1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU brake light

yellowblue
2-53
CAUTION:
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 ªBrake System
Warning Lightº 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.

yellowblue
4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much
faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace
with the traffic and allow realistic following distances,
you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That
means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If there's a problem with the
anti
-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on.
See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.

yellowblue
4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front of you, you won't have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It's important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the ªdriver lost controlº accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here's why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you turn
the front wheels. If there's no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you've ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you'll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you're
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control.
Suppose you're steering through a sharp curve. Then you
suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
-- steering and
acceleration
-- have to do their work where the tires meet
the road. Adding the sudden acceleration can demand too
much of those places. You can lose control.

yellowblue
4-18
CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won't work
as well in a quick stop and may cause pulling to
one side. You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you're
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn't happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops ªdimpleº the
water's surface, there could be hydroplaning.Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn't a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come in through your
engine's air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If you
can't avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips

Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.

Have good tires with proper tread depth.
(See ªTiresº in the Index.)

yellowblue
5-4
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 vehicle, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the vehicles rolling, set
the parking brake firmly on both vehicles involved
in the jump start procedure. Put an automatic
transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N) before setting the parking brake.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
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.
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. Find the positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on
each battery.

yellowblue
6-27
United States Canada
When your brake fluid falls to a low level, your brake
warning light will come on. See ªBrake System Warning
Lightº in the Index.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT
-3 brake
fluid. Use new brake fluid from a sealed container only.
Refer to ªRecommended Fluids and Lubricantsº in the
Maintenance Schedule.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it. This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
NOTICE:

Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just a few
drops of mineral
-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts so badly that they'll have to be
replaced. Don't let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
NOTICE: (Continued)

yellowblue
6-28
NOTICE: (Continued)

If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle's
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid on
your vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
See ªAppearance Careº in the Index.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built
-in wear indicators that make a
high
-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are worn
and new pads are needed. The sound may come and go or
be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except when
you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
CAUTION:
The brake wear warning sound means that soon
your brakes won't work well. That could lead to
an accident. When you hear the brake wear
warning sound, have your vehicle serviced.
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don't have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected immediately. Also, the rear
brake drums should be removed and inspected each time
the tires are removed for rotation or changing. When
you have the front brake pads replaced, have the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See ªBrake System Inspectionº in Section 7 of this manual
under Part C ªPeriodic Maintenance Inspections.º

yellowblue
6-59
Fuse Usage
Maxi
-Fuses
1 Ignition Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 Left
-Hand Electrical Center-Power Seats, . . . . . .
Power Mirrors, Door Locks, Trunk Release and
Remote Lock Control
3 Left
-Hand Electrical Center-Stoplamps, . . . . . . . .
Hazard Lamps, Body Function Control Module,
Cluster, Climate Control SystemFuse Usage
Maxi
-Fuses
4 Right
-Hand Electrical Center-Fog Lamps, . . . . . .
Radio, Body Function Control Module,
Interior Lamps
5 Ignition Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 Not Used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 Anti
-Lock Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 Cooling Fans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mini
-Relays
9 Rear Defog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 Not Used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 Anti
-Lock Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 Cooling Fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 HVAC Blower (Climate Control). . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 Cooling Fans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 Cooling Fans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Micro
-Relays
16 Air Conditioning Compressor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 Not Used. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18 Fuel Pump. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19 Automatic Light Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20 Automatic Light Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .