2004 Chevrolet Malibu Owner's Manual - Page 312

The coolant level should be at or above the FULL COLD mark. If it isn't, you may have a leak at the pressure cap or in the radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else in the cooling system. {CAUTION: Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine parts, can be very hot. Do not touch them. If you do, you can be burned. Do not run the engine if there is a leak. If you run the engine, it could lose all coolant. That could cause an engine fire, and you could be burned. Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle. If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on, check to see if the electric engine cooling fans are running. If the engine is overheating, both fans should be running. If they aren't, your vehicle needs service. Notice: Engine damage from running your engine without coolant is not covered by your warrany. Notice: Using coolant other than DEX-COOL® may cause premature engine, heater core or radiator corrosion. In addition, the engine coolant may require changing sooner, at 30,000 miles (50 000 km) or 24 months, whichever occurs first. Any repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Always use DEX-COOL®(silicate-free) coolant in your vehicle. How to Add Coolant to the Coolant Surge Tank Notice: This vehicle has a specific coolant fill procedure. Failure to follow this procedure could cause your engine to overheat and be severely damaged. If you haven't found a problem yet, check to see if coolant is visible in the surge tank. If coolant is visible but the coolant level isn't at or above the FULL COLD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and DEX-COOL® coolant at the coolant surge tank, but be sure the cooling system, including the coolant surge tank pressure cap, is cool before you do it. See Engine Coolant on page 5-24 for more information. 5-30