CHEVROLET MALIBU 2002 5.G Owners Manual

6-30
1. Carefully pull directly up on the two latches to
unhook the lamp assembly.
2. Remove the lamp assembly from the vehicle by
pulling it forward. Use care not to scratch the vehicle
with the lamp or the lamp with the fender.3. Unclip the wiring harness and twist the socket less than
a one
-quarter turn counterclockwise and remove it.
4. Gently wiggle the bulb from the socket. Replace the
old bulb with a new bulb.
5. Turn the socket back into place and reconnect the
wiring harness to the socket.
6. Return the lamp assembly to its original position.
Be sure to line up the holes in the lamp assembly to
the round ends of the mounting pins.
7. Press down on the two latches to hook the lamp
assembly in place.

6-31 Front Turn Signal Lamps
1. Remove the headlamp assembly as described
in ªHeadlamps.º
2. Once it has been removed, press the tab on the white
socket while twisting it less than one
-quarter turn
counterclockwise and pull it out.
3. Remove the old bulb and replace it with a new one.4. Turn the socket back into place.
5. Return the lamp assembly to its original position.
Be sure to line up the holes in the lamp assembly to
the round ends of the mounting pins.
6. Press down on the two latches to hook in the
lamp assembly.
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL)
(Interior Mounted)
1. Open the trunk and locate the CHMSL housing on
the underside of the rear window shelf.
2. Twist the socket one
-quarter turn counterclockwise
to remove it.
3. Gently remove burned out bulb and replace with a
new one.
4. Turn the socket back into place.

6-32 Turn Signal/Tail/Stop/Back-Up Lamps
A. Rear Turn Signal Lamp
B. Taillamp/Stoplamp
C. Back
-Up Lamp
1. Unscrew the fastener
located on the inside of
the trunk at the rear of
the vehicle.
2. Gently pull back the trunk trim.
3. Remove the three plastic wing nuts.

6-33
4. Pull out the taillamp assembly to expose the
backplate.5. Carefully remove the backplate by gently pulling up
on the two upper and two lower tabs.
6. Gently wiggle the bulb to remove it from the socket.
Replace the bulb.
7. 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 reinstalling
it on the vehicle.
8. When securing the lamp assembly back into place,
align the assembly so that the trunk lid doesn't
contact it.

6-34
Windshield Wiper
Blade Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be inspected at least
twice a year for wear and cracking. See ªWiper Blade
Checkº in the Index for more information. For the
proper type and length, see ªCapacities and
Specificationsº in the Index.
To replace the wiper blade assembly, do the following:
1. Pull the windshield wiper arm away from
the windshield.
2. Press the tab that holds the wiper blade to the arm.
3. Pull the assembly down to release it from the
U hooked end of the wiper arm and slide the
assembly away from the arm.
4. Slide in the new wiper blade assembly and snap it
into place.

6-35
Tires
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.
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 air
-out and a serious
accident. See ªLoading Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

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.

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.

Worn, old tires can cause accidents. If your
tread is badly worn, or if your tires have
been damaged, replace them.

6-36 Inflation -- Tire Pressure
The Tire-Loading Information label, which is located on
the driver's side rear passenger door, shows the correct
inflation pressures for your tires when they're cold.
ªColdº 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

Too much heat

Tire overloading

Bad wear

Bad handling

Bad fuel economy
NOTICE: (Continued)
NOTICE: (Continued)
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:

Unusual wear

Bad handling

Rough ride

Needless damage from road hazards
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 kPa).
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.

6-37 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 ªWhen It's Time for New Tiresº and
ªWheel Replacementº 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 ªScheduled
Maintenance Servicesº in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
Don't include the compact spare tire in your
tire rotation.
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 ªWheel Nut Torqueº in
the Index.
CAUTION:
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
ªChanging a Flat Tireº in the Index.

6-38
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:

You can see the indicators at three or more places
around the tire.

You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.

The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to show cord or fabric.

The tire has a bump, bulge or split.

The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because of the size or location
of the damage.

6-39 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 ªMSº
(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.
CAUTION:
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.
CAUTION:
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.