2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owners Manual

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-19
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light also comes on
when the parking brake is set. The
light stays on if the parking brake
does not fully release. If it stays
on after the parking brake is fully
released, it means there is a brake
problem.
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
may display a BRAKE FLUID
message. SeeBrake System
Messages
on page 5‑27for more
information.
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and carefully stop.
The brake pedal may be harder to
push or the pedal may go closer to
the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Try turning off and restarting the
vehicle one or two times, if the light
is still on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See Towing the Vehicle
on
page 10‑83
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
For vehicles with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started. If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 5‑18.
For vehicles with a Driver
Information Center (DIC), see Brake
System Messages
on page 5‑27for all brake related DIC messages.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS)
Indicator/Warning Light
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system or the Traction
Control System (TCS) indicator/
warning light comes on briefly when
the engine is started.
If the light does not come on, have
the vehicle serviced by the dealer.
If the system is working normally the
indicator light turns off.
If the light is on while certain DIC
messages display, this indicates
that the ESC and TCS are not
working or are disabled.If the light is on and not flashing,
the TCS and potentially the ESC
system have been disabled. Check
the DIC messaging to determine
which feature(s) is no longer
functioning and whether it is
because of the driver turning off
the feature(s), or because the
system is not working properly and
the vehicle requires service.
If the TCS is disabled, wheel spin is
not limited. If the ESC system is
disabled, the system does not aid in
maintaining directional control of the
vehicle.
If the indicator/warning light is on
and flashing, the TCS or the ESC
system is actively working. Check
the DIC messaging for details to
determine which system is working.
If the LOW TRACTION message
appears, the system is limiting
wheel spin. If the ESC ACTIVE
message appears, the system is
aiding in maintaining directional
control of the vehicle.See
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)
on page 9‑32and Traction
Control System (TCS)on
page 9‑30for more information.
See Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑28for more information
on the messages associated with
this light.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning
Light
This light comes on briefly while
starting the vehicle.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by the dealer. If the system
is working normally the indicator
light goes off.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-21
Notice:Driving with the engine
coolant temperature warning light
on could cause the vehicle to
overheat. See Engine Overheating
on page 10‑19. The vehicle's
engine could be damaged, and it
might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Never drive with
the engine coolant temperature
warning light on.
The engine coolant temperature
warning light comes on when the
engine has overheated.
If this happens pull over and turn off
the engine as soon as possible. See
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑19for more information.
Tire Pressure Light
For vehicles with a Tire Pressure
Monitor System, this light comes on
briefly when the engine is started.
It provides information about tire
pressures and the Tire Pressure
Monitor System.
When the Light is On Steady
This indicates that one or more of
the tires are significantly
underinflated.
A tire pressure message can
accompany the light. See Tire
Messages
on page 5‑30for
more information. Stop as soon as possible, and inflate the tires to the
pressure value shown on the Tire
and Loading Information Label. See
Tire Pressure
on page 10‑45for
more information.
When the Light Flashes First and
Then is On Steady
This indicates that there may be a
problem with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System. The light flashes
for about a minute and stays on
steady for the remainder of the
ignition cycle. This sequence
repeats with every ignition cycle.
See Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
on page 10‑48for more
information.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
5-22 Instruments and Controls
Engine Oil Pressure Light
{WARNING
Do not keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. The engine can
become so hot that it catches fire.
Someone could be burned. Check
the oil as soon as possible and
have the vehicle serviced.
Notice: Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always follow the maintenance
schedule for changing engine oil.
The oil pressure light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.
Security Light
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see Content Theft Deterrent.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
High-Beam on Light
The high-beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
SeeHeadlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
on page 6‑2for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control
on page 9‑34for more
information.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
Your vehicle has a Driver
Information Center (DIC). The DIC
display gives you the status of many
of your vehicle's systems. The DIC
is also used to display driver
personalization menu modes and
warning/status messages. All
messages will appear in the DIC
display, located at the bottom of the
instrument panel cluster.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
5-24 Instruments and Controls
The DIC buttons are located on the
left side of the steering wheel.
