Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-38 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-31
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-17
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-25
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-30
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-48
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-78
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-85
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-1
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 7-2
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Satellite Radio Antenna . . . . . . 7-13
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Introduction
Determine which radio the vehicle
has and read the following pages to
become familiar with its features.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road for
extended periods could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death
to you or others. Do not give
extended attention to
entertainment tasks while driving.
This system provides access to
many audio and non audio listings.
To minimize taking your eyes off the
road while driving, do the following
while the vehicle is parked:
.Become familiar with the
operation and controls of the
audio system.
.Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset radio
stations. For more information, see
Defensive
Driving on page 9‑2.
Notice: Contact your dealer
before adding any equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere with
the operation of the vehicle's
engine, radio, or other systems,
and could damage them. Follow
federal rules covering mobile
radio and telephone equipment.
Notice: The chime signals related
to safety belts, parking brake, and
other functions of your vehicle
operate through the radio/
entertainment system. If that
equipment is replaced or
additional equipment is added to
your vehicle, the chimes may not
work. Make sure that replacement
or additional equipment is
compatible with your vehicle
before installing it. See
Accessories and Modificationson
page 10‑3.
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
7-2 Infotainment System
The vehicle has Retained
Accessory Power (RAP). With RAP,
the audio system can be played
even after the ignition is turned off.
SeeRetained Accessory Power
(RAP)
on page 9‑19for more
information.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
THEFTLOCK®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle's
radio by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The radio does not operate if it is
stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.
Operation
Radio with CD (Base)
Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-3
Radio with CD (MP3) and USB Port shown, Radio with CD (MP3) similar
The vehicle has one of these radios
as its infotainment system.
Softkeys
The Radio with CD (MP3) and USB
Port, and the Radio with CD (MP3)
have five softkeys located below the
radio display. Softkeys are used to control functions that appear on the
radio display as tabs directly above
the softkeys.
Using the Radio
O(Power/Volume):
Press to turn
the system on and off. Turn to
increase or decrease the volume. (Information):
Press to switch the
display between the radio station
frequency and the time. While the
ignition is off, press this button to
display the time.
Speed Compensated Volume
(SCV): Radios with the Speed
Compensated Volume (SCV) feature
automatically adjust the radio
volume to compensate for road and
wind noise as the vehicle speeds up
or slows down, so that the volume
level is consistent.
To activate SCV:
1. Set the radio volume to the desired level.
2. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
3. Press the softkey under the AUTO VOLUM tab on the radio
display.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
7-4 Infotainment System
4. Press the softkey under thedesired Speed Compensated
Volume setting (OFF, Low, Med,
or High) to select the level of
radio volume compensation.
The display times out after
approximately 10 seconds. Each
higher setting allows for more
radio volume compensation at
faster vehicle speeds.
Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
Radio with CD
To adjust the bass, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until Bass or
Treble displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK, or
©SEEK button.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV button. EQ (Equalization):
Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
Setting the Tone
(Bass/Midrange/Treble) Radio
with CD (MP3) and USB Port,
Radio with CD (MP3)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange,
or Treble): To adjust the bass,
midrange, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until the tone
control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired tone control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Pressing thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab. 3. Adjust the setting by doing one
of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK, or
©SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD, or
sREV button.
If a station's frequency is weak or if
there is static, decrease the treble.
To quickly adjust bass, midrange,
or treble to the middle position,
press the softkey positioned under
the BASS, MID, or TREB tab for
more than 2 seconds. A beep
sounds and the level adjusts to the
middle position.
To quickly adjust all tone and
speaker controls to the middle
position, press the
fknob for more
than 2 seconds until a beep sounds.
Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Infotainment System 7-5
EQ (Equalization):Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
If the radio has a Bose
®audio
system, the EQ settings are either
MANUAL or TALK.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) Radio with CD
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
`or press the
fknob until the speaker
control label displays. 2. To adjust the setting, do one of
the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK, or
©SEEK button.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV button.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) Radio with CD
(MP3) and USB Port, Radio
with CD (MP3)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade):
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
fknob until
the speaker control
tabs display. 2. Highlight the desired speaker
control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Pressing thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab.
3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK, or
©SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV button.
To quickly adjust all speaker and
tone controls to the middle position,
press the
fknob for more than
2 seconds.
If the Rear Seat Audio (RSA) is
turned on, the radio disables FADE
and mutes the rear speakers.
Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
7-6 Infotainment System
Radio Messages
Calibration Error:Displays if
the radio is no longer calibrated
properly for the vehicle. The vehicle
must be returned to your dealer for
service.
Loc or Locked: Displays when
the THEFTLOCK
®system has
activated. Take the vehicle to your
dealer for service.
If any error occurs repeatedly or
if an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer.
Radio
AM-FM Radio
Radio Data System (RDS)
The radio may have RDS. The RDS
feature is available for use only on
FM stations that broadcast RDS
information. This system relies upon
receiving specific information from
these stations and only works when
the information is available. While
the radio is tuned to an FM-RDS
station, the station name or call
letters display. In rare cases, a radio
station could broadcast incorrect
information that causes the radio
features to work improperly. If this
happens, contact the radio station.
4(Information) (RDS Features):
For vehicles with RDS features,
press
4to display additional text
information related to the current
FM-RDS station. If information is
available, the song title information
displays on the top line of the display and artist information
displays on the bottom line. When
information is not available,
“NO
INFO” displays.
Auto Text (RDS Features): If
additional information is available
for the current song being played,
Auto Text will automatically page/
scroll the information every
three seconds above the FAV
presets on the radio display. By
default, Auto Text is enabled.
To change the Auto Text setting:
1. Press MENU to display the radio
setup menu.
2. Press the softkey under AUTO TXT tab on the radio display.
3. Press the softkey under the ON or OFF tab on the radio display.
If4is pressed and the song title
or artist information is longer than
what can be displayed, the extra
information will page every
three seconds when Auto Text is
activated.
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.