2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

dtownfb · May 2003

It only works with certain settings. Also make sure the fan is on as well.

spratt1 · May 2003

The recirc will work with the AC off. You just have to have the fan on. I use it in that mode when I get behind a smoking/smelly vehicle.

tamu2002 · May 2003

The fan was on when I hit the recirculation button, and the AC didn't turn on. Not that it's a problem, I'd rather be able to manually control the AC anyway.

Spratt1 seems to have the same thing happen to him, which is contrary to what y'al are experiencing. Hmm, interesting.

breetai52 · May 2003

I'm pretty sure that the AC button doesn't light up. But the air coming out of the vents is clearly air conditioned. I haven't used the recirc button since the end of last summer... My memory might be a little fuzzy on how it works.

buguy · May 2003

Just as a reminder, the malibu is famous for having a bad a/c switch. Should have been a call back but it isn't dangerous so probably won't get fixed unless we pay. My 99' has done it for about 3 years. Not bad enough to change yet but if you think the car has a slight miss climbing a hill, it is probably the a/c cycling on and off due to a bad switch. The light also flashes when it is doing this so it is easy to spot.

jtrujillo86 · June 2003

...IS DRIVING ME CRAZY! I just reported that it was nice to have it on and it's cool...Not any more. It keeps shutting off whenever it feels like it. I know it's a known problem with these cars, but I just don't have the money to fix it. I guess I'll have to either not use it, or put up with it cutting on and off.
Oh and p.s., I think the worst part about it is the power difference. It wouldn't be so bad if it just turned on and off every now and then, but it bothers me when I'm accelerating and it does it. It just makes my car feel like a piece!

dtownfb · June 2003

I guess we'll have to go to the manual to figure this one out.

vocus · June 2003

Hertz car sales does sell 02 Malibu LS models with anywhere from 24-30K miles on them for $9995. Check out their website at hertzcarsales.com for more information. Definitely a good way to save some cash and depreciation on a new car.

spratt1 · June 2003

OK, here is how it works. I read the manual, tried it on our new 2003 Malibu, and talked to the dealer.

If the outside temperature is above 32F, and you have the AC off, but the fan on, if you push on the recirc switch the compressor comes on. The AC light DOES NOT come on. This is done due to moisture from your breathing, not really to cool the car. You must have the fan on or it does not happen. If it is below 32F, the same conditions will NOT turn on the compressor.

We have only had our LS Malibu for 4 months and 4,000 miles, but we are truly impressed with this car. And it really does have good power. The HP may only be 170, but the more important torque is 190 ft-lbs.

breetai52 · June 2003

Hey guys, Does anyone have a link to a torque vs RPM graph for the 2001-2003 malibus? I'd like to see how much power she has at lower RPMs. It really seems to kick in between 3000-4000 RPM. I know this is where the peak is, but I'd like to see how level the rest of the torque is.

deminin · June 2003

Hello....is anyone out there? I haven't checked in for a few days, but it looks like all the chatter stopped about 10 days ago. Did Edmunds change something..everyone go on vacation???

mjohns7861 · June 2003

My Malibu has rolled past 32,000 miles and I seem to running into more problems. I have a '99 LS I bought brand new. Latest problem is the check engine light has come on but I can detect no decernible problem with the car. Will obviously take it in but wondered if anyone else has come across this? Owner's manual points to emission issue. Per a prior post still dealing with a loud squeel from my front wheels. Love my Bu but starting to get worried.

Magnus

breetai52 · June 2003

Deminin, yeah I thought everyone sold their cars :P

MJohns7861, my check engine light came on last weekend. Scared the "S" out of me becuase I just started a mini road trip. The next time that I filled up I noticed that my gas cap hadnt been screwed on (couldnt believe I did that

). I tighted it up and it took 5 days (probably 10-12 starts) for the computer to "restart" and turn the light off. I kinda missed it when it was gone. It was like a little friend

. And of course the engine felt fine. You still might want to have her taken in...

ratox · June 2003

Check this link

http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpowertrain/engines/gmpow/lg8.htm

rob35cts · June 2003

I just fixed a rear squeak that was horrible. It was the rear sway bar. It has been squeaking for years but it has recently got much worse. I have a 99 with 70k miles.

