CHEVROLET MALIBU 2011 7.G Owners Manual

Black plate (69,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-69
3. Turn the wing nutcounterclockwise and remove it.
Then remove the compact spare
tire. See Compact Spare Tire
on
page 10‑77for more information.
4. Remove the wing nut holding the jack in place.
5. Remove the jack and wheel wrench from the trunk.
Tire Changing Tools
The tools you will be using include
the wheel wrench (A) and jack (B).
1. Turn the wing nutcounterclockwise to loosen
wheel wrench.
2. Unhook the wheel wrench from the jack.

Black plate (70,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
10-70 Vehicle Care
3. Extend the handle on the wheelwrench by pressing the button
and pulling on the end of the
wrench. You must do this before
using the wheel wrench.
Removing the Flat Tire and
Installing the Spare Tire
1. Do a safety check beforeproceeding. See If a Tire Goes
Flat on page 10‑59.
2. If the vehicle has a wheel cover or hubcap that has plastic wheel
nut caps, loosen the plastic nut
caps. You might need to use the
wheel wrench to loosen them.
Do not pry off wheel covers or
center caps that have plastic
wheel nut caps.
3. Remove the wheel cover or center cap from the wheel to
locate the wheel nuts.
If the vehicle has a wheel cover
or hubcap without plastic wheel
nut caps, gently pry on the edge
of the plastic wheel trim to
remove it from the wheel to
locate the wheel nuts.
4. Use the wrench to loosen all thewheel nuts. Do not remove
them yet.

Black plate (71,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-71
5. Position the lift head at the jacklocation nearest the flat tire.
Make sure all of the jack lift
head is touching the jacking
flange under the body. Do not
place the jack under a body
panel.
6. Put the compact spare tire near the flat tire.
{WARNING
Getting under a vehicle when it is
jacked up is dangerous. If the
vehicle slips off the jack, you
could be badly injured or killed.
Never get under a vehicle when it
is supported only by a jack.
{WARNING
Raising your vehicle with the jack
improperly positioned can
damage the vehicle and even
make the vehicle fall. To help
avoid personal injury and vehicle
damage, be sure to fit the jack lift
head into the proper location
before raising the vehicle.
7. Raise the vehicle by turning thewrench clockwise. Raise the
vehicle far enough off the
ground so there is enough room
for the compact spare tire to fit.

Black plate (72,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
10-72 Vehicle Care
8. Remove all of the wheel nuts.
9. Remove the flat tire.
{WARNING
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
parts to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose
after time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where the
wheel attaches to the vehicle. In
an emergency, use a cloth or a
paper towel to do this; but be sure
to use a scraper or wire brush
later, if needed, to get all the rust
or dirt off. SeeIf a Tire Goes Flat
on page 10‑59.
10. Remove any rust or dirt from
the wheel bolts, mounting
surfaces and spare wheel.
11. Install the compact spare tire.

Black plate (73,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-73
{WARNING
Never use oil or grease on bolts
or nuts because the nuts might
come loose. The vehicle's wheel
could fall off, causing a crash.
12. Put the wheel nuts back on with the rounded end toward
the wheel. Tighten each nut by
hand or with the wrench until
the wheel is held against
the hub.
13. Lower the vehicle by turningthe wrench counterclockwise.
Lower the jack completely.
{WARNING
Wheel nuts that are improperly or
incorrectly tightened can cause
the wheels to become loose or
come off. The wheel nuts should
be tightened with a torque wrench
to the proper torque specification
after replacing. Follow the torque
specification supplied by the
aftermarket manufacturer when
using accessory locking wheel
nuts. See Capacities and
Specifications
on page 12‑2for
original equipment wheel nut
torque specifications.
Notice: Improperly tightened
wheel nuts can lead to brake
pulsation and rotor damage. To
avoid expensive brake repairs,
evenly tighten the wheel nuts in
the proper sequence and to the
proper torque specification. See
Capacities and Specifications
on
page 12‑2for the wheel nut
torque specification.

