2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU light

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-7
On vehicles with heated front seats,
press the top of the switch to turn
the heat feature on to the high heat
setting. The indicator light“2”will
be lit.
Press the top of the switch again to
go to the low heat setting. The
indicator light “1”will be lit.
Press the bottom of the switch to
turn the feature off.
The heated seat are canceled when
the ignition is turned off.
Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Adjust the seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
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.
To fold the seatback down:
1. Make sure the front seatback is not reclined. If it is, the rear
seatback will not fold down all
the way. If necessary, return the
front seatback to the upright
position. See Reclining
Seatbacks on page 3‑4.
2. Pull up on the seatback strap while folding the seatback down.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt
All seating positions in the vehicle
have a lap-shoulder belt.
The following instructions explain
how to wear a lap-shoulder belt
properly.
1. Adjust the seat, if the seat isadjustable, so you can sit up
straight. To see how, see “Seats”
in the Index.
2. 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.
If the shoulder portion of a
passenger belt is pulled out all
the way, the child restraint
locking feature may be engaged.
If this happens, just let the belt
go back all the way and start
again. Engaging the child restraint
locking feature in the right front
seating position may affect the
passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System
on
page 3‑31for more information.
3. 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 3‑22.
Position the release button on
the buckle so that the safety belt
could be quickly unbuckled if
necessary.
4. If equipped with a shoulder belt height adjuster, move it 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 Adjuster” later in this
section for instruction on use
and important safety information.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-22 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you
in a crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders
on page 5‑13for more
information.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care
on
page 3‑22.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-23
{WARNING
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑14.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-25
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children
on page 3‑38or Infants
and Young Children
on
page 3‑40
.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light
on page 5‑14for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-33
.The system determines that a
small child is present in a
booster seat.
.A right front passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for
a period of time.
.The right front passenger seat is
occupied by a smaller person,
such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
.Or, if there is a critical problem
with the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat‐mounted side impact airbag,
the off indicator will light and stay lit
to remind you that the airbags are
off. See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑14. The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on (may inflate) the
right front passenger frontal airbag
and seat‐mounted side impact
airbag anytime the system senses
that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front
passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbags to
be enabled, the on indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the
airbags are active.
For some children who have
outgrown child restraints and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the right front passenger frontal
airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag, depending upon
the person’
s seating posture and
body build. Everyone in the vehicle
who has outgrown child restraints
should wear a safety belt properly
— whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness
Light
on page 5‑14for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator is Lit for a
Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-34 Seats and Restraints
3. Remove any additional itemsfrom the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat)
on page 3‑54orSecuring
Child Restraints (Front
Passenger Seat) on page 3‑57.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still
lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback is
not pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion. Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under
the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See
Head Restraints
on page 3‑2.
6. Restart the vehicle. If the on indicator is still lit with
an infant present in a child
restraint, secure the child
restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle and see your dealer.
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult-size is sitting in
the right front passenger seat, but
the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. If this happens,
use the following steps to allow the

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure (United
States and Canada)
on
page 13‑1or Customer
Satisfaction Procedure (Mexico)
on page 13‑3.
Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my vehicle
modified. How can I find out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A: If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See Customer
Satisfaction Procedure (United States and Canada)
on
page 13‑1or Customer
Satisfaction Procedure (Mexico)
on page 13‑3. In addition, your dealer and the
service manual have information
about the location of the airbag
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module and airbag wiring.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on
page 5‑14for more information.
Notice: If an airbag covering is
damaged, opened, or broken, the
airbag may not work properly. Do
not open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag covers,
have the airbag covering and/or
airbag module replaced. For the
location of the airbag modules,
see What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
on page 3‑28. See your
dealer for service.
Replacing Airbag System
Parts After a Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in your vehicle.
A damaged airbag system
may not work properly and
may not protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure your airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See
your dealer for service.