2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU stop start

Passlockž
Your vehicle has the Passlockžtheft-deterrent system.
Passlock
žis a passive theft-deterrent system.
Passlockženables fuel if the ignition lock cylinder is
turned with a valid key. If a correct key is not used or the
ignition lock cylinder is tampered with, the fuel system
is disabled and the vehicle will not start.
During normal operation, the THEFT SYSTEM light will
turn off approximately ®ve seconds after the ignition
key is turned to ON and the engine is started.
After attempting to start the engine, if the THEFT
SYSTEM light ¯ashes or stays on, wait ten minutes with
the key in ON until the light goes off. Then turn the
ignition to OFF before attempting to start the engine
again.
Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle doesn't need an elaborate
ªbreak-in.º But it will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
·Don't drive at any one speed Ð fast or
slow Ð for the ®rst 500 miles (805 km).
Don't make full-throttle starts.
·Avoid making hard stops for the ®rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new
brake linings aren't yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake linings.
·Don't tow a trailer during break-in. See ªTowing
a Trailerº in the Index for more information.
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Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
Your vehicle is equipped with a Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) feature which will allow the radio to
continue to work up to 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned to OFF.
Your radio will work when the ignition key is in ON or
ACCESSORY. Once the key is turned from ON to OFF,
the radio will continue to work for up to 10 minutes or
until the driver's door is opened.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won't start in any other position ± that's a
safety feature. To restart when you're already moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Notice:Don't try to shift to PARK (P) if your
vehicle is moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK (P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
Notice:Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to be
drained much sooner. And the excessive heat can
damage your starter motor. Wait about 15 seconds
between each try to help avoid draining your battery
or damaging your starter.
2. If your engine won't start (or starts but then stops),
it could be ¯ooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
¯oor and holding it there as you hold the key
in START for not more than 15 seconds at a time.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine.
Notice:Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way the
engine operates. Before adding electrical equipment,
check with your dealer. If you don't, your engine
might not perform properly.
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Then move the shift lever into the gear you wish. (Press
the shift lever button before moving the shift lever.) See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-25later in this section.
REVERSE (R):Use this gear to back up.
Notice:Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle. Shift
to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice
or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
If You Are
Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on page 4-27.
NEUTRAL (N):In this position, your engine doesn't
connect with the wheels. To restart when you're already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
{CAUTION:
Shifting into a drive gear while your engine is
ªracingº (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot is ®rmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects.
Do not shift into a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
Notice:Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine running
at high speed isn't covered by your warranty.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):This position is for
normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you're:
·Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
·Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You'll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly, or if it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged. So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND (2) when you are driving
less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds.
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THIRD (3):This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times you might choose THIRD (3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
·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 than THIRD (3). 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 (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h),
or you can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (3) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) 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
shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transaxle won't shift
into ®rst gear until the vehicle is going slow enough.
Notice:If your front wheels won't turn, 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 could 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 to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
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 AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D).
This feature is only for improved traction when the road
surface is slippery and is not intended for continuous
use or when the vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice, snow
or gravel.
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Windshield Wipers
Use this lever located on the right side of the steering
wheel to operate the windshield wipers.
OFF:Move the lever to OFF to turn off the windshield
wipers.
INT (Intermittent):Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. Turn the INT ADJ (Intermittent
Adjust) band down for a longer delay or up for a shorter
delay. The wiper speed can only be adjusted when
the lever is in the INT position.LO (Low Speed):Move the lever up to the ®rst setting
past INT, for steady wiping at low speed.
HI (High Speed):Move the lever up to the second
setting past INT, for wiping at high speed.
MIST:Move the lever all the way down to MIST for a
single wiping cycle. Hold it there until the windshield
wipers start; then let go. The windshield wipers will stop
after one wipe. If you want more wipes, hold the
band on mist longer.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. If your blades do become damaged, get new
blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
3-8

If the light comes 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
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-28.
{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.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
If your vehicle has the
anti-lock brake system, the
light will come on when
your engine is started and
may stay on for several
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
Brake System Warning Light
on page 3-27earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON. This is
normal. If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
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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 ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº 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 ªIf the Light Is
On Steadyº following. If the light is still ¯ashing, follow
the previous steps, and see your dealer for service
as soon as possible.
If the Light Is on Steady
You also 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. See
Filling Your Tank on page 5-6. 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. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-4. 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, mis®ring, 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.
3-31

6 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order. RDM ON
will appear on the display. RDM T and the track
number will appear on the display when each track
starts to play. Press RDM again to turn off random play.
RDM OFF will appear on the display.
qSEEKr:Press the left arrow to go to the start of
the current or of the previous track. Press the right arrow
to go to the start of the next track. If either of the arrows is
held or pressed more than once, the player will continue
moving backward or forward through the CD.
DISPL (Display):Press this knob to see how long the
current track has been playing. ET and the elapsed
time will appear on the display. To change what
is normally shown on the display (track or elapsed
time), press the knob until you see the display you want,
then hold the knob for two seconds. The radio will
produce one beep.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing. The CD will stop but remain in the player.
CD AUX (Auxiliary):Press this button to play a CD
when listening to the radio.
ZEJT (Eject):Press this button to eject a CD.
Eject may be activated with either the ignition or radio
off. CDs may be loaded with the radio and ignition off
if this button is pressed ®rst.
Compact Disc Messages
If the disc comes out, it could be for one of the following
reasons:
·You're driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the disc should play.
·It's very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the disc should play.
·The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.
·The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour
and try again.
·There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
·The label may be caught in the CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer.
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