Chevrolet MALIBU 2007 User Manual

2007 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual M

Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats Rear Seats Safety Belts Child Restraints Airbag System Restraint System Check

Features and Controls

Keys Doors and Locks Windows Theft-Deterrent Systems Starting and Operating Your Vehicle Mirrors

....................................................... 97

.............................................. 8

............................................. 17

............................................ 20

...................................... 44

........................................ 74

................................ 95

.................................. 107

............................................... 114

.................................................. 140

....................... 7

......................... 92

....................... 116

..... 120

OnStar Universal Home Remote System Storage Areas Sunroof

Instrument Panel

Instrument Panel Overview Climate Controls Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators Driver Information Center (DIC) Audio System(s)

Driving Your Vehicle

Your Driving, the Road, and

Towing

System

................................................ 162

Your Vehicle

................................................. 328

................................... 145

...................................... 159

....................................... 165

................... 168

................................... 189

................................... 227

................................. 287

..................................... 288

.......... 148

.... 200

............ 219

Service and Appearance Care

Service Fuel

................................................. 342

...................................................... 344

Checking Things Under

the Hood

Bulb Replacement

........................................... 350

................................ 390

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement Tires Appearance Care Vehicle Identiﬁcation Electrical System

..................................................... 398

.................................. 436

............................. 445

.................................. 446

Capacities and Speciﬁcations

.................. 339

.... 395

................ 455

Maintenance Schedule

.............................. 457

.......................... 458

Customer Assistance Information

Customer Assistance and Information Reporting Safety Defects

Index

.......................................................... 499

...................... 496

............. 477

..... 478

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, the MALIBU Emblem, and the names MALIBU and MALIBU MAXX 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. For vehicles ﬁrst sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever it appears in this manual.

This manual describes features that may be available in this model, but your vehicle may not have all of them. For example, more than one entertainment system may be offered or your vehicle may have been ordered without a front passenger or rear seats.

Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.

Canadian Owners

A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer or from:

Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207

Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 15864103 A First Printing

How to Use This Manual

Many people read the owner manual from beginning to end when they ﬁrst receive their new vehicle. If this is done, it can help you learn about the features and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work together in the owner manual to explain things.

Index

A good place to quickly locate information about the vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found.

Safety Warnings and Symbols

There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell 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 do not, you or others could be hurt.

You will also ﬁnd a circle with a slash through it in this book. This safety symbol means “Do Not,” “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.”

Vehicle Damage Warnings

Vehicle Symbols

Also, in this manual you will ﬁnd these notices:

Notice: These mean there is something that could damage your vehicle.

A notice tells about something that can damage the vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But the notice will tell 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.

There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.

The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols 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

