
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12461813) - 2019 - crc - 12/11/18
226 Driving and Operating
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving without a trailer. This can
help to avoid heavy braking and
sudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is needed
when towing a trailer. The
combination of the vehicle and
trailer will not accelerate as quickly
and is much longer than the vehicle
alone. It is necessary to go much
farther beyond the passed vehicle
before returning to the lane. Pass
on level roadways. Avoid passing
on hills if possible.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering
wheel with one hand. To move the
trailer to the left, move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move that hand to the right.
Always back up slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
Caution
Turn more slowly and make wider
arcs when towing a trailer to
prevent damage to your vehicle.
Making very sharp turns could
cause the trailer to contact the
vehicle.
Make wider turns than normal when
towing, so trailer will not go over soft
shoulders, over curbs, or strike road
signs, trees, or other objects.
Always signal turns well in advance.
Do not steer or brake suddenly.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downhill grade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes may overheat and result in
reduced braking efficiency.The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear if the transmission shifts too
often under heavy loads and/or hilly
conditions.
When towing at higher altitudes,
engine coolant will boil at a lower
temperature than at lower altitudes.
If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle could show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run, preferably on
level ground, with the transmission
in P (Park) for a few minutes before
turning the engine off. If the
overheat warning comes on, see
Engine Overheating0253.Parking on Hills
{Warning
To prevent serious injury or death,
always park your vehicle and
trailer on a level surface when
possible.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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250 Vehicle Care
What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
.
Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
.
Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
.
Protects against rust and
corrosion.
.
Will not damage aluminum parts..
Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring
it on the ground, or into sewers,
streams or bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
1.5L L4 Turbo and 2.0L L4 Turbo
Coolant Surge Tank

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 253
Cooling System (Power
Electronics)
The power electronics cooling
system keeps the hybrid propulsion
system within a normal operating
temperature range.
What to Use
The power electronics coolant
reservoir in the vehicle is filled with
GM Premix DEX-COOL coolant.
If using this mixture, nothing else
needs to be added.
The coolant needs to be replaced at
the appropriate interval. See
Maintenance Schedule0329.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
The power electronics coolant
reservoir is located in the engine
compartment. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview0237.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the power electronics coolant
reservoir. If coolant is visible but the
coolant level is below the indicated
mark, there could be a leak in the
cooling system.
The power electronics coolant
should only be serviced by a
qualified technician.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an engine coolant
temperature gauge on the
instrument cluster to warn of engine
overheating. SeeEngine Coolant
Temperature Gauge0121.If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. Contact
your dealer for additional
information.
If the decision is made to lift the
hood, make sure the vehicle is
parked on a level surface.
Then check to see if the engine
cooling fans are running. If the
engine is overheating, both fans
should be running. If they are not,
do not continue to run the engine.
Have the vehicle serviced.
Caution
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak in the engine cooling system.
This can cause a loss of all
coolant and can damage the
system and vehicle. Have any
leaks fixed right away.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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254 Vehicle Care
If Steam Is Coming from the
Engine Compartment
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system are under
pressure. Turning the pressure
cap, even a little, can cause them
to come out at high speed and
you could be burned. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the pressure cap, is hot.
Wait for the cooling system and
pressure cap to cool.
If No Steam Is Coming from
the Engine Compartment
If an engine overheat warning is
displayed but no steam can be seen
or heard, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine
can get a little too hot when the
vehicle:
.
Climbs a long hill on a hot day.
.
Stops after high-speed driving.
.
Idles for long periods in traffic.If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air conditioning off.
2. Turn the heater on to the
highest temperature and to the
highest fan speed. Open the
windows as necessary.
3. When it is safe to do so, pull off
the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral), and let the
engine idle.
If the engine coolant temperature
gauge is no longer in the overheat
zone, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
distance from the vehicle in front.
If the warning does not come back
on, continue to drive normally and
have the cooling system checked
for proper fill and function.
If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid is
needed, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. If operating the vehicle in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing, use a fluid that has
sufficient protection against
freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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374 Index
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . 88
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 101
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 156
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 115, 116
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 353
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 299
Connected Services
Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368Connections
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 369
Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 121
Engine Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156, 159
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 248, 253
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 196
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
Customer Information
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 353
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 359
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 358
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Diagnostics
Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 371
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 345
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 203
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134, 137

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 375
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 209
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 28
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 172
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 189
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 127
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 268
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273Electrical System (cont'd)
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Emergency
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Check Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 237
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Coolant Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . 248, 253
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 184
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 246
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 358Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 147
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 149
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 150
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 246
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Forward Automatic Braking . . . . . 211
Forward Collision Alert
(FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Frequency Statement
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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376 Index
Front Pedestrian Braking
(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 62
Fuel
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 131
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 183
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 268
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
G
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262Gauges
Engine Coolant
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Power Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 327
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 150
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 263Headlamps (cont'd)
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 132
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 149
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 132
Heated
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Heated and Ventilated Front
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156, 159
High Voltage Devices and
Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . 285
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 170
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 191
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 377
How to Wear Seat Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156, 159
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Indicator
Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Information
Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Publication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . 355
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 359
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . 115, 116
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 6
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 49
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
K
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 30
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 278
Lamps
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 149
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Malfunction Indicator
(Check Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 215
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 217
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 128
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 151
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 126
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Check Engine (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 127
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 130
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 131
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 149