2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU fuel cap

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-41
{WARNING
If a fire starts while you are
refueling, do not remove the
nozzle. Shut off the flow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant.
Leave the area immediately.
Notice: If a new fuel cap is
needed, be sure to get the right
type of cap from your dealer.
The wrong type of fuel cap might
not fit properly, might cause the
malfunction indicator lamp to
light, and could damage the fuel
tank and emissions system.
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑16.
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container
{WARNING
Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is in the vehicle. Static
electricity discharge from the
container can ignite the fuel
vapor. You can be badly burned
and the vehicle damaged if this
occurs. To help avoid injury to
you and others:
.Dispense fuel only into
approved containers.
.Do not fill a container while
it is inside a vehicle, in a
vehicle's trunk, pickup bed,
or on any surface other than
the ground.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Bring the fill nozzle in contact
with the inside of the fill
opening before operating the
nozzle. Contact should be
maintained until the filling is
complete.
.Do not smoke while
pumping fuel.
.Do not use a cellular phone
while pumping fuel.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
9-42 Driving and Operating
Towing
General Towing
Information
Only use towing equipment that has
been designed for the vehicle.
Contact your dealer or trailering
dealer for assistance with preparing
the vehicle for towing a trailer.
See the following trailer towing
information in this section:
.For information on driving
while towing a trailer, see
“Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips.”
.For maximum vehicle and trailer
weights, see“Trailer Towing.”
.For information on equipment
to tow a trailer, see “Towing
Equipment.” For information on towing a disabled
vehicle, see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10‑87. For information on
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle such as a motor home, see
Recreational Vehicle Towing on
page 10‑87.
Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips
{WARNING
The driver can lose control when
pulling a trailer if the correct
equipment is not used or the
vehicle is not driven properly.
For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work
well —or even at all. The driver
and passengers could be
seriously injured. The vehicle may
also be damaged; the resulting
repairs would not be covered by
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
the vehicle warranty. Pull a trailer
only if all the steps in this section
have been followed. Ask your
dealer for advice and information
about towing a trailer with the
vehicle.
The vehicle can tow a trailer when
equipped with the proper trailer
towing equipment. For trailering
capacity, see Trailer Towing on
page 9‑46. Trailering changes
handling, acceleration, braking,
durability and fuel economy.
With the added weight, the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies and
tires are forced to work harder and
under greater loads. The trailer also
adds wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements. For safe
trailering, correctly use the proper
trailering equipment.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-47
Accessory Weight:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords that is located between
the plies and the tread. Cords
may be made from steel or other
reinforcing materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread. Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)
before a tire has built up heat
from driving. See Tire Pressure
on page 10‑50.
Curb Weight
:The weight of a
motor vehicle with standard and
optional equipment including the
maximum capacity of fuel, oil,
and coolant, but without
passengers and cargo.
DOT Markings
:A code molded
into the sidewall of a tire
signifying that the tire is in
compliance with the U.S.
Department of Transportation
(DOT) Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards. The DOT code
includes the Tire Identification
Number (TIN), an alphanumeric
designator which can also identify the tire manufacturer,
production plant, brand, and
date of production.
GVWR
:Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. See Vehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11.
GAWR FRT
:Gross Axle
Weight Rating for the front axle.
See Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑11.
GAWR RR
:Gross Axle
Weight Rating for the rear axle.
See Vehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑11.
Intended Outboard Sidewall
:
The side of an asymmetrical tire,
that must always face outward
when mounted on a vehicle.
Kilopascal (kPa)
:The metric
unit for air pressure.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-50 Vehicle Care
Tire Pressure
Tires need the correct amount
of air pressure to operate
effectively.
Notice:Neither tire
underinflation nor
overinflation is good.
Underinflated tires, or tires
that do not have enough air,
can result in:
.Tire overloading and
overheating which could
lead to a blowout.
.Premature or
irregular wear.
.Poor handling.
.Reduced fuel economy. Overinflated tires, or tires
that have too much air, can
result in:
.Unusual wear.
.Poor handling.
.Rough ride.
.Needless damage from
road hazards.
The Tire and Loading
Information label on the
vehicle indicates the original
equipment tires and the correct
cold tire inflation pressures.
The recommended pressure
is the minimum air pressure
needed to support the vehicle's
maximum load carrying capacity. For additional information
regarding how much weight
the vehicle can carry, and an
example of the Tire and Loading
Information label, see
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑11.
How the vehicle is loaded
affects vehicle handling and ride
comfort. Never load the vehicle
with more weight than it was
designed to carry.
When to Check
Check the tires once a month
or more. Do not forget the
compact spare tire, if the vehicle
has one. The compact spare
should be at 420 kPa (60 psi).
For additional information
regarding the compact spare
tire, see Compact Spare Tire on
page 10‑82.

Black plate (88,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-88 Vehicle Care
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What's the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read
the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.How far will the vehicle be
towed? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and
how long they can tow.
.Does the vehicle have the
proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering
professional for additional
advice and equipment
recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Dinghy Towing
When dinghy towing, the vehicle
should be run at the beginning of
each day and at each RV fuel stop
for about five minutes. This will
ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components.
To dinghy tow the vehicle from the
front with all four wheels on the
ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow andthen secure it to the towing
vehicle. 2. Shift the transmission to
P (Park) and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the
following fuse from the
instrument panel fuse block:
(IGN SENSOR). See Instrument
Panel Fuse Block on page 10‑37
for more information.
5. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
6. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to reinstall the IGN
SENSOR fuse once the destination
has been reached.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
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 5.7 L 6.0 qt
Fuel Tank 61.7 L 16.3 gal

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33 Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 Bulb Replacement (cont.)
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-33
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
and Stoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15 Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-16
Check
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-28
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49, 3-51
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 8-1 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10