2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU winter tires

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Driving and Operating 221
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0241
ii.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0237
ii.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0388
ii. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 279
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 280
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 280
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 291
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 293
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 294
Cooling System (Power Electronics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 298
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301 Battery - North America . . . . . . 302
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 304
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 304
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 305
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LS and LT) . . . . . . . . . . 307
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LTZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 309
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Electrical System Overload . . . 310 Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Vehicle Care 319
Warning (Continued)
.Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
See Tire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation 0326
iifor
inflation pressure adjustment for
high-speed driving.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be “MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires 0319
ii.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see
Buying New Tires 0333
ii.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
. Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.
. Use only radial ply tires of the
same size, load range, and
speed rating as the original
equipment tires.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment tires
may not be available for H, V, W, Y,
and ZR speed rated tires. If winter

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
320 Vehicle Care
tires with a lower speed rating are
chosen, never exceed the tire's
maximum speed capability.
Summer Tires
This vehicle may come with high
performance summer tires. These
tires have a special tread and
compound that are optimized for
maximum dry and wet road
performance. This special tread and
compound will have decreased
performance in cold climates, and
on ice and snow. It is recommended
that winter tires be installed on the
vehicle if frequent driving at
temperatures below approximately
5 °C (40 °F) or on ice or snow
covered roads is expected. See
Winter Tires0319
ii.
Caution
High performance summer tires
have rubber compounds that lose
flexibility and may develop
surface cracks in the tread area
at temperatures below −7 °C
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
(20 °F). Always store high
performance summer tires
indoors and at temperatures
above −7 °C (20 °F) when not in
use. If the tires have been
subjected to −7 °C (20 °F) or less,
let them warm up in a heated
space to at least 5 °C (40 °F) for
24 hours or more before being
installed or driving a vehicle on
which they are installed. Do not
apply heat or blow heated air
directly on the tires. Always
inspect tires before use. See Tire
Inspection 0331
ii.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P-Metric) Tire Example
(1) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section.
(2) TPC Spec (Tire
Performance Criteria
Specification)
:Original
equipment tires designed to
GM's specific tire performance
criteria have a TPC specification
code molded onto the sidewall.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
334 Vehicle Care
necessary to replace only one
axle set of worn tires, place the
new tires on the rear axle.
Winter tires with the same speed
rating as the original equipment
tires may not be available for H,
V, W, Y and ZR speed rated
tires. Never exceed the winter
tires’maximum speed capability
when using winter tires with a
lower speed rating.
{Warning
Tires could explode during
improper service. Attempting
to mount or dismount a tire
could cause injury or death.
Only your dealer or authorized
tire service center should
mount or dismount the tires.
{Warning
Mixing tires of different sizes,
brands, or types may cause
loss of control of the vehicle,
resulting in a crash or other
vehicle damage. Use the
correct size, brand, and type
of tires on all wheels.
{Warning
Using bias-ply tires on the
vehicle may cause the wheel
rim flanges to develop cracks
after many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could fail
suddenly and cause a crash.
Use only radial-ply tires with
the wheels on the vehicle.
If the vehicle tires must be
replaced with a tire that does not
have a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating, and
construction (radial) as the
original tires.
Vehicles that have a tire
pressure monitoring system
could give an inaccurate
low-pressure warning if non-TPC
Spec rated tires are installed.
See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System 0327
ii.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 222
ii.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, roll bars,

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
Customer Information 389
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is not given
when the vehicle is stuck in the
sand, mud, or snow.
. Flat Tire Change: Service to
change a flat tire with the spare
tire. The spare tire, if equipped,
must be in good condition and
properly inflated. It is the owner's
responsibility for the repair or
replacement of the tire if it is not
covered by the warranty.
. Battery Jump Start: Service to
jump start a dead battery.
. Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: If your trip is
interrupted due to a warranty
event, incidental expenses may
be reimbursed within the
Powertrain warranty period.
Items considered are reasonable
and customary hotel, meals,
rental car, or a vehicle being
delivered back to the customer,
up to 805 km (500 mi).Services Not Included in
Roadside Assistance
. Impound towing caused by
violation of any laws.
. Legal fines.
. Mounting, dismounting,
or changing of snow tires,
chains, or other traction devices.
Service is not provided if a vehicle
is in an area that is not accessible
to the service vehicle or is not a
regularly traveled or maintained
public road, which includes ice and
winter roads. Off-road use is not
covered.
Services Specific to
Canadian-Purchased Vehicles
. Fuel Delivery: Reimbursement
is up to 7 liters. If available,
diesel fuel delivery may be
restricted. Propane and other
fuels are not provided through
this service.
. Lock-Out Service: Vehicle
registration is required. .
Trip Interruption Benefits and
Assistance: Must be over
150 km from where your trip was
started to qualify. General
Motors of Canada Limited
requires pre-authorization,
original detailed receipts, and a
copy of the repair orders. Once
authorization has been received,
the Roadside Assistance advisor
will help to make arrangements
and explain how to receive
payment.
. Alternative Service: If
assistance cannot be provided
right away, the Roadside
Assistance advisor may give
permission to get local
emergency road service. You will
receive payment, up to $100,
after sending the original receipt
to Roadside Assistance.
Mechanical failures may be
covered, however any cost for
parts and labor for repairs not
covered by the warranty are the
owner responsibility.

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