Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
328 Vehicle Care
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.
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.(Continued)
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Vehicle Care 329
Warning (Continued)
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.
Caution
If the vehicle is equipped with a
tire size other than 245/45R18 or
245/40R19, use tire chains only
where legal and only when
necessary. Use low profile chains
that add no more than 12 mm
thickness to the tire tread and
inner sidewall. Use chains that
are the proper size for the tires.(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
Install them on the tires of the
front axle. Don't use chains on the
tires of the rear axle. Tighten
them as tightly as possible with
the ends securely fastened. Drive
slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions. If the
chains contact the vehicle, stop
and retighten them. If the contact
continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning
the wheels with chains on will
damage the vehicle.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blow out
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. See Tires
0 308. If air goes out of a tire, it is
much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if there is ever a blowout, here
are a few tips about what to expect
and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.
A rear blowout, particularly on a
curve, acts much like a skid and
may require the same correction as
used in a skid. Stop pressing the
accelerator pedal and steer to
straighten the vehicle. It may be
very bumpy and noisy. Gently brake
to a stop, well off the road,
if possible.
{Warning
Driving on a flat tire will cause
permanent damage to the tire.
Re-inflating a tire after it has been
driven on while severely
underinflated or flat may cause a
blowout and a serious crash.
Never attempt to re-inflate a tire
that has been driven on while
severely underinflated or flat.
Have your dealer or an authorized
(Continued)
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Vehicle Care 341
Warning (Continued)
nuts. SeeCapacities and
Specifications 0373 for original
equipment wheel nut torque
specifications.
Caution
Improperly tightened wheel nuts
can lead to brake pulsation and
rotor damage. To avoid expensive
brake repairs, evenly tighten the
wheel nuts in the proper
sequence and to the proper
torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications
0 373 for the wheel nut torque
specification.
17. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly in a crisscross sequence, as
shown.
18. Lower the jack all the way and remove the jack from under the
vehicle.
19. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly with the wheel wrench.
When reinstalling the wheel cover or
center cap on the full-size tire,
tighten all five plastic caps hand
snug, then tighten them with the
wheel wrench an additional
one-quarter turn.
Caution
Wheel covers will not fit on the
vehicle's compact spare. If you try
to put a wheel cover on the
compact spare, the cover or the
spare could be damaged.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire
and Tools
{Warning
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and
Tools with a Screw in Fastener 1. Remove the extension bolt from the foam holder.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
342 Vehicle Care
2. Screw the extension bolt ontothe end of the spare tire stow
bolt by hand.
3. Replace the foam, jack, and tools in their original storage
location.
4. Remove the insulator pad and place it over the foam holder to
protect the wheel of the flat tire
from the jack.
5. Place the tire facing down over the extension bolt.
6. Turn the retainer nut clockwise to secure the tire.
7. 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
with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails
which can damage the tire, wheel,
and other parts of the vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Index 409
Signals, Turn andLane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Special Application Services . . . . 366
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 298, 299
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 102 Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162, 388
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . 298, 299
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 378
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 47
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337 Tires (cont'd)
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Low Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316, 317
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 319
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 318
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Terminology and Definitions . . 314
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 328
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 262
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
410 Index
Towing (cont'd)Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 261
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 347
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Trademarks and License Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 298, 299U
Umbrella Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 326
Universal Remote System . . . . . . 150Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Updates Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
Vehicle Alarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 372
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 126
Vehicle Care Storing the Tire Sealantand Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 337 Vehicle Care (cont'd)
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Vehicle Ready Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . 300
W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 255
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance . . 327
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 90
Wi-Fi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50