1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU engine overheat

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .* a The 1997 Chevrolet Malibu Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Chevrolet.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Chevrolet running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance \
and how to get service and owner publications.
It
also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-10.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Use the Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
A CAUL :ON:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong
kind of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt
AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store
the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be damaged. How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in?
The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your Chevrolet dealer in the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best
advice for that particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle has a shift lever located on the
console between the seats.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine THIRD (3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than
DRIVE (D). Here are some times you
might choose THIRD
(3) instead of DRIVE (D):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(88 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle.
Use
DRIVE (D) or THIRD (3) as much as
possible. Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you
are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you
can damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You
can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the selector lever
is put in FIRST (l), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud
or were up against a solid
object.
You can damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Second-Gear Start
Your vehicle is equipped with a second-gear start
feature. Place the shift lever
in SECOND (2) gear to
provide more traction when you are starting on ice or
other slippery surfaces. The transaxle will be in
SECOND (2) gear when the vehicle begins to move.
After starting in SECOND
(2) gear, place the shift lever
in THIRD (3) or DRIVE (D).
This feature is only for improved traction only when me
road surface is slippery and is not intended for
continuous use or when the vehicle is stuck in sana,
mud, ice, snow or gravel.
Parking Brake
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot. Push down on the
parking brake pedal with your left foot. If
the parking
brake is not released when you begin to drive, a chime
will sound warning you that the parking brake is still on
NOTICE:
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal down with your right foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning
light will come on.
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Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and
you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
r
I A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could
be injured, Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing
the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift
lever out of PARK
(P). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur,
you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Convenience Net (If Equipped)
Your vehicle may have a convenience net. You’ll see it
just inside the back wall of the trunk.
Put small loads, like grocery bags, behind the net. It can
help keep them from falling over during sharp turns or
quick starts and stops.
The net isn’t for larger, heavier loads. Store them in the
trunk as
far forward as you can.
You can unhook the net
so that it will lie flat when
you’re not using it.
Ashtray and Lighter
The ashtray is located at the lower part of the center of
the instrument panel. To remove the ashtray for
cleaning, pull
up on the metal tab and pull the bin out.
NOTICE:
Don’t put papers and other things that burn into
your ashtrays.
If you do, cigarettes or other
smoking materials could set them on fire,
causing damage.
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The lighter is located above the ashtray. To use it, just
push it in all the way and let go. When it’s ready,
it will
pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don’t hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it
is heating. If you do, it won’t be able to
back away from the heating element when it’s
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come
on when you
turn your
ignition on or start your
engine and it will stay on
for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on and
the chime sounds when you’re
driving, stop
as soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset the system. If
the light still stays on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Chevrolet needs service.
If the regular
brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the
regular brake system warning light is also on, you don’t
have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with your
regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light”
earlier in this section. The anti-lock brake system warning
light shoula come
on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
0
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, the light comes on and you hear
a chime, your
engine is too hot! It means
that your engine coolant
has overheated.
If you have been operating your vehicle under normal
driving conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop
your vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on
briefly when you turn
If this light comes on and stays on and you hear a chime,
the vehicle should promptly be pulled
off the road and
the coolant level checked.
See “Engine Coolant” in the Index.
If there are visible
signs of steam, see “Engine Overheating”
in the Index
before opening the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as soon as you can.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
CHECK
Your Chevrolet is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD 11 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to assure
that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of the
vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment. (In
Canada, OBD
II is replaced by Enhanced Diagnostics.)
The CHECK ENGINE light comes on and a chime will
sound to indicate that there is a problem and service is
required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent.
This may prevent
more serious damage to your vehicle.
This system is also
designed to assist your service technician
in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
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