2020 CHEVROLET MALIBU check engine light

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
210 Driving and Operating
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC) is
used for vehicle service and
Emission Inspection/Maintenance
testing. SeeMalfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine Light) 0104
. A device connected to the DLC
— such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 064 and
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 064.

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
Vehicle Care 245
The vehicle may not be equipped
with all of the fuses, relays, and
features shown.Fuses Usage
1 –
2 –
3 Antilock brake system pump/Electric brake
boost
5 –
6 Rear closure
7 –
8 Memory seat module
9 Electric brake boost/ Pedestrian friendly
alert function –HEV
10 Automatic occupant sensing/Airbag –HEV
11 DC DC converter 1
12 Rear window defogger
13 Heated mirrors
14 – Fuses Usage
15 Passive entry/Passive start
16 Front wiper
17 Passenger power seat
18 Antilock brake system valve
19 Driver power seat
21 Sunroof
22 Parking lamp
23 Automatic headlamp leveling/Adaptive
forward lighting
24 –
26 Transmission control module/Ignition
27 Instrument panel/ Body/Ignition
28 –
29 Rear vision camera/ Ventilated seats
30 Malfunction indicator lamp/Ignition Fuses Usage
32 Canister vent solenoid/Evap leak
check module
33 Front heated seat
34 Battery system manager/Accessory
power module
fan–HEV
35 Body control module 6/Body control
module 7
36 Fuel module
38 –
39 –
40 Steering column lock
41 –
43 Heated steering wheel
44 Headlamp leveling
45 –
46 Engine control module/Ignition
47 –

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/21/19
Vehicle Care 287
2. Discharged Battery RemoteNegative Terminal
3. Good Battery Remote Negative Terminal
4. Good Battery Remote Positive Terminal
The vehicle has a remote
positive (+) terminal under a trim
cover. It is under the cover of the
engine compartment fuse block on
the driver side of the engine
compartment. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0216. You
should always use this remote
positive (+) terminal.
The jump start negative ground
terminal for the discharged battery
is on the shock tower on the driver
side of the engine compartment.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt battery
with a negative ground system.
Caution
If the other vehicle does not have
a 12-volt system with a negative
ground, both vehicles can be
damaged. Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump starting.
2. Position the two vehicles so that they are not touching.
3. Set the parking brake firmly on both vehicles. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or a
manual transmission in Neutral
before setting the parking
brake.
Caution
If any accessories are left on or
plugged in during the jump
starting procedure, they could be
damaged. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
warranty. Whenever possible, turn
off or unplug all accessories on
either vehicle when jump starting.
4. Turn the ignition off and switch off all lights and accessories in
both vehicles, except the
hazard warning flashers if
needed.
{Warning
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing, and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{Warning
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
310 Service and Maintenance
Additional
Maintenance and Care
Your vehicle is an important
investment and caring for it properly
may help to avoid future costly
repairs. To maintain vehicle
performance, additional
maintenance services may be
required.
It is recommended that your dealer
perform these services—their
trained dealer technicians know
your vehicle best. Your dealer can
also perform a thorough
assessment with a multi-point
inspection to recommend when your
vehicle may need attention.
The following list is intended to
explain the services and conditions
to look for that may indicate
services are required.
Battery
The 12-volt battery supplies power
to start the engine and operate any
additional electrical accessories. .
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 0313 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.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
346 Index
IndexA
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . 162
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . . . 174
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 210
Additional Information OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . 223
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . 134, 137
Air Filter
Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Passenger Sensing System . . . . 59
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Airbag System (cont'd)
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
When Should an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . 55
Airbags Adding Equipment to theVehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Passenger Status Indicator . . . 103
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Alert Lane Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Side Blind Zone (SBZA) . . . . . . 193
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . 166 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Armrest Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Index 347
Assistance Program,Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 183
Auto Stop
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . 190
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
B
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Battery - North America . . . . 232, 286
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 235 Brake
Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 106
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 AutomaticEmergency (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Braking System Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 191
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 155
Bulb Replacement Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 240
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . 239, 240
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .213, 232, 286, Back Cover
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . . 86
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Charging
Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 104
Check
Engine Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Index 349
DrivingAssistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 188
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . 144
Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 149
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 151
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Dual Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 168
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 106
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electrical System Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 242
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Electrical System (cont'd)
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Emergency OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Check Light (MalfunctionIndicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 216
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 163
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . 223
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 332
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Extender, Seat Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 125
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 127
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
F
Filter,Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 128
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 222
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35