
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Introduction 3
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.
u: Air Conditioning System
G:Air Conditioning Refrigerant Oil
9:Airbag Readiness Light
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
$:Brake System Warning Light
9:Dispose of Used Components Properly
P:Do Not Apply High Pressure Water
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
H: Flammable
[:Forward Collision Alert
R:Fuse Block Cover Lock Location
+:Fuses
j:ISOFIX/LATCH System Child Restraints
Q:Keep Fuse Block Covers Properly
Installed
|: Lane Change Alert
@:Lane Departure Warning
A:Lane Keep Assist
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
X:Park Assist
~:Pedestrian Ahead Indicator
O:Power
7:Rear Cross Traffic Alert
I:Registered Technician
/:Remote Vehicle Start
h:Risk of Electrical Fire
>:Seat Belt Reminders
I:Side Blind Zone Alert
h:Stop/Start
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)
a: Under Pressure
k: Vehicle Ahead Indicator

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Instruments and Controls 77
The outlet is powered when the ignition is
on or in accessory mode, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of turning
off the vehicle. SeeRetained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0179.
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 0219.
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, this power outlet 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 on, 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 operate briefly then turn
off. A protection circuit shuts off the power
supply and the indicator light turns off. To
reset the circuit, unplug the item and plug it
back in or turn the Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) off and then back on. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
0179. The
power restarts when equipment using
150 watts or less is plugged into the outlet
and a system fault is not detected.
The power outlet is not designed for the
following, and may not work properly if
they are plugged in:
.Equipment with high initial peak wattage,
such as compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools
.Other equipment requiring an extremely
stable power supply, such as
microcomputer-controlled electric blankets
and touch sensor lamps
.Medical equipment

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Lighting 105
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.
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 0244.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control
This feature adjusts the brightness of all
illuminated controls. The instrument panel
illumination control is next to the exterior
lamp control.
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.
The knob is functional at night, or when the
headlamps or parking lamps are ON.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps come on when any door
is opened unless the dome lamp override is
activated. To deactivate the dome lamp
override, press
jOFF and the indicator
light on the button will turn off.
Dome Lamps
Dome Lamp Controls

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154 Infotainment System
POSSESSION OF THIS DATA; OR FOR ANY
LOSS OF PROFIT, REVENUE, CONTRACTS OR
SAVINGS, OR ANY OTHER DIRECT, INDIRECT,
INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF OR
INABILITY TO USE THIS DATA, ANY DEFECT IN
THIS DATA, OR THE BREACH OF THESE
TERMS OR CONDITIONS, WHETHER IN AN
ACTION IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR BASED
ON A WARRANTY, EVEN IF HERE OR ITS
LICENSORS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Some
States, Territories, and Countries do not
allow certain liability exclusions or damages
limitations, so to that extent the above may
not apply to you.
Export Control
You agree not to export from anywhere any
part of the Data provided to you or any
direct product thereof except in compliance
with, and with all licenses and approvals
required under, applicable export laws, rules
and regulations. Entire Agreement: These
terms and conditions constitute the entire
agreement between HERE (and its licensors,
including their licensors and suppliers) and
you pertaining to the subject matter hereof,
and supersedes in their entirety any and allwritten or oral agreements previously
existing between us with respect to such
subject matter.
Governing Law
The above terms and conditions shall be
governed by the laws of the State of Illinois,
without giving effect to (i) its conflict of
laws provisions, or (ii) the United Nations
Convention for Contracts for the
International Sale of Goods, which is
explicitly excluded. You agree to submit to
the jurisdiction of the State of Illinois for
any and all disputes, claims, and actions
arising from or in connection with the Data
provided to you hereunder.
Government End Users
If the Data is being acquired by or on behalf
of the United States government or any
other entity seeking or applying rights
similar to those customarily claimed by the
United States government, this Data is a
“commercial item”
as that term is defined at
48 C.F.R. (“FAR”) 2.101, is licensed in
accordance with this End User License
Agreement, and each copy of Data delivered
or otherwise furnished shall be marked and
embedded as appropriate with the following
“Notice of Use,” and be treated in
accordance with such Notice:
NOTICE OF USE
CONTRACTOR (MANUFACTURER/ SUPPLIER)
NAME:
HERE North America, LLC
CONTRACTOR (MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER)
ADDRESS:
425 West Randolph Street, Chicago, IL
60606.
This Data is a commercial item as defined in
FAR 2.101 and is subject to the End User
License Agreement under which this Data
was provided.
© 2014 HERE North America, LLC. All rights
reserved.
If the Contracting Officer, federal
government agency, or any federal official
refuses to use the legend provided herein,

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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220 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . 221
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own Service Work . . . . . . . . . 222
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Air Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Battery - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock Control Function Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Windshield Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamp Aiming
Front Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps . . . . . . 239
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps (LS and LT) . . . . . . . . . . 240
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up Lamps (LT and Premier) . . . . . 241
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Electrical System
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . 242
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . 245
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . 249
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Low-Profile Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tire Terminology and Definitions . . . . . . 255
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 Tire Pressure for High-Speed
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . 260
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . 264
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . 266
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . 266
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . 268
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . 275
Towing the Vehicle
Transporting a Disabled Vehicle . . . . . . . 278
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287

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Vehicle Care 225
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0228.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil0225.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil0225.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System 0229.
5. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brakes0234.
6. Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling System 0229.
7. Battery - North America 0235.
8. Remote Positive (+) Battery Terminal (Under Cover). See Jump Starting - North
America 0275.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse Block 0245.
10. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid 0233.
11. Remote Negative (-) Battery Terminal. SeeJump Starting - North America 0275.Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine performance and
long life, careful attention must be paid to
engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect your
investment:
.Use engine oil approved to the proper
specification and of the proper viscosity
grade. See “Selecting the Right Engine
Oil” in this section.
.Check the engine oil level regularly and
maintain the proper oil level. See
“Checking Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
.Change the engine oil at the appropriate
time. SeeEngine Oil Life System 0227.
.Always dispose of engine oil properly. See
“What to Do with Used Oil” later in this
section.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly, every
650 km (400 mi), especially prior to a long
trip. The engine oil dipstick handle is a loop.
See Engine Compartment Overview 0224 for
the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle may be
hot; it could burn you. Use a towel or
glove to touch the dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center (DIC)
message displays, check the oil level.
Follow these guidelines:
.To get an accurate reading, park the
vehicle on level ground. Check the engine
oil level after the engine has been off for
at least two hours. Checking the engine
oil level on steep grades or too soon after
engine shutoff can result in incorrect
readings. Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to starting.
Remove the dipstick and check the level.
.If unable to wait two hours, the engine
must be off for at least 15 minutes if the
engine is warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out the
dipstick, wipe it with a clean paper towel
or cloth, then push it back in all the way.
Remove it again, keeping the tip down,
and check the level.

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Vehicle Care 243
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.
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 to use and
replace it as soon as possible.
To check a fuse, look at the band inside the
fuse. If the band is broken or melted,
replace the fuse. Be sure to replace a bad
fuse with a fuse of the identical size and
rating.
Replacing a Blown Fuse
1. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Locate the fuse puller in the enginecompartment fuse block.

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244 Vehicle Care
3. Use the fuse puller to remove the fusefrom the top or side, as shown above.
4. If the fuse must be replaced immediately, borrow a replacement fuse
with the same amperage from the fuse
block. Choose a vehicle feature that is
not needed to safely operate the vehicle.
Repeat Steps 2-3.
5. Insert the replacement fuse into the empty slot of the blown fuse.
At the next opportunity, see your dealer to
replace the blown fuse.
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 if the lamps go on and
off or remain off.
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.