1998 Chevrolet Malibu Fuel System Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG GASOLINE FUEL ODOR BEING EMITTED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK COMING FROM THE SEAL ON TOP OF THE HIGH PRESSURE LINE. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FUEL PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH HOW THE FUEL IS BEING RECEIVED. WHEN ITS IN NEUTRAL IT RECEIVES THE FUEL JUST FINE BUT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE IT TRIES TO STALL OUT OR DIE. WE USUALLY HAVE TO TAKE IT ON A DRIVE JUST TO GET THE FUEL PUMPING THROUGH. IT'S CRAZY AND SCARY BECAUSE WHEN YOU NEED TO PULL AND GO IT WILL JERK AND STALL AND THAT NOT A GOOD THING. *TR

PASSLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE. HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY (THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK) AND CAR CANNOT BE STARTED FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES WHILE THE SYSTEM RESETS ITSELF. THIS PROBLEM WAS MISDIAGNOSED SEVERAL TIMES BY DIFFERENT (WELL-QUALIFIED) MECHANICS AND WOUND UP COSTING OVER 1500 DOLLARS IN UNNEEDED REPAIRS TO THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL LINE SEVERAL TIMES. GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND REFUSES TO DO A RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING,THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE FUEL PUMP HAS BEEN FIXED FOUR TIMES BUT THEY CONTINUE TO FAIL. *BF *NM

CLOGGED FUIL INJECTORS P0300 CODE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS GM CAME OUT WITH A BULLETIN TO CLEAN THE INJECTORS SHORT TERM FIX I HAVE SEEN MANY VEHICLES DAILY WITH THIS PROBLEM MANY INJECTORS REPLACED.SOME GM CARS DONT HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORVETTE PRIZM BOTH CARS USE A DIFFERENT STYLE INJECTOR THEY DONT CLOGGE GM SAYS GAS IS THE PROBLEM WELL CORVETTE AND PRIZM USES THE SAME GAS.THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM GM NEEDS TO STEP UP AND COME OUT WITH A BETTER INJECTOR AND RECALL THE CARS.I HAD MY INJECTORS CLEAND MANY TIMES AND ALL THE INJECTORS REPLACED.*AK

GAS GAUGE IN DASH SET DOES NOT REGISTER AND THE ENTIRE DASH COMPONENT MUST BE REPLACED. TANK IS FULL, BUT GAUGE REGISTERS E, SENDING UNIT ALRIGHT, PROBLEM IS IN THE DASH SET UP. *NM

DRIVING ON I-95 FOR SEVERAL HOURS, CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS ON CRUISE CONTROL, BUT IT ISN'T. I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND CAR IS IS STILL DOING 65, TACKOMETER SAYS I'M AT 2,000 RPMS. I PULL OFF HIGHWAY AT A REST STOP AND HAVE TO ALMOST STAND ON THE BRAKES TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I PUT IT IN PARK AT A GAS STATION AND THE ENGINE REVS. TACK STILL AT 2,000 (IN PARK). MECHANIC TELLS ME COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SHOWS FUEL INJECTION PROBLEMS (MOTOR IDLE GUMMED UP AND GETTING STUCK). I HAD BOTH KIDS IN THE CAR. IF THE BRAKES HAD GIVEN OUT, WE'D ALL BE DEAD NOW.*AK

FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT WHICH WILL BE IT'S THIRD ONE IN FIVE YEARS--CAR ACTS LIKE IT 'S NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS TO GO--PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR THE ENGINE REVS BUT THE CAR DOESN'T MOVE

WHILE DRIVING BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED, AND A BUBBLING NOISE WAS COMING FROM ENGINE. DEALER SERVICED VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE PROCEEDING IN TRAFFIC VEHICLE WILL STALL. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER TOOK TO DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES, DEALER STATED THERE WAS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. *AK *TT

