2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU ignition

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
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 9‑21 for 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 - 2012
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.
4(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.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-16 Infotainment System
Playing a CD
When a CD is inserted into the
player the CD symbol displays, and
as each new track starts to play the
track number displays.
If the ignition or radio is turned off
when a CD is in the player, the CD
stays in the player. If the ignition or
radio is turned on when a CD is in
the player, the CD starts to play
where it stopped, if it was the last
selected audio source.
Buttons and Knobs
The buttons and knobs on the radio
control the following features.
f(Tune):Turn to select tracks on
the CD.
©SEEK: Press to go to the start of
the current track, if more than ten
seconds have played. Press and
hold or press multiple times to
continue moving backward through
the tracks on the CD.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
track. Press and hold or press
multiple times to continue moving
forward through the tracks on
the CD.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly within a
track. Sound is heard at a reduced
volume and the elapsed time of the
track displays. Release to resume
playing the track.
\FWD (Fast Forward): Press
and hold to advance playback
quickly within a track. Sound is
heard at a reduced volume and the
elapsed time of the track displays.
Release to resume playing the
track.
4(Information): Press to display
available additional information
about the current track.
BAND: Press to listen to the radio
while a CD is playing. The CD
remains inside the CD player. CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary):
Press to
play a CD while listening to the
radio or a portable audio device.
Press this button again and the
system automatically searches for
an auxiliary input device, such as a
portable audio player. If a portable
audio player is not connected,
No Aux Input Device Found may
display.
Softkeys
The five softkeys below the radio
display are used to control functions
that display as tabs.
The softkeys below the radio display
control the following features.
RDM (Random): Tracks can be
listened to in random, rather than
sequential order.
To use random:
1. Press the softkey below RDM
tab until Random Current Disc
displays.
2. Press the softkey again to turn off random play.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-22 Infotainment System
Order of Play
Tracks are played in the following
order:
.Play begins from the first track in
the first playlist and continues
sequentially through all tracks in
each playlist. When the last
track of the last playlist has
played, play continues from the
first track of the first playlist.
.Play begins from the first track in
the first folder and continues
sequentially through all tracks in
each folder. When the last track
of the last folder has played,
play continues from the first
track of the first folder.
When play enters a new folder, the
display does not automatically show
the new folder name unless the
folder mode has been chosen as
the default display. The new track
name displays.
Connecting a USB Storage
Device or iPod
The radio buttons, knobs and
softkeys are used to control a USB
storage device or an iPod when it is
connected to the USB port.
To connect a USB storage device,
connect the device to the USB port
located on the front of the radio.
To connect an iPod, connect one
end of the USB cable that came
with the iPod to the iPod’s dock
connector and connect the other
end to the USB port located on the
front of the radio. If the vehicle is on
and the USB connection works,
“OK to disconnect” and a GM logo
may appear on the iPod and iPod
appears on the radio's display.
The iPod charges while it is
connected to the USB port if the
ingition is in the ACC/ACCESSORY
or ON/RUN position. When the
ignition is turned OFF, the iPod automatically powers off and will not
charge or draw power from the
vehicle's battery.
Older iPod's that are not supported
can still be used by connecting it to
the 3.5 mm (1/8 in) auxiliary input
jack using a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable.
Using a USB Storage Device
or iPod
The buttons and knobs on the
radio and the softkeys below the
radio display are used to control a
USB storage device or an iPod.
Buttons and Knobs
The buttons and knobs on the radio
control the following features.
f(Tune):
Turn to select files.
©SEEK:Press to go to the start of
the track, if more than ten seconds
have played. Press and hold
©SEEK or press it multiple times
to continue moving backward
through tracks.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-31
Ending a Call
Pressx/cto end a call.
Muting a Call
During a call, all sounds from inside
the vehicle can be muted so that the
person on the other end of the call
cannot hear them.
To mute a call, press
b/g, and
then say “Mute Call.”
To cancel mute, press
b/g, and
then say “Un‐mute Call.”
Transferring a Call
Audio can be transferred between
the Bluetooth system and the cell
phone.