chevymalibu19 · June 2003

I just got back from a road trip to Mississippi from Oklahoma City. The total distance was a little over 1400 miles after you include the driving back and forth from town to town within Mississippi and the missed exits. The car did a good job, it was loaded down. We had three adults and one adult sized teenager with a trunk overflowing with baggage. We went every step of the way running the A/C, it took about 12 hours there, we got lost a couple of times, and 10 and half hours back. Although we did spend a bit on gas, about $70. Its impressive how a car can run for so long at high speeds (80-90mph). It's the first trip over 5 hours for me. I was abit uneasy at first, but now, i'll take that little car just about anywhere. I now have nearly 130000 miles on it, or at least by the end of this week i will. We did have an incident i must confess. We managed to blow two speakers, one in the front and the other in the rear. We distroyed the rear on the way there and the front on the way back. Well anyway, i'll continue to keep give my updates, comments, and incident reports. If i can get off work next month, I'm making a four hour drive to Dallas for a family reunion, i'll inform the board about that later.

Seems like i got a good apple.

bcmalibu99ls · June 2003

Congrats on your trip! 130K is a lot of miles, looks like you are doing fine. A couple of years ago I ran my Bu for more than 20 straight hours through the states, stopping only for gas, and it did very well, once getting me nearly 40 miles per gallon (fully loaded!), and it had about 30K at that time.

If it weren't for the warping rotors and the intake manifold, Bu would've been a sensation for an American company, but as it is, it's just a very good car, compared to what GM used to make :-)

BTW, my Bu now has 41K miles, and no warped rotors or manifold problems yet, but if it comes, oh well, 80% of the world population can't afford ANY car, let alone the one with 170 HPs, automatic, A/C, six-way power seats...well you understand :-)

tamu2002 · June 2003

I changed the oil in my other car, a 91 Geo storm, and have them put in synthetic oil. Now it runs noticably better (hope it's not my wishful thinking). Maybe when I change our Malibu's oil next time I'll try synthetic as well. I remember somebody on this board is already using synthetic. Can't remember who though. My question is do you see improvement in milage and performance besides the presumably better engine protection?

dtownfb · June 2003

Just got the car inspected today. Had to have the Strut mounting bracket replaced. Thankfully under warranty. The front brake pads need to be replaced. Brake pads are common but I didn't expect to have to replace them after only 28k miles. Not enjoying the Malibu as much anymore. I may have to start looking for a good extended warranty.

deminin · June 2003

Synthetic oil will perform better under almost all conditions. The thing I like about it is that its "flash point" is over 100 degrees higher than normal oil. This means that it can run hot longer without breaking down. Most of the black stuff you see in regular oil is burned carbon from the oil being singed. I have used Pennzoil synthetic in all my cars for years with no trouble, and the engines run smooth and clean. I usually change the filters every 3K, and the oil at 9K. Doing that makes the cost almost the same as regular oil. One word of caution, however. Run your engine at least 10,000 miles on regular oil before switching over to synthetic. Synthetic lubes so well, that if you start using it on a new engine, the rings may never seat properly.

tamu2002 · June 2003

Thanks deminin. Our Malibu only has 9000 miles, so I guess I'll wait a while before switching to synthetic then. And I remember you use 10W30 oil right? I find this interesting too. Most manufactures recommend 5W30 oil but it seems 10W30 is the more commonly used oil, especialy at oil change places. Maybe the more knowledgable members on this board could start a debate on this issue. I'm curious to hear what you all have to say...

bcmalibu99ls · June 2003

Open the hood and look what it says on the oil cap - mine says 5W30, and that's what the dealer gives to me at every oil change :-)

ratox · June 2003

I have been using Mobil 1 exclusively in all my cars (18 of them) since 1976. I actually asked the question about break-in (since the oil is supposed to be so low-friction) before that myth began. It was set to rest when all Corvettes were filled with Mobil 1 at the factory. No break-in problems. Now all Porsches, Vipers, Aston Martins, and others use it from mile one.