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems

Front Seats ..................................................... 8

Manual Seats ................................................ 8

Power Seat ................................................... 9

Manual Lumbar ............................................. 9

Heated Seats .............................................. 10

Reclining Seatbacks .................................... 10

Head Restraints .......................................... 13

Passenger Folding Seatback (Maxx) ............ 14

Power Lift Seat ........................................... 16

Rear Seats .................................................... 17

Rear Seat Operation ................................... 17

Safety Belts .................................................. 20

Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ........... 20

Questions and Answers About Safety Belts .... 25

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly ............. 26

Driver Position ............................................. 26

Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment ................. 34

Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy .............. 35

Right Front Passenger Position ................... 35

Rear Seat Passengers ................................ 36

Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides ................ 39

Safety Belt Pretensioners ............................ 43

Safety Belt Extender ................................... 43

Child Restraints ............................................ 44

Older Children ............................................. 44

Infants and Young Children ......................... 47

Child Restraint Systems .............................. 51

Where to Put the Restraint .......................... 55

Lower Anchors and Tethers for

Children (LATCH) .................................... 58

Securing a Child Restraint in a

Rear Seat Position ................................... 67

Securing a Child Restraint in the

Right Front Seat Position ......................... 69

Airbag System .............................................. 74

Where Are the Airbags? .............................. 76

When Should an Airbag Inﬂate? .................. 80

What Makes an Airbag Inﬂate? ................... 81

How Does an Airbag Restrain? ................... 81

What Will You See After an Airbag Inﬂates? ... 82

Passenger Sensing System ......................... 84

Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...... 90

Adding Equipment to Your

Airbag-Equipped Vehicle .......................... 91

Restraint System Check ............................... 92

Checking the Restraint Systems .................. 92

Replacing Restraint System Parts

After a Crash ........................................... 93

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 do not 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.

Power Seat

Manual Lumbar

If the vehicle has a power seat, the control used to operate it is located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat.

To adjust the seat, do any of the following:

• Move the seat forward or rearward by sliding

the control forward or rearward.

• Raise or lower the front part of the seat

cushion by moving the front of the control up or down.

• Raise or lower the rear part of the seat

cushion by moving the rear of the control up or down.

If your vehicle has this feature, the handle is located on the outboard side of the seat.

Move the handle up repeatedly to decrease lumbar support. Move the handle down repeatedly to increase lumbar support.

Heated Seats

Your vehicle may have heated front seats.

The buttons are located on the outboard side of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats.

Press the top of the switch to turn the feature on. The seat will heat to the high setting. The indicator light above the switch will be lit next to the number 2.

Press the top of the switch again to go to the low heat setting. The indicator light will be lit next to the number 1.

Press the bottom of the switch to turn the feature off.

The heated seat feature will turn off when the ignition is turned off.

Reclining Seatbacks

{CAUTION:

If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

The seats have manual reclining seatbacks. The lever used to operate them is located on the outboard side of the seats.

To recline the seatback, do the following:

1. Lift the recline lever.

2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release the lever to lock the seatback in place.

3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

To return the seatback to an upright position, do the following:

1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the seatback and the seatback will return to the upright position. Release the lever to lock the seatback in place.

2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

{CAUTION:

Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their job when you are reclined like this.

The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will not 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 cannot 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.

Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.

Head Restraints

Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the restraint is at the same height as the top of the occupant’s head. This position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.

Pull the restraint up to raise it. To lower the head restraint, press the button, located on the top of the seatback, and push the restraint down.

The rear seat head restraints are also adjustable.

Passenger Folding Seatback (Maxx)

Your vehicle may have a passenger folding seatback. This feature allows for more cargo space or allows the seatback to be used as a temporary table while the vehicle is stopped.

{CAUTION:

If you fold the seatback forward to carry longer objects, such as skis, be sure any such cargo is not near an airbag. In a crash, an inﬂating airbag might force that object toward a person. This could cause severe injury or even death. Secure objects away from the area in which an airbag would inﬂate. For more information, see

Where Are the Airbags? on page 76 and Loading Your Vehicle on page 322.

{CAUTION:

Things you put on this seatback can strike and injure people in a sudden stop or turn, or in a crash. Remove or secure all items before driving.

To fold the seatback forward, do the following:

1. Make sure the seatback is in the most upright position and locked by using the reclining seatback lever on the outboard side of the seat. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 10.

Seat without Side Impact Airbag shown,

Seat with Side Impact Airbag similar

2. If your vehicle has the passenger folding seat without a side impact airbag, press either lever located on the back of the seatback and fold the seatback forward.

If your vehicle has the passenger folding seat with a side impact airbag, press the lever located on the back of the seatback on the inboard side. Press the lever and fold the seatback forward.

To raise the seatback, do the following:

1. If your vehicle has the passenger folding seat without a side impact airbag, press either lever located on the back of the seatback. Pull the seatback up to lock it into place. Make sure the safety belt is not twisted or caught in the seatback.

If your vehicle has the passenger folding seat with a side impact airbag, press the lever located on the back of the seatback on the inboard side. Pull the seatback up to lock it into place. Make sure the safety belt is not twisted or caught in the seatback.

