2003 CHEVROLET MALIBU wheel alignment

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Speci®cations....................................5-4
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-5
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-6
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood.....................5-9
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-17
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-18
Engine Coolant.............................................5-19
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-21
Engine Overheating.......................................5-22
Cooling System............................................5-24
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-30
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-31Brakes........................................................5-32
Battery........................................................5-36
Jump Starting...............................................5-36
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-42
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-42
Headlamps..................................................5-42
Front Turn Signal Lamps...............................5-44
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL).........5-44
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-45
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-47
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-48
Tires..............................................................5-48
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure................................5-49
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-50
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-51
Buying New Tires.........................................5-52
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-53
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-54
Wheel Replacement......................................5-54
Tire Chains..................................................5-55
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-56
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-57
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-66
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don't forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can't tell if your tires are properly in¯ated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly in¯ated even when they're underin¯ated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and
moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km).
Any time you notice unusual wear, rotate your tires as
soon as possible and check wheel alignment. Also
check for damaged tires or wheels. See
When It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-51andWheel Replacement
on page 5-54for more information.The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The ®rst rotation
is the most important. See ªPart A: Scheduled
Maintenance Services,º in Section 6, for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear in¯ation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See ªWheel Nut Torqueº underCapacities and Speci®cations on page 5-82.
5-50

Temperature ± A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested
under controlled conditions on a speci®ed indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger car tires must
meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is properly in¯ated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underin¯ation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are
not needed. However, if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle.
5-54

Theft-Deterrent Systems...................................2-15
Passlockž...................................................2-16
Throttle System Inspection...............................6-20
Tilt Wheel........................................................ 3-5
Tire In¯ation Check.........................................6-15
Tires.............................................................5-48
Buying New Tires........................................5-52
Chains.......................................................5-55
Changing a Flat Tire....................................5-57
Compact Spare Tire.....................................5-66
If a Tire Goes Flat.......................................5-56
In¯ation -- Tire Pressure...............................5-49
Inspection and Rotation................................5-50
Uniform Tire Quality Grading.........................5-53
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance.................5-54
Wheel Replacement.....................................5-54
When It Is Time for New Tires......................5-51
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater....................2-19
Top Strap Anchor Location...............................1-39
Top Strap......................................................1-38
Torque Lock...................................................2-25
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires..................4-36
Towing..........................................................4-28
Recreational Vehicle.....................................4-28
Towing a Trailer..........................................4-34
Your Vehicle...............................................4-28
Trailer Brakes.................................................4-37
Transaxle Operation, Automatic.........................2-20Transaxle.......................................................5-18
Fluid, Automatic...........................................5-18
Transmission, Transaxle, Transfer Case
Unit Repair Manual......................................7-10
Transportation Options...................................... 7-7
Trap-Resistant Trunk Kit...................................2-13
Trip Odometer................................................3-24
Trunk............................................................2-11
Trunk Lamp...................................................3-15
Turn and Lane-Change Signals.......................... 3-6
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever........................... 3-5
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer..................4-38
U
Underbody Flushing Service.............................6-18
Understanding Radio Reception........................3-57
Uniform Tire Quality Grading............................5-53
United States ± Customer Assistance.................. 7-4
Used Replacement Wheels..............................5-55
Using Cleaner on Fabric..................................5-68
Using RDS............................................3-44, 3-50
V
Vehicle Identi®cation........................................5-75
Number (VIN).............................................5-75
Service Parts Identi®cation Label...................5-75
13

Vehicle Storage..............................................5-36
Vehicle............................................................ 4-5
Control........................................................ 4-5
Damage Warnings........................................... iv
Loading......................................................4-32
Service Soon Light......................................3-35
Symbols......................................................... iv
Ventilation Adjustment......................................3-21
Visors...........................................................2-15
W
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators................3-22
Warnings......................................................... 3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers............................... 3-4
Other Warning Devices.................................. 3-4
Safety and Symbols......................................... iii
Vehicle Damage.............................................. iv
Washer Fluid, Low Warning Light......................3-34
Washing Your Vehicle......................................5-71
Weatherstrip Lubrication...................................6-16
Weight of the Trailer Tongue.............................4-36
Weight of the Trailer........................................4-35
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use........................5-14
What to Do with Used Oil................................5-17
What to Use..........................................5-20, 5-31
Wheels..........................................................5-54
Alignment and Tire Balance..........................5-54
Replacement...............................................5-54When to Add Engine Oil..................................5-14
When to Change Engine Oil.............................5-16
When to Check Power Steering Fluid................5-30
When to Check..............................................5-50
When to Inspect the Engine Air Cleaner/Filter.....5-17
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill.........................................4-40
Where to Put the Restraint...............................1-38
Why Safety Belts Work..................................... 1-8
Window Lockout.............................................2-15
Windows.......................................................2-14
Manual......................................................2-14
Power........................................................2-15
Windshield Washer Fluid Level Check................6-15
Windshield Washer.........................................5-31
Fluid..........................................................5-31
Windshield Wiper............................................5-48
Blade Replacement......................................5-48
Fuses........................................................5-76
Windshield Wipers............................................ 3-8
Winshield Washer............................................. 3-9
Winter Driving................................................4-23
Wiper Blade Check.........................................6-16
Y
Your Vehicle and the Environment....................... 6-2
14