2008 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

RDM (Random):MP3 les can be listened to on a CD
in random, rather than sequential order, on one CD
or all discs in a Sox-Disc CD player. To use random, do
one of the following:
1. To play MP3 les in random order from the CD that
is currently playing, press the pushbutton positioned
under the RDM tab until Random Current Disc
displays. Press the same pushbutton again to turn
off random play. Press the same pushbutton
again to turn off random play.
2. To play songs from all CDs loaded in a Six-Disc CD
player in random order, press the pushbutton
positioned under the RDM tab until Randomize
All Discs displays. Press the same pushbutton again
to turn off random play.
h(Music Navigator):If your radio has the MP3
feature, it has the music navigator feature to play
MP3 les on the CD-R or CD-RW in order by artist or
album. Press the pushbutton located below the music
navigator tab. The player scans the disc to sort the les
by artist and album ID3 tag information. It can take
several minutes to scan the disc depending on the
number of MP3 les recorded to the CD-R or CD-RW.
The radio might begin playing while it is scanning
the disc in the background. When the scan is nished,
the CD begins playing again.Once the disc has scanned, the player defaults to
playing MP3 les in order by artist. The current artist
playing is shown on the second line of the display
between the arrows. Once all songs by that artist
are played, the player moves to the next artist in
alphabetical order on the CD and begins playing MP3
les by that artist. If you want to listen to MP3 les
by another artist, press the pushbutton located below
either arrow button. The CD goes to the next or previous
artist in alphabetical order. Continue pressing either
button until the desired artist displays.
To change from playback by artist to playback by
album, press the pushbutton located below the Sort By
tab. From the sort screen, push one of the buttons
below the album button. Press the pushbutton below the
back tab to return to the main music navigator screen.
Now the album name displays on the second line
between the arrows and songs from the current album
begins to play. Once all songs from that album have
played, the player moves to the next album in
alphabetical order on the CD and begins playing
MP3 les from that album.
To exit music navigator mode, press the pushbutton
below the Back tab to return to normal MP3 playback.
3-77

XM Radio Messages
XL (Explicit Language Channels):These channels, or
any others, can be blocked at a customer’s request,
by calling 1-800-852-XMXM (9696).
XM Updating:The encryption code in the receiver is
being updated, and no action is required. This process
should take no longer than 30 seconds.
No XM Signal:The system is functioning correctly, but
the vehicle is in a location that is blocking the XM™
signal. When you move into an open area, the signal
should return.
Loading XM:The audio system is acquiring and
processing audio and text data. No action is needed.
This message should disappear shortly.
Channel Off Air:This channel is not currently in
service. Tune to another channel.
Channel Unavail:This previously assigned channel is
no longer assigned. Tune to another station. If this
station was one of the presets, choose another station
for that preset button.
No Artist Info:No artist information is available at this
time on this channel. The system is working properly.
No Title Info:No song title information is available
at this time on this channel. The system is working
properly.No CAT Info:No category information is available at
this time on this channel. The system is working
properly.
No Information:No text or informational messages are
available at this time on this channel. The system is
working properly.
CAT Not Found:There are no channels available for
the selected category. The system is working properly.
XM TheftLocked:The XM receiver in the vehicle
could have previously been in another vehicle. For
security purposes, XM receivers cannot be swapped
between vehicles. If this message appears after having
your vehicle serviced, check with your dealer/retailer.
XM Radio ID:If tuned to channel 0, this message
alternates with the XM Radio eight digit radio ID label.
This label is needed to activate the service.
Unknown:If this message is received when tuned to
channel 0, there could be a receiver fault. Consult
with your dealer/retailer.
Check XM Receivr:If this message does not clear
within a short period of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer.
XM Not Available:If this message does not clear
within a short period of time, the receiver could have a
fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer.
3-78

Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft of the
vehicle’s radio. The feature works automatically by
learning a portion of the Vehicle Identication Number
(VIN). If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it does
not operate and LOC, LOCK, or LOCKED could display.
With THEFTLOCK activated, the radio does not
operate if stolen.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this
feature, some audio
controls can be adjusted
at the steering wheel.
They include the following:
xw(Next/Previous):Press the down or up arrow to
go to the next or to the previous radio station and
stay there. The radio seeks stations only with a strong
signal that are in the selected band.To scan stations, press and hold either the down or
up arrow for two seconds until SCAN displays and
a beep sounds. The radio goes to a station, plays for
a few seconds, then goes to the next station. Press
either the down or up arrow again to stop scanning.
When a CD is playing, press the down or up arrow to
go to the next or to the previous track.
To scan the current CD, press and hold the down or
up arrow for more than two seconds. The CD does go to
the next track, plays the rst 10 seconds, then goes
to the next track. Press the down or up arrow again to
stop scanning.
To scan all of the CDs loaded, press and hold the down
or up arrow for more than four seconds. The CD does
goes to the next CD, plays the rst 10 seconds of
each track, then goes to the next CD. Press the down
or up arrow again to stop scanning.
+
e−e(Volume):Press the plus or minus button to
increase or to decrease the radio volume.
g(Mute/Voice Recognition):Press and release
this button to silence the vehicle speakers only.
The audio of the wireless and wired headphones, if your
vehicle has these features, is not muted. Press and
release this button again, to turn the sound on.
Press and hold this button for longer than one second to
interact with the OnStar
®system. See theOnStar®
System on page 2-42in this manual for more information.
3-79

Radio Reception
Frequency interference and static can occur during
normal radio reception if items such as cell phone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external
electronic devices are plugged into the accessory
power outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the
item from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations boost the power levels
during the day, and then reduce these levels during the
night. Static can also occur when things like storms and
power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on the radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo gives the best sound, but FM signals only
reach about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall buildings
or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing the
sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception
from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United
States, and in Canada. Just as with FM, tall buildings or
hills can interfere with satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out. In addition, traveling
or standing under heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or
through tunnels could cause loss of the XM signal for a
period of time. The radio may display NO XM SIGNAL
to indicate interference.
3-80

Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated with the rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Make sure that
the inside surface of the rear window is not scratched
and that the grid lines on the glass are not damaged.
If the inside surface is damaged, it could interfere
with radio reception.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
Because this antenna is built into the rear window, there
is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.If adding a cellular telephone to your vehicle, and the
antenna needs to be attached to the glass, make
sure that the grid lines for the AM-FM antenna are not
damaged. There is enough space between the grid lines
to attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering
with radio reception.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof of
the vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice
build up for clear radio reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the
XM system may be affected if the sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of the vehicle can interfere
with the performance of the XM system. Make sure
the XM Satellite Radio antenna is not obstructed.
3-81

✍NOTES
3-82

Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle............4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunk Driving.................................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-3
Braking.........................................................4-4
Antilock Brake System (ABS)...........................4-5
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-5
Traction Control System (TCS).........................4-6
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)......................4-8
Panic Brake Assist........................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-13Driving at Night............................................4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-15
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-16
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-16
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-17
Winter Driving..............................................4-18
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud,
Ice, or Snow.............................................4-20
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-21
Loading the Vehicle......................................4-21
Towing..........................................................4-26
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-26
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-26
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-30
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
the Vehicle
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The rst step in driving defensively is to
wear your safety belt — SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-11.
{CAUTION:
Assume that other road users (pedestrians,
bicyclists, and other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do and be ready. In addition:
Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
Focus on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause collisions
resulting in injury or possible death. These
simple defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
Drunk Driving
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reexes, perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even a small
amount of alcohol. You can have a serious — or
even fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with a driver who
has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if you
are with a group, designate a driver who will not
drink.
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a global tragedy.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle: judgment, muscular coordination, vision, and
attentiveness.
4-2