ECU CHEVROLET MALIBU 2012 7.G Service Manual

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-15
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle. If you put things inside the
vehicle
—like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything
else —they will go as fast as the
vehicle goes. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a
crash, they will keep going.
{WARNING
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat folded
down unless needed.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-43
The following information has
important trailering tips and rules
for your safety and that of your
passengers. Read this section
carefully before pulling a trailer.
Pulling a Trailer
Here are some important points:
.There are many laws, including
speed limit restrictions that apply
to trailering. Check for legal
requirements with state or
provincial police.
.Do not tow a trailer at all during
the first 1 600 km (1,000 miles)
the new vehicle is driven.
The engine, axle or other
parts could be damaged.
.During the first 800 km
(500 miles) that a trailer is
towed, do not drive over
80 km/h (50 mph) and do not
make starts at full throttle.
This reduces wear on the
vehicle.
.The vehicle can tow in D (Drive).
Use a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often.
.Obey speed limit restrictions.
Do not drive faster than the
maximum posted speed for
trailers, or no more than
90 km/h (55 mph), to reduce
wear on the vehicle.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires experience.
Get familiar with handling and
braking with the added trailer
weight. The vehicle is now longer
and not as responsive as the
vehicle is by itself.
Check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains,
electrical connectors, lamps, tires
and mirror adjustments. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start the vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply
the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes are working.During the trip, check regularly to be
sure that the load is secure, and the
lamps and trailer brakes are working
properly.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of the
stability control system might be
heard. The system is reacting to the
vehicle movement caused by the
trailer, which mainly occurs during
cornering. This is normal when
towing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving the vehicle without a trailer.
This can help to avoid situations
that require heavy braking and
sudden turns.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-19
If coolant is needed, add the proper
DEX-COOL coolant mixture at the
coolant surge tank.
1. Remove the coolant surge tankpressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no longer
hot. Turn the pressure cap
slowly counterclockwise about
two or two and one-half turns.
If a hiss is heard, wait for that
to stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose. 2. Keep turning the pressure cap
slowly, and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank with the proper mixture, to the
FULL COLD mark. Wait about
five minutes, then check to see if
the level is below the mark. If the
level is below the FULL COLD
mark, add additional coolant to
bring the level up to the mark.
Repeat this procedure until the
level remains constant at the
FULL COLD mark for at least
five minutes.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until the
upper radiator hose can be felt
getting hot. Watch out for the
engine cooling fans. By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
might be lower. If the level is
lower than the FULL COLD
mark, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge tank
until the level reaches the FULL
COLD mark.
5. Replace the pressure cap. Be sure the pressure cap is
hand-tight and fully seated.
Notice: If the pressure cap is not
tightly installed, coolant loss and
possible engine damage may
occur. Be sure the cap is properly
and tightly secured.

Black plate (80,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-80 Vehicle Care
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.A. Cover
B. Wing Nut
C. Extension
D. Flat Tire (valve stem up)
E. Nut
F. Jack
G. Bolt

