2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU seats

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................1-10
Child Restraints
.......................................1-33
Airbag System
.........................................1-60
Restraint System Check
............................1-75
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
......................................2-11
Windows
.................................................2-16
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-21
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
®System
......................................2-38
HomeLink®Wireless Control System
...........2-40
Storage Areas
.........................................2-44
Sunroof
..................................................2-47
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-21
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-30
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-47
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-54Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-34
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-41
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-45
Tires
......................................................5-47
Appearance Care
.....................................5-73
Vehicle Identication
.................................5-82
Electrical System
......................................5-83
Capacities and Specications
.....................5-91
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-10
Index................................................................ 1
2005 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will nd these notices:
Notice:These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell 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.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specic component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help guring out a specic 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
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-6
Passenger Folding Seatback............................1-6
Rear Seats.......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation.......................................1-8
Safety Belts...................................................1-10
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-10
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-15
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-16
Driver Position..............................................1-16
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment.....................1-23
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-24
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-24
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-25
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides....................1-28
Safety Belt Pretensioners...............................1-32
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-32Child Restraints.............................................1-33
Older Children..............................................1-33
Infants and Young Children............................1-35
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-39
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat
Position...................................................1-53
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position............................................1-56
Airbag System...............................................1-60
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-62
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-66
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-67
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-67
What Will You See After an Airbag Inates?.....1-68
Passenger Sensing System............................1-70
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-74
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-74
Restraint System Check..................................1-75
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-75
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash...................................................1-76
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 do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.If your vehicle has a
manual seat adjustment,
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 back and forth to be sure the
seat is locked in place.
Power Lift Seat
If your vehicle has this feature, to move the power lift
seat forward or rearward, pull up on the lever located
under the front of the driver’s seat to unlock it. Slide the
seat to where you want it and release the lever. Try
to move the seat with your body to make sure the seat
is locked into place.
To raise or lower the power lift seat, hold the switch
located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat up
or down.
1-2

Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have heated front seats.
The buttons are located on
the outboard side of the
driver’s and front
passenger’s seats.
Press the top of the switch to turn the feature on. The
seat will heat to the high setting. The indicator light
above the switch will be lit next to the number 2.
Press the top of the switch again to go to the low heat
setting. The indicator light will be lit next to the
number 1.
Press the bottom of the switch to turn the feature off.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to the
desired position. Release the lever to lock the
seatback in place. Push and pull on the seatback to
make sure it is locked in place.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
1-4

Head Restraints
The head restraints on both the front and rear seats are
adjustable. Press the button on the side of the post
to adjust the head restraint. Slide the 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.
Passenger Folding Seatback
{CAUTION:
If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer
objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo
is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inating
airbag might force that object toward a person.
This could cause severe injury or even death.
Secure objects away from the area in which an
airbag would inate. For more information, see
Where Are the Airbags? on page 1-62and
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
{CAUTION:
Things you put on this seatback can strike and
injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash. Remove or secure all items before
driving.
1-6

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback on the sedan, do
the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the gray
handles located on the upper part of the trunk
opening. The driver’s side handle will open
the larger side of the seatback. The passenger’s
side handle will open the smaller side of the
seatback.2. Once a handle is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from
inside the vehicle.
To fold down the rear seatback on the MAXX, do the
following:
1. Pull up on and hold the lever located on the side of
either rear seat.
1-8

{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 3-33.In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why:They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not 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 would not
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!
1-11