2006 CHEVROLET MALIBU ABS

If your vehicle has the remote start feature, the rear
defogger and heated mirrors will automatically be
turned on if it is cold outside. The indicator light will
not be on. When the vehicle transitions out of remote
start mode the rear defogger and heated mirrors will
turn off.
Notice:Do not use a razor blade or sharp object
to clear the inside rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid lines in the rear glass.
These actions may damage the rear defogger.
Repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Outlet Adjustment
Use the thumbwheels on the air outlets, located on the
center and on the sides of the instrument panel, to
change the horizontal direction of the airow. Use the
tabs on the outlet vanes to change the vertical direction
of the airow. Use the tabs on the outlet vanes to
shut off airow to the outlets.
The two upper outlets in the center of the instrument
panel are dedicated to the rear seats. These outlets
are xed to aim airow into the rear seats to help
cool the rear occupants in hot weather. Airow can
be shut off at the upper outlets by turning the vertical
thumbwheel. The louvers are xed, do not attempt
to move them or they may break.
Operation Tips
Clear away any ice, snow or leaves from the air
inlets at the base of the windshield that may
block the ow of air into your vehicle.
Use of non-GM approved hood deectors may
adversely affect performance of the system.
Keep the path under the front seats clear of objects
to help circulate the air inside of your vehicle more
effectively.
When an objectionable odor outside the vehicle
is encountered, use the recirculation mode, with
the temperature knob at a comfortable setting
to prevent the odor from entering the vehicle
through the ventilation system. This can be helpful
when driving through a long tunnel with poor
ventilation. However, extended usage of this
mode in cold or cool weather can cause window
fogging.
3-31

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-9
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)....................4-11
Steering......................................................4-12
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-15
Passing.......................................................4-15
Loss of Control.............................................4-17
Competitive Driving (SS Only)........................4-18
Driving at Night............................................4-18Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-20
City Driving..................................................4-22
Freeway Driving...........................................4-23
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-24
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-25
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-25
Winter Driving..............................................4-27
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice,
or Snow...................................................4-32
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-33
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-33
Towing..........................................................4-39
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-39
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-39
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-42
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS), an advanced electronic braking system that will
help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will come
on briey when you
start your vehicle.
Let us say the road is wet and you are driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You
slam on the brakes and continue braking. Here is what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each wheel.
4-7

ABS can change the brake pressure faster than any
driver could. The computer is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions. This can
help you steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.Remember: ABS does not change the time you need to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you will not have time to apply your
brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop, even though
you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
4-8

Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the same
time. However, if you do not have ABS, your rst
reaction — to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down — may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond
to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you
were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing
on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear
or feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control. If you do have ABS, it
is different. SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Your vehicle may have a Traction Control System (TCS)
that limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in
slippery road conditions. The system operates only if it
senses that one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, the system reduces engine power and may
also upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin. Also,
the traction control system activates the appropriate
corner brakes to gain even quicker control to limit
wheel spin.
This light, located on the
instrument panel, will come
on when your Traction
Control System is limiting
wheel spin.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
4-9

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not overdriving
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving
to these conditions. It is important to slow down
on slippery surfaces because stopping distance will be
longer and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle speed by shifting
to a lower gear. Any sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide. You may not realize the surface is
slippery until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a mirrored surface — and
slow down when you have any doubt.
If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you
do not have ABS, then in a braking skid, where the
wheels are no longer rolling, release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This
restores steering control. Push the brake pedal down
steadily when you have to stop suddenly. As long as
the wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
4-17

But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get wet ice
when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and freezing
rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until
salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed, blowing,
or loose snow — drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Unless you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
you will want to brake very gently, too. If you do
have ABS, seeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on
page 4-7. This system improves your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
Whether you have ABS or not, you will want to begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement.
Without ABS, if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let
up on the brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down
steadily to get the most traction you can.Remember, unless you have ABS, if you brake so hard
that your wheels stop rolling, you will just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can
still steer.
Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne
until you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such
as around clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or under bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve
or an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you see a patch of
ice ahead of you, brake before you are on it. Try not
to brake while you are actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
4-29

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need additional
wiring. Check with your dealer. The arrows on your
instrument panel will ash whenever you signal a turn or
lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also ash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your instrument
panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer
are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers behind
you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
When towing a trailer on long uphill grades while the
outside temperature is above 85°F (29°C), reduce your
vehicle speed to 45 mph (72 km/h) to avoid overheating
the engine cooling system.
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbeforeyou
start down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer work well.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage. If the indicator
is in the red area, turn off the air conditioning to reduce
engine load. SeeEngine Overheating on page 5-29.
Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle, with
a trailer attached, on a hill. If something goes
wrong, your rig could start to move. People
can be injured, and both your vehicle and the
trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer
wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake and shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
4-47