Black plate (74,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
10-74 Vehicle Care
14. Tighten the wheel nuts firmly ina crisscross sequence, as
shown, with the wheel wrench.
Notice: Wheel covers will not fit
on your vehicle's compact spare.
If you try to put a wheel cover on
the compact spare, the cover or
the spare could be damaged.
Do not try to put a wheel cover on
your compact spare tire. It will not
fit. Store the wheel cover and wheel
nut caps in the trunk until you have
the flat tire repaired or replaced.
Storing a Flat Tire and Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
To store the flat tire and jack in the
compact spare tire compartment:
1. Open the trunk. See Trunk
on
page 2‑10.
2. Remove the bolt extension (in the yellow sleeve) from the jack
and remove the center cap from
the wheel.
3. Collapse the wrench using thesame button used to extend it.
4. Attach the wrench to the jack by placing the tab on the wrench
into the hole on the side of the
jack. Then place the wrench
handle over the tab on the side
of the jack.

Black plate (75,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-75
5. Raise the jack to the heightshown and lock the wrench onto
the jack.6. Place the jack over the bolt (A)on the floor, making sure it
contacts the bolt. Thread the
jack retainer nut until it contacts
the jack. 7. With the valve stem up, place
the tire on the compartment floor
with the rear of the tire under the
trim panel. The tire may not lay
completely flat.
8. Line up the bolt with the wheel center.
9. With the yellow cap in place to prevent the wheel from being
scratched, screw the bolt
extension onto the bolt through
the wheel center hole.
10. Remove the yellow cap from the bolt extension.
11. Secure the tire and wheel with the larger wing nut.

Black plate (76,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
10-76 Vehicle Care
A. Cover
B. Wing Nut
C. Extension
D. Flat Tire (valve stem up)
E. Nut
F. Jack
G. Bolt
The compact spare is for temporary
use only. Replace the compact
spare tire with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. SeeCompact
Spare Tire
on page 10‑77.
Storing the Spare Tire and
Tools
{WARNING
Storing a jack, a tire, or other
equipment in the passenger
compartment of the vehicle could
cause injury. In a sudden stop or
collision, loose equipment could
strike someone. Store all these in
the proper place.
1. Open the trunk. See Trunk
on
page 2‑10.
2. Collapse the wrench using the same button used to extend it.
3. Attach the wrench to the jack by placing the tab on the wrench
into the hole on the side of the
jack. Then place the wrench
handle over the tab on the side
of the jack.

Black plate (77,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-77
4. Raise the jack to the heightshown and lock the wrench onto
the jack. 5. Place the jack in the spare tire
well. Make sure the stow bolt
goes through the hole in the
center of the wrench on the jack,
with the base of the jack towards
the front of the vehicle. Turn the
jack retainer nut until it firmly
contacts the wrench. Do not
over tighten.
6. Place the compact spare into the tire compartment with the stow
bolt going through the center
hole of the wheel.
7. Turn the spare tire retainer nut until it firmly contacts the wheel.
Do not over tighten.
Compact Spare Tire
{WARNING
Driving with more than one
compact spare tire at a time could
result in loss of braking and
handling. This could lead to a
crash and you or others could be
injured. Use only one compact
spare tire at a time.
If this vehicle has a compact spare
tire it was fully inflated when the
vehicle was new, however, it can
lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should
be 60 psi (420 kPa).

Black plate (78,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
10-78 Vehicle Care
After installing the compact spare
on the vehicle, stop as soon as
possible and make sure the spare
tire is correctly inflated. The
compact spare is made to perform
well at speeds up to 65 mph
(105 km/h) for distances up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km), so you can
finish your trip and have the full-size
tire repaired or replaced at your
convenience. Of course, it is best to
replace the spare with a full-size tire
as soon as possible. The spare tire
will last longer and be in good
shape in case it is needed again.Notice:
When the compact spare
is installed, do not take the
vehicle through an automatic car
wash with guide rails. The
compact spare can get caught on
the rails which can damage the
tire, wheel and other parts of the
vehicle.
Do not use the compact spare on
other vehicles.
Do not mix the compact spare tire or
wheel with other wheels or tires.
They will not fit. Keep the spare tire
and its wheel together.
Notice: Tire chains will not fit the
compact spare. Using them can
damage the vehicle and can
damage the chains too. Do not
use tire chains on the compact
spare.Jump Starting
For more information about the
vehicle battery, see Batteryon
page 10‑25.
If the battery has run down, you
may want to use another vehicle
and some jumper cables to start
your vehicle. Be sure to use the
following steps to do it safely.
{WARNING
Batteries can hurt you. They can
be dangerous because:
.They contain acid that can
burn you.
.They contain gas that can
explode or ignite.
.They contain enough
electricity to burn you.
If you do not follow these steps
exactly, some or all of these
things can hurt you.