2000 Malibu different issues..

Ok, well I noticed the intake leak, and found myself searching for malibu issues. Are there any things that would be a good preventative maintenance things to replace while in there? Car has 65,000 on it, so I'm going to swap the thermostat, and the water pump, and replace that garbage fluid thats in there. But are there any sensors that fail often that would be an easy thing to replace while in there? Also how long of a life do the o2's have? Is there anything adjustable in the valve train I might look at? It has always ticked when its cold, and everyone says thats normal, but I'd like to fix this thing and be done with it for a few years. Thanks!

Also what is it that is leaking and allowing all that water in the headlights? Just bad o rings on the lights themselves? I'm going to pull them out again, and put some dielectric grease on the orings maybe, hell I dont know. Makes the car look like a pos.

Ok, well I noticed the intake leak, and found myself searching for malibu issues. Are there any things that would be a good preventative maintenance things to replace while in there? Car has 65,000 on it, so I'm going to swap the thermostat, and the water pump, and replace that garbage fluid thats in there.
-oil pump drive gear o-ring.
-test the new tstat before you install it. PITA to deal with after the repair is complete
-plug/wires if its been a while. [easy access]
-i had injectors cleaned and replaced those o-rings too.
But are there any sensors that fail often that would be an easy thing to replace while in there?
-not that I know of.
Also how long of a life do the o2's have?
-comin' up on 200K and no problems yet.
Is there anything adjustable in the valve train I might look at? It has always ticked when its cold, and everyone says thats normal, but I'd like to fix this thing and be done with it for a few years.
-just torque rockers properly and check em all a couple times and you're set. no adjustment. keep oil changes ~3k miles and use 5W30. Mine ticks until warm then purrs fine. As long as it's not an obvious clank [metal banging metal] and just a tick at startup you should be fine.
Thanks!

Also what is it that is leaking and allowing all that water in the headlights? Just bad o rings on the lights themselves? I'm going to pull them out again, and put some dielectric grease on the orings maybe, hell I dont know. Makes the car look like a pos.
-don't these cars have vented headlights? ..open to the atmosphere via little tubes out the back of the lamp. The idea is to let moisture escape so condensation isn't trapped inside the lense. with this system, moisture that develops within the lense should evaporate after the lights are on for a little bit.

Ok.. where is the seal on this oil pump? On my sho, it pretty much bolted right up to the crank, and there was one 'rotating seal' around the crank. Is it the same kind of seal we're talking about?

Thermostats... are they all pretty similiar? I know my SHO is an oddball of a vehicle, but I can only get the 'correct' thermostat from the dealership. There are two 'giggle valves' at the top that no aftermarket thermostat has, and makes bleeding the bubbles out of the heads a lot less of a headache with them in there. Are there any preferences for these cars for a good thermostat?

At 60K I would hope the injectors are still ok. I always used good gas in it, and it hasen't been acting funny, plus the turnaround time for cleaning them. Is there anyone who sells an o-ring kit for them? I assume they push into the fuel rails?


And yes they are vented with those two little tubes, maybe they are blocked or something, I'll have to clean them up a bit when I pull them out again. Just always seems to return so fast. Sometimes within a day. Thanks for the reply!

I drilled 1/16" holes in my Headlights just beneath and forward of the bulbs in to the lower silver plastic, helped quite a bit. One strange "sensor" problem I had on my 01 was the IAT sensor wire/plug assembly went bad. It fooled me at first throwing an IAT code, I changed the IAT and had the same problem, it was the harness/plug assembly that was bad. I just about got rid of all cold tick start up noise by trying different oil & filter combinations. The best combo so far has been Havoline 5W-30 & the standard white Purolater filters, part number L24011. Also change the radiator cap to a good aftermarket cap.
I've had no problem with the Dex cool, I drain and refill every other year.

...and replace that garbage fluid thats in there.



I've had no problem with the Dex cool, I drain and refill every other year.

Same experience here. I have six vehicles with over half a million combined miles running on DexCool, including a 1986, and don't have the problems everyone else seems to have. I also follow directions, test the pH and concentration at regular, annual intervals, and drain/flush the systems at no more than 5-year intervals. Your's should have been tested at least seven times by now, and drained and flushed at least two years ago, if not sooner.

That same "garbage fluid" is being used by nearly ALL manufacturers now, albeit under different names and with different colors. OAT coolant was pioneered by GM, and has finally caught on in everything from Acuras to Volkswagens, from Japan all the way back around again to Australia, and everywhere between. I'm thinking it can't be all that bad if almost everything new is finally using it. If you ignore it, or let it mix with air, you're going to have problems with it. That's going to happen whether it's in a $11,000 Aveo or a $280,000 Ferrari, and whether the block was cast in south Detroit or around the South China Sea.

I have to agree. I personally dont belive dex-cool is the issue. A lot of dodges GM's and even our Western star tractors have no problems with the fluid. The problem lies within the factory gasket. And if you replace it with the fel-pro kit, it should never give you anymore headaches again.

Click here. (http://d-tips.com/General/articles/article.aspx?id=art10.art) - This is a tech article on LIM gasket job for gm 3400. It's all the same. In the article they picture the oil pump drive -- it's under the TB where a cam driven dist. would be.


Just aftermarket parts store brand t-stat. I say check it in a pot of water on the stove because I just did thise job on my neighbor's car.. I installed a new, but non-functional, 'stat that wouldn't open. PITA. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

wymi -- +eleventy billion on the havoline/purolator. Me too.

Granted this is a Montana, but this spooks me because its the same engine thats in my Malibu. The intake gaskets were leaking on this one too, and the addition of the coolant appears to have made some neat stuff at the bottom of the pan. Another thing I thought was neat., is there are no oil passages in the front or rear of the motor, only in the center? Who's bad design was this? I never really liked GM before and this stuff makes me really not like em.. :)

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010083.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010085.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010081.jpg

The only oil passages are in the center here... strange

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010082.jpg


http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010078.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010080.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g284/thepimpskillet/P1010079.jpg

The main's looked to be more worn then the rod bearings too.. so I guess I'm going to be replacing those when I get into mine too. So a 60-100k ''tune up'' will be an entire top end gasket kit, rod bearings, main bearings, water pump, I would assume the timing chain is ok, but man this thing will be worse than the SHO it looks like... My oil pan in the SHO had never been cleaned and had 181k miles on it.. with almost NO sludge whatsoever... FORD For the win! lol