1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU warning

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2-48
Instrument Panel Cluster
Your vehicle is equipped with this cluster or one very similar. It includes indicator warning lights and gages that are
explained on the following pages. Be sure to read them.

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2-50 Tachometer
The tachometer shows your engine speed in revolutions
per minute (rpm).
NOTICE:
Do not run your engine at speeds in the red area,
or engine damage may occur.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that may
be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle's functions. As you will
see in the details on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly when you start the engine just to let
you know they're working. If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with one of your vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there's a problem with your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells you
what to do about it. Please follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous. So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They're a big help.

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2-52 Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system
indicator light will come on
when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as a check to
show you it is working.
When the engine is running, it should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and you
hear a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it doesn't come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If the light and chime come on while you are driving, pull off
the road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the vehicle
towed for service. (See ªTowing Your Vehicleº in the Index.)

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CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
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
vehicle 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 ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should 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.

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2-54 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
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 ªProblems on the Road,º this manual shows what to
do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on
briefly when you turn
your ignition on.
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 ªEngine Coolantº in the Index. If there are visible
signs of steam, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index
before opening the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as you can.

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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 (see
ªFuelº in the Index). 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, misfiring, 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,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Warning 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 fixed 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 fuse or bulb. Have it fixed
right away.

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The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
Passlock
Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition to ON. The light
will stay on until the
engine starts.
If the light flashes, the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see ªPasslockº
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
Cruise Light (If Equipped)
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
Low Washer Light
The LOW WASH light will
come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition.
It will also stay on or come on and chime, if the fluid
reservoir is less than one
-third full.

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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.