
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
2-8 Keys, Doors and Windows
From the outside, turn the key in the
driver's door lock counterclockwise
to lock the door and clockwise to
unlock it or use the remote keyless
entry transmitter.
From the inside, move the manual
lock control on the door or use the
power door lock switch.
Power Door Locks
With power door locks, the switches
on the front doors can be used to
lock and unlock the vehicle.
K(Unlock):Press to unlock the
doors.
Q(Lock): Remove the key from
the ignition and press to lock the
doors.
Door Ajar Reminder
A chime will sound and the DOOR
AJAR message will display if one of
the doors is not fully closed. This
happens when the ignition is on and
the shift lever is moved out of
P (Park) or N (Neutral). See Door
Ajar Messages on page 5‑27.
Delayed Locking
This feature will delay the actual
locking of the doors and arming of
the theft-deterrent system for
five seconds when the power door
lock switch or remote keyless entry
transmitter is used to lock the
vehicle. If any door is open when locking the
vehicle, three chimes will sound
signaling that the delayed locking
feature is active. Five seconds after
the last door is closed, all of the
doors will lock. To cancel the delay
and lock the doors immediately,
press the lock button on the remote
keyless entry transmitter or the
power door lock switch a second
time. The theft deterrent system will
arm after 30 seconds.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-9
Automatic Door Locks
The vehicle is programmed to lock
all doors automatically when the
following are met:
.All doors are closed.
.The ignition is on.
.The vehicle is shifted out of
P (Park).
This feature cannot be disabled.
All doors will unlock when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
The power door unlock function can
be programmed through prompts
displayed on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Vehicle
Personalization on page 5‑31.
Lockout Protection
If you press the power door lock
switch when the key is in the
ignition and any door is open, all the
doors will lock and then the driver's
door will unlock. Be sure to remove
the key from the ignition when
locking your vehicle.
If the remote keyless entry
transmitter is used to lock the doors
while the key is in the ignition, a
chime will sound three times. All
doors will then lock.
Safety Locks
The vehicle has rear door security
locks to prevent passengers from
opening the rear doors from the
inside.
Open the rear doors to access the
security locks on the inside edge of
each door.
To set the locks, insert a key into
the slot and turn it to the horizontal
position. The door can only be
opened from the outside with the
door unlocked. To return the door to
normal operation, turn the slot to the
vertical position.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
2-16 Keys, Doors and Windows
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror with
a compass display and OnStar
®
controls. See your dealer for more
information on the system and how
to subscribe to OnStar
®. See the
OnStar®owner's guide for more
information about the services
OnStar
®provides.
See Compass
on page 5‑5for
more information.
O(On/Off): Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
Automatic Dimming Mirror
Operation
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare of lights from behind the
vehicle. The dimming feature comes
on and the indicator light illuminates
each time the vehicle is started.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by
the extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-4
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12 Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-13
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-15
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-22
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
High-Beam on Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-27
Cruise Control Messages . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-27
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-28
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 5-28
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Ride Control SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-30
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-30
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Washer Fluid Messages . . . . . 5-31
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-31

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
To change radio stations:
.Press and releaseworxto go
to the next or previous radio
station stored as a preset.
.Press and holdworxto go to
the next or previous radio station
in the selected band with a
strong signal.
To select tracks on a CD:
Press and release
worxto go to
the next or previous track.
To select tracks on an iPod or USB
device:
1. Press and hold
worxwhile
listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and release
worxto
scroll up or down the list, then
press and hold
wto play the
highlighted track. To navigate folders on an iPod or
USB device:
1. Press and hold
worxwhile
listening to a song until the
contents of the current folder
display on the radio display.
2. Press and hold
xto go back to
the previous folder list.
3. Press and release
worxto
scroll up or down the list.
.To select a folder, press
and hold
wwhen the folder
is highlighted.
.To go back further in the
folder list, press and
hold
x.
c(End): Press to reject an
incoming call, or end a current call.
b g(Mute / Voice Recognition):
Press to silence the vehicle
speakers only. Press again to turn
the sound on.
