2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU door lock

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-34 Instruments and Controls
SeePower Door Locks on page 2‑7,
Delayed Locking on page 2‑8, and
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
AUTO UNLK (Unlock)
This feature, which allows the
vehicle to automatically unlock
certain doors, can be enabled or
disabled. When AUTO UNLK
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
ALL (default): All of the doors will
automatically unlock.
DRIVER: The driver's door will
automatically unlock. NONE:
None of the doors will
automatically unlock. You will need
to manually unlock the doors.
See Automatic Door Locks on
page 2‑8 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
UNLK (Unlock)
This screen displays only if DRIVER
or ALL is selected for the AUTO
UNLK feature. This feature
determines when the automatic door
unlocking will occur. When UNLK
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
KEY OFF: The door(s) will unlock
when the key is turned off.
SHIFT TO P (Park) (default):
The door(s) will unlock when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park). See
Automatic Door Locks on
page 2‑8 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
EXT (Exterior) LIGHTS
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's exterior perimeter lighting
to turn on each time the unlock
button on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter is pressed, can be
enabled or disabled. When EXT
LIGHTS appears on the display,
press and hold the reset button for
at least one second to scroll through
the available settings:
OFF: The exterior perimeter
lighting will not turn on when the
unlock button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed.
ON (default): The exterior
perimeter lighting will turn on when
the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
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.
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The lamps inside the vehicle come
on when any door is opened. These
lamps fade out about 20 seconds
after all of the doors have been
closed or when the ignition is turned
to ON/RUN. They also come on
when the unlock symbol button or
the horn symbol is pressed on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
system transmitter.
The lamps inside the vehicle stay on
for about 20 seconds after the key is
removed from the ignition to provide
light as you exit.
Parade Dimming
Parade dimming is a separate
lighting mode that comes on while
the parking lamps are turned on
during the day. It prevents the
display lights and indicator lights
from being dim, while the parking
lamps are used during the day.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-7
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning
fast enough at idle to produce all of
the power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑24.
Battery Power Protection
The vehicle has a battery run-down
protection feature designed to
protect the vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk,
reading, or visor vanity) is left on
while the ignition is turned off, the
battery run-down protection system
will automatically shut the lamp(s)
off after 20 minutes. This will avoid
draining the battery. To reactivate the interior lamps,
do one of the following:
.Turn on the ignition.
.Turn the exterior lamp control off
and then on.
.Open a door.
.Press any Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter button
(if equipped).
.Press the remote trunk release
button.
.Press the power door lock
switch.
The battery run-down feature will
also be activated when any door
on the vehicle is left open and the
ignition is in LOCK/OFF.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
9-12 Driving and Operating
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). With the driver's
door open, you will find the label
attached below the door lock
post. The Tire and Loading
Information label shows thenumber of occupant seating
positions (A), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (B) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows
the tire size of the original
equipment tires (C) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (D). For more
information on tires and inflation
see
Tires on page 10‑42 and
Tire Pressure on page 10‑50.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It tells you the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and
rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section. Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1.Locate the statement
“The combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs”
on your vehicle's
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of cargo
and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the “XXX”
amount equals 1400 lbs and
there will be five 150 lb
passengers in your vehicle,

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
9-18 Driving and Operating
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):This
position lets you use things like the
radio and windshield wipers while
the engine is not running.
R (ON/RUN): This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning lights.
The switch will stay in this position
while the engine is running.
This position can also be used for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. If you leave the key in the
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
position with the engine off, the
battery could be drained. You may
not be able to start the vehicle if the
battery is allowed to drain for an
extended period of time.
/
(START): This position starts the
engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch
will return to the ON/RUN position
for driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF
and the key is in the ignition.Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
Notice: Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off the accelerator
pedal, turn the ignition to START.
When the engine starts, let go
of the key. The idle speed will
slow down as the engine
warms. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently to allow the
oil to warm up and lubricate
all moving parts.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine is turned off:
.Audio System
.Power Windows
.Heated Seats (if equipped)
.Sunroof (if equipped)
These features continue to work up
to 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned to LOCK/OFF.
The power windows, heated seats,
and sunroof will work until any door
is opened.
The radio continues to work until
the driver door is opened.
All these features operate when
the key is in the ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY.
Shifting Into Park
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you are pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑42. 1. Hold the brake pedal down
and set the parking brake.
See Parking Brake on page 9‑29
for more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the
shift lever and pushing the shift
lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
9-40 Driving and Operating
Filling the Tank
{WARNING
Fuel vapor burns violently and a
fuel fire can cause bad injuries.
To help avoid injuries to you and
others, read and follow all the
instructions on the fuel pump
island. Turn off the engine when
refueling. Do not smoke near fuel
or when refueling the vehicle.
Do not use cellular phones. Keep
sparks, flames, and smoking
materials away from fuel. Do not
leave the fuel pump unattended
when refueling the vehicle. This is
against the law in some places.
Do not re-enter the vehicle while
pumping fuel. Keep children away
from the fuel pump; never let
children pump fuel.
The fuel cap is behind the fuel door
on the vehicle's passenger side.
To open the fuel door, push the
rearward center edge in and release
and it will open.
Turn the tethered fuel cap
counterclockwise to remove. If the
vehicle has E85 fuel capability, the
fuel cap will be yellow and state
that E85 or gasoline can be used.
SeeFuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑39. While refueling, hang the
tethered fuel cap from the hook on
the fuel door. Reinstall the cap by
turning it clockwise until it clicks. If the cap is not properly installed,
the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
come on. See
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp on page 5‑16 for more
information.
{WARNING
Fuel can spray out on you if you
open the fuel cap too quickly.
If you spill fuel and then
something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can
happen if the tank is nearly full,
and is more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly and
wait for any hiss noise to stop.
Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Do not top off or overfill the tank and
wait a few seconds before removing
the nozzle. Clean fuel from painted
surfaces as soon as possible.
See Exterior Care on page 10‑90.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-39
FusesUsage
PEDAL Not Used
WIPER SW Windshield Wiper/
Washer Switch
IGN
SENSOR Ignition Switch
STRG WHL
ILLUM Steering Wheel
Illumination
NOT
INSTALLED Not Used
RADIO Audio System
INTERIOR
LIGHTS Interior Lamps
NOT
INSTALLED Not Used
POWER
WINDOWS Power Windows
HVAC
CTRL (IGN) Heating Ventilation
Air Conditioning
Control (Ignition) Fuses
Usage
HVAC
BLOWER Heating Ventilation
Air Conditioning
Blower Switch
DOOR
LOCK Door Locks
ROOF/
HEAT SEAT Sunroof,
Heated Seat
NOT
INSTALLED Not Used
NOT
INSTALLED Not Used
AIRBAG
(BATT) Airbag (Battery)
SPARE
FUSE
HOLDER Spare Fuse Holder
SPARE
FUSE
HOLDER Spare Fuse Holder Fuses
Usage
SPARE
FUSE
HOLDER Spare Fuse Holder
SPARE
FUSE
HOLDER Spare Fuse Holder
FUSE
PULLER Fuse Puller