The cell phone must be paired and
connected with the Bluetooth
system before a call can be
transferred. The connection process
can take up to two minutes after the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN. Transferring Audio from the
Bluetooth System to a Cell Phone
To transfer a call with the audio in
the vehicle:
1. Press
b/g.
2. Say “Transfer Call.”
Transferring Audio to the
Bluetooth System from a Cell
Phone
During a call with the audio on the
cell phone, press
b/g. The audio
transfers to the vehicle. If the audio
does not transfer to the vehicle,
use the audio transfer feature on the
cell phone. See your cell phone
manufacturers user guide for more
information.
Voice Pass-Thru
Voice pass‐thru allows access to the
voice recognition commands on the
cell phone. See your cell phone
manufacturers user guide to see if
the cell phone supports this feature.
To access contacts stored in the
cell phone:
1. Press and hold
b/gfor
two seconds.
2. Say “Bluetooth.” This command
can be skipped.
3. Say “Voice.” The system
responds “OK, accessing
.”
The cell phone's normal prompt
messages will go through its cycle
according to the phone's operating
instructions.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
When the vehicle or fan is turned off
and back on, the system defaults to
outside air automatically. Only use
recirculation mode when it is
needed for comfort, since window
fogging can occur.
To improve fuel efficiency and to
cool the vehicle faster, recirculation
may be automatically selected in
warm weather. The recirculation
light will not come on. To override
this feature, select outside air.
Rear Window Defogger
The rear window defogger uses a
warming grid to remove fog or frost
from the rear window.
1REAR:Press to turn the
rear window defogger on or off.
An indicator light comes on to show
that the rear window defogger is on.
Be sure to clear as much snow from
the rear window as possible. If driving below 80 km/h (50 mph),
the rear window defogger turns off
about 15 minutes after the button is
pressed. If turned on again, the
defogger only runs for about
seven minutes before turning off.
The defogger can also be turned
off by turning off the engine.
If the vehicle's speed is maintained
above 80 km/h (50 mph), the rear
window defogger remains on once
the button is pressed.
If the vehicle has heated outside
mirrors, the surface of the outside
mirrors heat when the rear window
defogger is activated. See
Heated
Mirrors on page 2‑14.
Notice: Do not use anything
sharp on the inside of the rear
window. If you do, you could cut
or damage the warming grid, and
the repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
attach a temporary vehicle
license, tape, a decal, or anything
similar to the defogger grid. Remote Start Climate Control
Operation
For vehicles with the remote start
feature, when it is activated the
climate control system heats or
cools the inside of the vehicle using
the modes that were set before the
vehicle was turned off. The climate
control knobs will remain active
during a remote start. However,
the climate control buttons will be
inactive until the ignition is turned
on by the key. If the fan is off, the
climate control system will not
operate during remote start.
See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-9
Remote Start Climate Control
Operation
For vehicles with remote start, when
it is activated the climate control
system heats and cools the inside of
the vehicle using the previous
system settings before the vehicle
was turned off. The climate control
knobs will remain active during a
remote start. However, the climate
control buttons will be inactive until
the ignition is turned on by the key.
If the fan is off, the climate control
system will not operate during
remote start.
With the automatic climate control
system, the climate control displays
“RS”in place of the temperature
to indicate that remote start is
activated. For best performance,
turn both the fan and mode knobs to
AUTO. If the temperature is cold
enough and the mode knob is set to
AUTO, the system begins in defrost
to clear the windows. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.Air Vents
Use the lever located in the center
of each outlet by moving it either up
and down or side-to-side, to change
the direction and amount of airflow
in the vehicle.
Operation Tips
.Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from the air inlets at
the base of the windshield that
may block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
.Do not use non-GM approved
hood deflectors as they could
adversely affect the performance
of the system.
.Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside of the
vehicle more effectively.
.When an objectionable odor
outside the vehicle is
encountered, use the
recirculation mode, with the
temperature knob at a
comfortable setting to prevent
the odor from entering the
vehicle through the ventilation
system. This can be helpful
when driving through a long
tunnel with poor ventilation.
However, extended usage of this
mode in cold or cool weather
can cause window fogging.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-10
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-11
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-16
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-24
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Gasoline Specifications(U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . 9-37
California Fuel
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-37
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 9-39
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48