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 (96,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-96 Vehicle Care
Floor Mats
{WARNING
If a floor mat is the wrong size or
is not properly installed, it can
interfere with the accelerator
pedal and/or brake pedal.
Interference with the pedals can
cause unintended acceleration
and/or increased stopping
distance which can cause a crash
and injury. Make sure the floor
mat does not interfere with the
pedals.Use the following guidelines for
proper floor mat usage.
.The original equipment floor
mats were designed for your
vehicle. If the floor mats need
replacing, it is recommended
that GM certified floor mats be
purchased. Non-GM floor mats
may not fit properly and may
interfere with the accelerator or
brake pedal. Always check that
the floor mats do not interfere
with the pedals.
.Use the floor mat with the
correct side up. Do not turn
it over.
.Do not place anything on top of
the driver side floor mat.
.Use only a single floor mat on
the driver side.
.Do not place one floor mat on
top of another.
The driver side floor mat is held in
place by two hooks.
Removing and Replacing the
Floor Mat
1. Pull up on the rear of the mat to
remove it from the hooks.
2. Reinstall the floor mat by lining up the openings in the floor mat
over the hooks and push it down
into position.
3. Make sure the floor mat is properly secured and verify that
it does not interfere with the
pedals.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Customer Information 13-5
SeeCustomer Assistance Offices
(U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑5 or
Customer Assistance Offices
(Mexico) on page 13‑5 for more
information.
Customer Assistance
Offices (U.S. and Canada)
Chevrolet encourages customers
to call the toll-free number for
assistance. However, if a customer
wishes to write or e-mail Chevrolet,
the letter should be addressed to:
United States
Chevrolet Motor Division
Chevrolet Customer
Assistance Center
P.O. Box 33170
Detroit, MI 48232-5170
www.Chevrolet.com
1-800-222-1020
1-800-833-2438 (For Text
Telephone Devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance:
1-800-243-8872 From Puerto Rico:
1-800-496-9992 (English)
1-800-496-9993 (Spanish)
From U.S. Virgin Islands:
1-800-496-9994
Canada
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Care Centre,
Mail Code: CA1-163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
www.gm.ca
1-800-263-3777 (English)
1-800-263-7854 (French)
1-800-263-3830 (For Text
Telephone devices (TTYs))
Roadside Assistance:
1-800-268-6800
Overseas
Please contact the local General
Motors Business Unit.
Mexico, Central America, and
Caribbean Islands/Countries
(Except Puerto Rico and
U.S. Virgin Islands)
General Motors de Mexico, S. de
R.L. de C.V.
Customer Assistance Center
Av. Ejercito Nacional #843
Col. Granada
C.P. 11520, Mexico, D.F.
01-800-466-0800
Long Distance: 011-52-53 29 0800
Customer Assistance
Offices (Mexico)
To contact the Customer Assistance
Center (CAC), use the phone
numbers listed in this section.
Customer assistance is available
Monday through Friday, 08:00 to
20:00 hours, and Saturdays from
08:00 to 15:00 hours.
All e-mail inquiries to the Customer
Assistance Center (CAC) should be
sent to: [email protected].

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
13-8 Customer Information
Calling for Assistance
When calling Roadside Assistance,
have the following information
ready:
.Your name, home address, and
home telephone number.
.Telephone number of your
location.
.Location of the vehicle.
.Model, year, color, and license
plate number of the vehicle.
.Odometer reading, Vehicle
Identification Number (VIN), and
delivery date of the vehicle.
.Description of the problem.
Coverage
Services are provided up to
5 years/160 000 km (100,000 mi),
whichever comes first.
In the U.S., anyone driving the
vehicle is covered. In Canada, a
person driving the vehicle without
permission from the owner is not
covered.
Roadside Assistance is not a part of
the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Chevrolet and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
make any changes or discontinue
the Roadside Assistance program at
any time without notification.
Chevrolet and General Motors of
Canada Limited reserve the right to
limit services or payment to an
owner or driver if they decide the
claims are made too often, or the
same type of claim is made many
times.
Services Provided
.Emergency Fuel Delivery:
Delivery of enough fuel for the
vehicle to get to the nearest
service station.
.Lock‐Out Service:Service to
unlock the vehicle if you are
locked out. A remote unlock may
be available if you have OnStar.
For security reasons, the driver
must present identification
before this service is given.
.Emergency Tow From a Public
Road or Highway: Tow to the
nearest Chevrolet dealer for
warranty service, or if the vehicle
was in a crash and cannot be
driven. Assistance is also given
when the vehicle is stuck in the
sand, mud, or snow.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
13-22 Customer Information
Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID)
RFID technology is used in some
vehicles for functions such as tire
pressure monitoring and ignition
system security, as well as in
connection with conveniences
such as key fobs for remote door
locking/unlocking and starting, and
in-vehicle transmitters for garage
door openers. RFID technology in
GM vehicles does not use or record
personal information or link with any
other GM system containing
personal information.
Radio Frequency
Statement
This vehicle has systems that
operate on a radio frequency that
comply with Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and with Industry Canada
Standards RSS‐GEN/210/220/310.
Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
1. The device may not causeharmful interference.
2. The device must accept any interference received, including
interference that may cause
undesired operation of the
device.
Changes or modifications to any of
these systems by other than an
authorized service facility could void
authorization to use this equipment.