Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
1-10 In Brief
2. Press one of the four arrowslocated on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑15.
Interior Mirror
Vehicles with an automatic dimming
rearview mirror will automatically
reduce the glare from the
headlamps of the vehicle behind.
The dimming feature comes on and
the indicator light illuminates each
time the ignition is turned to start.
SeeManual Rearview Mirror
on
page 2‑15.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The lever is located on the left side
of the steering wheel column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down. 3. Pull or push the steering wheel
closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened. They turn off after
all the doors are closed.
To turn the dome lamps on
manually, turn the instrument panel
brightness knob, located on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column, clockwise to the
farthest position. The dome lamps
will remain on whether a door is
opened or closed.
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-1
Keys, Doors and
Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Door Ajar Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Doors
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Anti-Theft Alarm System . . . . . 2-12
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Immobilizer Operation . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror . . . . . . 2-15
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Windows
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Power Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-15
Power Mirrors
Controls for the outside power
mirrors are located on the
driver door.
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Move the selector switch locatedbelow the four-way control pad
to the left or right to choose
either the driver side or
passenger side mirror. 2. Press one of the four arrows
located on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.
3. Adjust each outside mirror so that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
<(Rear Defogger): Press to heat
the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8‑5for more information.
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view of behind your vehicle. Adjust
the mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind. Push the tab
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three
additional control buttons located at
the bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer for more information on the
system and how to subscribe to
OnStar
®. See the OnStar®owner
guide for more information about the
services OnStar
®provides.
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 (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 (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
9-8 Driving and Operating
Highway Hypnosis
Always be alert and pay attention to
your surroundings while driving.
If you become tired or sleepy, find a
safe place to park your vehicle
and rest.
Other driving tips include:
.Keep the vehicle well ventilated.
.Keep interior temperature cool.
.Keep your eyes moving—scan
the road ahead and to the sides.
.Check the rearview mirror and
vehicle instruments often.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{WARNING
If you do not shift down, the
brakes could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would
then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine
assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
INDEX i-7
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children (LATCH
SYSTEM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-16
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Messages Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28 Messages (cont.)
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 5-28
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-30
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-31
Mirrors Automatic DimmingRearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
N
Navigation System
Vehicle Data Recordingand Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-38
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-6
OnStar
®System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
i-8 INDEX
Operation, InfotainmentSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Outlets Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Overheated Engine Protection
Operating Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
P
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Park Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-26
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-24 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-31
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-23
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-19
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-17
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . 13-10
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
R
Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-17
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-17
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15 Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-6
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3