2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU engine coolant

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Driving and Operating 9-21
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater,
if available, can help in cold weather
conditions at or below−18°C (0°F)
for easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
Plug in the coolant heater at least
four hours before starting the
vehicle. An internal thermostat in
the plug end of the cord will prevent
engine coolant heater operation at
temperatures above −18°C (0°F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
electrical cord.
The electrical cord is on the
passenger side of the engine
compartment, between the
fender and the air cleaner.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{WARNING
Plugging the cord into an
ungrounded outlet could cause an
electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind of extension cord could
overheat and cause a fire. You
(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
could be seriously injured. Plug
the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine parts.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-13
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-15
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-20
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-26
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-27
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
High Intensity Discharge(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LS and LT) . . . . . . . . 10-33 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LTZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-34
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-35
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-46
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Vehicle Care 10-7
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
2. Engine Cover.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11. 5. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of
View). See Cooling System on
page 10‑16.
6. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes on page 10‑22.
7. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑18. 8.
Battery on page 10‑25.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑38.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on page 10‑22.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Vehicle Care 10-9
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
2. Engine Cover.
3. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System on
page 10‑16.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11.
5. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11. 6. High Voltage Cable (Orange
Color).
7. Transmission Fluid Cap (Out of View). See Automatic
Transmission Fluid on
page 10‑14.
8. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes on page 10‑22.
9. Battery (Under Cover). See Battery on page 10‑25. 10. Coolant Surge Tank and
Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑18.
11. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑38.
12. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on page 10‑22.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Vehicle Care 10-11
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑15.
2. Engine Cover.
3. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11.
4. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine
Oil on page 10‑11.
5. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View). See Cooling System on
page 10‑16.
6. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes on page 10‑22.
7. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant on page 10‑18.
8. Battery (Under Cover). See Battery on page 10‑25.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑38.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
on page 10‑22.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.Always use engine oil approved
to the proper specification and of
the proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
.Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑13.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for the location of the
engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
{WARNING
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
10-16 Vehicle Care
5. Lower the filter cover housingtoward the engine.
6. Install the six screws on the top of the housing to lock the cover
in place.
2.5L L4 Engine
1. Remove the five screws on top of the engine air cleaner/filter
housing.
2. Lift the filter cover housing away from the engine air cleaner/filter
housing.
3. Pull out the filter. 4. Inspect or replace the engine air
cleaner/filter.
5. Lower the filter cover housing toward the engine.
6. Install the five screws on the top of the housing to lock the cover
in place.
{WARNING
Operating the engine with the air
cleaner/filter off can cause you or
others to be burned. The air
cleaner not only cleans the air; it
helps to stop flames if the engine
backfires. Use caution when
working on the engine and do not
drive with the air cleaner/filter off.
Notice: If the air cleaner/filter is
off, dirt can easily get into the
engine, which could damage it.
Always have the air cleaner/filter
in place when you are driving.
Cooling System
The cooling system allows the
engine to maintain the correct
working temperature.
2.0L L4 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Vehicle Care 10-17
2.4L L4 Engine eAssist
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap2.5L L4 Engine
1. Engine Cooling Fans (Out of View)
2. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap
{WARNING
An electric engine cooling fan
under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can cause injury. Keep
hands, clothing, and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Notice: Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL
®can cause premature
engine, heater core, or radiator
corrosion. In addition, the engine
coolant could require changing
sooner. Any repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use DEX-COOL
(silicate-free) coolant in the
vehicle.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
10-18 Vehicle Care
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL® engine
coolant mixture. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on page 11‑12
and Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑2.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating on
page 10‑20.
What to Use
{WARNING
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
(Continued)
WARNING (CONTINUED)
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use a
50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant
for non-eAssist engine(s). Use a
50/50 mixture of deionized water
and DEX-COOL coolant for
eAssist engine(s).
Use a 50/50 mixture of deionized
water or clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant. If using this
mixture, nothing else needs to be
added.
This mixture:
.Gives freezing protection down
to −37°C (−34°F), outside
temperature.
.Gives boiling protection up to
129°C (265°F), engine
temperature.
.Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.Will not damage aluminum parts.
.Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Notice: If improper coolant
mixture, inhibitors, or additives
are used in the vehicle’ s cooling
system, the engine could
overheat and be damaged. Too
much deionized water or clean
drinkable water can freeze and
crack engine cooling parts.
The repairs would not be covered
by the warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.
Never dispose of engine coolant
by putting it in the trash, pouring it
on the ground, or into sewers,
streams, or bodies of water.
Have the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding