2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU headlamp

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Service and Maintenance 11-9
Battery
The battery supplies power to start
the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories.
.To avoid break‐down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
.Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion‐free.
Belts
.Belts may need replacing
if they squeak or show signs
of cracking or splitting.
.Trained dealer technicians
can inspect the belts and
recommend replacement
when necessary. Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
.Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping.
.Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s
systems and components.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12 for GM
approved fluids.
.Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
.Instrument cluster lights
may come on to indicate that
fluids may be low and need
to be filled. Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi‐point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed.
Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
.With a multi‐point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Additional Information,
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-14
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Airbag
Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26 Airbag System (cont.)
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-21
Airbags
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-15
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Servicing Airbag-EquippedVehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Alarm System Anti-theft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Anti-theft Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-93
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-10
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Audio System Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . 8-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . 9-24
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20

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

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-3
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . 13-15
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 10-82
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Compressor Kit, TireSealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Connections, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . 14-4
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Engine Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1 Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . 13-18
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-2, 13-4
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . 13-15
Danger, Warnings, andCautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . 13-20
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Delayed Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Devices, Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Diagnostics, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2 Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Door
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Ajar Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . 12-4
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Driving
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . 1-22
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-5
Front Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-37
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . . 9-37
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Requirements, California . . . . . 9-37
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Fuel Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Rear Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40G
GasolineSpecifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Gauges Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 11-1
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 6-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Delayed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1, 8-5
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . 10-51