ABS CHEVROLET MALIBU 2023 User Guide

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Vehicle Care 235
Checking Brake Fluid
With the vehicle in P (Park) on a level
surface, the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and maximum marks
on the brake fluid reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the brake
fluid level in the reservoir may go down:
.Normal brake lining wear. When new
linings are installed, the fluid level goes
back up.
.A fluid leak in the brake hydraulic system.
Have the brake hydraulic system fixed.
With a leak, the brakes will not
work well.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap
and the area around the cap before
removing it.
Do not top off the brake fluid. Adding fluid
does not correct a leak. If fluid is added
when the linings are worn, there will be too
much fluid when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove fluid, as necessary,
only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it can
spill on the engine and burn, if the
engine is hot enough. You or others could
be burned, and the vehicle could be
damaged. Add brake fluid only when
work is done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When the brake fluid falls to a low level,
the brake warning light comes on. See Brake
System Warning Light 089.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time which
degrades the effectiveness of the brake fluid.
Replace brake fluid at the specified intervals
to prevent increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0290.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 4 brake fluid
from a clean, sealed container. See
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 0294.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake fluid
could result in damage to the brake
system. This could result in the loss of
braking leading to a possible injury.
Always use the proper GM approved
brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the vehicle's
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Immediately wash off any
painted surface.
Battery - North America
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove the cap
and do not add fluid.
The vehicle has a standard 12-volt battery
under the hood. See Engine Compartment
Overview 0224.
Refer to the replacement number shown on
the original battery label when a new 12-volt
battery is needed.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
236 Vehicle Care
Stop/Start System
Your vehicle is a equipped with a Stop/Start
system to shut off the engine to help
conserve fuel. SeeStop/Start System 0177.
Your vehicle may be equipped with an
Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) 12-volt battery.
Installation of a standard 12-volt battery will
result in reduced 12-volt battery life.
When using a 12-volt battery charger on the
12-volt AGM battery, some chargers have an
AGM battery setting on the charger.
If available, use the AGM setting on the
charger, to limit charge voltage to 14.8 volts.
{Warning
WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories can expose you to
chemicals including lead and lead
compounds, which are known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling. For more
information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
See California Proposition 65 Warning 01.
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn you and
gas that can explode. You can be badly
hurt if you are not careful. Always wear
eye protection. See Jump Starting - North
America 0275 for tips on working around
a battery without getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the 12-volt
battery black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the 12-volt
battery black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle charger.
Remember to reconnect the battery when
ready to drive the vehicle.
Automatic Transmission Shift Lock
Control Function Check
{Warning
When you are doing this inspection, the
vehicle could move suddenly. If the
vehicle moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room around the vehicle.
It should be parked on a level surface.
2. Apply the parking brake. Be ready to apply the regular brake immediately if
the vehicle begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the ignition on, but do not start the engine. Without
applying the regular brake, try to move
the shift lever out of P (Park) with
normal effort. If the shift lever moves
out of P (Park), contact your dealer for
service.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Vehicle Care 249
Instrument Panel Fuse Block
The instrument panel fuse block is on the
driver side of the instrument panel. To
access the fuses:1. Pull out at the center of the right edge, and swing the cover out and to the left.
2. Remove the cover.
To reinstall the cover, line up the tabs on
the left edge, and press the cover into place.
The vehicle may not be equipped with all of
the fuses, relays, and features shown. Fuses Usage
F1 Left Power Windows
F2 Right Power Windows
F3 –
F4 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Blower Fuses
Usage
F5 Body Control Module 2 (Without Stop/Start
Option)
F6 –
F7 –
F8 Body Control Module 3
F9 –

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Vehicle Care 275
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 new; however, it
can lose air over time. Check the inflation
pressure regularly. It should be 420 kPa
(60 psi).
Stop as soon as possible and check that the
spare tire is correctly inflated after being
installed on the vehicle. The compact spare
tire is designed for temporary use only. The
vehicle will perform differently with the
spare tire installed and it is recommended
that the vehicle speed be limited to 80 km/h
(50 mph). To conserve the tread of the spare
tire, have the standard tire repaired or
replaced as soon as convenient and return
the spare tire to the storage area. When using a compact spare tire, the AWD
(if equipped), ABS, and Traction Control
systems may engage until the spare tire is
recognized by the vehicle, especially on
slippery roads. Adjust driving to reduce
possible wheel slip.
Caution
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.
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.
Caution
Tire chains will not fit the compact spare.
Using them can damage the vehicle and
the chains. Do not use tire chains on the
compact spare.
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America
For more information about the vehicle
12-volt battery, see Battery - North America
0 235.
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
WARNING: Battery posts, terminals and
related accessories can expose you to
chemicals including lead and lead
compounds, which are known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Wash hands after handling. For more
information go to
www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
See California Proposition 65 Warning 01.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
280 Vehicle Care
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 shift lever in P (Park).
3. Secure the vehicle to the dolly.
Caution
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.
Appearance Care
Exterior Care
Locks
Locks are lubricated at the factory. Use a
de-icing agent only when absolutely
necessary, and have the locks greased after
using. See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0294.
Washing the Vehicle
To preserve the vehicle's finish, wash it
often and out of direct sunlight.
Caution
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
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.
Caution
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.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
320 Index
IndexA
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
AdaptiveCruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Additional OnStar Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Adjustments Lumbar, Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Agreements Trademarks and License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Filter Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . 163
Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . 48
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . 48
What Will You See after an AirbagInflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . 47
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Airbags
Adding Equipment to the Vehicle . . . . . . . 53
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Replacing System Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . 53
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Alert Lane Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Rear Cross Traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Side Blind Zone (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Antenna Backglass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Appearance Care
Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . . . . . . . . . .142
Armrest Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . 303

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Index 325
InformationPublication Ordering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Infotainment Using the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Inspection Multi-Point Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 109
J
Jack Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
K
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Remote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Remote Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
LampsCourtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Lamps (cont'd)
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 103
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 108
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Malfunction Indicator (Check
Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Lane
Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 67
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Lights
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Check Engine (Malfunction Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Gauges and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lane Keep Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . 90
StabiliTrak OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91