Dayton Daily News

Wheels: Dave writes, “We have a 2001 Chevrolet Impala that we love to drive, except for the fact that the front end makes a lot of clunking sounds. The sounds come from down fairly low and appear to be a few feet in front of the dash. They appear to be the worst when we’re doing a hard deceleration, going around a curve or going over bumps, or all of the above.

A friend of the family, who knows cars much better than I do, told us that these noises are probably coming from the universal joints in the steering, and that there may not be anything we can do about them. Another weird feature is that the noises will be bad for weeks or months, but there are also short periods of time during which we don’t hear them at all. I am an engineer, and driving a fairly new car that makes noises like this is driving me nuts. Please advise as to what you think is causing the problem and what can be done about it.”

Halderman: Your friend is correct. There is a technical service bulletin (TSB) released by General Motors Corporation that covers your exact concern. The repair is to remove the intermediate steering shaft and lubricate the shaft using the lubricant supplied in the kit designed for this problem. See your local Chevrolet dealer about TSB #01-02-32-001C.

Wheels: An e-mail from Samuel says, “I have a 1988 Oldsmobile Regency/98. Intermittently, I experience no brakes (the brake light would come on with no brakes and go off when the brakes worked), and then the brake light came on and stayed on. After sitting overnight, the brakes worked. Then the motor pump started to rattle and got hot. The brake light came on and I had no brakes. It sat overnight and I had brakes the next day; then, no rattle and no brakes.

My mechanic replaced the motor/pump, with the same problem occurring. He replaced the entire ABS system with a Pontiac system of the same year and still no brakes. He found a blown fuse and replaced it, yet still, no brakes. He thinks that there is a bad wire someplace. I think he is lost.”

Halderman: I am going to assume that your vehicle is equipped with a Teves Mark 2 integral ABS unit. This means that the entire master cylinder and booster, as well as the ABS unit, is just one large and expensive unit. If the fuse blew again, then your technician is likely correct that a wiring problem has occurred. In most cases, it is the usual practice to replace this unit with a conventional master cylinder and vacuum booster. At this stage, due to the age of the vehicle, this may be your best solution.

James D. Halderman is an ASE-certified master technician, a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the author of 12 textbooks. Submit your automotive care questions to Halderman via e-mail at jhalderman2@juno.com, or write him in care of: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 45 S. Ludlow St., Dayton OH 45402.