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2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured · 1064324 · 2014-05-12

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
IMPALA
Year
2008
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Miles at failure
155,000
Speed
60 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
1
Fire
No
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH ST. LOUIS AROUND MIDNIGHT ON I-270 ON MAY 3, THE "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" MESSAGE CAME ON AND THE CAR SLOWED DRAMATICALLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF THE INTERSTATE. QUITE SCARY INDEED, NOT TO MENTION THE LURCHING. AFTER BEING NEARLY RUN OVER ON BOTH SIDES, I PULLED OFF IN A VERY DARK PART OF TOWN AND THE POLICE CAME BY TO CHECK ON ME. INITIALLY THE CAR WOULDN'T START WITH THE MESSAGE, "STARTING IS DISABLED, SERVICE THROTTLE." AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, THE THING ALLOWED ME TO START IT, BUT STILL WITH THE "POWER IS REDUCED" MESSAGE. I ACTUALLY DROVE THAT THING HOME (OVER 90 MILES) WITH SEMIS BEARING DOWN ON ME, ALTERNATING FLASHERS AND WATCHING OVER MY SHOULDER. ANYWAY, THE NEXT DAY, IT STILL WOULDN'T RUN NORMALLY, BUT I LIMPED OVER TO AN AUTOZONE AND I REPLACED THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY AND THE THROTTLE BODY (THE ENGINE CODE SAID P0651, BUT THAT WAS A WASTE OF $300). NO HELP, SAME MESSAGE. I LET THE CAR SIT. WHEN IT FIRST STARTED UP, STILL HAD THE MESSAGE. BUT ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED NORMALLY!!! THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON NOW, BUT THOSE CODES HAVEN'T BEEN ACCURATE SO FAR. WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING NORMALLY, I WENT OUT AND JIGGLED ALL THE WIRING BOTH UNDER THE DASH AND ABOVE THE THROTTLE, BUT COULD NOT FIND A LOOSE WIRE OR GET THE CAR TO SHIFT INTO THE "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" MESSAGE. I ALSO TAPPED ON AND JIGGLED THE AIR BOX (BECAUSE I WAS TOLD THAT'S WHERE THE ECM IS LOCATED). STILL COULDN'T GET IT TO GO BAD. CAME BACK OUT THE NEXT TIME AND THE CA

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10587949
Machine
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