trailer CHEVROLET MALIBU 2020 Owner's Guide

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
208 Driving and Operating
tongue weight is too high or too low,
it may be possible to rearrange
some of the cargo inside of the
trailer.
Do not exceed the maximum
allowable tongue weight for your
vehicle. Use the shortest hitch
extension available to position the
hitch ball closer to your vehicle. This
will help reduce the effect of the
trailer tongue weight on the trailer
hitch and the rear axle.
If a cargo carrier is used in the
trailer hitch receiver, choose a
carrier that positions the load as
close to the vehicle as possible.
Make sure the total weight,
including the carrier, is no more than
half of the maximum allowable
tongue weight for the vehicle or
227 kg (500 lb), whichever is less.
Ask your dealer for trailering
information or assistance.Towing Equipment
Hitches
Always use the correct hitch
equipment for your vehicle.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by,
and rough roads can affect the
trailer and the hitch.
Never attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches. Only use
frame-mounted hitches that do not
attach to the bumper.
Always seal any holes in your
vehicle if the trailer hitch removed.
If not sealed, dirt, water, and carbon
monoxide (CO) from the exhaust
may enter your vehicle. SeeEngine
Exhaust 0163.
Consider using mechanical sway
controls with any trailer. Ask a
trailering professional about sway
controls or refer to the trailer
manufacturer's recommendations
and instructions.
Tires
. Do not tow a trailer while using a
compact spare tire on the
vehicle.
. Tires must be properly inflated to
support loads while towing a
trailer. See Tires0250 for
instructions on proper tire
inflation.
Safety Chains
Always attach chains between the
vehicle and the trailer, and attach
the chains to the holes on the trailer
hitch platform. Instructions about
safety chains may be provided by
the hitch manufacturer or by the
trailer manufacturer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer to help prevent
the tongue from contacting the road
if it becomes separated from the
hitch. Always leave just enough
slack so the combination can turn.
Never allow safety chains to drag on
the ground.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Driving and Operating 209
State or local regulations may
require trailers to have their own
braking system if the loaded weight
of the trailer exceeds certain
minimums that can vary from state
to state. Read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes so
they are installed, adjusted, and
maintained properly. Never attempt
to tap into your vehicle's hydraulic
brake system. If you do, both the
vehicle anti-lock brakes and the
trailer brakes may not function,
which could result in a crash.
Trailer Lamps
Always check all trailer lamps are
working at the beginning of each
trip, and periodically on longer trips.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
When properly connected, the trailer
turn signals will illuminate to indicate
the vehicle is turning, changing
lanes, or stopping. When towing a
trailer, the arrows on the instrument
cluster will illuminate even if the
trailer is not properly connected or
the bulbs are burned out.
Trailer Tires
Special Trailer (ST) tires differ from
vehicle tires. Trailer tires are
designed with stiff sidewalls to help
prevent sway and to support heavy
loads. These features can make it
difficult to determine if the trailer tire
pressures are low only based on a
visual inspection.
Always check all trailer tire
pressures before each trip when the
tires are cool. Low trailer tire
pressure is a leading cause of trailer
tire blow-outs.
Trailer tires deteriorate over time.
The trailer tire sidewall will show the
week and year the tire was
manufactured. Many trailer tire
manufacturers recommend
replacing tires more than six
years old.
Overloading is another leading
cause of trailer tire blow-outs. Never
load your trailer with more weight
than the tires are designed to
support. The load rating is located
on the trailer tire sidewall.Always know the maximum speed
rating for the trailer tires before
driving. This may be significantly
lower than the vehicle tire speed
rating. The speed rating may be on
the trailer tire sidewall. If the speed
rating is not shown, the default
trailer tire speed rating is 105 km/h
(65 mph).

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/21/19
290 Vehicle Care
.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 (2.0L
Engine Only)
To tow the vehicle from the front
with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Position the vehicle to be towed and secure it to the
towing vehicle.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral).
4. Turn the vehicle off. Leave the transmission in N (Neutral). 5. Disconnect the negative (–)
battery cable at the battery.
See “Negative Battery Cable
Disconnection” underBattery -
North America 0232.
Vehicles being dinghy towed should
be run at the beginning of each day
and at each fuel stop for about
five minutes. This will ensure proper
lubrication of transmission
components.
Caution
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.
Caution
Use of a shield mounted in front
of the vehicle grille could restrict
airflow and cause damage to the
transmission. The repairs would (Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Service and Maintenance 303
The Tire Rotation and Required
Services are the responsibility of the
vehicle owner. It is recommended to
have your dealer perform these
services every 12 000 km/7,500 mi.
Proper vehicle maintenance helps to
keep the vehicle in good working
condition, improves fuel economy,
and reduces vehicle emissions.
Because of the way people use
vehicles, maintenance needs vary.
There may need to be more
frequent checks and services. The
Additional Required Services -
Normal are for vehicles that:
.Carry passengers and cargo
within recommended limits on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 151.
. Are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving
limits.
. Use the recommended fuel. See
Recommended Fuel (1.5L
Engine) 0198 or
Recommended Fuel (2.0L
Engine) 0199. Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services - Normal chart.
The Additional Required Services -
Severe are for vehicles that are:
.
Mainly driven in heavy city traffic
in hot weather.
. Mainly driven in hilly or
mountainous terrain.
. Frequently towing a trailer.
. Used for high speed or
competitive driving.
. Used for taxi, police, or delivery
service.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services - Severe chart.
{Warning
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools, (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. SeeDoing Your Own
Service Work 0214.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Index 355
Stoplamps and Back-up LampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . 239, 240
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 85
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Struts
Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Engine Air Filter Life . . . . . . . . . . 223
Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133, 334
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Taillamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 239, 240
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 322
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 25 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Low Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257, 259
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Pressure Monitor Operation . . 260
Pressure Monitor System . . . . . 259
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Sealant and Compressor
Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Terminology and Definitions . . 255 Tires (cont'd)
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 270
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Towing Driving Characteristics . . . . . . . . 203
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 202
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 289
Trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Traction
Control System(TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . 109
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222