Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/21/19
Vehicle Care 211
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 212
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 213
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 221
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 223
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 228
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 Battery - North America . . . . . . 232
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 234
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 235
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 235
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 236
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . 237
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LS and LT) . . . . . . . . . . 239
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps (LT and Premier) . . . . . 240
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 240
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Electrical System Overload . . . 242
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 242
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 252
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Tire Pressure for High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/21/19
232 Vehicle Care
When the brake fluid falls to a low
level, the brake warning light comes
on. SeeBrake System Warning
Light 0106.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid
at the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0304.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3
brake fluid from a clean, sealed
container. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0313.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the
paint finish can be damaged.
Immediately wash off any painted
surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove
the cap and do not add fluid.
The vehicle has a standard 12-volt
battery under the hood. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0216.
Refer to the replacement number
shown on the original battery label
when a new 12-volt battery is
needed.
Stop/Start System
If equipped with the 1.5L L4 engine,
the vehicle has a Stop/Start system
to shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. See Stop/Start
System 0158. Vehicles with a 1.5L engine have an
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) 12-volt
battery. Installation of a standard
12-volt battery will result in reduced
12-volt battery life.
When using a 12-volt battery
charger on the 12-volt AGM battery,
some chargers have an AGM
battery setting on the charger.
If available, use the AGM setting on
the charger, to limit charge voltage
to 14.8 volts.
{Warning
WARNING:
Battery posts,
terminals, and related
accessories contain lead and lead
compounds, chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Batteries also
contain other chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer. WASH HANDS AFTER
HANDLING. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/21/19
Vehicle Care 241
Passenger Side Shown, DriverSide Similar
1. Push the release tab toward the lamp assembly.
2. Pull the lamp assembly down to remove.3. Turn the bulb socketcounterclockwise to remove it
from the lamp assembly.
4. Pull the bulb straight out of the bulb socket.
5. Push the replacement bulb straight into the bulb socket
and turn the bulb socket
clockwise to install it into the
lamp assembly.
6. Push the lamp assembly back into position until the release
tab locks into place.
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and
Wiring
{Warning
Exposure to high voltage can
cause shock, burns, and even
death. The high voltage
components in the vehicle can
only be serviced by technicians
with special training.
High voltage components are
identified by labels. Do not
remove, open, take apart,
or modify these components.
High voltage cable or wiring has
orange covering or labels. Do not
probe, tamper with, cut, or modify
high voltage cable or wiring.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
350 Index
Front Seats (cont'd)Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 41
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Economy, Driving for Better . . . 144
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 111
Management, Active . . . . . . . . . . 162
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Recommended . . . . . . . . . . 198, 199
Top Tier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Fuses Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 242
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
G
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
GaugesEngine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Gauges (cont'd)
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
General Information Service and Maintenance . . . . . 302
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 128
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Headlamps (cont'd)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . .112
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 127
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . .112
Heated Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134, 137
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . 259
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 149
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 169
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134, 137
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
356 Index
Transportation Program,Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Turn Signal
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 239, 240
U
Umbrella Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . 268
Using This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
V
VehicleAlarm System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Canadian Owners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Identification Number (VIN) . . . 316
Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Personalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Remote Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . 108 Vehicle Care
Storing the Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 279
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . 241
W
Warning
Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Warnings
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Wheels Alignment and Tire Balance . . 270
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 71
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Windshield
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . 235
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Wiring, High Voltage Devices . . . 241