THIS INTAKE VALVE HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE ALREADY ON MY CAR IN MARCH OF 2000, NOW LESS THAN TWO YEARS LATER I AM HAVING TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN AT A COST OF 650.00, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPT. THAT CHEVROLET IS NOW MAKING A BETTER INTAKE VALVE BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN THE MALIBUS, IF THIS IS THE CASE THEY SHOULD HANDLE SOME OF THIS COST IF NOT ALL. THANK YOU

COOLING FLUID WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE FROM A FAILED LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. I ONLY HAVE ABOUT 52000 MILES AND LESS THAN 4 YEARS ON MY CAR. I BELIEVE THE GASKET SHOULD HAVE A MUCH LONGER LIFE. THE SERVICE AGENTS AT THE DEALER TOLD ME THE FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON, BUT SAID THE $699 REPAIR BILL WOULD NOT BE REIMBURSED OR COVERED BY GM UNLESS I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER MALIBU OWNERS AND SOME HAVE SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM OR HAVE NOTICED SIGNIFCANT AND 'UNEXPLAINED' (I.E., NO VISIBLE LEAKS FROM HOSES OR RADIATOR) COOLANT LOSS, EVEN AT LOWER MILEAGE THAN MY CAR. THESE 'UNEXPLAINED' LOSSES HAVE THE SAME SYMPTON AS I NOTICED WITH MY CAR, WHICH IS A BUILD UP OF A GREENISH-BROWN GEL-LIKE SUBSTANCE ON THE INSIDE OF THE OIL FILL CAP AND VALVE COVER, WHICH INDICATES COOLING FLUID LEAKS INTO THE ENGINE.*AK

PLEASE MAKE A NOTE OF THE FAILURE OF THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET AT 57000 ON MY 1998 MALIBU LS...IT IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR...THANKS...MY ROTOORS WERE BAD FROM DAY ONE AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS JUST THE WHEELS NEEDING BALANCED....THE FAULTY ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WERE A SCARY SITUATION...THE CAR IS RIDDLED WITH DESIGN PROBLEMS THAT GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR. *AK

VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE OR ALMOST STOP WHILE DRIVING. ALSO OCCURRED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER VEHICLE WAS STOPPED FOR A MINUTE OR TWO. IN DECEMBER 1999, REPROGRAMMED PCM(POWER CONTROL MODULE)/CLR CODES. REFERENCED BULLETIN 99-0604032. IN JANUARY 2000, PROBLEM RECURRED, REPLACED IGNITION COIL. IN JULY 2000, PROBLEM RECURRED, ROADTESTS CONDUCTED. TECHNICIAN CONTACTED "TANS" AND DETERMINED THAT FUEL PRESSURE BELOW SPECS. REPLACED SENDING UNIT (SENDER) AND FILTER.

POOR GAS MILEAGE. *SLC

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS UNEXPECTEDLY AND HESITATES WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

TWO FUEL INJECTORS FAILED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT, CAUSING SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. *MJS

DRIVER RAN OVER AN OBJECT IN THE VEHICLE AND IT RUPTURED THE GAS TANK, ALLOWING FUEL LEAKAGE. THIS IS DUE TO THE TANK BEING MOUNTED UNDER THE REAR SEATS. DEALER SAID IT WAS A ROAD HAZARD. CONSUMER WANTS COST FOR FUEL TANK REPLACEMENT TO BE COVERED BY DEALER.*AK *ML

GAS GUAGE FAILED. *YC

THE CLIP ON LINE TO THE FUEL FILTER VIBRATES LOOSELY. FUEL WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE LOOSENED FITTING AND BLOWING BACK ON THE MUFFLER AS WE PROCEEDED DOWN THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE LUCKY IT WAS RAINING AND THE RAIN FROM THE ROAD ASSISTED IN PREVENTING A FIRE. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE FUEL LINE, FILTER OR ANY FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED OR ANY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE FUEL FILTER LINE OR ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS.