Hi, I just got a 2001 impala with the 3.8 engine. the car has 55000 miles onher. I plan on changing the oil(maybe go synthetic) very soon. What other maintenance should I do? Car runs good and looks clean. The tranny fluid looks good, I have no idea what previous maintenace was done. The shape of the car indicates it was taken care of. got it from a dealer.

 

55,000 miles on an '01 is pretty good. Sounds like it wasn't driven often which is usually a good indication that it was someone's baby at one time.So thatmeans it was probably taken good care of and you should have plenty of mileage left on the engine to go without any major problems.

 

Going to synthetic is a great idea. A car that has been using regular oil may have a tendancy to establish leaks when changing to synthetic oils. Ask about higher milage synthetics, the viscosity will be different. I put synthetic into a 2000 silverado and had this problem. It was solved by doing the above. I also run synthetic in our 07 Impalla SS. Use a quality oil and keep it changed.

 

I drained the oil and gave it5qts of mobile1. I looked at the book and found nothing about how much oil it holds. My long gone neon took 4 and 1/2 qts. my ram takes 6qts, I'm hoping the Impala takes 5.

 

Sounds like you didn't get an owner's manual with the car. You really need a manual with this car. Resetting all the warning lights using the radio requires one. There are a few for sale on ebay now. Also, you should check the air and cabin filters.

 

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Resetting all the warning lights using the radio requires one

Not all Impalas use the radio to fix warning lights. Pressing the gas pedal 3 times while the ignition key is at the on position will reset the change oil light. Pulling and pushing the light switch 5 times while the ignition switch is at the on position will reset the low tire pressure.

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I drained the oil and gave it5qts of mobile1. I looked at the book and found nothing about how much oil it holds. My long gone neon took 4 and 1/2 qts. my ram takes 6qts, I'm hoping the Impala takes 5.

Your Impala takes 4 1/2 quarts.