2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU overheating

2-61 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
United States Canada
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.
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, the coolant level in
your vehicle is low. See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index.
If the light is on along with an overheat warning, you
may have a serious overheating problem, see ªEngine
Coolant Temperature Gageº listed previously.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected coolant
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index for information
on what to do. Your vehicle should be serviced as soon
as possible.

4-40 Driving On Grades
NOTICE:
Do not tow on steep continuous grades exceeding
6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than normal
engine and transaxle temperatures may result
and damage your vehicle. Frequent stops are
very important to allow the engine and transaxle
to cool.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don't shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage. If the indicator
is in the red area, turn off the air conditioning to reduce
engine load. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
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.

4-41 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. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don't overfill),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find 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. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index.

5-
5-1
Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you'll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5
-2 Hazard Warning Flashers
5
-2 Other Warning Devices
5
-3 Jump Starting
5
-9 Towing Your Vehicle
5
-9 Engine Overheating5
-12 Cooling System
5
-18 If a Tire Goes Flat
5
-18 Changing a Flat Tire
5
-29 Compact Spare Tire
5
-30 If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow

5-9
To disconnect the jumper cables from both vehicles,
do the following:
1. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (
-) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the
other vehicle.
Towing Your Vehicle
Consult your dealer or a professional towing service
if you need to have your disabled vehicle towed. See
ªRoadside Assistanceº in the Index. If you want
to tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for
recreational purposes (such as behind a motorhome),
see ªRecreational Vehicle Towingº in the Index.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage and a low
coolant level warning light on your vehicle's instrument
panel. See ªEngine Coolant Temperature Gageº and
ªLow Coolant Warning Lightº in the Index.

5-13
The coolant level should be at or above the FULL COLD
mark. If it isn't, you may have a leak at the pressure cap
or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the cooling system.
CAUTION:
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to
see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If
they aren't, your vehicle needs service.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty.
NOTICE:
When adding coolant, it is important that you use
only DEX
-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant.
If coolant other than DEX-COOL is added to
the system, premature engine, heater core or
radiator corrosion may result. In addition, the
engine coolant will require change sooner
-- at
30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months,
whichever occurs first. Damage caused by the
use of coolant other than DEX
-COOL
is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.

6-18
Change both the fluid and filter every 50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:

In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches 90F (32C) or higher.

In hilly or mountainous terrain.

When doing frequent trailer towing.

Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
NOTICE:
We recommend you use only fluid labeled
DEXRON-III, because fluid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transaxle.
Damage caused by fluid other than DEXRON
-III
is not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is filled 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 first, 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, see ªEngine Overheatingº in
the Index.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX
-COOL coolant will:

Give freezing protection down to
-34F (-37C).

Give boiling protection up to 265F (129C).

Protect against rust and corrosion.

Help keep the proper engine temperature.

Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.

6-21
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 light
comes on and stays on,
it means you're low on
engine coolant.
See ªLow Coolant Warning Lightº in the Index for
more information.Adding Coolant
If you need more coolant, add the proper DEX
-COOL

coolant mixture at the surge tank, but only when the
engine is cool. If the surge tank is empty, a special fill
procedure is necessary. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the
Index for instructions on ªHow to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank.º
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. Don't spill coolant on a hot engine.
When replacing the pressure cap, make sure it
is hand
-tight.