maintenance CHEVROLET MALIBU 2004 5.G Owners Manual

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-31
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-52
Restraint System Check
............................1-60
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-22
Mirrors
....................................................2-35
OnStar
®System
......................................2-38
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-40
Storage Areas
.........................................2-44
Sunroof
..................................................2-48
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-31Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-45
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-52
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-31
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-49
Tires
......................................................5-50
Appearance Care
.....................................5-78
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-86
Electrical System
......................................5-87
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-96
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM

Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are air bag system parts in several places around
your vehicle. You don’t want the system to inate
while someone is working on your vehicle. Your dealer
and the service manual have information about
servicing your vehicle and the air bag system. To
purchase a service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-12.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an
air bag can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close to
an air bag when it inates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the air
bag system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualied to do so.
Air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Restraint System Check
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors
and anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts. If you see
anything that might keep a safety belt system from doing
its job, have it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces. If a belt
is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
1-60

Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with
other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you
it is working, when the ignition is on and the engine
is not running. If the light does not come on, have
it repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system
on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle.Find a safe place to park your
vehicle. Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds
and restart the engine. If the light remains on steady,
see “If the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light
is still ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your
dealer for service as soon as possible.
3-40

If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-8.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines that
critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle
would be considered not ready for inspection.
3-41

This can happen if you have recently replaced your
battery or if your battery has run down. The diagnostic
system is designed to evaluate critical emission
control systems during normal driving. This may take
several days of routine driving. If you have done this and
your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack
of OBD system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare
the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine
oil pressure problem,
this light will stay on after
you start your engine,
or come on and you will
hear a chime when you
are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low on oil, or could have
some other oil problem. Have it xed immediately.When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is working,
but the light will go out when the engine is running.
If it doesn’t come on with the ignition on, you may have
a problem with the bulb. Have it xed right away.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
may damage the engine. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the maintenance schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
3-42

LANGUAGE:To select your choice of language,
use the ENTER button to move between the optional
languages.
The languages are English, French, German and
Spanish.
Choosing a language will display all of the information
on the DIC in the desired language.
When you have made your choice, press the MENU
button for at least one second to record your selection.
The initial setting from the factory is ENGLISH.
ENTER:The ENTER button is used to reset certain
functions and turn off or acknowledge messages on the
DIC display. The ENTER button also toggles through
the options available in each personalization menu.
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages will appear if there is a problem
sensed in one of your vehicle’s systems.
Any message will clear when the vehicle’s condition is no
longer present. The warning message will come back on
the next time the vehicle is turned off and back on if the
condition is still present. With most messages, a warning
chime will sound when the message is displayed.
Your vehicle may have other warning messages.AUTO LIGHTS OFF:This message is displayed if
the automatic headlamp system is disabled with
the headlamp switch.
AUTO LIGHTS ON:This message is displayed if
the automatic headlamp system is enabled with the
headlamp switch.
BRAKE FLUID:This message will display if the ignition
is in ON to inform the driver that the brake uid level
is low. Have the brake system serviced by a technician
as soon as possible.
CHANGE OIL SOON:This message is displayed when
the life of the engine oil has expired and it should be
changed within 200 miles.
When you acknowledge the Change Engine Oil message
by clearing it from the display, you still must reset the
engine oil life monitor separately. SeeEngine Oil on
page 5-17andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4
for more information.
CHECK GAS CAP:This message will appear if the
gas cap has not been fully tightened. You should
recheck your gas cap to ensure that it’s on properly.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the display off.
3-50

Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with a
trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the
chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic transaxle uid (don’t
overll), engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake
system. Each of these is covered in this manual, and
the Index will help you nd them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. SeeEngine Overheating on
page 5-27.
4-46

Appearance Care............................................5-78
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.................5-78
Care of Safety Belts......................................5-81
Weatherstrips...............................................5-81
Cleaning the Outside of Your Vehicle..............5-81
Sheet Metal Damage.....................................5-83
Finish Damage.............................................5-83
Underbody Maintenance................................5-84
Chemical Paint Spotting.................................5-84
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials..................5-84Vehicle Identication......................................5-86
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN).................5-86
Service Parts Identication Label.....................5-86
Electrical System............................................5-87
Add-On Electrical Equipment..........................5-87
Headlamp Wiring..........................................5-87
Windshield Wiper Fuses................................5-87
Power Windows and Other Power Options.......5-87
Fuses.........................................................5-88
Capacities and Specications..........................5-96
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-2

Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you will
want to use the proper service manual. It tells you much
more about how to service your vehicle than this manual
can. To order the proper service manual, seeService
Publications Ordering Information on page 7-12.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting
to do your own service work, seeServicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-60.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. SeeMaintenance Record on page 6-15.{CAUTION:
You can be injured and your vehicle could be
damaged if you try to do service work on a
vehicle without knowing enough about it.
Be sure you have sufficient knowledge,
experience, the proper replacement parts
and tools before you attempt any vehicle
maintenance task.
Be sure to use the proper nuts, bolts and
other fasteners. “English” and “metric”
fasteners can be easily confused. If you
use the wrong fasteners, parts can later
break or fall off. You could be hurt.
5-4

Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle
Things you might add to the outside of your vehicle can
affect the airow around it. This may cause wind noise
and affect windshield washer performance. Check with
your dealer before adding equipment to the outside of
your vehicle.
Fuel
Use of the recommended fuel is an important part of the
proper maintenance of your vehicle.
Gasoline Octane
Use regular unleaded gasoline with a posted octane of 87
or higher. If the octane is less than 87, you may get a
heavy knocking noise when you drive. If this occurs,
use a gasoline rated at 87 octane or higher as soon as
possible. Otherwise, you might damage your engine.
A little pinging noise when you accelerate or drive uphill is
considered normal. This does not indicate a problem
exists or that a higher-octane fuel is necessary. If you are
using 87 octane or higher-octane fuel and hear heavy
knocking, your engine needs service.
5-5