Chevrolet Malibu Interior

grantciv

I'm looking to replace the piece of silver trim that runs across the passenger-side dash since mine's a little scratched up. Does anyone know how difficult/easy it is to remove the trim? I'd also appreciate any tips on finding a replacement and removing the old one.

This is the redesigned Malibu (not the Classic style).

Thanks in advance.

pao

as with any car that I have owned..I have been rather a fanatic about keeping it clean and waxed...I try to avoid the auto car washes when I can..but have found one locally that applies enough water, cleaning agent, and the right degree of pressure from the CLOTH brushes to avoid those fine scratches in the finish.....I just wanted to recommend a wax system that I have used for over ten years now with great success....www.zainostore.com....this wax is great and will last a good year with two or three initial coats....I will let you read about the product at the website....but I highly recommend its use....cheers all

maxx4me

I used the new RainEx over the weekend. It worked great. Safe for clear coat paint.

mfletouva

Where's the wash place you recommend pao? I've bee going to Yates on Rte 1 in Alexandria, is there someplace better?

pao

that is the one..I find they do a goo job..and clean all the door Jams and sills....and do an excellent job on the windows.....does this mean we have three Maxx owners in the NOVA area!!!

mfletouva

My fiance and I have one, she lives over on South Washington St and I live at Potomac Yards.

One question--believe it or not, I've never actually owned a car with an antenna before (my Intrigue and my old Alero had integrated antennas on the rear window). Do you have to remove the antenna before bringing it through the wash?

Yates does a nice job--I just wish it wasn't so pricey. I can't afford to bring it there too often!

pao

I do...my antenna is on finger tight...and I remove it when I send it thru the wash.....I hit yates about every three weeks if I dont wash it by hand...I usually get the middle grade wash....I do the armorall treatement myself..and then add in the $2 discount when I remember to use it....Yates is cheaper than most other hands on afterservice wash facility in the area....

mfletouva

I will remove the antenna..
I always thought that Yates was a good value...its just I don't always want to spend $15 on a car wash! I do the Armor All myself too though...

Maybe I will see you there sometime. Ours is a Navy Blue Metallic LS with 1sb. Currently working on mile 200...

maxx4me

Ok guys: we have to get together. I work in CC right next to mfletouva. I was at West Marine looking at a nice hitch lock today. I can't believe I have not seen yuor cars on Rt. 1 going home to Mt. V.

oldntired1950

I know what you guys (and/or girls) mean about car washes. I have a place near where I work that does the car inside and out, including vacuuming, taking out the mats and putting them into a rug-beater contraption, using hand held soft bristle brushes with car wash solution to pretreat the car, wash, and use an after wash spray wax with teflon (or so they say) and then go over the car to dry all the spots and clean the inside of the windows.... all for only $10 - tax included! There's a tip box at both ends, so for $12 my Maxx looks like new every couple of weeks. After it's done, I could just stand there and stare at it for hours..... I LOVE MY MAXX!!!

pao

I work off Duke street and Eisenhower..near the new Patent office complex....not on route one much...but we can assemble one sat afternoon and put 3 Maxx's together.......off to the outer banks this weekend..about to pass 4400 miles and lovin it!

maxx4me

man oldandtired: it might be worth it for me to drive all the way up there to get that kind of deal.....sweet.

pao

try Yates on RT1...they are on the southbound side..about a mile to so down from Potomac Yards mall area.....they do the same....but prices are higher....$12, 16, 18 respectively for the level of service..however they give you a $2 discount if you come back within a two week period.....

maxx4me

thanks. I've actually never used a car wash before. I'll continue to do my own until I'm 90!! but you are right; I pass by it everyday and they have quite a following there. I'm off to West Marine to buy a hitch lock today.

beedublu

Just wondering if any of my fellow Maxx owners here wash by hand. If so...what kind of implements do you use (i.e., wash mitts, chamois, etc.)?

