Page 305 of 398

Black plate (65,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-65
WARNING (Continued)
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause loss of
control and a crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for the vehicle's
tire size combination and road
conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions.
To avoid vehicle damage, drive
slow and readjust or remove the
traction device if it contacts the
vehicle. Do not spin the wheels.
If traction devices are used,
install them on the front tires.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out,
especially if the tires are maintained
properly. SeeTires on page 10‑42.
If air goes out of a tire, it is much
more likely to leak out slowly. But if
there is ever a blowout, here are a
few tips about what to expect and
what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{WARNING
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has
been driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
tire service center repair or
replace the flat tire as soon as
possible.
Page 322 of 398

Black plate (82,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-82 Vehicle Care
5. Place the jack in the spare tirewell. Make sure the stow bolt
goes through the hole in the
center of the wrench on the jack,
with the base of the jack towards
the front of the vehicle. Turn the
jack retainer nut until it firmly
contacts the wrench. Do not
over tighten.
6. Place the compact spare into the tire compartment with the stow
bolt going through the center
hole of the wheel.
7. Turn the spare tire retainer nut until it firmly contacts the wheel.
Do not over tighten.Compact Spare Tire
{WARNING
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire it was fully inflated when the
vehicle was new, however, it can
lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should
be 60 psi (420 kPa). After installing the compact spare
on the vehicle, stop as soon as
possible and make sure the
spare tire is correctly inflated.
The compact spare is made to
perform well at speeds up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can
finish your trip and have the full-size
tire repaired or replaced at your
convenience. Of course, it is best to
replace the spare with a full-size tire
as soon as possible. The spare tire
will last longer and be in good
shape in case it is needed again.
Notice:
When the compact spare
is installed, do not take the
vehicle through an automatic
car wash with guide rails.
The compact spare can get
caught on the rails which can
damage the tire, wheel, and other
parts of the vehicle.
Page 397 of 398

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-11
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
TaillampsTurn Signal andStoplamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-12 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-65
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-53
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Low Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51 Tires (cont.)
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-64
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 9-42
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-42 Towing (cont.)
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-87
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . 9-30
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
U
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Page 398 of 398

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
i-12 INDEX
V
VehicleCanadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
IdentificationNumber (VIN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Vehicle Care Storing the Tire Sealantand Compressor Kit . . . . . . . 10-73
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-50
Vehicle Identification Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . .iv
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . . . 5-31
Wheels Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-64
When It Is Time for
New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-40
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16 Windshield
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-29