The Ultimate Chevy Malibu 1999 thread!

[ChevMali99]

Hello all - long time!

With 190k miles on, I still have the titled car, it's the family work horse. I've had it since 2006, it has had (and survived) its share of problems and thanks to this forum , its had quite a share of solutions.

I'll start with the P1404 EGR which can come along with the P00410, P00401, P00300, and turn on the check engine light. The expensive solution, one I will never execute or recommend, is trace & replace the wiring. Odds are it is worn, brittle, or causing a short and not sending the accurate voltage necessary. The second relatively least expensive solution is replacing he EGR. However this may not be necessary at all if your current EGR throws out varying voltages and doesn't get stuck. The cheapest and most reliable solution, one that has allowed me to pass NYS inspection every year - buy better high octane gasoline. 93 octane, preferably from Mobil does the trick every time, fuel injector cleaner cannot hurt.

Overheating, cracked reservoir, cracked radiator, burst hoses, and most (if not all) heating anti-freeze related issues can be solved by virtue of avoidance; meaning avoid creating a situation where these problems occur. The number one thing to avoid is filling or overfilling the reservoir to the full line or beyond; no matter what! Give it a good half inch or so space between the full line and actual antifreeze. BTW you can use the green stuff designed for ALL MODELS and COLORS. Also remember to bleed the antifreeze line, so air is not trapped in there which can prevent heating your cabin to bursting your hoses.

Leaking Exhaust Manifold - directly related to too much anti-freeze. Think about it, as heat is generated the vapor and excess liquid has to escape somehow / somewhere. These cars have a closed system and the only places where those can escape are the reservoir cap (a really bad design), bursting a hose, or a worn seal from the exhaust manifold.

Key stuck in ignition - that along with random indicator lights turning on or dim dashboard a clear sign that your alternator is going to die. Usually as you put the car on park an electronic signal locks or unlocks something from the parking position that allows the key to fully turn off. if that signal is weak the key simply is doesn't turn off.

Other stuff like:
· Rattles in the left or right side of the trunk (bad shock & strut mounts),
· Power window regulator (replace)
· Vacuum leaks due to brittle plastic & rubber hoses which contribute to EGR codes (replace them).
· Woo Woo sound when driving at high speeds (inappropriate tires - had Firestone Potenza tires, took them off and put on regular touring tires woo woo sound gone),
· Inaccurate fuel tank readings (fuel pump gone bad - replaced when it ultimately died),
· Grinding breaks (replace your ABS wheel hub assembly).
· Off and off A/C (take in cabin the face plate out, clean the contact points in the knobs on the a/c connection).
· Refill /recharge the A/C with refrigerant.
· Hard / stiffened / loss of power steering – WHILE DRIVING!!! (pull over check for leaks, put car in neutral, turn car off & on, revs up engine… get to a mechanic and replace power steering pump)
· Crickets sound from the serpentine belt (worn belt, idle and tension pulleys).
· Stop light bulb blowing out constantly (metal connection making contact with body of the car solved by covering the connection with electric black tape).
· Rear light not turning on (worn burned wires with melted plastic from the harness caked on, replaces harness with junk yard part)

ALL THOSE are problems that I endured and survived in this vehicle… Otherwise not a bad car.

[brcidd]

You must have a 3.1 engine? the four cylinder is a POS.

[wpbharry]

I (not very often) see an '02 or '03 on the road and they all look like sh*t. Didn't think any '97-'01s were still out there. I sold my '98 LS way back in '04. It was an AWFUL car. GM finally got it's act together in the mid '00s.

"The car you knew America could build" was no Accord. It was the epitome of GM at its low. A total POS. EXCEPT, once the coolant gasket problem was resolved, I'm sure the 3.1 would go 300K miles. GMs OHV engines were super long-lasting (as long as they didn't try to turn them into DOHCs, as in my '96 Monte Carlo Z34, which lasted 2 1/2 years) and got relatively good fuel economy, compared to the competition.

[brcidd]

Every older one I see has the gas tank door rust problem....wonder what year they decided to fix that......