
Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Security Light
The security light should come on
briefly as the engine is started. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light turns off. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the theft-deterrent
system.
This light is also used to indicate the
status of the anti-theft alarm system
when the ignition is turned off.
The light will flash rapidly if the
alarm system is arming and one ormore of the monitored entry points
is not closed. The light will stay on if
the alarm is arming and all entry
points are closed.
For information regarding this light
and the vehicle's security system,
see
Anti-theft Alarm System on
page 2‑11.High-Beam On Light
The high‐beam on light comes on
when the high-beam headlamps are
in use.
See Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2 for more
information.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light comes on
whenever the cruise control is set.
The light goes out when the cruise
control is turned off. See Cruise
Control on page 9‑33 for more
information.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Fuel System Messages
CHECK GAS CAP
This message displays if the fuel
cap has not been fully tightened.
Recheck the fuel cap to make sure
that it is on properly. A few driving
trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the message off.
LOW FUEL
This message displays when your
vehicle is low on fuel. Refill the fuel
tank as soon as possible. SeeFuel
Gauge on page 5‑12, Fuel on
page 9‑36, and Filling the Tank on
page 9‑40 for more information.
Key and Lock Messages
KEY FOB BATT (Battery) LOW
This message displays if the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter battery is low. Replace
the battery in the transmitter.
See“Battery Replacement” under
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
Lamp Messages
AUTO (Automatic)
LIGHTS OFF
This message displays if the
automatic headlamp system is
disabled with the headlamp switch.
See Automatic Headlamp System
on page 6‑3 for more information.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message displays if the
automatic headlamp system is
enabled with the headlamp switch.
SeeAutomatic Headlamp System
on page 6‑3 for more information.
Ride Control System
Messages
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) ACTIVE
If your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), this
message displays and the ESC/TCS
light on the instrument panel cluster
flashes when ESC is assisting you with directional control of the
vehicle. You may feel or hear the
system working and see this
message displayed in the DIC.
Slippery road conditions may exist
when this message is displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly.
This message may stay on for a
few seconds after ESC stops
assisting you with directional
control of the vehicle. This is normal
when the system is operating.
See
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) on page 9‑32 andElectronic
Stability Control (ESC)/Traction
Control System (TCS) Indicator/
Warning Light on page 5‑20 for
more information.
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) OFF
If your vehicle has Electronic
Stability Control (ESC), this
message displays and the ESC/TCS
light on the instrument panel cluster
comes on solid when ESC is turned
off. Adjust your driving accordingly.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-31
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE
This message displays when the
outside air temperature is cold
enough to create icy road
conditions. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
Washer Fluid Messages
LOW WASHER FLUID
This message displays when the
vehicle's windshield washer fluid is
low. Fill the windshield washer fluid
reservoir to the proper level as soon
as possible. SeeWasher Fluid on
page 10‑23.
Vehicle
Personalization
Your vehicle has personalization
capabilities that allow you to
program certain features to a
preferred setting. All of the features
listed may not be available on your
vehicle. Only the features available
will be displayed on the DIC.
The default settings for the features
were set when your vehicle left the
factory, but may have been changed
from their default state since
that time.
To change feature settings, use the
following procedure:
Entering Personalization Menu
1. Turn the ignition on while the
vehicle is stopped.
To avoid excessive drain on the
battery, it is recommended that
the headlamps are turned off. 2. Press and hold the information
and reset buttons at the
same time for one second,
then release to enter the
personalization menu.
If the vehicle speed is greater
than 3 km/h (2 mph), only the
UNITS menu will be accessible.
3. Press the information button to scroll through the available
personalization menu modes.
Press the reset button to scroll
through the available settings for
each mode.
If you do not make a selection
within ten seconds, the display
will go back to the previous
information displayed.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Delayed Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Parade Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The band on the lever located on
the left side of the steering column,
operates the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has the
following four positions:
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps and taillamps only.
AUTO (Automatic Headlamp
System): Automatically turns on
the Daytime Running Lamps during
daytime, and the headlamps,
parking lamps, and taillamps at
night.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
P(Off/On):Turn the band to this
position to turn on the Automatic
Headlamp System. In Canada,
this position only works when a
vehicle is in the P (Park) position.
To turn on the Automatic Headlamp
System, turn the switch to off/on.
To turn them off, turn the switch to
off/on again. This is a momentary
control switch that springs back
when released. The Automatic
Headlamp System always turns on
at the beginning of an ignition cycle.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
If the drivers door is opened and the
ignition is turned off while leaving
the lamps on, a warning chime will
sound.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low
beam to high beam, push the turn
signal/multifunction lever away
from you.
This instrument panel cluster
light
3comes on if the high beam
lamps are turned on while the
ignition is in ON/RUN.
To change the headlamps from
high beam to low beam, pull the
turn signal lever toward you.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets the high-beam
headlamps be used to signal a
driver in front of you that you want
to pass.
Pull the turn signal/multifunction
lever toward you until the high-beam
headlamps come on, then release
the lever to turn them off.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional DRL are required on
all vehicles first sold in Canada.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
top of the instrument panel that
controls the DRL. Do not cover this
sensor or the head lamps will be on
when they are not needed.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at
a reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The exterior lamps control is in
the parking lamps only position
(This applies only to vehicles
that are first sold in Canada).

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
.The light sensor detects
daytime light.
.The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL system is on, the
taillamps, sidemarker lamps,
parking lamps, and instrument panel
lights are not on unless you turn the
exterior lamps control to the parking
lamp position.
The regular headlamp system
should be turned on when they are
needed.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside, the
automatic headlamp system turns
on the headlamps at the normal
brightness along with other lamps
such as the taillamps, sidemarker,
parking lamps, and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will
also be dim.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
top of the instrument panel that
controls the automatic headlamp
system. Do not cover the sensor or
the automatic headlamp system will
turn on when it is not needed.
There is a delay in the transition
between the daytime and nighttime
operation of the DRL and the
automatic headlamp systems so
that driving under bridges or bright
overhead street lights does not
affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp systems will
only be affected when the light
sensor sees a change in lighting
lasting longer than this delay. If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately.
Once the vehicle leaves the garage,
it takes about one minute for the
automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside.
During that delay, the instrument
panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure the instrument
panel brightness control is in the
full bright position. See
Instrument
Panel Illumination Control on
page 6‑5.
To idle the vehicle with the
automatic headlamp system off, turn
the ignition on and set the exterior
light switch to the off/on position.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
the transmission must stay in
P (Park) for this function.
The regular headlamps should be
used when needed.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
Delayed Headlamps
The delayed headlamps feature
keeps the headlamps on for
20 seconds after the key is turned to
LOCK/OFF, then the headlamps
automatically turn off.
To override the 20 second delayed
headlamp feature while it is active
turn the turn signal/multifunction
lever up one position and then back
to AUTO.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button located on the
instrument panel, to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. This warns others that you
are having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Release the lever and the
turn signal automatically flashes
three times. If more flashes are
desired, continue to hold the lever.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
If a turn signal arrow flashes rapidly
or does not come on, a signal bulb
may need to be replaced. See
Fuses on page 10‑34.
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.