2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU steering

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close to,
any air bag when it in¯ates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer the best protection for adults, but
not for young children and infants. Neither the
vehicle's safety belt system nor its air bag
system is designed for them. Young children
and infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always secure
children properly in your vehicle. To read how,
see
Older Children on page 1-28 and Infants
and Young Children on page 1-31.
There is a air bag
readiness light on the
instrument panel, which
shows the air bag symbol.The system checks the air bag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Air Bag Readiness Light on page 3-26.
Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver's air bag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
1-50

The right front passenger's air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger's side.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not in¯ate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
in¯ating air bag must be kept clear. Don't put
anything between an occupant and an air bag,
and don't attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
When Should an Air Bag In¯ate?
An air bag is designed to in¯ate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will in¯ate
only if the impact speed is above the system's designed
ªthreshold levelº.
If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't
move or deform, the threshold level is about 9 to 14 mph
(14 to 23 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however,
with speci®c vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat
above or below this range.
1-51

If your vehicle strikes something that will move or
deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be
higher. The air bag is not designed to in¯ate in
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because
in¯ation would not help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have in¯ated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
In¯ation is determined by the angle of the impact
and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and
near-frontal impacts.
What Makes an Air Bag In¯ate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The
sensing system triggers a release of gas from the
in¯ator, which in¯ates the air bag. The in¯ator, air bag,
and related hardware are all part of the air bag
modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually.
But air bags would not help you in many types of
collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many
side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is
not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be
regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety
belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions.
What Will You See After an Air Bag
In¯ates?
After an air bag in¯ates, it quickly de¯ates, so quickly that
some people may not even realize the air bag in¯ated.
Some components of the air bag module Ð the steering
wheel hub for the driver's air bag or the instrument
panel for the right front passenger's bag Ð will be hot
for a short time. The parts of the bag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch.
1-52

There will be some smoke and dust coming from the
vents in the de¯ated air bags. Air bag in¯ation doesn't
prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an air bag in¯ates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
can't get out of the vehicle after an air bag
in¯ates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an air bag deployment,
you should seek medical attention.
In many crashes severe enough to in¯ate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag.
·Air bags are designed to in¯ate only once. After an
air bag in¯ates, you'll need some new parts for
your air bag system. If you don't get them, the airbag system won't be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include air bag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
·Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module, which records information
about the air bag system. The module records
information about the readiness of the system, when
the system commands air bag in¯ation and
driver's safety belt usage at deployment.
·Let only quali®ed technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air
bag system won't work properly. See your dealer for
service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver's
or the right front passenger's air bag, the bag
may not work properly. You may have to replace the
air bag module in the steering wheel or both the
air bag module and the instrument panel for
the right front passenger's air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag coverings.
1-53

Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open, pull the handle to the left and pull the glove
box door down until it stops and is fully open.
Cupholder(s)
The instrument panel cupholder is located to the left of
the steering wheel. To use it, pull it out until the
rubber insert is seen.
The center console provides space for holding a cup or
soft drink container. The cupholder is located at the
rear of the shift lever.
Pull down the door on the rear of the center console to
use the rear seat cupholders.
Center Console Storage Area
The center console has two separate storage areas.
The upper compartment, which is also the armrest, can
be used to store maps, gloves, etc. To open, pull up
on the driver's side of the lid.
The lower area can be used to store cassette tapes or
compact discs. To open the lower compartment,
pull up on the armrest.
Garment Hooks
Pull down on the outer ring
to use the garment hook.
2-30

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

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