Unn_Impala13 Posted December 4, 2012 Report Posted December 4, 2012 Just bought a 2002 Impala LS used for $3700 with 165,000 miles on it. Test drive seemed fine and there are no visible leaks, no check engine light yet. Because it has such high mileage prior to me buying it, I'd like to see what I should start checking or testing on it first so I can ensure it lasts even longer now that I have it. Quote
Night Fury Posted December 4, 2012 Report Posted December 4, 2012 Welcome! First things first, that's far from high mileage! Just getting broken in Nothing major you need to freak out about, I'd just check transmission fluid to ensure it's still red and clean, perhaps brake fluid(should be clear or close to it) Check the oil for anything milky or chunky looking(like on the underside of the cap), would be a symptom of a larger problem. Past that, just normal car stuff. struts, pads and rotors, tires, etc. Quote
Schurkey Posted December 4, 2012 Report Posted December 4, 2012 Bought a used car with no documentation of prior work? Change ALL fluids and ALL filters unless you can prove they're good. Inspect all rubber--tires, belts, hoses, mounts, etc. Inspect all safety-related items: Steering, brakes, seat belts, etc. Quote
Unn_Impala13 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Posted December 4, 2012 Ah, lol. I don't know if they had that kinda paperwork available, I got it off the budget lot from the local GM dealership. Quote
Unn_Impala13 Posted December 4, 2012 Author Report Posted December 4, 2012 Oil seems fine, coolant as well. Though it's wanting to read "Low coolant level" on the message center even though the reservoir and radiator appear full. When warmed up to normal operating temperature on start-up(doesn't do it on cold start-up) there is a bit of a shudder in which the rpms are jumpy, not too bad just between 700-110 rpm's, but settles down after 4-5 seconds and stays normal after that. Axle has clunky popping feeling around sharp turns. No smoking from tail pipe and no signs of a miss. I won't have access to a good SCAN tool myself until the semester starts up mid January, so I can't do any diagnostics on it until then. Quote
Night Fury Posted December 4, 2012 Report Posted December 4, 2012 Coolant level sensors are a fairly common issue, easy enough to replace Quote
vyper144 Posted December 5, 2012 Report Posted December 5, 2012 Bought my 02 Impala LS 3.8L with 132,500 last November, I've got 150,000 on it now. My catalytic convetor collapsed at 133k. My oil pan leaks. My TPS sensor died over the summer. My driver side door lock has to be manually operated. I screwed the wipers up over the winter last year cuz I tried to clear the snow off with the wipers. DO NOT USE THE WIPERS TO CLEAR THE SNOW OFF THE WINDSHIELD! Check the tranny fluid as recommended by others. Ermmmm, thats about it. Pics of the car?! PM me if you need help/have questions!! Quote
Unn_Impala13 Posted December 5, 2012 Author Report Posted December 5, 2012 Ah, I have pics in the "My vehicle" section now. http://www.w-body.com/garage_vehicle.php?do=view_vehicle&id=408 I think I've read about the catalytic converter in ALLDATA's service/tech bulletins. Quote
Unn_Impala13 Posted December 5, 2012 Author Report Posted December 5, 2012 Ah, thankies. It comes on every now and then and then goes off randomly, so that makes sense. Quote
l67ss Posted January 12, 2013 Report Posted January 12, 2013 check the sway bars for cracks or rust thru Quote
Euro Posted January 12, 2013 Report Posted January 12, 2013 My dad just got rid of his 04 LS with 187k, and it was still doing great. You'll have an awesome car I think! Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.