For vehicles with Bluetooth
®or
OnStar®systems press and
hold
b gfor longer than
two seconds to interact with
those systems. See Bluetooth
on
page 7‑23and the OnStar
Owner's Guide for more
information.
Horn
Press near the horn symbols or
press on the steering wheel pad to
sound the horn.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-5
Compass
Compass Operation
PressOon the rearview mirror to
turn the compass display on or off.
When the ignition and the compass
feature are on, the compass
displays the current compass
direction after a few seconds.
Compass Calibration
If after a few seconds the display
does not show a compass direction,
(N for North for example), there
may be a strong magnetic field
interfering with the compass.
Interference can be caused by a
magnetic antenna mount, note pad
holder, or similar object. If the
letter C appears in the compass
window, the compass may need
to be reset or calibrated. The mirror can be calibrated by
driving the vehicle very slowly, in
circles, until the display reads a
direction.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set in zone eight. It is
necessary to adjust the compass to
compensate for compass variance if
the vehicle is driven outside zone
eight. Under certain circumstances,
such as a long distance,
cross-country trip, it is necessary to
adjust the compass variance.
To adjust for compass variance:
1. Find your current location and
variance zone number on the
zone map that follows.
2. Press and holdOuntil a zone
number displays.
3. Once the zone number displays, press
Orepeatedly until the
correct zone number is reached.
If C appears in the compass
window, the compass may need
calibration. See “Compass
Calibration” listed previously.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Clock
Without Date Display
AM/FM Base Radio with a Single
CD Player
To set the time:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN.
Press the
Oknob to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton until the hour
begins flashing on the display.
Press the
Hbutton a second
time and the minute begins
flashing on the display.
3. While either the hour or the minute numbers are flashing,
turn the
fknob to increase or
decrease the time. 4. Press the
Hbutton again until
the clock display stops flashing
to set the currently displayed
time; otherwise, the flashing
stops after five seconds and the
current time displayed is
automatically set.
To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour, press the
Hbutton until 12H or 24H is
displayed. Once 12H or 24H is
displayed, turn the
fknob to the
desired option to select the setting.
Press the
Hbutton again to apply
the setting, or let the screen
time out.
With Date Display
Radio with CD (MP3) and USB
Port, and Radio with Single CD
(MP3) Player
To set the time and date:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACC/ ACCESSORY or ON/RUN.
Press the
Oknob to turn the
radio on.
2. Press the
Hbutton and the HR,
MIN, MM, DD, YYYY (hour,
minute, month, day, and year)
displays.
3. Press the softkey located below any one of the tabs that you
want to change.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-7
4. To increase the time or date doone of the following:
.Press the softkey located
below the selected tab.
.Press the¨SEEK, or
\FWD button.
.Turn thefknob clockwise.
5. To decrease the time or date do one of the following:
.Press the©SEEK or
sREV button.
.Turn thefknob
counterclockwise.
The date does not automatically
display. To see the date press
Hwhile the radio is on. The date
with display times out after a few
seconds and goes back to the
normal radio and time display. To change the time default setting
from 12 hour to 24 hour or to
change the date default setting from
month/day/year to day/month/year:
1. Press the
Hbutton and then the
softkey located below the
forward arrow label. Once the
time 12H and 24H, and the date
MM/DD/YYYY (month, day, and
year) and DD/MM/YYYY (day,
month, and year) displays.
2. Press the softkey located below the desired option.
3. Press the
Hbutton again to
apply the selected default, or let
the screen time out.
Power Outlets
Accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are two accessory power
outlets. One accessory power outlet
is located inside the storage bin below the climate controls and the
other outlet is on the rear of the
center storage console.
Remove the cover to access
and replace when not in use.
The accessory power outlet is
operational at all times.
{WARNING
Power is always supplied to the
outlets. Do not leave electrical
equipment plugged in when the
vehicle is not in use because the
vehicle could catch fire and cause
injury or death.
Notice: Leaving electrical
equipment plugged in for an
extended period of time while
the vehicle is off will drain the
battery. Always unplug electrical
equipment when not in use and
do not plug in equipment that
exceeds the maximum 20 ampere
rating.