2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU trunk

3. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback, do the following:
1. Push down on one of the levers and pull the
seatback up to lock it into place. Make sure
the safety belt is not twisted or caught in the
seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it
is locked into position.
3. Use the reclining front seatback lever to adjust the
seatback to a comfortable position.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback on the sedan, do
the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the gray
handles located on the upper part of the trunk
opening. The left handle will open the larger side of
the seatback. The right handle will open the
smaller side of the seatback.
2. Once a handle is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from
inside the vehicle.
1-7

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

Remote Keyless Entry System
Operation
The following functions
may be available if your
vehicle has the remote
keyless entry system:
/(Remote Start):If your vehicle has this feature, it
may be started remotely by pressing the lock button,
then immediately following, pressing the remote
start button and holding it until the parking lamps ash,
or for four seconds if the lights are not visible.
Pressing the remote start button again after the vehicle
has started will turn off the ignition. See “Remote
Vehicle Start” following for more information.
Q(Lock):Press the lock button to lock all the doors.
The interior lamps will turn off after all of the doors are
closed. If enabled through the Driver Information Center
(DIC), the parking lamps will ash once to indicate locking
has occurred. If enabled through the DIC, the horn will
also chirp to indicate locking has occurred.
K(Unlock):Press the unlock button to unlock the
driver’s door. If the button is pressed again within ve
seconds, all remaining doors, the trunk and liftgate
will unlock. The interior lamps will come on and stay on
for 10 seconds or until the ignition is turned on. If
enabled through the DIC, the parking lamps will ash
twice to indicate unlocking has occurred. Remote Keyless Entry
with Remote Start
shown, without Remote
Start similar
2-6

V(Remote Trunk Release):The trunk or liftgate
will open when this button on the transmitter is pressed
and held. You can open the trunk with the transmitter
when the vehicle is in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N). The
interior lamps will come on for 10 seconds or until
the ignition switch is turned to ON.
7(Vehicle Locator/Panic Alarm):Press this button
to locate your vehicle. The horn will chirp three times
and the headlamps and parking lamps will ash
three times. Press and hold the button for three seconds
to sound the panic alarm. The horn will chirp and the
headlamps and parking lamps will ash for two minutes.
Press the button again to cancel the panic alarm.
Programmable Horn Chirp
Through the DIC, you may choose whether or not to
have a horn chirp when you use the remote keyless
entry transmitter to lock or unlock the doors.
SeeDIC Operation and Displays on page 3-46for more
information.
Matching Transmitter(s) to Your
Vehicle
Each remote keyless entry transmitter is coded to
prevent another transmitter from unlocking your vehicle.
If a transmitter is lost or stolen, a replacement can
be purchased through your dealer. Remember to bring
any remaining transmitters with you when you go to
your dealer. When the dealer matches the replacement
transmitter to your vehicle, any remaining transmitters
must also be matched. Once your dealer has coded the
new transmitter, the lost transmitter will not unlock
your vehicle. Each vehicle can have a maximum of four
transmitters matched to it.
2-7

CAUTION: (Continued)

Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or
stop your vehicle. Locking your doors can
help prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or remote keyless
entry system, if your vehicle is equipped with this
feature. Use the key to unlock the driver’s door by
turning the key in the lock toward the rear of the vehicle.
Turning the key back to center and then toward the
rear a second time will unlock all of the doors and the
liftgate. Turning the key back to center and then toward
the rear of the vehicle a third time will open the trunk
or liftgate.
From the inside, you can lock and unlock the door by
moving the manual lock knob down and up, or by using
the power door lock buttons.
Power Door Locks
With the power door locks,
you can unlock or lock all
the doors and the
liftgate on your vehicle
using either the driver’s or
front passenger’s door
lock switch.
Press on the top of the switch to unlock all the doors
and the liftgate. Press on the bottom of the switch to lock
all the doors and the liftgate.
The rear doors do not have power door lock switches.
Rear seat passengers must use the manual lock knob to
lock or unlock the rear doors.
2-11

Lockout Protection
Lockout protection is intended to provide enhanced
security and convenience. This feature prevents
the driver’s door from being locked using the power
door locks. If the key is left in the ignition and a door is
open, pressing the power door lock switch will lock
all the doors and then unlock the driver’s door.
Pressing and holding down the power door lock switch
for more than three seconds or until the driver door
locks, will override this feature.
This feature cannot guarantee that you will never be
locked out of your vehicle. If you don’t leave the key in
the ignition, or if you use the manual door lock or
the remote keyless entry transmitter, you could still lock
your key inside your vehicle. Always remember to
take your key with you.
Leaving Your Vehicle
If you are leaving your vehicle, open your door and set
the locks from the inside, then get out and close the door.
Trunk
To unlock the trunk on the sedan manually from the
outside, insert the key and turn the trunk lock cylinder.
When closing the trunk, close from the center to
ensure it fully latches.
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the trunk lid
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can not see or
smell CO. It can cause unconsciousness and
even death. If you must drive with the trunk lid
open or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the trunk lid:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select the
control setting that will force outside air
into your vehicle. See Climate Control
System in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-33.
2-13

Remote Trunk/Liftgate Release
Press the remote release
button, located on the
lower edge of the driver’s
door, to open the trunk
lid or the liftgate.
The remote trunk release will only work when either the
ignition is off, or with the ignition in ON while the
vehicle is in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Emergency Trunk Release Handle
Notice:Using the emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point when securing
items in the trunk may damage it. Use the
emergency trunk release handle only to help you
open the trunk lid.
There is a glow-in-the-dark emergency trunk release
handle located inside the trunk of the sedan model on
the trunk latch. This handle will glow following
exposure to light. Pull the release handle up to open the
trunk from the inside.
2-14

Liftgate
To open the liftgate on the MAXX from the outside, use
the trunk button on the remote keyless entry transmitter
or the remote trunk release button, located on the
lower edge of the driver’s door.
Unlocking all doors using the power door unlock switch
or the remote keyless entry transmitter unlock button
will also unlock the liftgate. Locking all doors with
the power door lock switch or the remote keyless entry
transmitter lock button will also lock the liftgate.
You can also use the key in the driver’s door lock cylinder
to unlock and open the liftgate. Turn the driver’s door lock
cylinder toward the rear of the vehicle and back to the
center twice to unlock the liftgate. Turn the driver’s door
lock cylinder toward the rear of the vehicle and back to
the center three times to open the liftgate.
If the liftgate is unlocked, you can manually open it by
pushing on the touch pad switch located on the underside
of the liftgate trim panel, slightly to the right of center.
If none of these ways of opening the liftgate works, there
is a pull cable located under the body trim panel in
the liftgate area which will open it. This should be used
in case of emergency only, not for daily use.{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to drive with the liftgate
open because carbon monoxide (CO) gas can
come into your vehicle. You can’t see or smell
CO. It can cause unconsciousness and even
death. If you must drive with the liftgate open
or if electrical wiring or other cable
connections must pass through the seal
between the body and the liftgate:
Make sure all other windows are shut.
Turn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to its highest speed and select the
control setting that will force outside air
into your vehicle. SeeClimate Control
System on page 3-21.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-33.
To close the liftgate, pull down on the openings, then
rmly shut the liftgate. Don’t drive with the liftgate open,
even slightly. SeeEngine Exhaust on page 2-33.
2-15