2005 CHEVROLET MALIBU spare wheel

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of Your
Vehicle......................................................5-5
Fuel................................................................5-5
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-6
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-7
Filling the Tank..............................................5-8
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.....................5-10
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-11
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-15
Engine Oil Life System..................................5-18
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transaxle Fluid..............................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-22
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap..................5-24
Engine Overheating.......................................5-24
Cooling System............................................5-26
Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-30
Brakes........................................................5-32
Battery........................................................5-35
Jump Starting...............................................5-36Bulb Replacement..........................................5-41
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-41
Headlamps..................................................5-41
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps.........................................5-43
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-45
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-45
Tires..............................................................5-47
Tire Sidewall Labelling...................................5-48
Tire Terminology and Denitions.....................5-50
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-53
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-54
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-55
Buying New Tires.........................................5-56
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-57
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-58
Wheel Replacement......................................5-58
Tire Chains..................................................5-60
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-61
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-62
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools................5-63
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing the
Spare Tire................................................5-65
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools............5-70
Compact Spare Tire......................................5-73
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Do not include the compact spare tire in your tire
rotation.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and
rear ination pressures as shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label.
Make certain that all wheel nuts are properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” underCapacities and
Specications on page 5-91.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure to use a
scraper or wire brush later, if needed, to get all
the rust or dirt off. SeeChanging a Flat Tire on
page 5-62.
When It Is Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it is
time for new tires is to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires
have only 1/16 inch
(1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged
deep enough to show cord or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
cannot be repaired well because of the size or
location of the damage.
5-55

Buying New Tires
To nd out what kind and size of tires your vehicle
needs, look at the tire and loading information label. For
more information about this label and its location on
your vehicle, seeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-29.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specication (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
GM recommends that you get tires with that same
TPC Spec number. That way your vehicle will continue
to have tires that are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating, load range, traction,
ride and other things during normal service on your
vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC number will be followed by an “MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type
(bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.{CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control
while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes,
brands, or types (radial and bias-belted tires),
the vehicle may not handle properly, and you
could have a crash. Using tires of different
sizes, brands, or types may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the
correct size, brand, and type of tires on all
wheels. It is all right to drive with your
compact spare temporarily, as it was
developed for use on your vehicle. See
Compact Spare Tire on page 5-73.
{CAUTION:
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim anges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving. A tire and/or wheel
could fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only
radial-ply tires with the wheels on your vehicle.
5-56

Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. If your vehicle has a wheel cover or hubcap that
has plastic wheel nut caps, loosen the plastic nut
caps. You may need to use the wheel wrench
to loosen them. Do not pry off wheel covers
or center caps that have plastic wheel nut caps.
2. Remove the wheel cover or center cap from the
wheel to locate the wheel nuts.
If your vehicle has a wheel cover or hubcap without
plastic wheel nut caps, gently pry on the edge of
the plastic wheel trim to remove it from the wheel to
locate the wheel nuts.
3. Use the wrench to loosen all the wheel nuts. Do not
remove them yet.
5-65

6. Raise the vehicle by turning the wrench clockwise.
Raise the vehicle far enough off the ground so
there is enough room for the compact spare tire
to t.
7. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
8. Remove the at tire.
{CAUTION:
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The wheel could
come off and cause an accident. When you
change a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
the places where the wheel attaches to the
vehicle. In an emergency, you can use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be sure to use
a scraper or wire brush later, if needed, to get
all the rust or dirt off.
9. Remove any rust or dirt
from the wheel bolts,
mounting surfaces
and spare wheel.
5-67

10. Install the compact spare tire.
{CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If
you do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel
could fall off, causing a serious accident.
11. Put the wheel nuts back on with the rounded end
toward the wheel. Tighten each nut by hand or with
the wrench until the wheel is held against the hub.12. Lower the vehicle by turning the wrench
counterclockwise. Lower the jack completely.
5-68

{CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to come loose
and even come off. This could lead to an
accident. Be sure to use the correct wheel
nuts. If you have to replace them, be sure to
get new GM original equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with a torque wrench to the
proper torque specication. SeeCapacities
and Specifications on page 5-91for wheel nut
torque specication.
Notice:Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead
to brake pulsation and rotor damage. To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specication. SeeCapacities and
Specifications on page 5-91for the wheel nut torque
specication.13. Tighten the wheel nuts
rmly in a crisscross
sequence, as shown,
with the wheel wrench.
Notice:Wheel covers will not t on your compact
spare. If you try to put a wheel cover on the compact
spare, you could damage the cover or the spare.
Do not try to put a wheel cover on your compact spare
tire. It will not t. Store the wheel cover and wheel
nut caps in the trunk until you have the at tire repaired
or replaced.
5-69

Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools
{CAUTION:
Storing a jack, a tire, or other equipment in the
passenger compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or collision,
loose equipment could strike someone. Store
all these in the proper place.
For the sedan, store the at tire and jack in the compact
tire compartment as follows:
1. Remove the center cap from the wheel.
2. Place the tire in the compartment, valve stem
down, with the bolt extending through the wheel
center hole.
3. Place the jack and wrench over the bolt, inside the
wheel.
4. Secure by tightening the larger wing nut onto
the bolt.A. Cover
B. Wing Nut
C. JackD. Flat Tire (Valve
Stem down)
E. Bolt Sedan
5-70