2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

The main components of your instrument panel are the
following:
A. Side Window Defogger Vents. See ªDefogging and
Defrostingº in
Climate Control System on
page 3-17.
B. Vent Outlets. See
Outlet Adjustment on page 3-21.
C. Instrument Panel Brightness Thumbwheel. See
Interior Lamps on page 3-15.
D. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped). See ªFog Lampsº in
Exterior Lamps on page 3-12.
E. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-5.
F. Cruise Control Buttons (If Equipped). See ªCruise
Controlº in
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on
page 3-5.
G. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-23.
H. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever. See ªWindshield
Wipersº in
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on
page 3-5.
I. Ignition Switch. See
Ignition Positions on
page 2-17.J. Hazard Warning Flashers Button. See
Hazard
Warning Flashers on page 3-4.
K. Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks. See
Fuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 5-77.
L. Instrument Panel Cupholder. See
Cupholder(s) on
page 2-30.
M. Remote Trunk Release Button. See ªRemote Trunk
Releaseº in
Trunk on page 2-11.
N. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-10.
O. Tilt Wheel Lever. See
Tilt Wheel on page 3-5.
P. Parking Brake. See
Parking Brake on page 2-23.
Q. Horn. See
Horn on page 3-5.
R. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-36.
S. Cigarette Lighter. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette
Lighter on page 3-17.
T. Ashtray. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-17.
U. Accessory Power Outlet. See
Accessory Power
Outlets on page 3-16.
V. Climate Control System. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-17.
3-3

Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ¯ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ¯ash on and off.The hazard warning
¯asher is located near the
center of the instrument
panel.
Your hazard warning ¯ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn't in.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ¯ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ¯ashers off.
When the hazard warning ¯ashers are on, your turn
signals won't work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry re¯ective triangles, you can set one up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind your
vehicle.
3-4

Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before
you drive. You can raise it to the highest level to give your
legs more room when you exit and enter your vehicle.
The lever that allows you to tilt the steering wheel is
located on the left side of the steering column.To tilt the wheel, hold the wheel and pull the lever
toward you. Then move the wheel to a comfortable
position and release the lever to lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
·Turn and Lane-Change Signals
·Headlamp Switches including Headlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer
·Flash-to-Pass
For information on the exterior lamps, see
Exterior
Lamps on page 3-12later in this section.
3-5

Turn and Lane-Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn is ®nished, the lever will return
automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel cluster will ¯ash in
the direction of the
turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to ¯ash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by itself
when you release it.
A warning chime signal will come on if you have left
your turn signal on for more than 3/4 mile (1 km).
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
¯ash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won't see your turn signal.If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don't go on at all when you signal
a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on page 5-77.
Headlamps
The lever on the left side of the steering column
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp switch has three positions:
3-6

<(Parking Lamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the parking lamps, together with the following:
·Sidemarker Lamps
·Taillamps
·License Plate Lamps
·Instrument Panel Lights
3(Headlamps):Turn the switch to this position to
turn on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
AUTO:Turn the exterior lamps control to AUTO to
provide for automatic operation of the headlamps,
taillamps and parking lamps. For more information see
ªAutomatic Headlamp Systemº later in this section.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high beam,
push the turn signal/multifunction lever away from you.
When the high beams
are on, a light on the
instrument panel cluster
also will be on if the
ignition is in ON.
To change the headlamps from high beam to low beam,
pull the turn signal lever toward you.
Headlamps On Reminder
If you open the driver's door and turn off the ignition while
leaving the lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.
Flash-to-Pass Feature
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
3-7

Windshield Wipers
Use this lever located on the right side of the steering
wheel to operate the windshield wipers.
OFF:Move the lever to OFF to turn off the windshield
wipers.
INT (Intermittent):Move the lever to INT to choose a
delayed wiping cycle. Turn the INT ADJ (Intermittent
Adjust) band down for a longer delay or up for a shorter
delay. The wiper speed can only be adjusted when
the lever is in the INT position.LO (Low Speed):Move the lever up to the ®rst setting
past INT, for steady wiping at low speed.
HI (High Speed):Move the lever up to the second
setting past INT, for wiping at high speed.
MIST:Move the lever all the way down to MIST for a
single wiping cycle. Hold it there until the windshield
wipers start; then let go. The windshield wipers will stop
after one wipe. If you want more wipes, hold the
band on mist longer.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid
damage, be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them.
If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. If your blades do become damaged, get new
blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
3-8

Winshield Washer
To wash your windshield, push in the button at the end
of the lever until the washers begin.
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, don't use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer ¯uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
When you release the button, the washers will stop,
but the wipers will continue to wipe for about three
cycles and will either stop or will resume the speed
you were using before.
Cruise Control
If your vehicle has cruise control, you can maintain a
speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more without
keeping your foot on the accelerator. This can really
help on long trips. Cruise control does not work at
speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).
{CAUTION:
·Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can't drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don't use your cruise control on
winding roads or in heavy traffic.
·Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don't use cruise control on
slippery roads.
3-9

Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you're
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don't want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
cruise control.
The cruise control buttons are located on the steering
wheel for your convenience.1. Press OFF/ON to turn cruise control on.
The indicator light on the button will come on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the SET DECEL (Decelerate) button and
release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control. But you don't need to reset
it. Once you're going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can press the cruise control ACCEL (Accelerate)
RESUME button brie¯y. You'll go right back up to your
chosen speed and stay there.
If you press the ACCEL RESUME button brie¯y, the
vehicle will keep going faster until you release the switch
or apply the brake. So unless you want to go faster,
don't hold down the ACCEL RESUME button.
3-10