2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU engine

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
on
page 10‑3.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the vehicle has the electric
power steering system and the
engine stalls while driving, the
power steering assist system will
continue to operate until you are
able to stop the vehicle. If power
steering assist is lost because the electric power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in
either direction several times until it
stops, or hold the steering wheel in
the stopped position for an
extended amount of time, you may
notice a reduced amount of power
steering assist. The normal amount
of power steering assist should
return shortly after a few normal
steering movements.
The electric power steering system
does not require regular
maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems, contact
your dealer for service repairs.
Hydraulic Power Steering
If the vehicle has the hydraulic
power steering system and power
steering assist is lost because the
engine stops or the power steering
system is not functioning, the
vehicle can be steered but it will
take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-9
{WARNING
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down
and they could get so hot that
they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle in
gear when going downhill.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Top of hills: Be alert—
something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction. 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.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑28improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-10 Driving and Operating
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be in a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use theRoadside
Assistance Program (United States
and Canada)
on page 13‑7or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico)
on page 13‑9. To get help
and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
Climate Control System in the
Index.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑24.
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly CO (Carbon
Monoxide) gas to get inside. CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You cannot see it or smell it, so
you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking the
exhaust.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-11
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.If the Vehicle is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If the vehicle has a traction system,
it can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. Refer to the vehicle's
traction system in the Index. If stuck
too severely for the traction system
to free the vehicle, turn the traction
system off and use the rocking
method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph) as
shown on the speedometer.For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see
Tire
Chains on page 10‑59.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction or
stability system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as
possible. To prevent transmission
wear, wait until the wheels stop
spinning before shifting gears.
Release the accelerator pedal while
shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the
transmission is in gear. Slowly
spinning the wheels in the forward
and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that could free the
vehicle. If that does not get the
vehicle out after a few tries, it might
need to be towed out. If the vehicle
does need to be towed out, see
Towing the Vehicle on page 10‑83.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-17
WARNING (Continued)
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.When you carry something
inside the vehicle, secure
it whenever you can.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless you need to.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:The vehicle does not
need an elaborate break-in. But it
will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km
(500 miles). Do not make
full-throttle starts. Avoid
downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 miles) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
.Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See
Trailer Towing
on page 9‑46for the trailer
towing capabilities of the
vehicle and more
information.
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-18 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the
ignition must be in ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY and the brake
pedal must be applied.Notice:
Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
9 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF): When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP)on
page 9‑19.
This position locks the ignition.
It also locks the transmission. The
key can only be removed in
LOCK/OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. In an emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to neutral,
firmly apply the brakes and steer
the vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑29.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-19
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, the vehicle needs
service.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):This
position lets you use things like the
radio and windshield wipers while
the engine is not running.
R (ON/RUN): This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning lights. The
switch will stay in this position while
the engine is running. If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
/
(START): This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to the ON/RUN position
for driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF
and the key is in the ignition.Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.Heated Seats (if equipped)
.Sunroof (if equipped)
These features continue to work up
to 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned to LOCK/OFF.
The power windows, heated seats,
and sunroof will work until any door
is opened.
The radio continues to work until the
driver door is opened.
All these features operate when the
key is in the ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY.