1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU key

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system
~ indicator light will come on
when you turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as
a check to
show you
it is working.
When the engine is running, it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and you
hear a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt
or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while this
light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehcle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
~
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder to push.
Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.)
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light
is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident.
If the light is still on after you’ve
pulled
off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you turn your
ignition on
or start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes on and the chime sounds when you’re driving,
stop
as soon as possible and turn the ignition off. Then
start the engine again to reset the system. If the light still
stays on, or comes on again while you’re driving, your
vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t have
anti-lock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning light
is
also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with
your regular brakes. See “Brake System
Warning Light” earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key
to ON. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
0
0 Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected.
A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system
on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as
it is possible. If
the light stops flashing and
remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If
so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left
off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank. It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned off for a
considerable period of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
Passlock Warning Light
THEFT
SYSTEM
This light will come on
briefly when you
turn the
ignition to
ON. The light
will stay on until the
engine starts.
If the light flashes, the Passlock system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to start, see “Passlock”
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
Cruise Light (If Equipped)
CRUISE
Low Washer Light
LOW
WASH
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
The
LOW WASH light will
come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition.
It will also stay on or come on and chime, if the fluid
reservoir is less than one-third full.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every
year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
0 Judgment
Muscular Coordination
0 Vision
0 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half
of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving.
In recent years, over 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the
adult population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so
they never drive after drinking. For persons under 2 1,
it’s against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The obvious
way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to
dnnk alcohol and then drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much”
if the
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
0 ‘i’he amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
consume the alcohol.
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
According to the American Medical Association, a
180-lb.
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks
if each had 1- 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
4-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you
run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
There are two ways to tow your vehicle from the front,
To tow your vehicle with a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position
with
a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground,
follow these steps: Module,
Cluster. See “Instrument Panel Fuse Block”
in the Index for location of the fuses.
5. Turn the ignition switch to ACC.
6. Shift your transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to replace the fuses once you reach your
destination.
To replace a fuse:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Replace the fuse.
I NOTICE:
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it.
2. Turn the ignition switch to OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent your battery from draining while towing,
Remove the following fuses from the instrument
panel fuse block: A) Radio,
B) Wiper, H) Powertrain
Control Module and
K) Body Function Control
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
65 mph (110 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hazard Warning Flashers Press the switch once to
turn your hazard flashers
on. The switch will flash
when activated.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even
if the key isn’t in.
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.
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.
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