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Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Interior and Passenger Comfort Concerns

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Comments

  • mhamelmhamel Member Posts: 1
    Do you take your car to the car wash? or have a personal detailer?
    It is possible that the defroster grids could be scratched when cleaning the inside of the back glass.
    Just a suggestion to help you find an answer.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    mine has been thru many hand car washes....and not a problem to date...almost 5 years old..an 04 Maxx LT with 147K on it
  • frayedgnotfrayedgnot Member Posts: 6
    I had a similar problem with one of my struts and ended up replacing both of them. I started with parts.com and came up with this link: http://www.parts.com/oemcatalog/index.cfm?action=getJointLocator&siteid=2&chapte- r=&sectionids=0,4486&groupid=51911&subgroupid=14029&makeid=6&model=Malibu%20maxx- &year=2004&catalogid=2&displayCatalogid=0

    I took that to the Chevy dealership and they matched the price ($18 each) and I didn't have to pay for shipping :-)

    They are very simple to replace.
  • rdesantisrdesantis Member Posts: 30
    Go to an auto recycler. The part may be cheaper than retail. Rip it out your self and it will be even cheaper. Have the dealer install it for you. Our first maxx was in a front end collision, after taking out our contents, the first thing i stripped off the car was that shade. Find an U pull yard an go nuts..
  • todd4225todd4225 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2004 Malibu Maxx. The remote keyfob locks and unlocks the doors but interior lock switches do not unlock doors and only the driver's side will lock the doors but does not unlock the doors. Passenger side switch does nothing. Also, remote start only works intermittently - not sure if they are interrelated. Can anyone help out with this problem. Thanks.
  • comem47comem47 Member Posts: 399
    Not sure about your internal switch problems but the hood interlock switch could be bad not allowing the remote start to work (do the lights flash but it doesn't start? if so the interlock switch is likely on the way out)

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0f7a7e/187#MSG187

    Also the keyfobs can have problems with the battery fingers soldering breaking

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef11558/4818#MSG4818
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0f7a7e/183#MSG183
  • nonlinearnonlinear Member Posts: 3
    I recently bought a used '06 malibu maxx ltz, and today tried to slide the rear driver's side seat forward, but it wouldn't move. I could lift the lever underneath, but just couldn't get it to slide forward. The passenger's rear seat slides forward fine, however.

    has anyone else had this happen to them? is there some kind of latch or something that I might have to move first? i notice that the rear driver's side is quite a bit wider than the passenger's side, because it also contains the 'middle' part of the rear seat. not sure if that makes a difference or not.

    thanks!
  • nonlinearnonlinear Member Posts: 3
    I went to replace the cabin filter in my '06 malibu maxx, and when I took out the glove box and opened the little door where the filter should be placed, I found that there was no filter there. I just bought the car used, and i'm not sure if the '06 ever had cabin filters or not. Can anyone confirm whether or not the '06s had cabin air filters? If they did, where can I find a replacement part, and how much do these cost? If not, I assume I could use a filter from a previous year. is there any reason I should not add a cabin filter? Did they change anything in the heating system that would make it bad for me to put a filter in there?

    thanks!
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    the Maxx never came with an in cabin air filter...nor is their a unique part number for one for any model year.....many owner did install one however..using a Saturn in cabin filter...believe it was from the ion series.....maybe tough to come by now with the demise of Saturn.....to use it you had to do some minor mods.....if you do a search for cabin air filter on this thread Im sure you can find all the details
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    Just went out to my 2006 Maxx LT and tried it.

    Indeed, I could not move the rear driver-side seat forward, when I was
    doing it from the driver's side. OTOH, I remembered that I had done
    it somehow before -- and with a difficulty, too (bought the car last
    August).

    So, I went around, opened the rear passenger's side door, and easily
    moved the passenger's seat forward. Then, without effort, I was able
    to pull forward the driver's side rear sit.

    I went back to the RDS door and was able to easily move the seat now.
  • nonlinearnonlinear Member Posts: 3
    Hey, thanks so much for your advice on this. I will try this when i get out of work today!

    just to clarify - are you saying that you had to first slide forward the passenger's side seat, leave it forward, and then go back around to the driver's side and then you could move it forward?

    what do you mean by "Then, without effort, I was able to pull forward the driver's side rear sit." did you move something first (from the passenger's side), and then move around and move the driver's side forward?

    thanks so much for your help on this!!!
  • malexbumalexbu Member Posts: 169
    It's hard to analyze what happened exactly. I am sure that I didn't leave the PS seat moved forward, at least significantly -- but maybe I did, a bit?