Do you need it, no. But it's a good feeling knowing you have some extra protection when you start it at twenty below zero and have to floor it to get out in traffic. Or when you are wide-open, passing another car on a two-lane road after driving 10 hours on a 100 degree day.

When Mobil 1 first came out they recommended that you change it once a year or every 25,000 miles. But that violated the car manufacturers recommendations, so they backed off.

Having worked 30 years in the auto industry, I can assure you (believe it or not) the car makers' recommendations are very conservative. 7500 miles or now 10-15000 miles for some new cars (Cadillac, Mercedes) is no problem. If you doubt it, send an oil sample to a lab for testing. With modern machining and materials technology, fuel injection, and computer controls oil just doesn't get dirty like it used to. City driving is a lot harder on the oil. But following the recommendation in your owners manual will keep your engine running almost forever. There is a lot of oil being wasted out there. But if it makes you feel good.....

breetai52 · June 2003

They recommended the synthetic to me when I got it changed last October. We had a particularly cold (and long) winter this year up in New England. I think there was a 2 week period where the HIGH was below freezing, usually by a few degrees. Anyway, it was worth the extra $20 bucks to have the piece of mind that the cold starts weren't hurting the engine (as bad

). Plus I say, an extra $60-100 a year is worth it if it keeps the engine running longer.

joe3891 · June 2003

be in southern NE,in northern NE from dec to march it never gets above freezing.
>>think there was a 2 week period where the HIGH was below freezing, usually by a few degrees. <<

breetai52 · June 2003

Right outside Boston. First winter that I wasn't in the city, which usually stays warm because of the ocean. But that didnt save it this year.

venture1 · June 2003

Traded my 2000 Monte Carlo SS in on a Malibu last Friday. On Sunday I drove from central Pennsylvania to Indianapolis. On Monday I drove back to PA.

I wasn't sure how I would like it since it's so much smaller and not as powerful as the SS, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

I wanted to get into something a little smaller. I drove an Impala a few days, but they are as big as the Monte Carlo so I tried the Malibu.

It had adequate power on the interstates and was quite civil on the streets. Although I didn't check the actual mileage figures, it seemed to use more gas than I expected.

This LS has the LS Preferred Equipment Group as well as the AM-FM CD Cassette option. The leather seats and power moonroof are nice touches. The Spiral Gray metalic paint is very nice.

There should be a way to fold down the rear seats without having to get to them through the trunk. My Monte Carlo had latches in the interior.

All in all - a nice little car. Buying it at invoice and with $3,000 cash back helped too. ;-)

bcmalibu99ls · June 2003

Cavalier is little, Malibu is midsize :-)

Congrats on your purchase!

wpbharry · June 2003

Also, congrats on the new baby. I have a well-loved '98 LS, and I also traded a Monte Carlo ('96 Z34; lemonade) for it. BUT, I'm breathlessly awaiting the new 'Bu and Maxx, but will likely wait for an '05 to see how the new one fares. I would never buy the last of the old model. Just wait til you see what it's worth a year fom now. Better have the pacemaker attached to a reliable power source.

wpbharry · June 2003

The old Malibu is in its last day of production as we know it. Lansing switches over to the "fleet-only" (yeah, right) Malibu Classic tomorrow, July 2. If you bought an '03, be aware it's leftover parts. Good luck.

deminin · July 2003

There are two theories about car manufacturers.

The first says...they come out with a new model, then spend the next 5 years trying to wring out all the bugs.
The second theory is that they go to great pains to get it right the first time, then spend the next 5 years trying to make it cheaper.

It seems as though the current Malibu is a child of the first theory..I wonder which camp the new Malibu will come from.

bcmalibu99ls · July 2003

I believe the general consensus is that on average '97 and '98 were crap, '99 thru '01 average, and '02 and '03 were so good that they won JD Power's Initial Quality Award for Midsize sedans. Yeeeeehhhhhhaaaaa!

bcmalibu99ls · July 2003

it has a hideous steering wheel, an antenna in front of the roof (read: we saved five bucks per vehicle by not placing it at the back like a normal designer would do), and much uglier front (but sungificantly better behind) than the current Bu.

