
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Service and Maintenance 305
Air Conditioning Desiccant (Replace Every
Seven Years)
The air conditioning system requires
maintenance every seven years. This service
requires replacement of the desiccant to
help the longevity and efficient operation of
the air conditioning system. This service can
be complex. See your dealer.
Tire Rotation and Required Services
Every 12 000 km (7,500 mi)
Rotate the tires, if recommended for the
vehicle, and perform the following services.
SeeTire Rotation 0272.
.Check engine oil level and oil
life percentage. If needed, change engine
oil and filter, and reset oil life system.
See Engine Oil 0234 and
Engine Oil Life System 0236.
.If equipped with the engine air filter life
system, check the air filter
life percentage. If necessary, replace the
engine air filter and reset the engine air
filter life system. See Engine Air Filter Life
System 0237. If the vehicle is not
equipped with the engine air filter life
system, inspect the engine air cleaner
filter. See Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0237.
.Check engine coolant level. See Cooling
System 0238.
.Check windshield washer fluid level. See
Washer Fluid 0242.
.Check tire inflation pressures. See Tire
Pressure 0266.
.Inspect tire wear. See Tire Inspection
0 272.
.Visually check for fluid leaks.
.Inspect brake system. See Exterior Care
0 295.
.Visually inspect steering, suspension, and
chassis components for damage, including
cracks or tears in the rubber boots, loose
or missing parts, or signs of wear at least
once a year. See Exterior Care0295.
.Inspect power steering for proper
attachment, connections, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc.
.Visually inspect halfshafts and drive
shafts for excessive wear, lubricant leaks,
and/or damage including: tube dents or
cracks, constant velocity joint or universal
joint looseness, cracked or missing boots,
loose or missing boot clamps, center
bearing excessive looseness, loose or
missing fasteners, and axle seal leaks.
.Check restraint system components. See
Safety System Check 044.
.Visually inspect fuel system for damage
or leaks.
.Visually inspect exhaust system and
nearby heat shields for loose or damaged
parts.
.Lubricate body components. See Exterior
Care 0295.
.Check automatic transmission shift lock
control function. See Automatic
Transmission Shift Lock Control Function
Check 0247.
.Check parking brake and automatic
transmission park mechanism. See Park
Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check
0 247.
.Check accelerator pedal for damage, high
effort, or binding. Replace if needed.
.Visually inspect gas strut for signs of
wear, cracks, or other damage. Check the
hold open ability of the strut. If the hold
open ability is low, service the gas strut.
See Gas Strut(s) 0248.
.Check tire sealant expiration date,
if equipped. See Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit 0279.
.Inspect sunroof track and seal,
if equipped. See Sunroof025.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Index 341
Child Restraints (cont'd)Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Control Traction and Electronic Stability . . . . . . . 193
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Controls
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Coolant
Engine Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Engine Temperature Warning Light . . . . . 91
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164, 166
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . 325
Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Customer Information Publications Ordering Information . . . . . 327
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . 320
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Data Collection Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 Data Collection (cont'd)
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Database Coverage Explanations . . . . . . . . . 136
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Destination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . 94, 96
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . 221
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Index 347
Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Buckle To Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly . . . . . . . 39
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Heated and Ventilated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Heated, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67, 68
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 229 Service (cont'd)
Climate Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . 303
Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . 89
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Servicing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Software Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Special Application Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250, 251
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
System Engine Air Filter Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237