
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
Service and Maintenance 367
Service and
Maintenance
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 367
Maintenance Schedule
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 368
Special Application Services
Special ApplicationServices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Additional Maintenance
and Care
Additional Maintenanceand Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Maintenance Replacement Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Maintenance Records
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 379
General Information
Your vehicle is an important
investment. This section describes
the required maintenance for the
vehicle. Follow this schedule to help
protect against major repair
expenses resulting from neglect or
inadequate maintenance. It may
also help to maintain the value of
the vehicle if it is sold. It is the
responsibility of the owner to have
all required maintenance performed.
Your dealer has trained technicians
who can perform required
maintenance using genuine
replacement parts. They have
up-to-date tools and equipment for
fast and accurate diagnostics. Many
dealers have extended evening and
Saturday hours, courtesy
transportation, and online
scheduling to assist with service
needs.
Your dealer recognizes the
importance of providing
competitively priced maintenance
and repair services. With trained
technicians, the dealer is the place
for routine maintenance such as oil changes and tire rotations and
additional maintenance items like
tires, brakes, batteries, and wiper
blades.
Caution
Damage caused by improper
maintenance can lead to costly
repairs and may not be covered
by the vehicle warranty.
Maintenance intervals, checks,
inspections, recommended fluids,
and lubricants are important to
keep the vehicle in good working
condition.
The Tire Rotation and Required
Services are the responsibility of the
vehicle owner. It is recommended to
have your dealer perform these
services every 12 000 km/7,500 mi.
Proper vehicle maintenance helps to
keep the vehicle in good working
condition, improves fuel economy,
and reduces vehicle emissions.
Because of the way people use
vehicles, maintenance needs vary.
There may need to be more

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
374 Service and Maintenance
.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 have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the belts and
recommend adjustment or
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 0376
iifor 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.
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
. Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
. As part of the multi-point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Customer Information 393
If the airbag has inflated, seeWhat
Will You See after an Airbag
Inflates? 074
ii.
Managing the Vehicle Damage
Repair Process
In the event that the vehicle requires
damage repairs, GM recommends
that you take an active role in its
repair. If you have a pre-determined
repair facility of choice, take the
vehicle there, or have it towed there.
Specify to the facility that any
required replacement collision parts
be original equipment parts, either
new Genuine GM parts or recycled
original GM parts. Remember,
recycled parts will not be covered by
the GM vehicle warranty.
Insurance pays the bill for the repair,
but you must live with the repair.
Depending on your policy limits,
your insurance company may
initially value the repair using
aftermarket parts. Discuss this with
the repair professional, and insist on
Genuine GM parts. Remember,
if the vehicle is leased, you may be
obligated to have the vehicle repaired with Genuine GM parts,
even if your insurance coverage
does not pay the full cost.
If another party's insurance
company is paying for the repairs,
you are not obligated to accept a
repair valuation based on that
insurance company's collision policy
repair limits, as you have no
contractual limits with that company.
In such cases, you can have control
of the repair and parts choices as
long as the cost stays within
reasonable limits.
Service Publications
Ordering Information
(U.S. and Canada Only)
Service Manuals
Service Manuals have the diagnosis
and repair information on the
engines, transmission, axle,
suspension, brakes, electrical,
steering, body, etc.
Service Bulletins
Service Bulletins give additional
technical service information
needed to knowledgeably service
General Motors cars and trucks.
Each bulletin contains instructions
to assist in the diagnosis and
service of the vehicle.
Owner Information
Owner publications are written
specifically for owners and intended
to provide basic operational
information about the vehicle. The
Owner Manual includes the
Maintenance Schedule for all
models.
In-Portfolio: Includes a Portfolio,
Owner Manual, and Warranty
Manual.
RETAIL SELL PRICE: $35.00
–
$40.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.
Without Pouch: Owner Manual only.
RETAIL SELL PRICE:
$25.00 (U.S.) plus handling and
shipping fees.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Index 409
Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Armrest Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 253
Audio
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 169
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
B
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
BatteryLoad Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Battery (cont'd)
Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Battery - North America . . . . 302, 352
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 305
Bluetooth
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 184, 188
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 122
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 241
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Braking System
Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 261
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 226
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 309
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . 307, 308
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .280, 302, 352
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cargo
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 101
Center Stack Display . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Index 411
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 253
Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129, 132
Driving Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 257
Characteristics andTowing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 28
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 220
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 222
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 238
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 122
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Electrical System
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311 Electrical System (cont'd)
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 284
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . 294, 295
Cooling System Messages . . . 138
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 233
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 396
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 161
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 163
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter, Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 164
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 293
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259