I am sure technically is much more advanced, though the current Bu is a very pleasant vehicle, and deserves to be driven until it dies

bcmalibu99ls · July 2003

Did you guys see Chevy Colorado truck (replaces S10)? OUCH!!! I wouldn't be caught driving THAT if they paid me to drive it

:-)

regfootball · July 2003

exterior-no one looks freakier
front end-new one is offensive old one is dull
rear end-new one is too busy old one is dull
sides-swooshes on the new model are childish and dumb
interior-new one is a nice DESIGN actually, lets wait and see on materials and assembly quality, old one stinks
steering wheel-new one is almost as bad as ION sw
powertrains-STILL no OHC v6 motor available even as an option....pathetic.

yes the colorado looks bad. why isnt the colorado a version of the trailblazer?

bcmalibu99ls · July 2003

it appears Hummer H3 will be built on its platform in 2005. So, we'll see

But designs are getting freaky, and not freaky-good, but freaky-ugly

gmalltheway · July 2003

I have a 2002 Malibu LS with the standard foglights They look cool and i like foglights but these are really worthless. Not to mention the fact you have to push the button EVERY time you want them on, my wife's 2000 Tahoe LT also has the same kind of "push every time switch" why don't they have a switch like Pontiac push it once and forget about it?

deminin · July 2003

Actually, I'm kind of glad that the Malibu makes us push the foglight switch when we want them on. The fog lights on my Dakota pickup stay on unless I switch them off, and while this is a nice convenience, the bulbs burn out frequently. I suspect that the filaments get hot after awhile, and the vibration of a 4WD with stiff shocks probably breaks the filament. I have gotten to the point where I just carry a spare bulb in the glove compartment. I've only had to drive in the fog a couple of times with our '03 LS, and the foglights were rather minimal..mostly for show, and something to fill the holes is the front bumper. I suspect that if one could find a clear lens to fit, the foglights would be much better. BTW..6 months and 6,000 miles on the LS, and still no bugs, or squeaks or any reason to take it in for service. Great little car, so far!!

creid · July 2003

I wanted to chime in that yesterday I purchased a used 2002 Metalic Green Malibu LS w/ sunroof, leather, am/fm/cd/cass, spoiler & gold pkg. Vehicle only has 11300 miles on it. We were very skeptical at first due to such a loaded vehicle w/ low miles being traded in so soon. After doing some research we found out that it was purchased as a demo & the original owner had a bad back and knowing that the Malibu doesn't have the worlds best lumbar support the owner traded & bought a Denali. My father works for GM so could have bought new w/ GMS but couldn't pass up this used car deal. We purchased it for $10800, price started at $13800 but quickly came down due to poor used car sales & that particular day the dealer only did about 4 sales total & I kept flipping back & forth to purchase new. Hope we got a good deal & from everything I've found on Edmunds, Kbb & the dealers little black book (salesperson let me see) seems that we did.

bcmalibu99ls · July 2003

on your part, Creid! 10K on the car, and 10K off the price, wow!

gmalltheway · July 2003

That sounds like the EXACT same as my car, color, options, year! You'll be happy with your purchase

vocus · July 2003

...seem to come pretty cheap these days. I saw a couple at Hertz Car Sales for $9995 I think. They are all 2002 LS models. I drove one, but couldn't find a comfortable position behind the wheel (I have a bad back as well).

gmalltheway · July 2003

I bought my 2002 Malibu LS new and for $22,000, i don't know another car you can get with a resonablily quick, STANDARD V6 (3.1L), Leather, Sunroof, Rear spoiler and Gold package (Those are all the Options.) Vocus, are you sure they are LS models you drove, were they leather seats?

gmalltheway · July 2003

I checked out an Independent web site that Competitively compares a car with it's main competitors, and ALSO remember that the Malibu LS won the BEST ENTRY MID-SIZE SEDAN in intital quality, in 2002 and 2003, beating out the Dodge Stratus ES, Accord LX-V6, Altima 3.5 SE, and Totoya Camry LE-V6 and as i has said be fore the Malibu has a STANDARD V-6 and look at that , the Altima, Camry AND Accord ALL have optional V-6 engines. So hopefully you also are Not considering or owning any of these cars either.

