2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU traction control

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 333
The rubber in tires ages over time.
This also applies to the spare tire,
if the vehicle has one, even if it is
never used. Multiple factors
including temperatures, loading
conditions, and inflation pressure
maintenance affect how fast aging
takes place. GM recommends that
tires, including the spare if
equipped, be replaced after six
years, regardless of tread wear. The
tire manufacture date is the last four
digits of the DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) which is molded into
one side of the tire sidewall. The
first two digits represent the week
(01–52) and the last two digits, the
year. For example, the third week of
the year 2010 would have a
four-digit DOT date of 0310.
Vehicle Storage
Tires age when stored normally
mounted on a parked vehicle. Park
a vehicle that will be stored for at
least a month in a cool, dry, clean
area away from direct sunlight to
slow aging. This area should be freeof grease, gasoline, or other
substances that can deteriorate
rubber.
Parking for an extended period can
cause flat spots on the tires that
may result in vibrations while
driving. When storing a vehicle for
at least a month, remove the tires or
raise the vehicle to reduce the
weight from the tires.
Buying New Tires
GM has developed and matched
specific tires for the vehicle. The
original equipment tires installed
were designed to meet General
Motors Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec)
system rating. When
replacement tires are needed,
GM strongly recommends
buying tires with the same TPC
Spec rating.
GM's exclusive TPC Spec
system considers over a dozen
critical specifications that impact
the overall performance of the
vehicle, including brake system
performance, ride and handling,
traction control, and tire
pressure monitoring
performance. GM's TPC Spec
number is molded onto the tire's
sidewall near the tire size. If the
tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC Spec number
will be followed by MS for mud
and snow. See
Tire Sidewall
Labeling 0320ii.
GM recommends replacing worn
tires in complete sets of four.
Uniform tread depth on all tires
will help to maintain the
performance of the vehicle.
Braking and handling
performance may be adversely
affected if all the tires are not
replaced at the same time.
If proper rotation and
maintenance have been done,
all four tires should wear out at
about the same time. See Tire
Rotation 0331
ii. However, if it is

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 335
traction control, electronic stability
control, or All-Wheel Drive, the
performance of these systems can
also be affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0333
iiand
Accessories and Modifications
0 280
ii.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
336 Vehicle Care
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistanceto the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the
vehicle is significantly pulling to one
side or the other. Some slight pull to
the left or right, depending on the
crown of the road and/or other road
surface variations such as troughs
or ruts, is normal. If the vehicle is
vibrating when driving on a smooth
road, the tires and wheels may need
to be rebalanced. See your dealer
for proper diagnosis.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent,
cracked, or badly rusted or
corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and
wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 337
Some aluminum wheels can be
repaired. See your dealer if any of
these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of
wheel that is needed.
Each new wheel should have the
same load-carrying capacity,
diameter, width, offset, and be
mounted the same way as the one it
replaces.
Replace wheels, wheel bolts, wheel
nuts, or Tire Pressure Monitor
System (TPMS) sensors with new
GM original equipment parts.
{Warning
Using the wrong replacement
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts can be dangerous. It could
affect the braking and handling of
the vehicle. Tires can lose air,
and cause loss of control, causing
a crash. Always use the correct
wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for replacement.
Caution
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake
cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp
aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and
chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
{Warning
Replacing a wheel with a used
one is dangerous. How it has
been used or how far it has been
driven may be unknown. It could
fail suddenly and cause a crash.
When replacing wheels, use a
new GM original equipment
wheel.
Tire Chains
{Warning
If the vehicle has 245/45R18 or
245/40R19 size tires, do not use
tire chains. There is not enough
clearance. Tire chains used on a
vehicle without the proper amount
of clearance can cause damage
to the brakes, 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.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 351
2. Screw the extension bolt ontothe end of the spare tire stow
bolt by hand.
3. Tighten the extension by
turning it clockwise with the
hex hole in the side of the
wrench.
4. Replace the foam, jack and tools, and the tire in their
original storage location.
5. Remove the insulator pad and place it over the foam holder to
protect the wheel from the jack.
6. Place the tire facing down over the extension bolt. 7. Turn the retainer nut clockwise
to secure the tire.
8. Place the floor cover on the wheel.
The compact spare is for temporary
use only. Replace the compact
spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can.
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 new;
however, it can lose air over time.
Check the inflation pressure
regularly. It should be 420 kPa
(60 psi). Stop as soon as possible and check
that the spare tire is correctly
inflated after being installed on the
vehicle. The compact spare tire is
designed for temporary use only.
The vehicle will perform differently
with the spare tire installed and it is
recommended that the vehicle
speed be limited to 80 km/h
(50 mph). To conserve the tread of
the spare tire, have the standard tire
repaired or replaced as soon as
convenient and return the spare tire
to the storage area.
When using a compact spare tire,
the AWD (if equipped), ABS, and
Traction Control systems may
engage until the spare tire is
recognized by the vehicle,
especially on slippery roads. Adjust
driving to reduce possible
wheel slip.
Caution
When the compact spare is
installed, do not take the vehicle
through an automatic car wash
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
410 Index
ChargingWireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 119
Check Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . 83
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95, 97
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 206 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 110, 112
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 391
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 340
Connections
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Engine Temperature Gauge . . .117
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 294, 295 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 246
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 393
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 391
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 396
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Display
Center Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 383
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
414 Index
Lights (cont'd)Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 125
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 126
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
M
Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 368 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 120
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 138
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Object Detection System . . . . . 140
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 142
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Steering System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 48
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
N
Navigation OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 226
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
418 Index
Tires (cont'd)Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 328
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 327
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Terminology and Definitions . . 323
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 336
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 273
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 273
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 356
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355 Traction
Control System (TCS)/
StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Turn Signal
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 307, 308
U
Umbrella Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 335
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 157Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 Universal Remote System (cont'd)
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 380
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . 145
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Care
Storing the Tire Sealantand Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 346
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Vehicle Ready Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . 310