2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU seats

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-5
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints
.......................................1-28
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
.........1-48
Restraint System Check
............................1-54
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-16
Mirrors
....................................................2-28
Storage Areas
.........................................2-30
Sunroof
..................................................2-31
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-2
Climate Controls
......................................3-17
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
.........3-22
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-36Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-28
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood
................. 5-9
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-42
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-48
Tires
......................................................5-48
Appearance Care
.....................................5-67
Vehicle Identi®cation
.................................5-75
Electrical System
......................................5-76
Capacities and Speci®cations
.....................5-82
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
......5-83
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information
.................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
............................ 7-8
Index................................................................ 1
2003 Chevy Malibu Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will ®nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You'll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a speci®c component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help ®guring out a speci®c name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
·Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
·Features and Controls in Section 2
·Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
·Climate Controls in Section 3
·Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
·Audio System(s) in Section 3
·Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Six-Way Power Driver Seat..............................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-3
Head Restraints.............................................1-5
Rear Seats.......................................................1-5
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-5
Safety Belts.....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone.................1-6
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts..............................................1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-11
Driver Position..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-19
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-20
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-20
Center Rear Passenger Position.....................1-24
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults..........................1-25
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-28
Child Restraints.............................................1-28
Older Children..............................................1-28
Infants and Young Children............................1-31
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-35Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-38
Top Strap....................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location.............................1-39
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
or Children (LATCH System).......................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System...............................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position.........................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position..........................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position............................1-46
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)..............1-48
Where Are the Air Bags?...............................1-50
When Should an Air Bag In¯ate?....................1-51
What Makes an Air Bag In¯ate?.....................1-52
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?.....................1-52
What Will You See After an Air Bag In¯ates?.......1-52
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle.........1-54
Restraint System Check..................................1-54
Checking Your Restraint Systems...................1-54
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-55
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release
the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure
the seat is locked in place.
1-2

Head Restraints
Head restraints are ®xed on some models and
adjustable on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint
up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest
to the top of your head. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback, do the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the tethers
located on the driver's side of the trunk. The left
tether will open the larger side of the seatback.
The right tether will open the smaller side of
the seatback.
1-5

{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-25.In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here's why:
They work.
You never know if you'll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don't know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn't survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
1-7

Driver Position
This part describes the driver's restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see ªSeatsº in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
1-12

To make the belt shorter, pull its free end as shown
until the belt is snug.
Buckle, position and release it the same way as the lap
part of a lap-shoulder belt. If the belt isn't long
enough, see
Safety Belt Extender on page 1-28.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is positioned
so you would be able to unbuckle the safety belt
quickly if you ever had to.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults
Your vehicle may have this feature already. If it doesn't,
you can get it from any GM dealer.
Rear shoulder belt comfort guides will provide added
safety belt comfort for older children who have outgrown
booster seats and for small adults. When installed on
a shoulder belt, the comfort guide better positions
the belt away from the neck and head.
There is one guide available for each outside passenger
position in the rear seat. To provide added safety belt
comfort for children who have outgrown child restraints
and booster seats and for smaller adults, the comfort
guides may be installed on the shoulder belts. Here's
how to install a comfort guide and use the safety belt:
1-25