warning CHEVROLET MALIBU 2004 5.G Owner's Guide

How to Reset the Oil Life System
The GM Oil Life System calculates when to change your
engine oil and lter based on vehicle use. Anytime your
oil is changed, reset the system so it can calculate when
the next oil change is required. If a situation occurs where
you change your oil prior to a Change Oil Soon message
being turned on, reset the system.
After changing the engine oil, reset the system by
performing the following steps:
1. Display OIL LIFE RESET on the DIC.
2. Press and hold the (ENTER) button for at least
one second. An ACKNOWLEDGED display
message will appear for three seconds or until
the next button is pressed. This will tell you
the system has been reset.
3. Turn the key to OFF.
If the Change Oil Soon message comes back on when
you start your vehicle, the engine oil life system has
not reset. Repeat the procedure.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even cause cancer.
Do not let used oil stay on your skin for very long.
Clean your skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly dispose
of clothing or rags containing used engine oil.
See the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and
disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all the oil from
the lter before disposal. Never dispose of oil by putting
it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into sewers,
or into streams or bodies of water. Instead, recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects used oil. If you have
a problem properly disposing of your used oil, ask your
dealer, a service station or a local recycling center
for help.
5-21

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled with
DEX-COOL®engine coolant. This coolant is designed
to remain in your vehicle for 5 years or 150,000 miles
(240 000 km), whichever occurs rst, if you add
only DEX-COOL
®extended life coolant.
The following explains your cooling system and how
to add coolant when it is low. If you have a problem
with engine overheating, seeEngine Overheating
on page 5-27.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F(−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C)
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost would not be covered by your warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
5-24

If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The engine coolant surge tank is located in the rear of
the engine compartment. SeeEngine Compartment
Overview on page 5-14for more information on location.
{CAUTION:
Turning the surge tank pressure cap when the
engine and radiator are hot can allow steam
and scalding liquids to blow out and burn you
badly. Never turn the surge tank pressure
cap — even a little — when the engine and
radiator are hot.
The vehicle must be on a level surface. When your
engine is cold, the coolant level should be at the
FULL COLD mark or slightly higher.
If the low coolant message is displayed in the Driver
Information Center (DIC), it means you’re low on engine
coolant. Have the system serviced by a technician as
soon as possible.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 3-50for
more information.
5-25

Engine Overheating
You will nd a coolant temperature gage and light on
your vehicle’s instrument panel and a low coolant level
warning message displayed on your DIC. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Gage on page 3-39andDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 3-50.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
{CAUTION:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn
you badly, even if you just open the hood.
Stay away from the engine if you see or hear
steam coming from it. Just turn it off and get
everyone away from the vehicle until it cools
down. Wait until there is no sign of steam or
coolant before you open the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch re.
You or others could be badly burned.
Stop your engine if it overheats, and get
out of the vehicle until the engine is cool.
Notice:If your engine catches re because you
keep driving with no coolant, your vehicle can
be badly damaged. The costly repairs would not
be covered by your warranty.
5-27

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant light,
can indicate a serious problem. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-50.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant light, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three
minutes while you’re parked. If you still have the
warning,turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicleuntil it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-28

{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid such as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. Your vehicle’s
coolant warning system is set for the proper
coolant mixture. With plain water or the wrong
mixture, your engine could get too hot but
you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:In cold weather, water can freeze and
crack the engine, radiator, heater core and other
parts. Use the recommended coolant and the
proper coolant mixture.
{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant on
hot engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene
glycol and it will burn if the engine parts are
hot enough. Do not spill coolant on a hot
engine.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure
cap when the cooling system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose,
is no longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise (left) about two or two and one-half
turns. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. This will
allow any pressure still left to be vented out the
discharge hose.
5-32

When your brake uid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light on page 3-36.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeeRecommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-12.
Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep dirt
from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or
they may not even work at all. This could cause
a crash. Always use the proper brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system parts
so badly that they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake uid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
SeeAppearance Care on page 5-78. United States
Canada
5-36

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and may have either
rear drum brakes or rear disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal rmly).
{CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes will not work well. That
could lead to an accident. When you hear the
brake wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.Notice:Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are rst applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence to GM torque specications.
If you have rear drum brakes, they do not have wear
indicators, but if you ever hear a rear brake rubbing
noise, have the rear brake linings inspected immediately.
Also, the rear brake drums should be removed and
inspected each time the tires are removed for rotation
or changing. When you have the front brake pads
replaced, have the rear brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
5-37

Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you apply the brakes, with or without the
vehicle moving, your brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is complex. Its many
parts have to be of top quality and work well together if
the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your vehicle
was designed and tested with top-quality GM brake parts.
When you replace parts of your braking system — for
example, when your brake linings wear down and you
need new ones put in — be sure you get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you do not, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change — for the
worse. The braking performance you have come to
expect can change in many other ways if someone puts
in the wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Your new vehicle comes with a maintenance free
ACDelco®battery. When it is time for a new battery,
get one that has the replacement number shown on the
original battery’s label. We recommend an ACDelco
®
battery. SeeEngine Compartment Overview on
page 5-14for battery location.
Warning:Battery posts, terminals and related
accessories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California to cause
cancer and reproductive harm. Wash hands after
handling.
5-38

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance.
(This applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.)
The grades are molded on the sidewalls of most
passenger car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading
system does not apply to deep tread, winter-type
snow tires, space-saver or temporary use spare tires,
tires with nominal rim diameters of 10 to 12 inches
(25 to 30 cm), or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) times as well on the government course as
a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-61