1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t
strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees or other
objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different
turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Chevrolet dealer. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,\

change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
4-38

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving On Grades
NOTICE:
Do not tow on steep continuous grades exceeding
6 miles (9.6 km). Extended, higher than normal
engine and transaxle temperatures may result
and damage your vehicle. Frequent stops are
very important to allow the engine and transaxle
to cool.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 kmh) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill.
If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig
on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
brake and shift into PARK
(P).
PARK (P) yet.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
5. Release the regular brakes.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage. If the indicator
is in the red area, turn off the air conditioning (if you
have this option) to reduce engine load (see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index).
4-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly.
If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Towing A Trailer
(Except
3100 V6 Engine)
Your vehicle is neither designed nor intended to
tow a trailer.
4-40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 Sectio 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
5-2
5-2
5-3
5-8
5- 10
5-11
5- 12
5- 12
How to Use Warning Flashers
Other Types of Warning Devices
Step-by-step Procedure for Jump Starting
Information You Should Know Before Towing
Towing Your Vehicle From the Front
Towing Your Vehicle From the Rear
If Your Engine is Overheating
If Steam is Coming From Your Engine
5-16 How to Add Coolant
5 -20 What to do if a Tire Goes Flat
5-2 1 How to Change a Flat Tire
5-30 Where to Store the Flat Tire and Tools
5-32 Information on the Compact Spare Tire
5-33 If You’re Stuck in Sand, Mud, Snow or on Ice
5-33 How to Rock Your Vehicle
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Press the switch once to
turn your hazard flashers
on. The switch will flash
when activated.
Your hazard warning flash&% work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, press the switch again.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
5-2

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle
and some jumper cables to start
your Chevrolet. But please follow the steps here to
do it safely.
I NOTICE: I
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by
your warranty.
Trying to start your Chevrolet by pushing or
pulling it could damage your vehicle. An
automatic transaxle won’t start that way. Batterles can
nun you. They
can be dangerous
because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
I NOTICE: I
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
5-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to
start your Chevrolet, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put the
transaxle
in PARK (P).
unnecessary accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter
or the accessory power outlet. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed,
as well as radios. This will
avoid sparks
and help save both batteries. In
addition, it could save your radio.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric
fan.
5-4

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 5. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.
1-
Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use a flashlight
if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water. You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a
battery has filler caps, be sure the right amount
of fluid
is there. If it is low, add water to take
care
of that first. If you don’t, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn you.
Don’t get it on you.
If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
6. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulation. If they
do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too. Before you
connect
the cabies, here are some things you should
know. Positive (+) will go to positive (+) and
negative
(-) will go to negative (-) or a metal engine
part. Don’t connect positive
(+) to negative (-) or
you’ll get a short that would damage the battery and
maybe other parts, too.
Fans or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
5-5