    See, I was doing everything in a hurry -- it was beginning to snow. Essentially, I tried to recall how I succeeded in moving that seat forward in the past, once, It was fully locked today, originally, and there was nothing I could find to unlock it. But the mere fact of a prior success motivated me to do it, so I thought, "The other seat may be locking this one." Just tried it, it worked -- and now I will remember the way :-)

    Let me know what you find when you try it.
  • davegenest18davegenest18 Member Posts: 3
    I just wanted to say thanks allot. Really. At least now, I have some-sort of an idea, of whats going wrong. Well-appriciated! :shades:
  • azdougazdoug Member Posts: 9
    have a crashed malibu im working on when i bought i started it drove on trailer now 2 weekd later wont start( nothing happens when i trun key) i get picture of a locked padlock in display whats locked and how do i get it unlocked so car will start, i dont have a remote only key this is a 2006 malibu max 3.5
  • comem47comem47 Member Posts: 399
    Have you disconnected the battery for a while to reset the brain to defaults?
  • alcornakev1alcornakev1 Member Posts: 3
    just got my ride out of the shop. A 2005 Malibu Maxx.Ignition cylinder locked up and I mean LOCKED UP. The thing gave me no warning here where we were having one of the biggest winter storms in a while . Know I said ignition cylinder earlier, but it was really the key way. Total cost (plus tow) was 245 in US dollars.I got this new off the lot in oct 2005, this was the first time I`ve actually been out ant bucks more than 100. How`s that for a car for 59,000 miles? I`m still thinking those b---holes at the Chevy dealership shoulda given me a loaner car.
  • alcornakev1alcornakev1 Member Posts: 3
    For those of us that rotate their tires themselves, please adhere to the info that chevy fails to impress upon us carbuyers, it`s that the torque for the aluminum whells is 100 ft.lbs. The lazy folks that sold us our cars(and we paid their wages), didn`t tell us that if we didn`t torque correctly, we`d warp our disc rotors. No wonder they ended up taking Gov Money.
  • comem47comem47 Member Posts: 399
    One has to ask up front and find places that actually use torque wrenches. Too many places use the impact wrench all the way (not just to quickly spin the lug nuts up to the point where they should be torqued by the t-wrench) I once broke a torque wrench getting the hub nut off a 4WD vehicle that previously had the hub replaced by a shop.
    (it needed replacing again a few years later) .I estimate it was put on with an impact wrench at over 300-350 ft lbs when 160 was the spec. ) I ended up jumping on the end of a few foot long breaker bar to remove it. (lucky) The other side that was never violated (original part) was removed no problem at the expected torque. Total morons. :mad:
    Whenever possible/practical I do my own work and use the wrench. :shades:
  • todd4225todd4225 Member Posts: 2
  • azdougazdoug Member Posts: 9
    yes disconnected battery also left key in on position for about 15 mins made no difference when i try to start it in park display lights go out except check engine ,air bag and the locked padlock, when i shift it to neutral all the display lights in displah keep flashing and chimes keep going in park this doesnt happen
  • alcornakev1alcornakev1 Member Posts: 3
    after a brief run after a cold start, those having a 2005 Malibu Maxx may incur a most distasteful restart condition. Thank You General Motors. I saw a factory bulletin on the wall of a dealership in Jonesboro, Ar, and it said in so few words `Tough ****`, it is a computer problem, and it won`t be fixed or even thought of being addressed. Will I be gazing at another American made vehicle when it comes time to spend my Hard Earned Money?You bet Your Back Side....
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    when you state a difficult start...do you mean constantly turning over but not starting?...my 04 Maxx has done that on several occasions in recent years....annoying yes....but it turns abouts 15-20 seconds then catches....mainly when I use my remote start.....

    if a computer issue...seems a simple reprogram and reflash would be the fix.....but still happy with mine...its been a true workhouse..with 160K on it now
  • mweitemweite Member Posts: 1
    i have a malibu maxx 04 and have the manual a/c control. i recently got the digital auto climate unit and was wondering if anyone knew of how to convert it. theres two wires on the back one seems to control the settings vents and temp however the other for the blower seems to be missing as in no where to connect it.

    i was wondering if theres a peice im missing or some sort of conversion.
  • sgr5516sgr5516 Member Posts: 163
    I'm no expert, but based on what I have read on many of these forums about car electronics, I don't think you can just convert the manual A/C to the automated system by just changing the control panel. The control panel is most likely just a user interface. The HVAC functions are controlled mostly by the body control module and the BCM is programmed differently for manual vs. automated systems. You would probably have to replace or reprogram the BCM, wiring harnesses and other possibly other components to convert over to an automated system that works correctly.
  • alr2alr2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, my interior is light grey, would you have the numbers for thesr seat recliner levers too?Thanks in advance....Tony
  • curscurs Member Posts: 5
    I've gone through and read the majority of the threads and find that my "issue" (or set of issues) might appear to be related to the BCM. I will be cross posting this in the Electrical/Lighting, Climate Control/AC and Fuel System discussions since it touches a bit into each area.

    I have a 2004 Maxx with just at 70K miles on it. Since I purchased it at 40K miles I've had the following issue:

    Car will do the infamous "hard start" where it will sound like it is going to start but won't turn over fully until I give it a bit of gas. Seems to happen most often will gas is half a tank or lower and/or it's super hot outside.

    However, I have a special bonus of when it does this my A/C will turn on and blow but the air it blows is not cooled. Problem in the summer. Also when it does this (in the winter) my rear window defrost/defog won't turn on.

    Beyond that I am having cruise control issues that started at about 65K miles. When I first start the car if I engage the cruise control within about 5 miles or 5 minutes, it will engage just fine. However, once I have to disengage (step on the break, hit the off button) it will not allow me to resume OR reset the cruise control until I have put the car in park (for just a few seconds) or restarted it.

    Beyond that one night a friend who was traveling behind me mentioned my CHMSL was flickering and now it is out entirely. I've read that can be BCM related.

    I have an appointment next week to have diagnostics run on the car at $100/hour. Before I walk into that expense, can anyone give me any thoughts or even suggestions at how much replacing a BCM would cost. One place told me $80 for the part and then labor to program it (which has to be done at a dealer???) and another place told me I might need to replace the whole grid (?) at a cost of around $2K but even just the BCM being $800.

    To replace the CHMSL is $110 but I don't want to do that if it's not the part but the BCM that is the issue.
  • tybrentadotybrentado Member Posts: 2
    I've been reading this forum for the whole summer, trying to diagnose my malibu maxx, and I'm not quite sure what to look for. In spring of 2009 when the malibu was still my mom and dad's "Let's do everything in this car" car the steering column was replaced out of pocket along with a transmission flush. The a/c compressor blew out later that summer and the car was garaged until I fixed it myself :) The clunk never really left, but this past year before I was given the car as a graduation present, my dad really did a number on it. I've already replaced the wheels and tires(2 wheels were bent) Had the coolant flushed(almost empty) With 128k miles, I am still trying to tackle the obvious maintenance items. But I am having trouble figuring out what exactly is causing my front end rumble. The wheels made a lot the roar disappear, but I'm confused as whether it's simply the shocks and struts that have never been replaced causing it or the tie-rods or something more serious. If it's the steering column then I don't care.. I'll deal with that demon again when it starts cutting out. I am planning on replacing shocks, struts soon, but any ideas? Will they replace the bushing as well? It's handles the same I feel, just feels like worn out shocks to me. No ticking or popping, minus the brakes. But I also have this deal where if it sits for a little while running it gets awful hot well in between overheating and the mid-line. With a/c on. I don't think I hear the fans coming on. The a/c also cuts out from time to time when sitting in traffic or stopped in general with a/c on and the engine starts getting hot and shaking tad.. I read about some sort of gasket, but I'm not leaking coolant. I also think my rear-main seal is leaking but I need to address these first. Any ideas before I ramble to dealership that hates to listen?? Please HELP! I WANT MY MALI MAXX TO LAST FOREVER! X(
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    the front end is a notorious weak link in the early model malibus....04 and beyond...I have an 04 Maxx LT with 186K on it....my front end had had no major repairs other than two tire rods that became frozen/worn....its basically a design issue that causes your rumble and clunk.....even if you do all the work you outline, I doubt you will quiet the beast so to speak...there was a TSB out about lubing a joint in the steering column a few years back to lessen the clunk...again...I have never done it and just live with the sounds of the car now.....

    I have followed the OEM maintenance schedule and now basicially flush all fluids every 50K and have been running mobil 1 full synth exclusively since 30K and changes every 6-7K with no problems...

    the heat temp guage is normal from all I have experienced....it normally hovers just above the mid line mark, but idling or sitting in traffice for a extended period of time and the needle will move just as you describe...again I have experience no ill effects because of it.
  • suchaladysuchalady Member Posts: 2
    I've had my 2005 Malibu Maxx since January and I've noticed that I can't seem to get the ac/heat to stop coming out the vents when it's turned off. No matter if I run the heat or ac, the air wont shut off. Any Suggestions?
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
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