INFO (Information):Press this
button to scroll through the vehicle
information mode displays.
r(Reset): Press this button to
reset some vehicle information
mode displays, select a
personalization menu mode setting,
or acknowledge a warning
message.
Press and hold the information and
reset buttons at the same time for
one second, then release the buttons to enter the personalization
menu. See
Vehicle Personalization
on page 5‑31for more information.
The DIC comes on when the ignition
is on. The DIC has different modes
which can be accessed by pressing
the DIC buttons. The button
functions are detailed in the
following.
Information Modes
INFO (Information): Press this
button to scroll through the following
vehicle information modes:
Outside Air Temperature
The outside air temperature will be
displayed at the same time as the
Odometer and the Trip Odometer.
The temperature outside of the
vehicle will be displayed in either
degrees Celsius (°C) or degrees
Fahrenheit (°F). The outside air
temperature appears on the left
side of the DIC display and the
odometer, or trip odometer, appears
on the right side of the display. Odometer
Press the information button until
the outside air temperature and the
odometer displays. This mode
shows the total distance the vehicle
has been driven in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi).
To change the DIC display to
English or metric units, see
“UNITS”
under Vehicle Personalization
on
page 5‑31.
Trip Odometer
Press the information button until
the outside air temperature along
with A or B displays. These modes
show the current distance traveled
since the last reset for each trip
odometer in either kilometers (km)
or miles (mi). Both odometers can
be used at the same time.
To reset the trip odometer to zero,
press and hold the reset button for a
few seconds while the desired trip
odometer is displayed.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-25
FUEL RANGE
Press the information button until
FUEL RANGE displays. This mode
shows the remaining distance you
can drive without refueling in either
kilometers (km) or miles (mi). It is
based on fuel economy and the fuel
remaining in the tank.
When the fuel level is low, FUEL
RANGE LOW displays.
The fuel economy data used to
determine fuel range is an average
of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data
is gradually updated. The FUEL
RANGE mode cannot be reset.
MPG (L/100 KM) AVG (Average)
Press the information button until
MPG (L/100 KM) AVG displays. This
mode shows how many liters per
100 kilometers (L/100 km) or miles
per gallon (mpg) your vehicle is
getting based on current and past
driving conditions.To reset the average fuel economy,
press and hold the reset button
while MPG (L/100 KM) AVG is
displayed. Average fuel economy is
then calculated starting from that
point. If the average fuel economy is
not reset, it is continually updated
each time you drive.
MPG (L/100 KM) INST
(Instantaneous)
Press the information button until
MPG (L/100 KM) INST displays. This
mode shows the current fuel
economy at a particular moment
and changes frequently as driving
conditions change. This mode
shows the instantaneous fuel
economy in liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km) or miles per gallon
(mpg). Unlike average fuel
economy, this screen cannot be
reset.
AV (Average) SPEED
Press the information button until
AV SPEED displays. This mode
shows the vehicle's average speed
in kilometers per hour (km/h) or
miles per hour (mph).
To reset the average vehicle speed,
press and hold the reset button
while AV SPEED is displayed.
OIL LIFE
Press the information button until
OIL LIFE displays. The engine oil
life system shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life. It shows
100% when the system is reset after
an oil change. It alerts you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
5-26 Instruments and Controls
In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Engine Oil
on page 10‑9and
Scheduled Maintenanceon
page 11‑2.
Always reset the engine oil life
system after an oil change. See
“How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System” underEngine Oil Life
System on page 10‑12.
Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be
viewed in the DIC. The tire pressure
is shown in either kilopascals (kPa)
or pounds per square inch (psi). Press the information button until
LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF displays for
the front tires. Press the information
button again until
LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays for
the rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add air will appear in the display.
See
Tire Pressure
on page 10‑45andTire Messageson page 5‑30for more information.
Vehicle Messages
The following messages appear if
there is a problem detected in one
of your vehicle's systems.
A message clears when the
vehicle's condition is no longer
present. To acknowledge a
message and clear it from the
display, press and hold any of the
DIC buttons. If the condition is still
present, the warning message
comes back on the next time the
vehicle is turned off and back on.
With most messages, a warning
chime sounds when the message
displays. Your vehicle may have
other warning messages.