2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU heater

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry System.........................2-5
Remote Keyless Entry System Operation...........2-6
Doors and Locks............................................2-10
Door Locks..................................................2-10
Power Door Locks........................................2-11
Door Ajar Reminder......................................2-12
Delayed Locking...........................................2-12
Programmable Automatic
Door Locks...............................................2-12
Lockout Protection........................................2-13
Leaving Your Vehicle....................................2-13
Trunk..........................................................2-13
Liftgate........................................................2-15
Windows........................................................2-16
Power Windows............................................2-17
Sun Visors...................................................2-17
Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-18
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-18
PASS-Key
®III+............................................2-20
PASS-Key®III+ Operation..............................2-20Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-22
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-22
Ignition Positions..........................................2-22
Starting Your Engine.....................................2-23
Adjustable Throttle and Brake Pedal................2-24
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-25
Automatic Transaxle Operation.......................2-27
Parking Brake..............................................2-29
Shifting Into Park (P).....................................2-30
Shifting Out of Park (P).................................2-32
Parking Over Things That Burn.......................2-32
Engine Exhaust............................................2-33
Running Your Engine While You Are Parked.......2-34
Mirrors...........................................................2-35
Manual Rearview Mirror.................................2-35
Manual Rearview Mirror with OnStar
®..............2-35
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror................2-35
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
®...................................................2-36
Outside Power Mirrors...................................2-37
Outside Power Heated Mirrors........................2-37
Outside Convex Mirror...................................2-37
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

To use your adjustable throttle and pedal feature, do the
following:
The adjustable pedal feature is meant to be used with
the adjustable seat and adjustable steering wheel
controls to reach a safe and comfortable position.
1. Adjust your seat to a comfortable position where
you can comfortably reach other controls such as
the radio and climate controls.
2. Adjust the throttle and brake pedals to reach a
comfortable and safe operating position.
3. Adjust the steering wheel to a safe operating
position.Engine Coolant Heater
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater, if your vehicle has this feature, can
help. You’ll get easier starting and lower fuel usage
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 32°F (0°C),
use of the coolant heater is not required.
2-25

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 the cord 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 will
not 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 use, 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. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
2-26

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

When the weather is cool or damp, operating the system
in recirculation for extended periods of time may cause
fogging of the vehicle’s windows. To clear the fog, select
either defog or defrost. Make sure the air conditioning is
on. You will want to allow the air conditioning to run
automatically to help dehumidify the air.
Temperature Control:Press the up and down arrows
to increase or decrease the temperature inside the
vehicle.
#(Air Conditioning):Press this button to turn the air
conditioning compressor on and off. A light above the
button will illuminate when the air conditioning is on
When air conditioning is selected or in AUTO mode,
the system will run the air conditioning automatically to
cool and dehumidify the air entering the vehicle.
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let hot
inside air escape. This reduces the time it takes for
your vehicle to cool down. Then keep your windows
closed for the air conditioner to work its best.On cool, but sunny days while using manual operation
of the automatic system, use bi-level to deliver warm
air to the oor and cooler air to the instrument
panel outlets. To warm or cool the air delivered, press
the temperature buttons to the desired setting.
In AUTO mode the system will cool and dehumidify the
air inside the vehicle. Also while in AUTO mode, the
system will maximize its performance by using
recirculation as necessary.
Heating:On cold days when using manual operation of
the automatic system, choose oor mode to deliver
air to the oor outlets. To warm or cool the air delivered,
push the temperature buttons to the desired setting.
If you want to use the automatic mode, turn the knob to
AUTO and adjust the temperature by pressing the
temperature buttons.
The heater works best if you keep the windows closed
while using it.
3-28

Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
4-29

Engine Coolant
The cooling system in your vehicle is lled 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 rst, 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, seeEngine Overheating
on page 5-27.
A 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL
®coolant will:
Give freezing protection down to−34°F(−37°C).
Give boiling protection up to 265°F (129°C)
Protect against rust and corrosion.
Help keep the proper engine temperature.
Let the warning lights and gages work as
they should.
Notice:Using coolant other than DEX-COOL
®may
cause premature engine, heater core or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may
require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km)
or 24 months, whichever occurs rst. Any repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL
®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle.
What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
®coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost would not be covered by your warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
5-24

If No Steam Is Coming From Your
Engine
An overheat warning, along with a low coolant light,
can indicate a serious problem. SeeDIC Warnings
and Messages on page 3-50.
If you get an engine overheat warning with no low
coolant light, but see or hear no steam, the problem
may not be too serious. Sometimes the engine can
get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or so:
1. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in NEUTRAL (N)
while stopped. If it is safe to do so, pull off the road,
shift to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) and let the
engine idle.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can
drive. Just to be safe, drive slower for about 10 minutes.
If the warning doesn’t come back on, you can drive
normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, idle the engine for three
minutes while you’re parked. If you still have the
warning,turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicleuntil it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-28