Chevrolet 2003 Malibu User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-5
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-6
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-28
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ......... 1-48
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-54
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-16
Mirrors .................................................... 2-28
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-30
Sunroof .................................................. 2-31
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-2
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-17
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-22
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-36
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-28
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ................. 5-9
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-42
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-48
Tires ...................................................... 5-48
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-67
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-75
Electrical System ...................................... 5-76
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-82
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-83
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-8
Index ................................................................ 1
2003 Chevy Malibu Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
CLASSIC are registered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 22691530 A First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 06-03-02 All Rights Reserved
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you will find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in
the manual, and the page number where you will find it.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Six-Way Power Driver Seat ..............................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-3
Head Restraints .............................................1-5
Rear Seats .......................................................1-5
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-5
Safety Belts .....................................................1-6
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-6
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts ..............................................1-11
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-11
Driver Position ..............................................1-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-19
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-20
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-20
Center Rear Passenger Position .....................1-24
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults ..........................1-25
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-28
Child Restraints .............................................1-28
Older Children ..............................................1-28
Infants and Young Children ............................1-31
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-35
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-38
Top Strap ....................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-39
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
or Children (LATCH System) .......................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System ...............................1-41
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Outside Seat Position .........................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Center Rear Seat Position ..........................1-44
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position ............................1-46
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) ..............1-48
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-50
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-51
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-52
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-52
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? .......1-52
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-54
Restraint System Check ..................................1-54
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-54
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-55
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you don’t want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release
the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure
the seat is locked in place.
1-2

Six-Way Power Driver Seat
If your vehicle has this feature, the power seat control is
located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat.
To adjust the power seat, do the following:
•Move the seat forward or rearward by pushing the
control toward the front or back of the vehicle.
•Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding
the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front of the control up or down.
•Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
holding the rear of the control up or down.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat and move the seatback
to where you want it. Release the lever to lock the
seatback. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the
seatback, and the seatback will go to an upright position.
1-3

But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
when you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job because it
won’t be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
1-4

Head Restraints
Head restraints are fixed on some models and
adjustable on others. Slide an adjustable head restraint
up or down so that the top of the restraint is closest
to the top of your head. This position reduces the
chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Folding the Seatback
Your vehicle may have a split folding rear seatback.
To fold down the rear seatback, do the following:
1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the tethers
located on the driver’s side of the trunk. The left
tether will open the larger side of the seatback.
The right tether will open the smaller side of
the seatback.
1-5

2. Once a tether is pulled, the seatback can be
pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from
inside the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it is
locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted won’t provide the
protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To close the split folding rear seatback, push the
seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the
seatback to make sure it is secure.
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride where he or she can’t
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
1-6

{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-25
.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work .
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
1-7

Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone on it.
1-8

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
1-9

or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-10

Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be – whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you
can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work
with
safety belts – not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident – even one that isn’t your fault – you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see
Older Children on page 1-28
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-31 . Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
1-11

Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here is how to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats” in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Do not let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull the belt
across you very quickly. If this happens, let the belt
go back slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt
across you more slowly.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
1-12

If the belt stops before it reaches the buckle, tilt the
latch plate and keep pulling until you can buckle
the belt.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt is not long enough, see
Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-28
.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
1-13

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic bones. And you would
be less likely to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the shoulder and across
the chest. These parts of the body are best able to take
belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locks if there is a sudden stop or crash,
or if you pull the belt very quickly out of the retractor.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release button and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can
move the adjuster up just by pushing on the shoulder
belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where
you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the
release button to make sure it has locked into position.
1-14