Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Introduction 3
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means“Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: Shown when the owner ’s
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. See the
features in this manual for
information.
9: Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System (12-Volt
Battery)
I: Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
g: First Responder
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
.:Fuel Gauge
+: Fuses
3:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
_: High Voltage
j: LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
O:Power
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Instruments and Controls 109
Power Outlets
Power Outlet 12-Volt Direct
Current
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are two accessory power
outlets:
.One on the center stack below
the climate control system.
. One on the rear of the center
console.
The outlet is powered when the
ignition is on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of
turning off the vehicle. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0221.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.
Certain electrical accessories may
not be compatible with the
accessory power outlets and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If there is a problem, see your
dealer. When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the installation
instructions included with the
equipment. See
Add-On Electrical
Equipment 0267.
Caution
Hanging heavy equipment from
the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty. The power
outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Always unplug electrical equipment
when not in use and do not plug in
equipment that exceeds the
maximum 20 amps rating.
Power Outlet 110/120-Volt
Alternating Current
If equipped with this power outlet it
can be used to plug in electrical
equipment that uses a maximum
limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is on the rear of
the center console.
An indicator light on the outlet turns
on to show it is in use. The light
comes on when the ignition is in
ON/RUN and equipment requiring
less than 150 watts is plugged into
the outlet, and no system fault is
detected.
The indicator light does not come on
if the ignition is off, if no equipment
is plugged into the outlet, or if the
equipment is plugged in, but not
fully seated in the outlet.
If equipment is connected using
more than 150 watts or a system
fault is detected, the equipment may
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
158 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times.
The turn and lane-change signal
can be turned off manually by
moving the lever back to its original
position.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change, the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out.
Replace any burned out bulbs. If a
bulb is not burned out, check the
fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers 0301.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The brightness of the instrument
cluster display, infotainment display
and controls, steering wheel
controls, and all other illuminated
controls, as well as feature status
indicators, can be adjusted.
The knob for this feature is on the
instrument panel beside the steering
column.
Push the knob in all the way until it
extends out and then turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the lights. Push the
knob back in when finished.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
268 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 269
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 270
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 281
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 282
Cooling System (Engine) . . . . . 283
Cooling System (Power Electronics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 288
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Battery - North America . . . . . . 291 Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 293
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 294
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 294
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LS and LT) . . . . . . . . . . 298
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LTZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 300
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Electrical System Overload . . . 301
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 301 Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 311
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Vehicle Care 301
Electrical System
Overload
The vehicle has fuses and circuit
breakers to protect against an
electrical system overload.
When the current electrical load is
too heavy, the circuit breaker opens
and closes, protecting the circuit
until the current load returns to
normal or the problem is fixed. This
greatly reduces the chance of circuit
overload and fire caused by
electrical problems.
Fuses and circuit breakers protect
power devices in the vehicle.
Replace a bad fuse with a new one
of the identical size and rating.
If there is a problem on the road and
a fuse needs to be replaced, the
same amperage fuse can be
borrowed. Choose some feature of
the vehicle that is not needed and
replace it as soon as possible.
Headlamp Wiring
An electrical overload may cause
the lamps to go on and off, or in
some cases to remain off. Have the
headlamp wiring checked
right away.
Windshield Wipers
If the wiper motor overheats due to
heavy snow or ice, the windshield
wipers will stop until the motor cools
and will then restart.
Although the circuit is protected
from electrical overload, overload
due to heavy snow or ice may
cause wiper linkage damage.
Always clear ice and heavy snow
from the windshield before using the
windshield wipers.
If the overload is caused by an
electrical problem and not snow or
ice, be sure to get it fixed.
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers
The wiring circuits in the vehicle are
protected from short circuits by a
combination of fuses and circuit
breakers. This greatly reduces the
chance of damage caused by
electrical problems.
{Danger
Fuses and circuit breakers are
marked with their ampere rating.
Do not exceed the
specified amperage rating when
replacing fuses and circuit
breakers. Use of an oversized
fuse or circuit breaker can result
in a vehicle fire. You and others
could be seriously injured or
killed.
To check a fuse, look at the
silver-colored band inside the fuse.
If the band is broken or melted,
replace the fuse. Be sure to replace
a bad fuse with a new one of the
identical size and rating.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
302 Vehicle Care
Fuses of the same amperage can
be temporarily borrowed from
another fuse location, if a fuse goes
out. Replace the fuse as soon as
possible.
There is a fuse puller in the engine
compartment fuse block. See
Engine Compartment Fuse Block
0302. It can be used to easily
remove fuses from the fuse block.
To identify and check fuses, circuit
breakers, and relays, see Engine
Compartment Fuse Block 0302 and
Instrument Panel Fuse Block 0306.Engine Compartment
Fuse Block
The engine compartment fuse block
is on the driver side of the engine
compartment.
There is a fuse puller in the engine
compartment fuse block. It can be
used to easily remove fuses from
the fuse block.
Caution
Spilling liquid on any electrical
component on the vehicle may
damage it. Always keep the
covers on any electrical
component.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
304 Vehicle Care
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown.Fuses Usage
1 –
2 –
3 Antilock brake system pump
5 AC DC inverter
6 Trunk
7 Anti-theft warning siren/Horn
8 Window/Mirror/Seats
9 Electric brake boost
10 AOS/Airbag–HEV 11 DC DC battery 1
12 Rear defogger
13 Heated mirrors
14 –
15 Passive entry/Passive start
16 Front wiper
17 Passenger power seat Fuses Usage
18 Antilock brake system valve
19 Driver power seat
21 Sunroof
22 Parking lamp
23 Active headlamp leveling
24 –
26 Transmission control module/Ignition
27 Instrument panel/ body/Ignition
28 –
29 Regulated voltage control/Ventilation
30 Malfunction indicator lamp/SS
32 CVS
33 Front heated seat
34 BSM/ESS fan
35 Body control module 6/Body control
module 7 Fuses Usage
36 Fuel module
38 –
39 –
40 Steering column lock
41 –
43 Heated steering wheel
44 Active headlamp leveling
45 –
46 Engine control module/Ignition
47 –
48 Electric brake boost–HEV
49 DC DC battery 2
50 –
51 –
52 –
53 –
54 –
55 –
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Vehicle Care 305
FusesUsage
56 Starter motor
57 Transmission auxiliary pump
58 –
59 High-beam headlamps
60 Cooling fan
61 –
62 –
63 –
65 Air conditioning–HEV
67 –
68 –
69 Right low-beam HID headlamp
70 Left low-beam HID headlamp
72 Starter pinion
74 – Fuses
Usage
75 Engine control module main
76 Powertrain off engine
78 Horn
79 Washer pump
81 Transmission control module/Engine control
module
82 –
83 Ignition coil
84 Powertrain on engine
85 Engine control module switch 2
86 Engine control module switch 1
87 SAI reaction pump
88 Aeroshutter
89 Headlamp washer
91 – Fuses
Usage
92 Traction power inverter module/Motor
generator unit pump
93 Active headlamp leveling
95 SAI reaction solenoid
96 Fuel heater
97 –
99 Coolant pump
Relays Usage
4 AC DC inverter
20 Rear defogger
25 Front wiper control
31 Run/Crank
37 Front wiper speed
42 Transmission auxiliary pump
64 Starter motor