2004 CHEVROLET MALIBU window

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-7
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-31
Air Bag Systems
......................................1-52
Restraint System Check
............................1-60
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-10
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-18
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-22
Mirrors
....................................................2-35
OnStar
®System
......................................2-38
HomeLink®Transmitter
.............................2-40
Storage Areas
.........................................2-44
Sunroof
..................................................2-48
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-31Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-45
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-52
Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-31
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-12
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-49
Tires
......................................................5-50
Appearance Care
.....................................5-78
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-86
Electrical System
......................................5-87
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-96
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-11
Index................................................................ 1
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM

A forward-facing child seat (C-E) provides restraint for
the child’s body with the harness and also sometimes
with surfaces such as T-shaped or shelf-like shields.A booster seat (F-G) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system. Some
booster seats have a shoulder belt positioner, and
some high-back booster seats have a ve-point harness.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
1-39

The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.If your vehicle has a side impact air bag for the driver
and the person seated directly behind the driver, it
is located in the ceiling above the side windows.
1-55

If your vehicle has a side impact air bag for the right
front passenger and the person directly behind that
passenger, it is located in the ceiling above the
side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not inate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t put
anything between an occupant and an air bag,
and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering. And, because your vehicle has
side impact air bags, never secure anything to
the roof of your vehicle by routing the rope or
tiedown through any door or window opening.
If you do, the path of an inating side impact
air bag will be blocked. The path of an inating
air bag must be kept clear.
1-56

What Makes an Air Bag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the air bag. The inator, air bag, and related
hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the
steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front
of the right front passenger and in the ceiling of
the vehicle, near the side windows.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal air bags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag.Side impact air bags would not help you in many types
of collisions, including frontal or near frontal collisions,
rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily because an
occupant’s motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags
should never be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver’s
and right front passenger’s frontal air bags, and
only in moderate to severe side collisions for the side
impact air bags.
What Will You See After an Air Bag
Inates?
After an air bag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the air bag inated.
Some components of the air bag module — the steering
wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, the instrument panel for
the right front passenger’s bag or the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows — will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be
some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated air bags. Air bag ination doesn’t prevent the
driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor
does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
1-58

{CAUTION:
When an air bag inates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can’t get out of the vehicle after an air bag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an air bag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
In many crashes severe enough to inate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inate only once. After an
air bag inates, you’ll need some new parts for your
air bag system. If you don’t get them, the air bag
system won’t be there to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include air bag modules
and possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which may record information
about the air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness of the system, when
the system commands air bag ination and driver’s
safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualied technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your dealer for
service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the right front passenger’s air bag, or the side
impact air bag covering on the ceiling near the side
windows, the bag may not work properly. You
may have to replace the air bag module in the
steering wheel, both the air bag module and
the instrument panel for the right front passenger’s
air bag, or side impact air bag module and ceiling
covering for the roof-mounted side impact air
bag. Do not open or break the air bag coverings.
1-59

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

Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons. They
could operate the power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. The
children or others could be badly injured or
even killed. Do not leave the keys in a vehicle
with children.
2-3