1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

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A CAUTION: I
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mixture will. Your vehicle's coolant
warning system
is set for the proper coolant
mixture. With plain water or the wrong mixture,
your engine could get too hot but you wouldn't
get the overheat warning. Your engine could
catch fire and you or others could be burned.
Use a
50/50 mixture of clean water and
DEX-COOL@ coolant.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.
So
use the recommended coolant. 1
A CAUTION:
I
You can be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and
it will burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
I
k
1. You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when the cooling system, including
the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose, is
no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly about
one-quarter
turn to the left and then stop.
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 2. Then keep turning the pressure cap slowly, and
remove it. 3. Then fill the coolant surge tank with the proper
mixture, up to
FULL COLD mark or slightly higher.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine .. .
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper
radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the engine
cooling fans.
By this time, the coolant level inside the coolant
surge
tank may be lower. If the level is lower, add
more of the proper mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches
FULL COLD.
5. Then replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure
cap
is tight.
Check the level in the surge tank when the
cooling
system has cooled down. If the coolant isn't at the
proper level, repeat Steps
1 to 3 and reinstall the
pressure cap or
see your dealer.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place
to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in PARK (P).
3. ’hrn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from
the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
I

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Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
Lift and remove the cover. (See “Compact Spare Tire”
later
in this section for more information about the
compact spare.) You will find the jacking instructions
label on the underside of the tire cover.
The following steps will tell you
how to use the jack and
change a tire.
5-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Turn the wing nut to the left
and remove it. Then lift off
the adapter and remove the
spare tire.
T 1
L
'1
Remove the jack and wheel wrench from the trunk.
Your vehicle's jack and wheel wrench are stored in a
foam tray.
The tools you'll be
using include the jack (A) and the
wheel wrench
(B).

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire
1. On vehicles equipped with steel wheel covers,
completely loosen the wheel nut caps but do not try
to remove the caps from the cover.
3. Some models are equipped with aluminum wheels.
Remove the cover plate to find the wheel nuts.
Carefully use the wedge end of the wheel wrench
to
pry it off.
2. Give the cover a sharp pull or gently pry on the edge
of the cover to remove it from the wheel.
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