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The focus now rests on the fuel pump. Looks like my wife somehow damaged the fuel pump during that trip to Houston by keep restarting the car after stalling. The pump overheated when it only pumps little fuel. The damage (possibly the friction of rotating vanes getting high) is minor and fuel pump still works most of the time. When there is a full tank of gas the pump will stay cool since the fuel can pass the heat to the metal tank. When fuel level is down the fuel pump which was immersed in fuel will get hot. When it is too hot it will shut down and cut off fuel supply to the engine.
Possibly my malibu's fuel gauge is not accurate when fuel level is low or the fuel pump already has a bit overheating problem the first time it happend.
'04 Maxx had only LS and LT versions (I drive LS).
Are the brakes different between the LT and LS? If not, standard brakes should work fine.
My mechanic told me the fuel gauge issue the first time the car had the stalling problem. But the fuel gauge looks ok. I filled 6 gal when it showed half empty, and the gauge do move to show 1/4 tank or less. I'll be concerned if it always shows half tank full, but it is not the case.
I also called local dealer and the serviceman said he never heard such a strange problem. Anyway, I've ordered a used fuel pump ($49+$10 shipping) and will do it at a total cost of $250 for fuel filter/pump replacement.
(for maintenance, I did also have the fuel system cleaned today, new gas filter, and new battery. However, the mechanic did not think that any of those things likely had anything to do with the starting problem).
If you've dealt with this no start problem, please let me know what you did to resolve it, or what the dealer did. I'll take it to the GM dealer if that's necessary to re-program, etc.
inspecting the wiring. Test connectors for corrosion. Ceck the terminals for a slight drag feel with a like terminal { a wiggle test at all terminals] check at the fuel tank and fuel pump relay. Ahigh amperage drawwing fuel pump can cause wiring and relay damage. NOTE your may be in over your head to try and fix this yourself.
It sounds like you've been reading these boards enough to know what the major problems with Malibu have been, so my only comment is: Realize that the 04 was the first year of a whole new design and that means that it is "buggy". I like my car, for the most part, but they could have done better with a lot of little things (cruise control, which I hate, plus the infamous sunshades and other trim related problems). Fortunately, no major problems so far.
I got into his vehicle assuming that he was just overly sensitive to the calibration of brake pedal but I was surprised to find that the calibration in his vehicle was slightly out of adjustment which would cause the exact complaint he had. The system is easily rezeroed what they call Brake Pedal Position - BPP relearn. I had feedback from him on cell phone only 1/2 hour later as he was driving down expressway that it was now "perfect"
His vehicle had previously had column replaced and had 35k miles so I am unsure how system got out of adjustment but system is designed to easily be rezeroed and I only hope that dealers get more in tune with this. I have done a little prodding to try to get this procedure covered in more detail in a monthly newsletter that Techs get since more vehicles are getting this type of system. It is already covered in Service Manual but
There are several known issues with the early build month cars, but they are small problems (except steering column) and fixes are also known for all.
I have had a mid-year build Maxx LS, and currently own a early build Maxx LS.
If you can, look for a build date of April04 or later, but don let an earlier date deter you-it will just need to spend a day at the dealer receiving the upgraded transmission parts, along with a few other TSBs.
Go for the Maxx-you'll love the room, versatility, power, 4whl disc/ABS, mpg.....
My Maxx LS, after rebates, was only $14,299 + Tx&Lic.
Our dealer (Hanlees, Davis, CA) has been great about warranty repairs. We've had little stuff (interior trim, sunshades) and big stuff (gas tank, center the steering) fixed. They always give us a loaner, and if they need parts they get them fast.
Other than that, the car is surviving our family's hard use very well. We've put on 13K since mid-September, including a 2500 miles-in-one-week tour of the Southwest with a full load on board. The roomy back seat is great for our kids, easy for them to get in and out of the car. When we need cargo space, we move the seats forward, or fold them down. Sometimes I think they might have just as well made it a wagon, with more of a square back, which would increase cargo capacity even more.
I rent cars all the time on business, and so far I've gotten two Maxxes--one from Avis and one from Budget--both in Columbus, Ohio. GM seems to have sold lots of these to rental fleets.
