2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

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 3-36earlier in
this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briey 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.
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction
System (ETS), this light
may come on for the
following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the TC
(traction control) button located on the center
console, the light will come on and stay on.
To turn the system back on, press the button
again and the warning light should go out.
If there’s a brake system problem that is
specically related to traction control, the ETS
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If your brakes begin to overheat, the ETS; will
turn off and the warning light will come on until
the brakes cool down.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
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Enhanced Traction System
Active Light
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction
System (ETS), this light
will come on when
the system is limiting
wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist if the Enhanced
Traction System active light comes on, so adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the system
stops limiting wheel spin.
The light also comes on briey when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If the light doesn’t come on then,
have it xed so it will be there to tell you when the
system is active.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Light
This light indicates that
the engine coolant
has overheated or the
radiator cooling fan is
not working.
If the vehicle has been operating under normal driving
conditions, pull off the road, stop the vehicle, and turn off
the engine as soon as possible.
SeeCooling System on page 5-29for more information.
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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.
SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-27.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Check Engine Light
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (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. The Check Engine light comes on
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.
Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls may
not work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty. United States
Canada
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Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with
other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come on.
Modications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test.
This light should come on, as a check to show you
it is working, when the ignition is on and the engine
is not running. If the light does not come on, have
it repaired. This light will also come on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has been
detected. A misre increases vehicle emissions
and may damage the emission control system
on your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may
be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Diagnosis and service may be required.
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 “If the Light Is On Steady” 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 “If the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light
is still ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your
dealer for service as soon as possible.
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If the Light Is On Steady
You 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. SeeFilling Your Tank on page 5-8.
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.
SeeGasoline Octane on page 5-5. 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, misring, 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,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has the
proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
Emissions Inspection and Maintenance
Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have or
may begin programs to inspect the emission control
equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass this inspection
could prevent you from getting a vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know to help your
vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the Check
Engine light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the
OBD (on-board diagnostic) system determines that
critical emission control systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the system. The vehicle
would be considered not ready for inspection.
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This can happen if you have recently replaced your
battery or if your battery has run down. The diagnostic
system is designed to evaluate critical emission
control systems during normal driving. This may take
several days of routine driving. If you have done this and
your vehicle still does not pass the inspection for lack
of OBD system readiness, your GM dealer can prepare
the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure 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 xed 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 bulb. Have it xed right away.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance
may damage the engine. The repairs would not
be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the maintenance schedule in this manual for
changing engine oil.
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Security Light
This light will come on
briey when you turn
the key toward start.
The light will stay on
until the engine starts.
If the light ashes while the ignition is off or during a
remote vehicle start, the PASS-Key
®III + system has
entered a tamper mode. SeePASS-Key®III + Operation
on page 2-20for more information.
If the light comes on continuously while driving
and stays on, there may be a problem with the
PASS-Key
®III + system. Your vehicle will not be
protected by PASS-Key®III +, and you should see
your dealer.If your vehicle has the content theft-deterrent alarm
system the security light will also turn on to indicate that
arming has been initiated. SeeContent Theft-Deterrent
on page 2-18for more information.
Cruise Control Light
If your vehicle has
cruise control, this
light appears on your
instrument panel cluster
whenever the cruise
control is engaged.
3-43

Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on
briey when you turn
the ignition to ON.
It will stay on, or come on and a chime will sound if it
detects a problem on the vehicle. The Driver Information
Center (DIC) may display a message such as Low
Coolant, Power Steering, Engine Reduced Power, etc.
These messages may help you determine why the
service vehicle soon indicator is on. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-50. If this happens, see
your dealer as soon as possible.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how much fuel you have
left, when the ignition is on. When the indicator nears
empty, the amber light located left of the pump symbol
will come on and you will hear a chime. You still
have a little fuel left, but you should get more soon.
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