Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
354 Vehicle Care
with a clean cloth will make them
last longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
Underbody Maintenance
At least twice a year, spring and fall,
use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from the
underbody. Take care to thoroughly
clean any areas where mud and
other debris can collect.
Do not directly power wash the
transfer case and/or front/rear axle
output seals. High pressure water
can overcome the seals and
contaminate the fluid. Contaminated
fluid will decrease the life of the
transfer case and/or axles and
should be replaced.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and
requires sheet metal repair or
replacement, make sure the body
repair shop applies anti-corrosion
material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion
protection.Original manufacturer replacement
parts will provide the corrosion
protection while maintaining the
vehicle warranty.
Finish Damage
Quickly repair minor chips and
scratches with touch-up materials
available from your dealer to avoid
corrosion. Larger areas of finish
damage can be corrected in your
dealer's body and paint shop.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Airborne pollutants can fall upon
and attack painted vehicle surfaces
causing blotchy, ring-shaped
discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint
surface. See
“Finish Care”
previously in this section.
Interior Care
To prevent dirt particle abrasions,
regularly clean the vehicle's interior.
Immediately remove any soils.
Newspapers or dark garments can
transfer color to the vehicle’s
interior. Use a soft bristle brush to remove
dust from knobs and crevices on the
instrument cluster. Using a mild
soap solution, immediately remove
hand lotions, sunscreen, and insect
repellent from all interior surfaces or
permanent damage may result.
Use cleaners specifically designed
for the surfaces being cleaned to
prevent permanent damage. Apply
all cleaners directly to the cleaning
cloth. Do not spray cleaners on any
switches or controls. Remove
cleaners quickly.
Before using cleaners, read and
follow all safety instructions on the
label. While cleaning the interior,
open the doors and windows to get
proper ventilation.
To prevent damage, do not clean
the interior using the following
cleaners or techniques:
.
Never use a razor or any other
sharp object to remove soil from
any interior surface.
. Never use a brush with stiff
bristles.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Service and Maintenance 367
.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 0369 for 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-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
402 Index
CargoTie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 103
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 122
Check Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 86
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97, 99
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 196 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 112, 114 Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 382
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 331
Connections OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Coolant Engine Temperature Gauge . . .119
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196, 199
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 283, 287
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 235
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 378 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377 Customer Assistance (cont'd)
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 384
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 382
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 388
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 387
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Diagnostics
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Index 405
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196, 199
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Indicator Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Information Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . 112, 114
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 6
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 50
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
K
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 32
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 311
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 156
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Malfunction Indicator (Check Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 253
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 255
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 125
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296 Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 158
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 124
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 124
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 128
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 156
Lane Keep Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . 128, 129
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 120
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
StabiliTrak OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127