DavisMaxx
2004 Maxx LS aka "Goldie"
Sand metallic color
May, 04 build
VIN 237245
First you have to push two buttons in the trunk (obviously, with the trunk open) then you have to either crawl across the back seat from the drivers side or go around to the right passenger side and lift a latch on the right passenger side and only then can you go to the left driver side back seat and lift the latch to fold down that side, when folding the back seats down for more cargo space.
So, I didn't like that function. The back seats go down easily, but the procedure for folding them is a pain in the bottom and I think it is very inconvenient.
Good Luck!
I'm not sure I'd choose the Malibu sedan over the competition like the about to be introduced Sonata, or next year's Ford Fusion. However the Maxx @ $16K is a compelling bargain. I wish more than Mazda and Chevy offered mid-sized hatches!!!
But would you be willing to post dealer name or last 6 of your VIN?
Someone might want to talk with them about mods
I thought the power steering issue was over by now. But this morning right after I started driving, my power steering died. I shut the car down and restarted but after one turn the power steering died again. Drove it that way a half hour to the dealer (lots of tight turns).
Dealer was also surprised that it happened to my car. Anyways, it's in the shop right now. I wonder if it's the same issue that happened to the 04s a while back?
1G1ZU64804F163760. Thank you again and in advance for any help you maybe able to offer.
http://calid.gm.com/vci/ResetSession.do;jsessionid=calid.gm.com-1cf%3A41dd9a5f%3A9c1a465ce- - - 56b7fc3
Nonetheless, when we are talking about a rough idle, the very term is subjective. All engines, even direct overhead cam engines have some shake to them. The '04 Bu "rough idle" was bad in the pre May '04 build dates. The GM engineers came up with a new idle calibration which was fed into the 'Bu's computer. I certainly noticed a difference afterwards. Nonetheless, there is still a bit of a shake there, but is nothing to slosh my drink around, nor anywhere close to stalling out the engine. I chalk it up to the old style pushrod engine more than anything. Certainly my Vibe's Corolla engine (one of the greatest engines ever made.... after the chrysler slant 6 of couse) does not vibrate as much, but it is not perfectly still either. With all the onboard oxygen sensors and computers trying to achieve the perfect fuel/oxygen ratio to maximize fuel efficiency, one must expect some engine idle variations. But again, the topic is subjective. If you think your idle is problematic, I'd be suprised if you do not notice an improvement with the current recalibration. And as I said before, engineers are aware of this problem and will send out new computer programing to their service techs when they find a calibration which works even better. If your service manager at your dealer has any competance at all, all new calibrations and TSBs will be pulled each time you bring your car in (for whatever reason), at which time your car will be up to date with all the new programming.
You can try to find the TSB here:
http://www.alldata.com/tsb/General-Motors/index-post.html
The site only the titles but provides the entire TSBs. If you search on "clunk" you might be able to find it. I could not locate the TSB number to which you are referrring.
Later
VIN (last 6 digits): 155772
Transmission:
component code: 61-transmission
source plant J-Hydramatic Windsor, Ontario
Part#: 4ETJ
Tracability: 0C1D
Date scanned: 1/16/1004
Time Scanned: 06:48:00
Is this one ok, or one of the bad ones?
I don't know about "bad" but perhaps one of the "noisy" ones per TSB #04-07-30-021A. It provided a potentially affected range based on transmission Julian Build date which your dealer didn't provide (I can never figure them out either!).
Your vehicle would seem to almost predate the range (with build date of 1/16/04) but difficult to be sure because very close.
Part Number: 12593042
Cal ID: #12593044
New calibration with diagnostic enhancements for DTC P0340. Also improvements for starting, idle quality, and shift stabilization affecting 3-4 upshift.
Mr. Bots, you are the earliest buyer of 2004 Malibu I have come across on the board with a Dec 2003 build date and so your PCM definitely doesn't have this latest calibration which didn't start getting used until early May 2004.
The site shows a later calibration (part number 12598019, cal ID 125980209 - New calibration to correct fuel gauge not reading full when fuel tank is filled).