2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU engine

Engine Exhaust
{CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can not see
or smell. It can cause unconsciousness and
death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris.
Repairs were not done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modied improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and
Have your vehicle xed immediately.
2-33

Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if
you ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
Engine Exhaust on page 2-33.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the climate control fan is at the highest setting.
One place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust — with CO — can come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the engine
running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
Winter Driving on page 4-26.
{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.
Do not leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to. 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, always set your parking
brake and move the shift lever to PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will not
move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-30.
If you are parking on a hill and if you are pulling a
trailer, also seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-40.
2-34

Programming the HomeLink®
Transmitter
Do not use the HomeLink®Transmitter with any garage
door opener that does not have the “stop and reverse”
feature. This includes any garage door opener model
manufactured before April 1, 1982. If you have a newer
garage door opener with rolling codes, please be
sure to follow steps 6 through 8 to complete the
programming of your HomeLink
®Transmitter.
Read the instructions completely before attempting to
program the HomeLink
®Transmitter. Because of
the steps involved, it may be helpful to have another
person available to assist you in programming the
transmitter.
Keep the original transmitter for use in other vehicles as
well as for future HomeLink
®programming. It is also
recommended that upon the sale of the vehicle,
the programmed HomeLink
®buttons should be erased
for security purposes. Refer to “Erasing HomeLink®
Buttons” or, for assistance, contact HomeLink®on the
internet at: www.homelink.com or by calling
1-800-355-3515.Be sure that people and objects are clear of the garage
door or gate operator you are programming. When
programming a garage door, it is advised to park outside
of the garage.
It is recommended that a new battery be installed in
your hand-held transmitter for quicker and more
accurate transmission of the radio frequency.
Your vehicle’s engine should be turned off while
programming the transmitter. Follow these steps to
program up to three channels:
1. Press and hold down the two outside buttons,
releasing only when the indicator light begins to
ash, after 20 seconds. Do not hold down the
buttons for longer than 30 seconds and do not
repeat this step to program a second and/or third
transmitter to the remaining two HomeLink
®buttons.
2. Position the end of your hand-held transmitter about
1 to 3 inches (3 to 8 cm) away from the HomeLink
®
buttons while keeping the indicator light in view.
3. Simultaneously press and hold both the desired
button on HomeLink
®and the hand-held transmitter
button. Do not release the buttons until Step 4
has been completed.
Some entry gates and garage door openers may
require you to substitute Step 3 with the procedure
noted in “Gate Operator and Canadian
Programming” later in this section.
2-41

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-7
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-8
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-14
Interior Lamps..............................................3-19
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-20
Climate Controls............................................3-21
Climate Control System.................................3-21
Automatic Climate Control System...................3-25
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-30
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-31
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-32
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-33
Tachometer.................................................3-33
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-34
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-34
Charging System Light..................................3-35
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-36
Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light...........................................3-37
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light...........................................3-37
Enhanced Traction System Active Light............3-38Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-38
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-39
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-39
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-42
Security Light...............................................3-43
Cruise Control Light......................................3-43
Service Vehicle Soon Light............................3-44
Fuel Gage...................................................3-44
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-45
DIC Operation and Displays...........................3-46
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-50
Audio System(s).............................................3-52
Setting the Time for Radios without Radio
Data Systems (RDS)..................................3-52
Setting the Time for Radios with Radio Data
Systems (RDS).........................................3-53
Radio with CD (Base Level)...........................3-53
Radio with CD (Up Level)..............................3-58
Radio with Cassette and CD..........................3-69
Radio with Six-Disc CD.................................3-82
Rear Seat Entertainment System....................3-96
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
(Without Entertainment System).................3-111
Rear Seat Audio (RSA)
(With Entertainment System).....................3-113
Theft-Deterrent Feature................................3-115
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Temperature Control:Turn the center knob clockwise
or counterclockwise to increase or decrease the
temperature inside your vehicle.
When it’s cold outside 0°F (−18°C) or lower, use the
engine coolant heater, if equipped, to provide warmer air
faster to your vehicle. An engine coolant heater warms
the coolant that the engine uses to provide heat to
warm the inside of your vehicle. For more information,
seeEngine Coolant Heater on page 2-25.
#(Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn the
air conditioning system on or off. When the air
conditioning button is pressed, an indicator light will
come on to let you know that air conditioning is
activated.
On hot days, open the windows to let hot inside air
escape; then close them. This helps to reduce the time
it takes for your vehicle to cool down. It also helps
the system to operate more efficiently.For quick cool down on hot days, do the following:
1. Select the vent mode.
2. Select the highest fan speed.
3. Select air conditioning.
4. Select the recirculation mode.
5. Select the coolest temperature.
Using these settings together for long periods of time
may cause the air inside of your vehicle to become too
dry. To prevent this from happening, after the air in
your vehicle has cooled, turn the recirculation mode off.
The air-conditioning system removes moisture from
the air, so you may sometimes notice a small amount of
water dripping underneath your vehicle while idling or
after turning off the engine. This is normal.
3-23

Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a warming grid to
remove fog or frost from the rear window.
defogger on or off. An indicator light will come on
to let you know that the rear window defogger is
activated. Be sure to clear as much snow from the
rear window as possible.
If driving below 50 mph (80 kph), the rear window
defogger will turn off about 15 minutes after the button
is pressed. If turned on again, the defogger will only
run for about seven minutes before turning off. The
defogger can also be turned off by pressing the button
again or by turning off the engine.
If your vehicle’s speed is maintained above
50 mph (80 km/h), the rear window defogger will
remain on once the button is pressed.
Notice:Don’t use anything sharp on the inside of
the rear window. If you do, you could cut or damage
the warming grid, and the repairs wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty. Do not attach a temporary
vehicle license, tape, a decal or anything similar
to the defogger grid.
Automatic Climate Control System
If your vehicle has this system, you can automatically
control the heating, cooling and ventilation in your
vehicle.
Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):Select AUTO on both the fan
control and the mode control knobs to activate
the automatic system. When automatic operation is
active the system will control the inside temperature
and air delivery.
3-25

Use the steps below to place the entire system in
automatic mode:
1. Place the fan knob and the mode knob to the
AUTO position.
The display will now show the current set
temperature. When auto is selected, the air
conditioning operation and air inlet will be
automatically controlled. The air conditioning
compressor will run when the outside temperature
is over about 40°F (4°C). The air inlet will normally
be set to outside air. If it’s hot outside, the air
inlet may automatically switch to recirculate inside
air to help quickly cool down your vehicle.
2. Set the temperature.
To nd your comfort setting, start with an initial
temperature setting and allow about 20 minutes for
the system to regulate. Press the up or down arrow
temperature buttons to adjust the temperature
setting as necessary. If you choose the temperature
setting of 60°F (15°C) the system will remain at
the maximum cooling setting. If you choose the
temperature setting of 90°F (32°C) the system will
remain at the maximum heat setting. Choosing either
maximum setting will not cause the vehicle to heat
or cool any faster.Be careful not to cover the sensor located on the
top of the instrument panel near the windshield.
This sensor regulates air temperature based on sun
load, and also turns on your headlamps.
Also be careful not to cover the sensor grille on
the lower right side of the climate control faceplate.
This senses the inside vehicle temperature
needed for proper regulation.
To avoid blowing cold air at start-up in cold weather,
the system will delay turning on the fan until
warm air is available. The length of delay depends
on the engine coolant temperature. Turning the
fan knob will override this delay and change the
fan to a selected speed.
If your vehicle has the remote start feature, the climate
control display will initially show “AS” in place of the
temperature to indicate the remote start has been
activated. The system will automatically regulate the
temperature.
3-26

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 briey when you start the engine just to let
you know they are 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 is 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 are
a big help.
3-31