2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU engine overheat

Engine Coolant Heater
In very cold weather, 0ÉF (-18ÉC) or colder, the engine
coolant heater, if your vehicle has this feature, can
help. You'll get easier starting and better fuel economy
during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater
should be plugged in a minimum of four hours prior to
starting your vehicle. At temperatures above 32ÉF (0ÉC),
use of the coolant heater is not required.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
The engine coolant heater cord is located near
the engine air cleaner/®lter.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a ®re. 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.
2-19

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.
2-22

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
push down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot. If the ignition is
on, the brake system
warning light will come on.
See
Brake System
Warning Light on
page 3-27
.
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, the brake
system warning light will come on and a chime will
sound warning you that the parking brake is still on.
Notice: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 on page 4-34.
Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer,
see ªTowing a Trailerº in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
·Hold in the button on the shift lever.
·Push the shift lever all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{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 ®rmly set.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch ®re.
You or others could be injured. Do not leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is ®rmly 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 ®rst
pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully
locked in PARK (P).
2-24

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.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-22.
Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on
brie¯y when you turn
your ignition ON.
If this light comes on and stays on, the coolant level in
your vehicle is low. See
Engine Coolant on page 5-19.
If the light is on along with an overheat warning,
you may have a serious overheating problem, see
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage on page 3-29.
Notice:Damage to your engine from neglected
coolant problems can be costly and is not covered
by your warranty.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-22for information
on what to do. Your vehicle should be serviced as soon
as possible. United States
Canada
3-29

Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your
wheels too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can
help you get out when you're stuck, but you must
use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
When you're stuck, spin the wheels as little as
possible. Don't spin the wheels above 35 mph
(55 km/h) as shown on the speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
ªRocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out.º
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see
Tire Chains on page 5-55.
4-27

When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ¯ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It's
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
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
beforeyou 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
Engine Overheating on
page 5-22.
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.
4-39

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. SeePart A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services on page 6-4for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are automatic
transaxle ¯uid (don't over®ll), 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 5-22.
4-40