20 Most Recent 1996 Chevrolet Impala SS - Page 8 Questions & Answers

This is the LT1 engine that's used in the Corvettes - I have an LT4 Vette from that year, and may be able to give some guidance here. Please answer some questions for me:

Does the cutting off you're talking about (when driving) happen when you hit the accelerator? Can you go really slow and it works ok? Does it idle relatively well, except when you hit the gas a little? What RPM's does it seem to cut off (driving or idle)? How many miles on the car? Do you drive it daily, if not, how long has it been sitting? Is the car garaged? What maintenance have you/previous owners performed in the past?

Answers to these questions will narrow things down considerably...

A quick but temporary fix can be done by taking off the negative battery terminal wait a minute and put back on. A long range fix you need to get it in for diagnostics.

Always start with the fuses in the fuse box !

on your car are two sensors one is an engine temp sensor the other is a coolant temp sensor
change the coolant temp sensor that is what goes bad most of the time when the water gets to 210 degrees the coolant temp turns on of that is working change the radiator fan relay

That's very low mileage for a '96. Has anyone checked for a thermostat to still be in place? This would cause an issue. What does the temperature guage sit at? Did they use a chemical to aide in flushing the system? Let me know and I'll be happy to help.

You moght check the ground straps and make sure the engine is grounded solid

You need connected one vacuum pump to the system before to re-charged ths A/C freon. Its the only way.

If you go to autozone or advance you can buy a new fan motor or a fan assembly. If the fans used to run on and off together then I think you just have a bad motor. On the other hand if they were not a duet, then you may have a sensor problem. No doubt each has a plug on it, disconnect the plug on the one not working and jumper it directly to your battery. Use an old extension cord on which you have bared the ends. If it spins then the fan is good and your problem lies elsewhere. If it does not spin then it is bad and your choice it to get a motor and install it in the plastic frame or remove the plastic frame and replace the whole deal. I would go with the whole deal myself so you do not have to replace the other motor come January.

It could be any of several things--fuse, switch, resistor, motor or wiring. Always check the fuse first. It may be in the engine compartment fuse box. If not the fuse, you have to troubleshoot to be sure which part is bad. Your blower may be accessible from the engine compartment. If you see it sticking out there, see if you can pull the connector off. With the key and blower switch turned on, use a 12 volt test light in the connector terminals to see if there is voltage. If yes, the motor is bad. If no, check the resistor next. The resistor is somewhere along the heater box, either in the engine compartment or under the dash--sometimes hidden behind the glove box. It has several wires coming out of it and is held onto the heater box with 3 screws. Take the connector off and remove the resistor. If it has heat damage, it is probably bad, but you can test across the resistors with an ohmmeter to be sure. If the resistor is good, the problem has to be the swtich or wiring. You can access the switch by pulling the trim off the control panel and then unscrewing the control panel. The switch has 5 terminals. Use an ohmmeter to check continuity from the unput to the various outputs in each speed setting. If you have questions, please let us know. I have pasted a picture of your resistor below.

normal carbon build up run some stp gas treatment

Do you have parking lights if so rule out switch. Check all fuses, if all are good then good chance dimmer switch is the suspect.

This is a very common problem with STARTER SOLENOID CONTACTS. Year after years they corrode and starts burning up. These are located at solenoid compartment attached on the starter. Soon or later this problem will worsen up to the point that your car won't start.
You have two option:
Replace the Starter Solenoid Contacts.
You can buy a kit from here:
http://www.sherco-auto.com/contacts.htm
In this case is one more thing that you cannot replace. This is the copper ring at the solenoid plunger.
We just sand it up with sand paper over a hard and flat surface.
In some cars replacing the starter with a rebuilt one is a good solution.
In two options you have to remove and install the STARTER anyway. Hope this will help.

Souds like heater core is clogged. There are after market kits that you can buy to flush out the coil. Not as easy as it seems, involves cutting hoses, attatching fittings, and removing lower hose to drain the radiator. Follw instructions to the letter!

No heat into the cabin with the hoses getting hot to the heater core, means that the vacuum motor may not be flipping the plastic blend door open to allow air to flow into the cabin.

I couldn't find body/air conditioning/heating info. on my online resource, but alldata.com or buying the service manual many help with more specific information on how to repair the blend door problem.

does the car have a sunroof?