ebburtner

Can I please get some help or ideas on what is going on with my 2003 Impala LS? The car has 85,000 miles on it.

1-I am having that "clunking" noise coming from the steering when I turn corners. I believe I had the car fixed once right after we got the car in 2003 and now the sound has come back!! Anyone know what this could be?

2-I have replaced the rotors on my car 2 or 3 times in the last year and have had the rotors turned atlease 2 times since we have owned the car and now they are bad AGAIN! I mean really bad! My whole car shakes so bad when I push on the brakes that I feel like I am in the middle of an earthquake! Seems to do it really bad when I am going at a higher rate of speed and then as I slow down the problem isn't as bad but still there. Why am I having such a problem with the rotors??

3- The brights switch on my turn signal seem to have almost broke. Sometimes when I pull the switch to turn on the brights my headlights shut off and then I have to pull the switch again to get my lights back on. Anyone had this happen?

4- When it rains my front passenger floorboard gets flooded. I had the windshield replaced due to a crack and that is when the problem started. I called the place that put the windshield in and they claim that it isn't the windshield not being installed properly it is a Chevy problem with the drain under the hood up close to the windshield, he said the drain isn't big enough to drain the water through so therefor it leaks inside the car. Not sure I believe this...anyone know?

I really like my car a lot but I am thinking I might be better off to just trade it in. I thought about getting a new 2006 Impala SS but I am hearing some of the same problems coming from those cars...

Anyones help is very much appreciated.
Elizabeth

phewop118

The steering clunking sounds like it might be a "dry" intermediate steering shaft. Try having it lubricated. It could also be a broken weld, but I'm not sure that applies to 03's.

These cars do eat brake rotors, but you should at least manage 20k-30k miles on a set of rotors. You may have a stuck caliper somewhere that's keeping a pad pressed against a rotor at all times. Also, are your tires balanced? How about vehicle alignment?

Ugh. The light problem sounds like the signal stalk going bad, but I could be wrong.

As for the flooding, this is due to water leaking in through the passenger compartment air filter. 1st, make sure the expansion screws are in all the way over the air filter cover. This is on the passenger side, right where the wiper parks when off. You have to raise the wipers, turn the car off, open the hood, and look at the black plastic piece up there. You could take it off and look inside to make sure the drain is clear. I think there should also be a drain on the passenger side floor - make sure it is clear. IF it's not the drain inside air filter compartment, you could have a bad windshield seal.

ebburtner

Thanks for you help!