tamu2002 · July 2003

Could somebody clarify my understanding of this? Say we have two engines, one with 220 hp and 260 pft and the other one with 240 hp and 240 pft. Weight (and gear ratio etc)being equal, the first one will have better acceleration but the latter will run the same speed at lower RPM. Is this necessarily correct? What are the pros and cons of these two engines in terms of fuel economy, smoothness, and longevity? I'd appreciate any input. Thanks!

breetai52 · July 2003

Horse Power is a unit of (you guessed it) power. Power is energy used over a distance. Since we are talking about a rotational system (the engine), power can also be defined as Torque*RPM*(scaling factor that is dependent on units). So basically the HP will go up the higher the engine runs assuming a fairly flat curve. ICEs usually start off low on a torque vs rpm graph, peak and then go back down.

The true measure of power is really how wide the torque peak is. Ideally you want this band to be as wide as your transmission "step" is. So if your peak torque is from 3-4k RPM and your transmission will drop the engine RPM from 4-3k RPM at each gear change, you can maintain maximum acceleration through each gear shift. The Malibu has its peak past 4k RPM. Next time you are getting on the highway (assuming a fairly level entry lane) you can test this out yourself. You should feel yourself more "pinned" as the tachometer moves past 4k.

An engine with a higher HP rating, but lower torque, means that the torque curve is flatter before red line which means that they can probably "hold gears" in the transmission longer. They can also run in their highest gear at much higher RPMs, and since your car's tires are linked to your engine via the transmission, a higher HP usually means a higher top speed.

To oversimplify, it seems like a car with higher Torque would accelerate faster, but not be able to get to the top speeds of the car with higher HP. Of course its all really dependent on the torque curve. If the curve is really "peaky", meaning its high over a small RPM range, you won't have as much power as a car with a lower max and a wide RPM range. A CVT (continuously variable transmission) might make a peeky torque curve more efficient by holding the engine at the exact peak torque through an "infinite" number of continuous gear shifts, but I'm not sure.

I'm not sure about efficiency or smoothness. I'd assume that an engine with a higher torque at lower RPMs would last longer, but look at Civics. Those things won't die and if you've ever driven in one you know that you have to get the thing to 5k RPM just to get it rolling.

tamu2002 · July 2003

Thanks breetai52!! The reason I asked is I'm looking at new minivans that'll soon be on the market, and the new Ford freestar minivan has a much lower hp than the others (Quest, Sienna, Oddy) but much higher torque. I was just curious what you all have to say about that.

dtownfb · July 2003

The Altima, Accord, Camry are not in the entry level mid size sedan category for JD Powers. The Malibu did not beat them. The Malibu competes against the Grand Am, Alero, etc. for this prize. It's still a nice honor but let's not get too excited. It is only measures quality for 90 days. When it wins the long term reliability award then I'll be ready to celebrate (which it won't).

Sorry if I'm bitter but I have a 2001 LS with 28k miles (maintained at teh dealer)and have had the warped rotors, leaking rear brake cylinder, replced the strut mounting bracket and a loose tie rod fixed. Thanks goodness it was all covered under warranty but I am not confident about the future reliability of this vehicle. What makes it so bad is these are problems they were having with the early models.

dtownfb · July 2003

Even though the Freestar has a lower hp rating, it shouldn't hurt it's off the line performance. That's dependent on the torque. Where you may have issues is in higher elevations or passing at highway speeds. But the current Windstar doesn't seem to suffer from that. One test drive on a busy highway should answer the passing power question.

deminin · July 2003

GM has an online service that many of you might find helpful. It is My GMlink.com. You can register your Malibu (or any GM product) there, and keep a running maintainance record, etc. It takes about 45 days after purchase for them to get the VIN, etc. It will have any recall info, etc., as soon as any is released. There are lots of good tips on this site, and ways to keep your car looking and running good. I like to use it to keep track of any work I do on the car. Since I do all my own maintainance, this gives me a handy place to keep good records, and I can print it out as proof as resale time. Sure beats keeping oil change records scribbled on a scrap of paper hanging on a nail on the garage wall. Try it..you'll like it.

2000-2011 Chevrolet Malibu

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