@LemonSqueezed are you pretty handy? Do you have basic hand tools?
3/8 ratchet
extensions
socket set
drain tub
funnel
etc.
You could do the transmission fluid and filter change yourself, or perhaps with a buddy. You use Dexron 3. I believe auto parts stores are required to take back old ATF and motor oil, provided you have some receipt. Your college auto shop would probably also take the old stuff off of your hands.
For filters I recommend AC Delco or Wix. I’m not a great fan of Purolator or Fram.
Unfortunately, all I could find was a 2005 Impala owner’s manual.
The good stuff starts on page 5-95. It appears that, by mileage, you would be slightly overdue for a transmission fluid and filter service anyways, along with plugs. For plugs I recommend getting the ones called for in the owner’s manual.
It might be a good time to start learning basic car maintenance. Some car owners get antsy about these kind of things. But it sounds as if you’re fairly brave.
the engine and transmission don’t sound all that great.”
Any chance you can pin down that mechanic and get a more specific description from him? An engine can sound bad for lots of reasons, some of them much harder to resolve than others. The implication of your quote was that he heard something serious…but what did he hear?
I’d have to hear the sounds myself, but a lot of times the “don’t sound all that great” could be due to an idler pulley, and even that doesn’t mean that failure is imminent.
I do agree that a transmission fluid change is in order, but I would use the new Dexron VI and not the Dexron III. You should drop the pan and replace the filter. This procedure only changes about half the ATF, but by using the Dexron VI, you will improve the remaining ATF, and that is probably all you need for now. Repeat every 39k miles form now on and you should be OK.
Check to see if it needs an oil change too, I think this car comes with an oil change monitor but at least this time, look at the oil, if it is black, change it. If there is no record of the plugs being changed, they were due at 100k miles, then consider doing this too. You can buy the necessary tools and DYI cheaper than you can have it done, but if you haven’t done them before, get help from an experienced friend.
One last thing, for piece of mind, take the car to an AutoZone and have them plug in a code reader. They do this for free. You could have a pending code, but more important, if there is no pending code, then check that all monitors have passed. If they have, then you should be good to go.
What the mechanic said when he drove it today was that the fast it got, the louder the engine/trasmission noise got. He also said there seem to be issues with the wheel bearings. The transmission, it seems, I could perhaps improve upon. But I’m still concerned about the engine…if the engine goes bad, there just isn’t much I can do about that.
I will have AutoZone do a code reader and check for monitors. I have a feeling that I am going to be stuck with this thing, so it’s a matter of figuring out what I need to do.
No matter what it has to be looked at by a wrench properly diagnosed and repaired there are plastic Ells on the coolant
System by the water pump they have o rings that have planned
Obsolescence written all over them
The car wound up being un-salvageable. Legally I had no recourse, but the dealer did wind up trying to make good (although there was a great deal of reluctance and tension). Initially he wanted to replace it, but I could not arrange for another trip all the way to this dealer in CT (I am in Western Mass) and he eventually had to sell the replacement (2003 Taurus, 153,000). Additionally, he would not have the Impala towed back and after just being out of around $5000 I could not afford to tow the car back myself. I was a little irritated by the selling of the Taurus before I could try to get there, but I was also unsatisfied with the car since it was worth considerably less and there was no talk of me getting the difference in a refund. Again, I tried to keep in mind that I had no real leverage, but I also figured if he was going to be helpful he should at least do it right.
Things got super messy and at one point the dealer e-mailed me that he had called it off (it had been over a miscommunication), but in the end he wound up offering me a 2008 Impala with 108,000 miles. All he asked for was an additional $1500 (the Blue Book value is is just over $9,000 for an LS). I did have a mechanic check it out and there were some minor issues (the brakes had a bit of rust, but it turned out that was from sitting on the lot mainly), but the key things—transmission, radiator, engine, and everything else under the hood were in great condition.
I drove from CT and DC and just over a month later (yesterday) from DC to SC. No problems whatsoever.
Sounds like you got a good deal on the replacement. Consider is a newer car with a few less miles. My assumptions would tells me more of these miles are from long trips which are a lot better on cars. Good luck with the new car.
