,twirled, yanked and examined my wheels and tires, and told me it just looked like I needed a new tire up there.So I went bought 2 new tires and had them out on. When they did it they took the rim from the right and rotated it to the left side. I drove off thinking the wobble was gone , but I still feel it. Now it feels like it's on the left side not as bad but you can still feel it constantly........ So I guess my question would be is the problem the rim itself then?
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My 2003 Impala (red) has a few spots on it that could use a tad touch up of paint, nothing big just a spot or two, what is the best route to get those area's touched up. I know they sell auto spray paint in a number of places, none of my spots are bigger then by thumb or such and don't want them to get bigger. There is a bit of rust on a couple of the spots, so just wondered what are good options.
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I have a 2003 Impala with about 122,000 miles on it. On my recent fill up I by accident put in mid grade over the normal unleaded, now I now that won't cause any engine issues that I am aware of, but after doing this fill up my gas gauge is not working properly. When I start the car in the morning the gauge will go to where it should given the mileage I have driven to this point but as I drive the car the gauge goes up to almost full then down some but never back to where it should be. what might be causing this floating incorrect reading by my gas gauge.
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Back in December i purchased a 2003 Impala LS. It has about 103,000 miles on it now. Overall the car runs and drives great. However on very rare occasions I have noticed if I have to slam on the brakes or really break hard I hear a grinding sound. Now I have only heard it maybe 3 times in the time since buying the car and never hear anything under normal braking. I had the brakes checked and was told they didn't see anything wrong, but what might cause this grinding sound I have heard a few times?
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