CHEVROLET MALIBU 1998 Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 7.
5. Carefully remove the backplate by gently pulling up on the two upper and two lower tabs.
6. Gently wiggle the bulbs to remove them from the
socket. Replace the bulb.
8.
Reverse the steps to reassemble the backplate and
attach the taillamp assembly to the vehicle.
Make sure that all four tabs of the backplate
are
securely fastened to the taillamp assembly before
installing it on the vehicle.
When securing the lamp assembly back into place,
align the assembly so that the trunk lid doesn’t
contact
it.
Dome Lamp
To change your dome lamp bulb, grasp the center front
and center rear portion
of the housing and squeeze
firmly but gently. The housing should come
off.
If this doesn’t work, you may need to use a small
flat-head screwdriver under the side
of the housing to
help pry it off.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement irc
Replacement blades come in different types and are
removed in different ways. For the proper type and
length, see “Capacities and Specifications” in the Index.
Here’s how to remove the Sheppard’s
Hook type:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield.
2. Push the release lever and slide the wiper assembly
3. Install a new blade by reversing Steps 1 and 2.
toward the driver’s side of the vehicle. Your
new vehicle comes with high-quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. If you ever have questions
about your tire warranty and where to obtain service, see
your Chevrolet
Warranty booklet for details.
/A CAUTION:
Poorly maintained and improperly used tires
are dangerous.
Overloading your tires can cause overheating
as a result of too much friction. You could
have
an airout and a serious accident. See
“Loading Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as
overloaded tires. The resulting accident
could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended pressure. Tire pressure should be checked
when your tires are cold.
CAUTION: (Continued)
6-37

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Overinflated tires are more likely to be
cut, punctured
or broken by a sudden
impact
-- such as when you hit a pothole.
Keep tires
at the recommended pressure.
0 Worn, old tires can cause accidents, If your
tread
is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them,
Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is on the
rear edge of the driver’s door, shows the correct
inflation pressures for your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than
1 mile (1.6 km).
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or
overinflation is all right. It’s not.
If your tires
don’t have enough air (underinflation), you can
get the following:
Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy,
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
0 Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
6-38

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more.
Don’t forget your compact spare tire. It should be at
60 psi (420 Wa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires
are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they’re underinflated.
Be sure to put the valve caps back on the valve
stems. They help prevent leaks by keeping out dirt
and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear, rotate your tires as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See “When It’s Time for New Tires” and
“Wheel Replacement” later in
this section for
more information. The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
A
I
.
7
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don’t include
the compact spare tire in your tire rotation.
6-39

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and rear
inflation pressures as shown on the Tire-Loading
Information label. Make certain that
all wheel nuts are
properly tightened.
See ‘Wheel Nut Torque” in the Index.
’ A YAUTION:
F-
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which
it
is fastened, can make wheel nuts become loose
after
a time. The wheel could come off and cause
an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel
attaches
to the vehicle. In an emergency, you can
use a cloth
or a paper towel to do this; but be
sure to use a scraper
or wire brush later, if you
need to, to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) When It’s Time
for
New Tires
One way to tell when it’s
time for new tires is
to
check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have
only
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
0 You can see the indicators at three or more places
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep 1
around the tire.
tire’s rubber.
enough
to show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
0 The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can’t be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.
6-40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at
the Tire-Loading Information label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same
TPC Spec number. That way
your vehicle will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during normal service on
your vehicle.
If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the TPC number will be followed by an
“MS”
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same
size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original tires. Mixing tires could
cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have
a crash.
Using tires
of different sizes may also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It’s
all right to drive with your compact spare,
though.
It was developed for use on your vehicle.
If you use bias-ply tires on your vehicle, the
wheel rim flanges could develop cracks after
many miles of driving.
A tire and/or wheel could
fail suddenly, causing a crash. Use only radial-ply
tires with the wheels on your vehicle.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger
car tires. The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters
of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production tires.
While the tires available on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect to these
grades, they must also conform to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices
mci diffcxences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction -- A, B, C
The traction grades, from hghest to lowest, are A, B, and
C, and they represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet
pavement
as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based
on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and does not
include cornering (turning) traction.
6-42

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Temperature -- A, B, C Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory
test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire failure.
The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades
B and A represent higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire failure. The
wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced
carefully at the factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
Scheduled wheel alignment and wheel balancing are not
needed. However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or
your vehicle pulling one way or the other, the alignment
may need to be reset. If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked, or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the wheel,
wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced. If the
wheel leaks air, replace it (except some aluminum
wheels, which can sometimes be repaired). See your
dealer if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
6-43
-_

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new GM original
equipment
parts. This way, you will be sure to have the
right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts for your Chevrolet model.
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts
or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control. You could have
a
collision in which you or others could be injured.
Always use the correct wheel, wheel bolts and
wheel nuts for replacement.
NOTICE: -
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
A CAUTION: I
I
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous. You can’t know how it’s been used
or
how far it’s been driven. It could fail suddenly
and cause an accident. If you have to replace
a
wheel, use a new GM original equipment wheel.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine r rire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size
for your tires. Install
them on the front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends securely
fastened. Drive slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop and retighten
them.
If the contact continues, slow down until it
stops. Driving too fast or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you use anything from a container to clean your
vehicle, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions. And always open your
doors or
windows when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
0 Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
Don’t use any
of these unless this manual says you can.
In many uses, these will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
0 Laundry Soap
0 Bleach
0 Reducing Agents