
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
11-6 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil The engine requires engine oil approved to the dexos™
specification. Oils
meeting this specification can be identified with the dexos™ certification
mark. Look for and use only an engine oil that displays the dexos™
certification mark of the proper viscosity grade. See Engine Oil
on
page 10‑9.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑16.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 88862806, in
Canada 88862807).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Hydraulic Power Steering System (if equipped) GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. U.S. 89021184, in
Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Key Lock Cylinders Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Hood Latch Assembly, Secondary Latch, Pivots, Spring Anchor, and Release Pawl Lubriplate Lubricant Aerosol (GM Part No. U.S. 12346293, in
Canada 992723) or lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category
LB or GC-LB.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Service and Maintenance 11-7
UsageFluid/Lubricant
Hood and Door Hinges Multi-Purpose Lubricant, Superlube (GM Part No. U.S. 12346241, in
Canada 10953474).
Weatherstrip Conditioning Weatherstrip Lubricant (GM Part No. U.S. 3634770, in Canada 10953518)
or Dielectric Silicone Grease (GM Part No. U.S. 12345579, in
Canada 992887).
Maintenance Replacement Parts
Replacement parts identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.
Part GM Part Number ACDelco Part Number
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 22676970 A1627C
Engine Oil Filter 2.4L L4 Engine 12605566 PF457G
3.6L V6 Engine 89017525 PF63

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
12-2 Technical Data
Vehicle Data
Capacities and Specifications
ApplicationCapacities
Metric English
Air Conditioning Refrigerant R134a For the air conditioning system refrigerant charge
amount, see the refrigerant label located under the hood. See your dealer for more information.
Engine Cooling System 2.4L L4 Engine 7.1 L 7.5 qt
3.6L V6 Engines 9.4 L 9.9 qt
Engine Oil with Filter
2.4L L4 Engine 4.7 L 5.0 qt
3.6L V6 Engine 5.2 L 5.5 qt
Fuel Tank 61.7 L 16.3 gal

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
i-4 INDEX
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Rear Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Electronic Stability Control . . . . . 9-32
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Engine (cont.)
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Overheated Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-25
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Oil
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-16
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Filter Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Flat Tire, Changing . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-92
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
i-6 INDEX
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Ignition Transmission LockCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii, 7-1
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . 5-28
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keyless Entry System . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-40
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Lamps
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-3
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
LATCH System Replacing Parts After aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-54
Latch, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Lighting Entry/Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-20
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-13
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-7
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children (LATCH
SYSTEM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-16
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28 Messages (cont.)
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
N
Navigation System
Vehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-38
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21