06 malibu maintnance?

[cbuts 10+ year member]

hi, driving 06 malibu..

i get the oil changes done recently had the tranny fluid topped up and checked and it was full and good colour. just wondering what else i can do to make my car run and sound better.

thanks

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[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Spark plugs, change all the filters, etc

 

[cbuts 10+ year member]

Spark plugs, change all the filters, etc

yes actually i had spark plugs in mind.. thanks for reminding me. anything else people! lol

 

[fasfocus00 5,000+ posts]

replace shocks and struts around the 50-60k mile mark. inspect all hoses and clamps. inspect the accessory belt and timing belt. valve cover gaskets. I'd clean my engine bay up really good so that it makes it easier to find oil that may be leaking or vacuum hoses that may be broken. get a hold of the vehicle maintenance log and just go through it thoroughly.

 

[cbuts 10+ year member]

replace shocks and struts around the 50-60k mile mark. inspect all hoses and clamps. inspect the accessory belt and timing belt. valve cover gaskets. I'd clean my engine bay up really good so that it makes it easier to find oil that may be leaking or vacuum hoses that may be broken. get a hold of the vehicle maintenance log and just go through it thoroughly.

thx

 

[truckramrod 10+ year member]

Yeah change the timing belt on a timing chain engine...

 

[cbuts 10+ year member]

Yeah change the timing belt on a timing chain engine...

how to know if mine has one? lol

 

[av83 10+ year member]

hi, driving 06 malibu..i get the oil changes done recently had the tranny fluid topped up and checked and it was full and good colour. just wondering what else i can do to make my car run and sound better.

thanks

I have an 05 w/ a 3.5. Has 172,XXX mi on it, lol. Bought it cheap w/ 149,XXX earlier this year. The motor is just about the easiest dang thing in the world to maintain. Changed the plugs, wires, air filter, switched to synthetic oil, new tires all around since then. Doesn't take much to keep the car running, honestly. Next up to be changed on the motor are the oxygen sensors.

Here's a couple issues the 05's have, not sure if 06's share them..

1)The running lights can get hot and scorch the interior of the housings. Mine actually burned a hole through the tops of orange bulb covers. Change them to LED's.

2)The intermediary steering shaft is janky. Causes a slight knock/tick/bump when turning the wheel across the straight ahead position from either direction. I had it replaced for free when i bought the car. It still has a slight tick, but the replacement shaft is much better than the original.

Other than basic tune-ups, its a very easy car to care for.

 

[cbuts 10+ year member]

I have an 05 w/ a 3.5. Has 172,XXX mi on it, lol. Bought it cheap w/ 149,XXX earlier this year. The motor is just about the easiest dang thing in the world to maintain. Changed the plugs, wires, air filter, switched to synthetic oil, new tires all around since then. Doesn't take much to keep the car running, honestly. Next up to be changed on the motor are the oxygen sensors.
Here's a couple issues the 05's have, not sure if 06's share them..

1)The running lights can get hot and scorch the interior of the housings. Mine actually burned a hole through the tops of orange bulb covers. Change them to LED's.

2)The intermediary steering shaft is janky. Causes a slight knock/tick/bump when turning the wheel across the straight ahead position from either direction. I had it replaced for free when i bought the car. It still has a slight tick, but the replacement shaft is much better than the original.

Other than basic tune-ups, its a very easy car to care for.

the intermediate shaft was one of the first things wrong with my car, and the shop i took it to had someone who sold rebuilt ones that have a grease ****** on them so ill never have it replaced again, so your problem may be coming back possibly?

other then that my steering does feel wierd and not as id like it to, but i dont think theres much i can do about it.

i also had the sensor on my gas tank go so i had to get that fixed, part was like $30 but 100ish in labour cause they had to drop the gastank.

what do these sensors do? i plan on doing my plugs and wires very soon

 

[cbuts 10+ year member]

I have an 05 w/ a 3.5. Has 172,XXX mi on it, lol. Bought it cheap w/ 149,XXX earlier this year. The motor is just about the easiest dang thing in the world to maintain. Changed the plugs, wires, air filter, switched to synthetic oil, new tires all around since then. Doesn't take much to keep the car running, honestly. Next up to be changed on the motor are the oxygen sensors.
Here's a couple issues the 05's have, not sure if 06's share them..

1)The running lights can get hot and scorch the interior of the housings. Mine actually burned a hole through the tops of orange bulb covers. Change them to LED's.

2)The intermediary steering shaft is janky. Causes a slight knock/tick/bump when turning the wheel across the straight ahead position from either direction. I had it replaced for free when i bought the car. It still has a slight tick, but the replacement shaft is much better than the original.

Other than basic tune-ups, its a very easy car to care for.

the intermediate shaft was one of the first things wrong with my car, and the shop i took it to had someone who sold rebuilt ones that have a grease ****** on them so ill never have it replaced again, so your problem may be coming back possibly?

other then that my steering does feel wierd and not as id like it to, but i dont think theres much i can do about it.

i also had the sensor on my gas tank go so i had to get that fixed, part was like $30 but 100ish in labour cause they had to drop the gastank.

what do these sensors do? i plan on doing my plugs and wires very soon

 

[av83 10+ year member]

the intermediate shaft was one of the first things wrong with my car, and the shop i took it to had someone who sold rebuilt ones that have a grease ****** on them so ill never have it replaced again, so your problem may be coming back possibly?other then that my steering does feel wierd and not as id like it to, but i dont think theres much i can do about it.

i also had the sensor on my gas tank go so i had to get that fixed, part was like $30 but 100ish in labour cause they had to drop the gastank.

what do these sensors do? i plan on doing my plugs and wires very soon

oxygen sensors tell the ecu how much oxygen is in the exhaust and raise or lower the fuel/air ratio based on its readings. if they go bad or are going bad, the idle will get more and more rough and mpg's will decrease. idk anything about the fuel tank issue you had. my car never had that problem.