{CAUTION:

If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

2. Push and pull the seatback to make sure it is locked into place.

3. Use the reclining seatback lever to adjust the seatback to a comfortable position. See Reclining Seatbacks on page 10.

Power Lift Seat

Your vehicle may have this feature. First move the seat forward or rearward to where you want it. See Manual Seats on page 8.

The power lift seat switch is located on the outboard side of the driver’s seat. To raise or lower the seat, press the top or bottom of the switch.

Rear Seats

Rear Seat Operation

Folding the Seatback

Your vehicle has a split folding rear seatback.

To fold down the rear seatback on the sedan, do the following:

1. Open the trunk and pull one or both of the handles located on the upper part of the trunk opening. The driver’s side handle will open the larger side of the seatback. The passenger’s side handle will open the smaller side of the seatback.

Notice: Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return them to their normal stowed position before folding a rear seat.

2. Once a handle is pulled, the seatback can be pushed open through the trunk, or pulled open from inside the vehicle.

To fold down the rear seatback on the MAXX, do the following:

1. Pull up on and hold the lever located on the side of either rear seat.

2. Once a lever is pulled, the seatback can be pushed into the down position.

{CAUTION:

If the seatback is not locked, it could move forward in a sudden stop or crash. That could cause injury to the person sitting there. Always push and pull on the seatback to be sure it is locked.

{CAUTION:

A safety belt that is improperly routed, not properly attached, or twisted will not 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 return the seatback to the upright position, push the seatback up until you hear a click. Then pull on the seatback to make sure it is secure.

Rear Sliding Seat (MAXX Only)

If your vehicle is the MAXX model your rear seat will slide forward or rearward to allow more cargo space in the rear.

Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock the seat. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure the seat is locked in place.

If your vehicle has the rear seat entertainment system, slide the rear seat forward so that the front edge of the seat cushion is lined up with the mark on the carpet retainer trim on the ﬂoor of the driver’s side rear seat. If the rear seat is forward of the mark, you will not be able to open the DVD screen.

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:

Do not let anyone ride where he or she cannot wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and you are 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.

{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 203.

In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.

You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have a crash, you do not 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 would not 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 40 years of safety belts in vehicles, the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does matter... a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work

When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.

Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat on wheels.

Put someone on it.

Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider does not stop.

The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...

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 is why safety belts make such good sense.

Questions and Answers About Safety Belts

Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after an

accident if I am wearing a safety belt?

A: You could be — whether you are wearing a

safety belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt, even if you are 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 airbags, why should I

have to wear safety belts?

A: Airbags are supplemental systems only; so

they work with safety belts — not instead of them. Every airbag system ever offered for sale has required the use of safety belts. Even if you are in a vehicle that has airbags, you still have to buckle up to get the most protection. That is true not only in frontal collisions, but especially in side and other collisions.

Q: If I am 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 are

in an accident — even one that is not your fault — you and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver does not 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 44 or Infants and Young Children on page 47. Follow those rules for

everyone’s protection.

First, you will want to know which restraint systems your vehicle has.

We will start with the driver position.

Driver Position

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 lap-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.

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 43.

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. Move the shoulder belt height adjuster to the height that is right for you. Improper shoulder belt height adjustment could reduce the effectiveness of the safety belt in a crash. See Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment on page 34.

6. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the shoulder belt.

It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the lap belt on smaller occupants.

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.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The shoulder belt is too loose. It will not give

nearly as much protection this way.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your shoulder belt is too loose. In a crash, you would move forward too much, which could increase injury. The shoulder belt should ﬁt against your body.

Q: What is wrong with this?

A: The lap belt is too loose. It will not give nearly

as much protection this way.

{CAUTION:

You can be seriously hurt if your lap belt is too loose. In a crash, you could slide under the lap belt and apply force at your abdomen. This could cause serious or even fatal injuries. The lap belt should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching the thighs.

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