2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

The fuel cap is located behind a hinged door on the
passenger's side of your vehicle. To open the door,
insert your ®nger into the ®nger depression next to the
fuel door.While refueling, hang the tethered cap inside the
fuel door.
To remove the fuel cap, turn it slowly to the left
(counterclockwise). The fuel cap has a spring in it;
if you let go of the cap too soon, it will spring back
to the right.
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{CAUTION:
If you get fuel on yourself and then something
ignites it, you could be badly burned. Fuel can
spray out on you if you open the fuel cap too
quickly. This spray can happen if your tank is
nearly full, and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and wait for any ªhissº
noise to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible. See
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-71.When you put the fuel cap back on, turn it to the right
(clockwise) until you hear a clicking sound. Make
sure you fully install the cap. The diagnostic system can
determine if the fuel cap has been left off or improperly
installed. This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-30.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not ®t properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. See ªMalfunction Indicator Lampº in the
Index.
5-8

Filling a Portable Fuel Container
{CAUTION:
Never ®ll a portable fuel container while it is in
your vehicle. Static electricity discharge from
the container can ignite the gasoline vapor.
You can be badly burned and your vehicle
damaged if this occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
·Dispense gasoline only into approved
containers.
·Do not ®ll a container while it is inside a
vehicle, in a vehicle's trunk, pickup bed or
on any surface other than the ground.
·Bring the ®ll nozzle in contact with the
inside of the ®ll opening before operating
the nozzle. Contact should be maintained
until the ®lling is complete.
·Don't smoke while pumping gasoline.
Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
An electric fan under the hood can start up
and injure you even when the engine is not
running. Keep hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
5-9

Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the hood release
handle located inside
the vehicle to the left of
the parking brake.
2. Then go to the front of the vehicle and lift the
secondary hood release handle before lifting
the hood.
3. Lift the hood.
5-10

4. Release the hood prop
rod from its retainer
and put the hood prop
into the slot marked
PROP ROD.Before closing the hood, be sure all the ®ller caps are
on properly. Lift the hood to relieve pressure on the hood
prop. Then let the hood drop from about 8 to 12 inches
(20 to 30 cm) above the vehicle to latch fully. Check
to make sure the hood is closed and repeat the
procedure if necessary.
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Engine Compartment Overview
When you open the hood, you'll see the following:
5-12

A. Engine Coolant Surge Tank
B. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
C. Engine Oil Fill Cap
D. Engine Oil Dipstick
E. Brake Fluid Reservoir
F. Engine Compartment Fuse Block
G. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
H. Battery
I. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir
Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It's a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.The engine oil dipstick is
located in the front of the
engine compartment.
The top of the dipstick is a
round, yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
more information on
location.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
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Pull the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or cloth,
then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down and check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the cross-hatched area at the tip of
the dipstick, then you'll need to add at least one quart of
oil. But you must use the right kind. This part explains
what kind of oil to use. For engine oil crankcase capacity,
see
Capacities and Speci®cations on page 5-82.
Notice:Don't add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be damaged.For engine oil ®ll cap
location see
Engine
Compartment Overview
on page 5-12
.
Be sure to ®ll it enough to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you're through.
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Oils recommended for your vehicle can be identi®ed by
looking for the starburst symbol.
This symbol indicates that the oil has been certi®ed by
the American Petroleum Institute (API). Do not use
any oil which does not carry this starburst symbol.
5-14