The Chevy Malibu is an appealing midsized car with good fuel economy and a surprisingly roomy cabin. However, with loss of engine power being one of the more frequently reported issues with this vehicle, you may feel panic when you see your Chevy Malibu’s battery saver active.
So what does Batter Saver Active mean, especially if your car won’t start? In this article, we are going to be covering everything you need to know about your Chevy’s battery saver mode, common faults, causes, and fixes.
Many vehicles will come with a variety of battery-saving features enabled to prevent the likely chance of you being stranded with a flat battery.
When your battery has systems running that would drain the charge, such as leaving your lights and radio on whilst the engine isn’t turned on it will often send an alert stating “Battery Saver Active” alert.
This means your vehicle will be shutting off certain systems and features that would strain your battery life to maintain enough charge for your vehicle to start up again. On average this will turn on within 10 minutes to maintain good battery levels and vehicle health,
In most circumstances, the appearance of a Battery Saver Active alert is nothing to be concerned about and is simply highlighting the possible drain your current systems may be putting onto your battery.
If you find the alert is appearing regularly then this may be a warning of your battery being in bad shape. You can spot a faulty battery in your vehicle quite easily.
Getting stranded with a dead battery is never an ideal scenario, so learning how to spot these signs as well as the battery saver warning means you can get a replacement before you face getting stranded!
Another warning that is nearly possible to miss is backfiring. Failing batteries can lead to sporadic sparking that causes your cylinders to accumulate fuel, that when ignited with force leads to your vehicle backfiring.
Dim headlights are another key sign your battery is failing as it shows that there isn’t enough strength in your electrical components to provide full power to your headlights. This not only is an extreme safety hazard on the roads, but it is also a telltale sign of a failing car battery.
These issues can also be a sign that your battery terminals have corrosion so always try to clean the corrosion away to re-establish the connection to see if this solves the problem. If not, then it is strongly suggested you replace your battery with a new one.
When your Chevy Malibu’s Battery Saver Activelight illuminates on the dashboard this means that the voltage of your electrical system will have dropped to a critical level that may leave you without enough power to start your engine up.
Your Chevy tends to run at 13+ volts and your engine will run at 12 volts when sitting, however, when your level drops below 11.7 volts this will illuminate your battery saver feature. The battery-saving feature on your Malibu will disable or slow down unnecessary features in your car.
These include:
You must get your vehicle checked when your battery saver is active as this may indicate your battery or alternator is not functioning properly and requires attention.
Typically the battery in a Chevy Malibu will last from 3-5 years but is dependent on weather conditions, driving style, and battery size/type. Even though your battery may not be completely dead, this doesn’t mean it is performing at optimal levels and may benefit from an inspection.
You can also frequently test your battery voltage to ensure it is performing as standard. Unless you have a high-performance battery then you should be running between 12-13 volts. Anything higher or lower may be an indication of a faulty battery.
If you do need to drive when your Chevy’s battery light is illuminated make sure you do not make use of features such as the radio and air conditioning and avoid using your lights if possible.
The warning light can often mean your alternator isn’t working so you are relying solely on the battery power.
To avoid being stranded without the use of the battery of your vehicle we advise you to take a trip to a garage where a professional can assess the health of your Chevy’s battery and let you know whether it may benefit from a newer one.
The cost of a Chevy Malibu battery ranges from $45-$250. This is dependent on the quality, size, and power needed for your Chevy Malibu as well as labor costs.
The 2014 Malibu will shut off the engine when stationary and use a secondary battery to provide power to electrical accessories in your vehicles such as lights, windows, and air conditioning.
The Chevy Malibu 2014 is designed to have an improved economy and a better ecological impact toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions meaning they have not provided an easy method to disable the start-stop features in their vehicles.
Disconnect your cables in reverse order, starting with the negative cable from the jumped car, then the negative cable from the working car. Then remove the positive cable from the car with a working battery.
The Chevy Malibu has been manufactured and sold since 1964 and is a highly popular mid-sized car that has become globally available after a start in just North America.
The Battery Saver feature is an incredibly handy way to ensure you don’t find yourself stuck in the annoying situation of having a dead car battery. We hope this article has helped you to learn more about the Chevy Malibu battery as well as the features, benefits, and disadvantages that come with it.
