Hi, just wondering if anyone has any information on the part number for the new design steering intermediate shaft? I checked with our local Pontiac dealer, and the parts department seems clueless. According to the service department manager, they now have a service bulletin out for the so called "correct fix" which replaces the current part, but he says he hasn't any info on a part number or release date.

Oh, guess I should say, that I just bought a 2002 Bonneville, SE., which has the crappy steering problem BIG TIME. (-no, it has not even received the phony dealer fix, and I'd rather wait for the new part.)

Thanks !!

my mom got the new shaft in her 2000 SE, and it doesnt click anymore. She got it like two weeks ago!

I have owned Bonnevilles since 1992. I just bought a 2001 SE from a privite
party and it has the steering problem as most do. I just talked to my local
Pontiac Dealer and they knew about the problem and are ordering the new shaft,
and said they will cover all the cost to repair the problem. They told me that it
is a very common problem with these cars and some others incuding some
trucks. I think my dealer is one of the good ones!!!!
I am very happy with the car, 47k miles,,,,NO trunk leaks,,No wind noise,,
No other problems at all.

my 2000 SLE has the same problem but i am in the UK do you think GM would do mine under warranty. the place i take mine to be serviced does all the warranty work for the american servicemen base at milldenhall and lakenheath airforce bases in suffolk england so what do you reckon my chances are of getting it done for free or a small charged(www.milldenhallautocentre.co.uk)

Thanks for the responses so far !! (-still hoping for a part number,,,)

(Say Bonne Boy, I just have to say that my Dad was stationed at milldenhall way back in WWII. )

Yes, so far I really like the '02 too, although I've only had it about 2 weeks. And I do notice that it sure has a lot less wind noise than my wife'* '99. Plus, I always did like the more agressive body styling starting with the 2000 model year. (but, I'll have to say that I like the '99 seats better.)

And yes, I know I'll have to remove the intake manifolds to make those repairs BEFORE they fail. I used the Ken-Co EGR modification kit on the '99, and already have one ready for the '02. -plus the lower gaskets too. I sure hope GM got those problems fixed with the Series III. Yeah !! -the Helm Shop manuals just arrived for the '02.. -will keep me busy looking through them tonight. (-yeah, I know, "get a life." -Hey, this old dog deserves a break,,)

Anyone with the intermediate shaft part number please respond

THANKS !!

Thread about the new part number--

http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=29158

Thanks Ivory03 for the part number. I shall be looking to purchase one. Also, I did do some more searching on this FANTASTIC Bonneville Club website, and found a reference to the Impala HQ website, which has a Tech bulletin # 01-02-32-001A which describes the lubrication procedure complete with illustrations.

And it also appears from others here on the BC forum that using a very heavy type of wheel bearing grease is the ONLY way to go.

As always, THANKS TO EVERYONE !!

U. R. THE BEST

quick update: Got the new intermediat shaft ordered. (-it is on "national backorder" status, with no estimated delivery date,,,, of course,,,) :(

Will post another reply when I have more news.

:? Well, picked up the new shaft last night, and removed the old one from the car.
NOW I'M REALLY CONFUSED I must have spent a solid half hour comparing the two parts, and I'll swear they are totally identical. WHAT A RIP OFF. (-I think I'll go to a couple of shops tonight, and see if they think I got the right part. -it is in a March 2005 box,,,)

Even though I have to admit to being a forever "dyed-in-the-wool" GM car guy (-or should that be "fool") let me tell you that this intermediate shaft is yet ANOTHER TOTALLY IGNORANT B.*. DESIGN. When the average old "John Deere tractor mechanic" like myself can see the OBVIOUS SCREW-UP, but the fancy automotive engineers can't, now that is sad

Actually the longer I think about it, the MADDER I get.

Just to update my progress: I just finished the installation of the new shaft.
WOW, I think that is not a job for the "faint of heart." But granted, I probably made it a little bit more difficult than it needed to be. It is too late, and I'm too tired to take it for a test drive tonight, but will certainly update everyone later on.

Say, I did find a DARN GOOD GM Parts Man, and a very helpful Service Dept. manager too. At my local C H E V Y dealship, no less -and of course, their computer system has all the parts inventory for all of the GM lines anyway, so here is what I found out tonight:

1. Yes, P/N 10367811 is in fact the latest part. (this particular one was "hot off the press, dated this month, no less.) This part DOES in fact appear to be identical to the one I removed, in every visible way. But, the computer shows that this is the second number change from the original.
2. The Service Dept guy says that they have replaced a gob of them lately, and it has apparently fixed the problem in each case. (-I sure HOPE it fixes mine) He says that he suspects the change on this part is that they have tightened up the internal tolerances of the splines. (-I will have to admit that as I worked the slip-joint back and forth, there was a very definite resistance at about the center point of travel.)
3. The availability of the part is totally uncertain: Sometimes they have one arrive in a week or so, and other times it takes two months. (Boy did I get lucky in that mine arrived in just a few days.)

Just as someone else had recommended (- :? sorry, I'd like to give you credit, but I don't know who it was) I washed out all of the light weight lithium grease that it came packed with, blew it out good and dry with compressed air, and then packed it tight with very thick high temp disk brake wheel bearing grease. I packed the "open end" full of grease, jammed a plug into it good and tight, and then worked and worked and worked pressure against the other end, to force grease past the internal splines. Boy, that took a lot of time and patience, but finally got it done. Then removed the plug, repositioned the sliding shaft to about the mid-point of travel, and finished off the grease with the open end level full.

Hope it all was worth it,,,,