Chevrolet Malibu Limited Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9086425) - 2016 - crc - 7/30/15
216 Driving and Operating
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle may not pass a smog-check
test. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0106.
If this occurs, return to your
authorized dealer for diagnosis. If it
is determined that the condition is
caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs may not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If planning to drive in countries
outside the U.S. or Canada, the
proper fuel might be hard to find.
Check regional auto club or fuel
retail brand websites for availability
in the country where driving. Never
use leaded gasoline, fuel containing
methanol, manganese, or any other
fuel not recommended. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper
fuel would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. See Fuel0215.
If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of Fuel
System Treatment PLUS added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. Fuel System
Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death. . To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not reenter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
(Continued)
Chevrolet Malibu Limited Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9086425) - 2016 - crc - 7/30/15
232 Vehicle Care
Viscosity Grade
Use SAE 5W-20 viscosity grade
engine oil. SAE 0W-20 may be used
as an alternative.
When selecting an oil of the
appropriate viscosity grade, it is
recommended to select an oil of the
correct specification. See
“Specification”earlier in this section.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils meeting the
dexos1 specification are all that is
needed for good performance and
engine protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash or pouring it on the ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies of water. Recycle it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on. See
Engine Oil Messages
0117.
Change the oil as soon as possible
within the next 1 000 km (600 mi).
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.
Chevrolet Malibu Limited Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9086425) - 2016 - crc - 7/30/15
236 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of 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.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0319.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by 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
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the mark
pointed to, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Be sure the cooling system is cool
before this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank, add coolant as follows:
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol (Continued)
Chevrolet Malibu Limited Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-
9086425) - 2016 - crc - 7/30/15
352 Index
Driving (cont'd)Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 23
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 181
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 183
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Track Events and
Competitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
E
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340 Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 229
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Cooling System Messages . . . .117
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 197
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 337
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 132
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 132
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 134
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 233
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 135, 248
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23