2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU check transmission fluid

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Driving and Operating 9-7
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.
{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.
.Be alert on top of hills;
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.

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 (14,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
10-14 Vehicle Care
It is possible that, if driving under
the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN withthe engine off.
2. Press the DIC MENU button on the turn signal lever to enter the
Vehicle Information Menu. Use
the thumbwheel to scroll through
the menu items until you reach
REMAINING OIL LIFE.
3. Press the SET/CLR button to reset the oil life at 100%.
4. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message is off and the REMAINING
OIL LIFE 100% message is
displayed. If the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not been reset. Repeat
the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in
Maintenance
Schedule on page 11‑2, and
be sure to use the fluid listed in
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants on page 11‑12.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Technical Data 12-3
ApplicationCapacities
Metric English
LT or LTZ model with eAssist 59.7 L 15.8 gal
LT or LTZ model without eAssist 70.0 L 18.5 gal
Wheel Nut Torque 150 Y110 lb ft
*See Automatic Transmission Fluid on page 10‑14 for information on checking fluid level.
All capacities are approximate. When adding, be sure to fill to the approximate level, as recommended in this
manual. Recheck fluid level after filling.
Engine Specifications
Engine VIN CodeTransmission Spark Plug Gap
2.0L L4 Engine XAutomatic 0.9 mm (0.035 in)
2.4L L4 Engine RAutomatic 0.9 mm (0.035 in)
2.5L L4 Engine AAutomatic 1.1 mm (0.043 in)

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
INDEX i-1
A
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Additional Information
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . 10-15
Air Filter, Passenger
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-31
How Does an Airbag
Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . 3-21
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 5-13
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Antenna Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-100 Armrest
Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7, 13-11
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22 CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
MP3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-24
Audio System Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . . 7-2
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 10-14
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Shift Lock ControlFunction Check . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25Jump Starting . . . . . . . . 10-90, 10-92
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-27
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-35, 7-36, 7-40
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-17
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32, 6-4
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-35
Taillamps, Turn
Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . 10-33, 10-34
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Camera, Rear Vision . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7 Cargo
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-22
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 4-3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-14
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-26
Child Restraints Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-34
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . 3-40
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47, 3-50
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-97
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-100

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
i-4 INDEX
Driving (cont'd)Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
E
E85 Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . 5-17
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Electrical System Engine Compartment
Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-29
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-25
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-20 Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-103
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-14
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . 10-32, 6-4
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19