I have an 04 Galaxy Silver Maxx, just 10 days old and I want to avoid the "spiderweb" appearance that I had on previous cars. If you can suggest any particular type of wash & sponge or mitt that will prevent scratching and similar problems, I'd appreciate it.

maxx4me

yep, I do. A nice big fluffy car wash mit to keep any dirt away from the surface of the mit when washing, any wash and wax soap concentrate, and Maguiar's Tech Wax synthetic liquid polish does the trick for me. I also use two microfiber towels to dry my Maxx; one handles the majority of the water; the second removes the remaining water and stains on the windows.

madmaxx

If you want to keep the finish smooth and scratch free, hand washing is the only way to go.

Use a detergent made for washing automobiles--dishwasher soap is to harsh, and will remove wax. I prefer 100% cotton terry cloth for the soap application, and the Detailers Preference microfiber car towels for drying. Both are available at Costco, as is car wash soap.
  
Flood the panel as you wipe the area. This will rinse away the dirt as you lift it from the surface, and prevents scratches.

For wax, call Maguiers on their 800 number and ask what they recommend--they make waxes for specific tasks, finishes, and weather areas.

I'm planning on having clear vinyl hood & headlight protectors installed, along with a piece on the liftgate where you push the gate down. It will help prevent some rock chips on the front, and scratching the gate as you pull it down. Here is a link:

http://www.invinca-shield.com/asp/genkit.asp?kit=641

MadMaxx
'04 Galaxy Silver Maxx, 22 days old.

maxx4us

I'm thinking of purchasing an 06 Maxx LTZ. I am considering a) silver b) black or c) red. I have never owned a black or silver car. How hard is the black vs silver vs red to keep clean? Any problems with swirl marks, etc. I usually wash the car 2-3 times per month and wax twice a year.

Thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

maxx4me

yeah, I'll never own a black car again. It looks great when washed and waxed, but looks awful every other minute thereafter. Instead, I went with the grey metallic. It does not show the dirt like black, and has a terrific sparkle finish to the paint. Good luck.

maxxoliver

I will never own a black car they are way to hot to get into on a sunny day, and too hard to keep clean, the red is nice and a bit easier to keep clean but I preferred the grey interior, I have a galaxy silver one and love it. I had the perma-plate done at the dealers when I bought it and it is really easy to keep clean and I don't have to wax it. I wash it at least 3 times a month.

maxx4me

Can anyone recommend how I can remove/cover up a few three inch scratches on my doors, given the fact that the 2004 Metalic Grey Maxx is a clearcoat base?

pao

wow havent seen ya in a while..had a few on my red sport metallic one...the nufinish polish did ok...for mine....two coats covered them except for one deep one...but hey..just rolled over 70K in it this weekend...so it has a few more road warrior abrasions on it....so was fine with the outcome of the nufinish...

maxx4me

Is there no rubbing compound for clear coat paint out there?

kurtamaxxxguy

Corrosion technologies makes a polish called REJEX (you can find it with a web search), about $20 a bottle. This stuff is a siliconx compound that's used by the military to keep bugs, exhaust and other stuff off their vehicles.

There's very little abrasiveness to this compound, which is applied with a soft towel, allowed to dry for around 10 - 20 minutes, and wiped off. Wiping off is easy save you have to turn the towel a lot to avoid buildup and "dragging".

The stuff lasts longer than any wax I have used; around 3 - 4 months - and definitely helps keep bugs from sticking. Don't use it on rough black plastic, though, as it can leave a white haze behind.

kurtamaxxxguy

Am wondering if any other '04+ malibu/maxx owners have had their shift lever break?
The plastic handle on my shifter has become wobbly and can be lifted up a good distance (I don't force it as I'd probably break the wires going to the handle controller).

Anyone had to deal with this? Any fixes come to mind, plz?

kurtamaxxxguy

Well, the gearshift is fixed. The problem turned out to be a loose allenhead screw that was fixed by a local dealer (gasp) for nothing.

For those who are having the same problem, the trick is to pull down the plastic "pyramid" just below the main shift handle to expose this allenhead screw facing the rear window, tighten it, then push the plastic pyramid back up so it meets the handle once again.

newstylemalibu

newstylemalibu

I'm looking for a seat cover that will fit my 2004 new body style malibu lt. I tried "auto expressions" seat covers from murray's auto and it would not fit over the base of the seat. The plastic base is quite large. Has anyone had any luck finding ones that properly fit? I have a light interior and I'd like to keep it clean. Suggestions?

yury

Hi,

Hope i am posting in the right area. I was wondering - with light color fabric on my 05 Malibu seats, the seats will probably get pretty dirty soon. Anybody come across decent washable covers for those seats ?

Thanks,
Yury

pao

I have a lot tan leatherett seating in my 04 Maxx with 87K on it...and no noticeable dirt on them at all..no kids here..just adults and a large dog.....but they have held up well

yury

do they fit ok ?

where did you get them from ?

pao

these are the OEM seats..no covers...my point was I have 87K on these seats and have no problems with staining or dirt....

yury

oh, i misundersood.
that's good, however my seats are rather light in color, and i already hase minor stains that are visible. nothing out of the ordinary, but if i had a decent washable cover that'd make life a bit easier.
i ordered some on ebay, hope they will turn out ok.

yury

jemawd

You should try a plastic scratch remover that is available at most auto parts stores. A bottle is fairly inexpensive and it worked great on my 04 silver dash trim.
It's marketed as headlight and lens polish.

grantciv

Thanks for the tip! My scratches are pretty ugly, so I hope it's up to the job.

Still, I'd appreciate any info about replacing the trim in case the scratch remover isn't enough. I was also curious as to the price I might expect to pay for the part from a junkyard or something.

Thanks again!

yury

take a looks at this: link title

it is an eBay listing for a iPod adapter for this generation of Malibus complete with installation instructions. Scroll down to see the dash part of the instructions, looks like the first few steps are what you will need to do.

grantciv

Thanks very much for the link, yury. The instructions weren't very detailed on the particular step I was interested in, but at least I know it can be done without much effort.

Again, if anyone has other info they can share, I'm happy to get all the help I can.

Thanks!

yury

in the step 5 says "unclip and remove" i wonder if there's much more to it
you want those long horizontal silver panels removed, right ?

yury

I was wondering, there's an oval rubber cover on the dash to the right and below the steering column. looks like it covers some connectors. What are these ?

Thanks

grantciv

Yes, the one long panel on the passenger side is the one.

I figure it's not too complicated, but I also don't want to damage the part. I tried removing it earlier today, but I couldn't see any obvious clips. The piece was beginning to flex, but I didn't want to force it without knowing that that's the way to do it.

prdm

Not covering anything. Simply key bumper.

yury

ok, thanks

yury

Hi, All

I have a low mileage 05 LS. There's a fair bit of squeaking coming from the dashboard when I drive over bumps. Also as of yesterday the driver's seat developed a squeaking sound when I press against the back.

Any thoughts on the subject ? The silver panel on the dash seems to be producing most of the sounds.

malexbu

Can it be the plastic parts rubbing against each other?

If so, inserting small pieces of foam into some openings between the parts might help get rid of the sound. (I know, a trivial advice and you've likely thought of it :-)).

rvoth

I too have a 05 LS ,my driver's seat also squeaked when i got in or moving side to side. GM replaced the whole seat frame and the squeak is gone. I think GM cheaped out on the frame construction ,my 1990 Beretta driver's seat doesn't squeak and it's old as the hills in car years.

The dashboard squeaks only in cold weather ,rubber edging is rubbing against the glass, goes away when the temp goes above -5C.

yury

well, it might not be in just a few places...besides i suspect the long panel on the dash, it's not fitted that well. i can't think of how i would padd all of it.

yury

ok, i still have warranty, i will use it
thanks.

btw, i noticed the glass squeaking then cold, but i think the long silver panel squeaks as well in temps way abowe -5C.

yury

ok, they fixed it. they didn't replace the frame, instead jut put some insulation at the place where it was squeaking. It's been 2 days, so far so good.

joeth

so i just got rear ended and now my trunk wont close. inside the bumper cover is dented in a few inches and the trunk latch cant reach the bottom bracket to grab on and close. is the bracket attached to the frame (meaning the frame is bent) or is it a piece i can take off and replace? thanks!

joeth