CHEVROLET MALIBU 2012 7.G Owners Manual

Black plate (81,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-81
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 10‑82.
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 2‑9.
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.4. Raise the jack to the heightshown and lock the wrench onto
the jack.

Black plate (82,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-82 Vehicle Care
5. Place the jack in the spare tirewell. 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). 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.

Black plate (83,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-83
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 Battery on
page 10‑26.
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. Notice:
Ignoring these steps
could result in costly damage to
the vehicle that would not be
covered by the warranty.
Trying to start the vehicle by
pushing or pulling it will not
work, and it could damage the
vehicle.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must
have a 12-volt battery with a
negative ground system.
Notice: Only use a vehicle that
has a 12-volt system with a
negative ground for jump
starting. If the other vehicle
does not have a 12-volt system
with a negative ground, both
vehicles can be damaged.

Black plate (84,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-84 Vehicle Care
2. Get the vehicles close enoughso the jumper cables can reach,
but be sure the vehicles are not
touching each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you do not want.
You would not be able to start
your vehicle, and the bad
grounding could damage the
electrical systems.
To avoid the possibility of the
vehicles rolling, set the parking
brake firmly on both vehicles
involved in the jump start
procedure. Put an automatic
transmission in P (Park) or
a manual transmission in
N (Neutral) before setting the
parking brake. Notice:
If the radio or other
accessories are left on during the
jump starting procedure, they
could be damaged. The repairs
would not be covered by the
warranty. Always turn off the
radio and other accessories when
jump starting the vehicle.
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Unplug unnecessary
accessories plugged into the
cigarette lighter or the accessory
power outlet. Turn off the radio
and all lamps that are not
needed. This will avoid sparks
and help save both batteries.
And it could save the radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the positive (+)
and negative (−) terminal
locations on each vehicle.
Your vehicle's positive (+)
terminal and negative (–)
terminal are located under a
black cover on the battery. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10‑6 for
more information on location.
Remove the cover to access the
positive (+) and negative (–)
terminals.
{WARNING
An electric fan can start up even
when the engine is not running
and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
{WARNING
Using a match near a battery can
cause battery gas to explode.
People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded.
Use a flashlight if you need
more light.
(Continued)

Black plate (85,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-85
WARNING (Continued)
Be sure the battery has enough
water. You do not need to add
water to the battery installed in
your new vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right
amount of fluid is there. If it is low,
add water to take care of that
first. If you don't, explosive gas
could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that
can burn you. Do not get it on
you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush
the place with water and get
medical help immediately.
{WARNING
Fans or other moving engine
parts can injure you badly. Keep
your hands away from moving
parts once the engine is running.5. Check that the jumper cables
do not have loose or missing
insulation. If they do, you could
get a shock. The vehicles could
be damaged too.
Before you connect the cables,
here are some things you should
know. Positive (+) will go to
positive (+) or to a remote
positive (+) terminal if the vehicle
has one. Negative (−) will go to a
heavy, unpainted metal engine
part or to a remote negative (−)
terminal if the vehicle has one.
Do not connect positive (+) to
negative (−) or you will get a
short that would damage the
battery and maybe other parts
too. And do not connect the
negative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal on the
dead battery because this can
cause sparks.
6. Connect the red positive (+)
cable to the positive (+) terminal
of the dead battery. Use a
remote positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
7. Do not let the other end touch metal. Connect it to the
positive (+) terminal of the
good battery. Use a remote
positive (+) terminal if the
vehicle has one.

Black plate (86,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-86 Vehicle Care
8. Now connect the blacknegative (−) cable to the
negative (−) terminal of the
good battery. Use a remote
negative (−) terminal if the
vehicle has one.
Do not let the other end touch
anything until the next step.
The other end of the negative (−)
cable does not go to the dead
battery. It goes to a heavy,
unpainted metal engine part or
to a remote negative (−) terminal
on the vehicle with the dead
battery.
9. Connect the other end of the negative (−) cable at least
18 inches (45 cm) away from
the dead battery, but not near
engine parts that move. The
electrical connection is just as
good there, and the chance of
sparks getting back to the
battery is much less. 10. Now start the vehicle with the
good battery and run the
engine for a while.
11. Try to start the vehicle that had the dead battery. If it will not
start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
Notice: If the jumper cables are
connected or removed in the
wrong order, electrical shorting
may occur and damage the
vehicle. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always connect and remove the
jumper cables in the correct
order, making sure that the
cables do not touch each other
or other metal.
Jumper Cable Removal
A. Heavy, Unpainted Metal Engine Part or Remote Negative (–)
Terminal
B. Good Battery or Remote Positive (+) and Remote
Negative (–) Terminals
C. Dead Battery or Remote Positive (+) Terminal

