2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU lights

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 (11,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-11
Reading Lamps
The front reading lamps are located
in the front overhead console. The
rear reading lamps are near the
dome lamp overhead near the rear
passenger seats.
For vehicles with front and/or 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.
For more information on interior
lighting, see:
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
.Entry/Exit Lighting on page 6‑6.
.Parade Dimming on page 6‑6.
Exterior Lighting
P:Briefly turn to this position to
manually turn the automatic lamp
control off or on.
In Canada, this position only works
when a vehicle is in the P (Park)
position. When the vehicle is put
into D (Drive) the lights come on.
AUTO: Automatically turns on the
Daytime Running Lamps during
daytime, and the headlamps,
parking lamps, and taillamps at
night.
;: Manual operation of the parking
lamps and taillamps.
2: Manual operation of the
headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps. For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controlson
page 6‑1.
.Delayed Headlampson
page 6‑4.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)on page 6‑3.
.Automatic Headlamp Systemon
page 6‑3.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is
located on the right side of the
steering column.
9: Turns the wipers off.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
2-4 Keys, Doors and Windows
The high‐beam headlamps, parking
lamps, and back‐up lamps may
come on each time
Kis pressed.
See “EXT (Exterior) LIGHTS” under
Vehicle Personalization
on
page 5‑31for additional
information.
Pressing
Kon the RKE transmitter
disarms the anti-theft alarm system.
See Anti-Theft Alarm System
on
page 2‑12.
V(Remote Trunk Release):
Press and hold for about
one second to unlock the trunk.
The trunk can be opened with the
transmitter when the vehicle speed
is less than 3 km/h (2 mph) or when
the ignition is off.
L(Vehicle Locator/Panic
Alarm): Press and release to
locate the vehicle. The horn sounds
three times and the headlamps and
turn signals flash three times.
Press and hold
Lfor more than
two seconds to initiate the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the headlamps and turn signals flash
for 30 seconds. Press
Lagain to
cancel the panic alarm.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to the vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
When the replacement transmitter is
programmed to the vehicle, all
remaining transmitters must also be
programmed. Any lost or stolen
transmitters no longer work once the
new transmitter is programmed.
Each vehicle can have up to four
transmitters programmed to it.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the KEY FOB
BATT (Battery) LOW message
displays in the DIC. See “KEY FOB
BATT (Battery) LOW” underKey
and Lock Messages
on page 5‑28for additional information. Notice:
When replacing the
battery, do not touch any of the
circuitry on the transmitter. Static
from your body could damage the
transmitter.
To replace the battery:
1. Separate the transmitter with a flat, thin object inserted into the
notch on the side.
2. Remove the old battery. Do not use a metal object.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
2-12 Keys, Doors and Windows
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
it impossible to steal.
Anti-Theft Alarm System
Your vehicle may have an anti-theft
alarm system.
Arming the System
With the ignition off, press the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter lock button to arm the
system.
The system will arm 30 seconds
after all the doors are closed,
or 60 seconds with any door open.
If you press the lock button on the
transmitter a second time while all
the doors are closed, the system will
arm immediately. The system will
still arm in 60 seconds if a door is
open. When the open door is
closed, the system will arm.
The security light, located on the
instrument panel cluster, comes on
to indicate that arming has been
initiated. Once the system is armed,
the security light flashes once every
three seconds.
If the security light is flashing twice
per second, this means that a door
is open.
If the system is armed and the key
is used to unlock the vehicle, the
alarm will be activated.
If you do not want to arm the
system, lock the vehicle with the
manual lock knob on the doors or
with the inside power door lock
switches.
The alarm will sound and the
exterior lights will flash if any door
is opened while armed.
Disarming the System
To disarm the system:
.Press the RKE transmitter
unlock button.
.Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
Once the system is disarmed, the
security light will stop flashing.
How the System Alarm is
Activated
To activate the system if it is armed:
.Open the driver's door or trunk.
A ten second pre-alarm chirp will
sound followed by a thirty
second full alarm of horn and
lights.
.Open any other door. A full
alarm of horn and lights will
immediately sound for thirty
seconds.
.Open the hood. If the vehicle
has the remote start feature, it
will activate the full alarm.

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 (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
The power outlet is not designed for
and may not work properly if the
following are plugged in:
.Equipment with high initial peak
wattage such as:
compressor-driven refrigerators
and electric power tools.
.Other equipment requiring an
extremely stable power supply
such as:
microcomputer-controlled
electric blankets, touch sensor
lamps, etc.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what
to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
as a system check. If you are using
remote start to start the vehicle from
a distance, if equipped, you may not
see the system check. Then, after
several more seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal and seat-mounted
side impact airbags.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag
are enabled (may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal and seat-mounted side
impact airbag.If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{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.
Charging System Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition key is turned to START, but
the engine is not running, as a
check to show it is working.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
The light should go out once the
engine starts. If it stays on,
or comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the
charging system. This light could
indicate that there are problems with
a generator drive belt, or that there
is an electrical problem. Have it
checked right away. If the vehicle
must be driven a short distance with
the light on, turn off accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner.