2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU wheel

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-29
SeeElectronic Stability Control
(ESC)on page 9‑32and Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light
on page 5‑20for
more information.
LOW TRACTION
If your vehicle has the Traction
Control System (TCS), this
message displays and the ESC/TCS
light on the instrument panel cluster
flashes when the system is actively
limiting wheel spin. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message
is displayed, so adjust your driving
accordingly. This message stays on
for a few seconds after the system
stops limiting wheel spin. See
Traction Control System (TCS)
on
page 9‑30and Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)/Traction Control
System (TCS) Indicator/Warning
Light
on page 5‑20for more
information.
SERVICE ESC (ELECTRONIC
STABILITY CONTROL)
If your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), this
message displays and a chime
sounds if there has been a problem
detected with ESC. The ESC/TCS
light also appears on the instrument
panel cluster. This light stays on
solid as long as the detected
problem remains present. When this
message displays, the system is not
working. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
on page 9‑32and
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/
Traction Control System (TCS)
Indicator/Warning Light
on
page 5‑20for more information.
If this message turns on while you
are driving, pull off the road as soon
as possible and stop carefully. Try
resetting the system by turning the
ignition off and then back on. If this message still stays on or turns back
on again while you are driving, your
vehicle needs service. Have the
ESC inspected by your dealer as
soon as possible.
SERVICE TRACTION
If your vehicle has the Traction
Control System (TCS), this
message displays and a chime
sounds when the system is not
functioning properly. The ESC/TCS
light also appears on the instrument
panel cluster. This light stays on
solid as long as the detected
problem remains present. When this
message displays, the system is not
working. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See
Traction Control
System (TCS)
on page 9‑30and
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)/
Traction Control System (TCS)
Indicator/Warning Light
on
page 5‑20for more information.
Have the system serviced by your
dealer as soon as possible.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Lighting 6-5
Have the bulbs replaced. If the bulb
is not burned out, check the fuse.
SeeFuses on page 10‑30.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with fog lamps, the
button for this feature is located on
the instrument panel, to the left of
the steering wheel.
The ignition must be on for the fog
lamps to work.
#:Press to turn the fog lamps on
or off. An indicator light comes on
when the fog lamps are on.
The parking lamps automatically
turn on and off when the fog lamps
are turned on and off.
The fog lamps turn off while the
high-beam headlamps are
turned on.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
The knob for this control is located
on the instrument panel to the left of
the steering column.
D (Instrument Panel
Brightness): Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
brighten or dim the lights. Turn the
knob completely clockwise to turn
on the interior lamps.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened. They turn off after
all the doors are closed.
The dome lamps can also be turned
on by turning the instrument panel
brightness knob, located on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column, clockwise to the
farthest position. In this position, the
dome lamps remain on whether a
door is opened or closed.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with front and rear
reading lamps, press the lens to
turn the lamp on and off, while the
doors are closed. These lamps
come on automatically when any
door is opened.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-7
Finding a Station
BAND:Press to choose between
FM1, FM2, AM, or XM™ (if
equipped) on the Radio with CD
(Base). Press to choose between
FM, AM, XM (if equipped) on the
Radio with CD (MP3) and USB
Port, or the Radio with CD (MP3).
f(Tune): Turn to select radio
stations.
©SEEK: Press to seek or scan
stations with a strong signal in the
selected band.
.To seek stations, press and
release
©SEEK to go to the
previous station and stay there.
.To scan stations, press and hold©SEEK for a few seconds until
the radio beeps once. The radio
goes to a station, plays for a few
seconds, then goes to the next
station. Press
©SEEK again to
stop scanning.
.To scan preset stations in the
selected band, press and hold
©SEEK for four seconds until a
double beep sounds. The radio
goes to a stored preset, plays
for a few seconds, then goes to
the next stored preset. Press
©SEEK again to stop scanning
preset stations.
¨SEEK: Press to seek or scan
stations with a strong signal in the
selected band.
.To seek stations, press and
release
¨SEEK to go to the
next station and stay there.
.To scan stations, press and hold¨SEEK for a few seconds until
the radio beeps once. The radio
goes to a station, plays for a few
seconds, then goes to the next
station. Press
¨SEEK again to
stop scanning.
.To scan preset stations in the
selected band, press and hold
¨SEEK for four seconds until a double beep sounds. The radio
goes to a stored preset, plays
for a few seconds, then goes to
the next stored preset. Press
¨SEEK again to stop scanning
preset stations.
Storing Radio Stations
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked, see Defensive Driving
on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Radios that have a FAV button store
radio stations as favorites, up to
36 stations can be programmed as
favorites using the 6 softkeys below
the radio station frequency tabs and
by using the FAV button. Press the
FAV button to go through up to
6 pages of favorites, each having
6 favorite stations available per
page. Each page of favorites can
contain any combination of AM, FM,
or XM, if equipped, stations.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
7-10 Infotainment System
To go to the previous or next XM
station in the selected category,
do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press the softkey below the
right or left arrows in the
category tab.
.Press©SEEK or¨SEEK.
3. To exit the category search mode, press the FAV button or
BAND button to display the
favorites again.
Adding and Removing Categories
Categories cannot be added or
removed while the vehicle is moving
faster than 8 km/h (5 mph).
To add or remove a category:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the XM CAT tab.
3. Turn the
fknob to display the
category you want to add or
remove. 4. Press the softkey located under
the Add or Remove tab.
To restore all removed
categories, press the softkey
under the Restore All tab.
5. Repeat the steps to remove more categories.
Storing XM Channels
Drivers are encouraged to store
radio station while the vehicle is
parked, see Defensive Driving
on
page 9‑2. Tune to stored radio
stations using the presets, favorites
button, and steering wheel controls,
if the vehicle has this feature.
Up to 36 stations can be
programmed as favorites using the
6 softkeys below the radio station
frequency tabs and by using the
FAV button. Press the FAV button
to go through up to 6 pages of
favorites, each having 6 favorite
stations available per page. Each
page of favorites can contain any
combination of AM, FM, or XM,
if equipped, stations. Storing an XM Channel as a
Favorite
To store a station as a favorite:
1. Tune to an XM channel.
2. Press the FAV button to display
the page where the station will
be stored.
3. Press and hold one of the 6 softkeys until a beep sounds.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to store additional radio stations.
The number of favorites pages can
be setup using the MENU button.
To setup the number of favorites
pages:
1. Press the MENU button.
2. Press the softkey located below the FAV 1-6 tab.
3. Select the number of favorites pages by pressing the softkey
located below the displayed
page numbers.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
7-24 Infotainment System
Bluetooth Controls
Use the buttons located on the
steering wheel to operate the
in‐vehicle Bluetooth system. See
Steering Wheel Controls
on
page 5‑2for more information.
b g(Push To Talk) : Press to
answer incoming calls, to confirm
system information, and to start
speech recognition.
c x(Phone On Hook): Press to
end a call, reject a call, or to cancel
an operation.
Pairing
A Bluetooth cell phone must be
paired to the Bluetooth system and
then connected to the vehicle before
it can be used. See your cell phone
manufacturers user guide for
Bluetooth functions before pairing
the cell phone. If a Bluetooth phone
is not connected, calls will be made
using OnStar
®Hands‐Free Calling,
if available. Refer to the OnStar
owner's guide for more information. Pairing Information
.Up to five cell phones can be
paired to the Bluetooth system.
.The pairing process is disabled
when the vehicle is moving.
.Pairing only needs to be
completed once, unless the
pairing information on the cell
phone changes or the cell phone
is deleted from the system.
.Only one paired cell phone can
be connected to the Bluetooth
system at a time.
.If multiple paired cell phones are
within range of the system, the
system connects to the first
available paired cell phone in the
order that they were first paired
to the system. To link to a
different paired phone, see
“Linking to a Different Phone”
later in this section.
Pairing a Phone
1. Press and hold
b
gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth”.
3. Say “Pair”. The system responds
with instructions and a four‐digit
PIN number. The PIN number is
used in Step 5.
4. Start the pairing process on the cell phone that you want to pair.
For help with this process, see
your cell phone manufacturers
user guide.
5. Locate the device named “Your
Vehicle” in the list on the cell
phone. Follow the instructions
on the cell phone to enter the
PIN number that was provided in
Step 3. After the PIN number is
successfully entered, the system
prompts you to provide a name
for the paired cell phone. This

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-4 Driving and Operating
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. If the brakes are pumped,
the pedal could get harder to push
down. If the engine stops, there will
still be some power brake assist but
it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is
used up, it can take longer to stop
and the brake pedal will be harder
to push.
Adding non‐dealer accessories can
affect vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
on
page 10‑3.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the vehicle has the electric
power steering system and the
engine stalls while driving, the
power steering assist system will
continue to operate until you are
able to stop the vehicle. If power
steering assist is lost because the electric power steering system is not
functioning, the vehicle can be
steered but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in
either direction several times until it
stops, or hold the steering wheel in
the stopped position for an
extended amount of time, you may
notice a reduced amount of power
steering assist. The normal amount
of power steering assist should
return shortly after a few normal
steering movements.
The electric power steering system
does not require regular
maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems, contact
your dealer for service repairs.
Hydraulic Power Steering
If the vehicle has the hydraulic
power steering system and power
steering assist is lost because the
engine stops or the power steering
system is not functioning, the
vehicle can be steered but it will
take more effort.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
Traction in a curve depends on the
condition of the tires and the road
surface, the angle at which the
curve is banked, and vehicle speed.
While in a curve, speed is the one
factor that can be controlled.
If there is a need to reduce speed,
do it before entering the curve, while
the front wheels are straight.
Try to adjust the speed so you can
drive through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until out of the curve, and
then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-5
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can
be more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane,
or a car suddenly pulls out from
nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right
in front of you. These problems can
be avoided by braking—if you can
stop in time. But sometimes you
cannot stop in time because there is
no room. That is the time for
evasive action —steering around
the problem.
The vehicle can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply
the brakes. See Braking
on
page 9‑3. It is better to remove as
much speed as possible from a
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right
depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires
close attention and a quick decision.
If holding the steering wheel at the
recommended 9 and 3 o'clock
positions, it can be turned a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer quickly, and just as
quickly straighten the wheel once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency
situations are always possible is a
good reason to practice defensive
driving at all times and wear safety
belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only
slightly below the pavement,
recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the accelerator and then, if there
is nothing in the way, steer so that
the vehicle straddles the edge of the
pavement. Turn the steering wheel
8 to 13 cm (3 to 5 inches), about

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-6 Driving and Operating
one-eighth turn, until the right front
tire contacts the pavement edge.
Then turn the steering wheel to go
straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts
say about what happens when the
three control systems—brakes,
steering, and acceleration —do not
have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up.
Keep trying to steer and constantly
seek an escape route or area of
less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of
the vehicle. Defensive drivers avoid
most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions,
and by not overdriving those
conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to the vehicle's three control
systems. In the braking skid, the
wheels are not rolling. In the
steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes
tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
If the vehicle starts to slide, ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal
and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, the vehicle
may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs. Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is on the road. For safety,
slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to
slow down on slippery surfaces
because stopping distance is longer
and vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with
reduced traction, try to avoid
sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower
gear. Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You might
not realize the surface is slippery
until the vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such as
enough water, ice, or packed snow
on the road to make a mirrored
surface —and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.