[k54frog]

Bought my '07 Malibu SS 3.9L about 6 months ago for a steal because the previous owner was having problems with the traction control light on, hard shifting, and intake air temp codes. Three certified mechanics and hundreds of $ in parts & labor later he gave up & sold it to me for the cost of the new tires on it. I found a wire in the IAT bundle that had a poor butt connection pulled apart. 30 minutes and a properly soldered patch wire later, the OBD IAT codes & traction control light were out and the tranny shifts smooth as silk. (how those 3 things are related is a mystery to me). HOWEVER..............
I am dealing with electrical gremlins (intermittent parasitic battery drain, intermittent high beams not working, intermittent interior courtesy lights) Also experienced a clicking noise heard from somewhere behind the fuse panel on the passenger side console but stopped after I disconnected the battery for a couple of days. The car has an aftermarket security system installed (VIPER model 5701) and I suspect this as the source of the battery drain. The passenger side console fuse box has a red wire (Viper feed?) patched into a 20 amp fuse so I disconnected it and so far the battery has maintained its charge for the last 10 days. The interior light and high beam problems still plague me.
It needs some expected maintenance & repairs; particularly the front suspension (worn out at 147k & clunks a lot on bumpy surfaces like potholes & speed bumps), an oil pressure sensor and some minor body work. I'll be searching the forums for info later.
Otherwise the only problem is this sucker is so smooth and powerful it's wayyy to easy to get to 70mph without realizing it (previous car was a '96 corolla 4cyl). It handles quite well in the corners, brakes firmly & smoothly & is fairly comfortable for me (6'4" & 240#). Fuel consumption is ~17.5 MPG around town. Haven't been on a road trip yet (the covid, ya know!)

 

[cp-the-nerd]

Don't you just love when aftermarket junk installed by hacks turns out to be the problem? I wonder what slimeball sold them the security system when a 2007 Malibu already has a car alarm.

I hope someone can give you some insight as to the remaining electrical issues. I'm afraid it will be something as difficult to diagnose as the faulty wire you found.

 

[k54frog]

HeHe, Thanks CP,
The guy I bought it from is a good friend and takes meticulous care of his cars and I'll bet he vetted the system and installer thoroughly before it was done. He was very happy with the Viper system and it's extra features (more importantly his wife was happy) and it never gave him/her any trouble. I'm not ready to Diss the security system yet. Just grasping at straws to figure out the issues. That's the problem with intermittent issues... was unplugging it the cure or will it pop back up again when I least suspect it? Since there's a bunch of other annoying electrical gremlins running around I really have to wonder about the integrity of the native GM electrical system. (Add to that the abundance of other owners that are experiencing similar weird symptoms).
My game plan is to identify any grounding points or connections and clean them up since they are involved in all electrical circuits. Will take some time but it's got to be done.
I'll also keep a log of each problem and see if I can identify any common factors or patterns. (ie: only happens when it's cold [high beam failure] or after hard acceleration or deceleration[oil light comes on] or if certain symptoms are clustered [remote mirrors and rear driver side window controlled by the drivers door control switches]). Ahhh, to find a unifying problem with a simple fix. sigh.
It may be quite a while between my posts but I'll try to post about anything I identify & confirm as causing the problems. In the meantime, the corolla just keeps going as a back-up. (But it isn't nearly as fun to drive.😐