Black plate (87,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-87
To disconnect the jumper cables
from both vehicles, do the following:
1. Disconnect the blacknegative (−) cable from the
vehicle that had the dead
battery.
2. Disconnect the black negative (−) cable from the
vehicle with the good battery.
3. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the vehicle with the
good battery.
4. Disconnect the red positive (+) cable from the other vehicle.
5. Return the caps over the positive (+) and negative (−)
terminals to their original
positions.Towing
Towing the Vehicle
Notice: To avoid damage, the
disabled vehicle should be towed
with all four wheels off the
ground. Care must be taken
with vehicles that have low
ground clearance and/or special
equipment. Always flatbed on a
car carrier.
Consult your dealer or a
professional towing service if the
disabled vehicle must be towed.
See Roadside Assistance Program
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑7 or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑10.
To tow the vehicle behind another
vehicle for recreational purposes,
such as behind a motor home,
see “Recreational Vehicle Towing”
in this section.
Recreational Vehicle
Towing
Recreational vehicle towing means
towing the vehicle behind another
vehicle –such as behind a motor
home. The two most common types
of recreational vehicle towing are
known as dinghy towing and dolly
towing. Dinghy towing is towing the
vehicle with all four wheels on the
ground. Dolly towing is towing the
vehicle with two wheels on the
ground and two wheels up on a
device known as a dolly.

Black plate (88,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-88 Vehicle Care
Here are some important things to
consider before recreational vehicle
towing:
.What's the towing capacity of the
towing vehicle? Be sure to read
the tow vehicle manufacturer's
recommendations.
.How far will the vehicle be
towed? Some vehicles have
restrictions on how far and
how long they can tow.
.Does the vehicle have the
proper towing equipment?
See your dealer or trailering
professional for additional
advice and equipment
recommendations.
.Is the vehicle ready to be
towed? Just as preparing the
vehicle for a long trip, make sure
the vehicle is prepared to be
towed.
Dinghy Towing
When dinghy towing, the vehicle
should be run at the beginning of
each day and at each RV fuel stop
for about five minutes. This will
ensure proper lubrication of
transmission components.
To dinghy tow the vehicle from the
front with all four wheels on the
ground:
1. Position the vehicle to tow andthen secure it to the towing
vehicle. 2. Shift the transmission to
P (Park) and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. To prevent the battery from draining while the vehicle is
being towed, remove the
following fuse from the
instrument panel fuse block:
(IGN SENSOR). See Instrument
Panel Fuse Block on page 10‑37
for more information.
5. Turn the ignition to ACC/ACCESSORY.
6. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember to reinstall the IGN
SENSOR fuse once the destination
has been reached.

Black plate (89,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-89
Notice:If 105 km/h (65 mph) is
exceeded while towing the
vehicle, it could be damaged.
Never exceed 105 km/h (65 mph)
while towing the vehicle.
Notice: Towing the vehicle from
the rear could damage it. Also,
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never have
the vehicle towed from the rear.
Dolly Towing
Tow the vehicle with the two rear
wheels on the ground and the front
wheels on a dolly:
To tow the vehicle with two wheels
on the ground and a dolly:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the gear shift lever in P (Park). 3. Set the parking brake.
4. Remove the key from the
ignition.
5. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
6. Release the parking brake.
Notice: Towing the vehicle from
the rear could damage it. Also,
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Never have
the vehicle towed from the rear.

Black plate (90,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-90 Vehicle Care
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish,
wash it often and out of direct
sunlight.
Notice:Do not use petroleum
based, acidic, or abrasive
cleaning agents as they can
damage the vehicle's paint,
metal, or plastic parts. If damage
occurs, it would not be covered
by the vehicle's warranty.
Approved cleaning products can
be obtained from your dealer.
Follow all manufacturer
directions regarding correct
product usage, necessary safety
precautions, and appropriate
disposal of any vehicle care
product. Notice:
Avoid using high
pressure washes closer than
30 cm (12 in) to the surface of the
vehicle. Use of power washers
exceeding 8,274 kPa (1,200 psi)
can result in damage or removal
of paint and decals.
Rinse the vehicle well, before
washing and after, to remove all
cleaning agents completely. If they
are allowed to dry on the surface,
they could stain.
Dry the finish with a soft, clean
chamois or an all-cotton towel to
avoid surface scratches and water
spotting.
Finish Care
Occasional hand waxing or mild
polishing should be done to remove
residue from the paint finish.
See your dealer for approved
cleaning products. Notice:
Machine compounding
or aggressive polishing on a
basecoat/clearcoat paint finish
may damage it. Use only
non-abrasive waxes and polishes
that are made for a basecoat/
clearcoat paint finish on the
vehicle.
Foreign materials such as calcium
chloride and other salts, ice melting
agents, road oil and tar, tree sap,
bird droppings, chemicals from
industrial chimneys, etc., can
damage the vehicle's finish if they
remain on painted surfaces. Wash
the vehicle as soon as possible.
If necessary, use non-abrasive
cleaners that are marked safe for
painted surfaces to remove foreign
matter.
To keep the paint finish looking new,
keep the vehicle garaged or
covered whenever possible.