
Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-23
¨SEEK:Press to go to the next
track. Press and hold
¨SEEK or
press it multiple times to continue
moving forward through tracks.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly. Sound
is heard at a reduced volume.
Release
sREV to resume playing.
\FWD (Fast Forward): Press
and hold to advance playback
quickly. Sound is heard at a reduced
volume. Release
\FWD to
resume playing.
4(Information): Press to display
additional information about the
selected track.
Softkeys
The five softkeys below the radio
display are used to control functions
that display as tabs.
To use the softkeys, press a softkey
below any tab that is displayed,
or if no tabs are displayed, press the
first or last softkey below the radio
display to display the tabs. The softkeys below the radio display
control the following features.
j(Pause):
Press the softkey
below
jto pause the track.
The tab appears raised when pause
is being used. Press the softkey
below
jagain to resume playback.
Back: Press the softkey below the
back tab to go back to the main
display screen on an iPod, or the
root directory on a USB storage
device.
c(Folder View): Press the
softkey below
cto view the
contents of the current folder on the
USB drive.
To browse and select files:
1. Press the softkey below
c.
2. Turn
fto scroll through the list
of folders. 3. Press
fto select the desired
folder. If there is more then one
folder, repeat Steps 1 and 2 until
the desired folder is reached.
4. Turn
fto scroll through the files
in the selected folder.
5. Press
fto select the desired file
to be played.
To skip through large lists, the five
softkeys can be used to navigate in
the following order:
.First softkey, first item in the list.
.Second softkey, 1% through the
list each time the softkey is
pressed.
.Third softkey, 5% through the list
each time the softkey is pressed.
.Fourth softkey, 10% through the
list each time the softkey is
pressed.
.Fifth softkey, end of the list.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-24 Infotainment System
h(Music Navigator):Press the
softkey below
hto view and
select a track on an iPod. Files are
sorted by:
.Playlists
.Artists
.Albums
.Genres
.Songs
.Composers
To select tracks:
1. Press the softkey below
h.
2. Turn
fto scroll through the list
of menus.
3. Press
fto select the
desired menu.
4. Turn
fto scroll through the
folders or files in the
selected menu.
5. Press
fto select the track. To skip through large lists, the five
softkeys can be used to navigate in
the following order:
.First softkey, first item in the list.
.Second softkey, 1% through the
list each time the softkey is
pressed.
.Third softkey, 5% through the list
each time the softkey is pressed.
.Fourth softkey, 10% through the
list each time the softkey is
pressed.
.Fifth softkey, end of the list.
"(Repeat All):
Press the softkey
below
"to repeat all tracks.
The tab appears lowered when
Repeat All is being used. This is the
default mode when a USB storage
device or iPod is first connected.
'(Repeat Track): Press the
softkey below
'to repeat one
track. The tab appears raised when
Repeat Track is being used. Press the softkey below
>,2,
Cor=to select between
Shuffle Off, Shuffle All Songs/
Shuffle Songs, Shuffle Album,
or Shuffle Folder.
>(Shuffle Off): Press the
softkey below
2to turn shuffle
off. This is the default mode when a
USB storage device or iPod is first
connected.
2(Shuffle All Songs / Shuffle
Songs): Press the softkey below
=orCto shuffle all songs on
the USB storage device or iPod.
C(Shuffle Album): Press the
softkey below
>to shuffle all
songs in the current album on
an iPod.
=(Shuffle Folder): Press the
softkey below
>to shuffle all
songs in the current folder on a
USB storage device.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-25
Phone
Bluetooth
For vehicles equipped with
Bluetooth capability, the system can
interact with many cell phones,
allowing:
.Placement and receipt of calls
in a hands-free mode.
.Sharing of the cell phone’s
address book or contact list with
the vehicle.
To minimize driver distraction,
before driving, and with the vehicle
parked:
.Become familiar with the
features of the cell phone.
Organize the phone book and
contact lists clearly and delete
duplicate or rarely used entries.
If possible, program speed dial
or other shortcuts.
.Review the controls and
operation of the infotainment
system.
.Pair cell phone(s) to the vehicle.
The system may not work with
all cell phones. See “Pairing a
Phone” in this section for more
information.
.If the cell phone has voice
dialing capability, learn to use
that feature to access the
address book or contact list.
See “Voice Pass-Thru” in this
section for more information.
.See “Storing and Deleting Phone
Numbers” in this section for
more information.
{WARNING
When using a cell phone, it can
be distracting to look too long or
too often at the screen of the
phone or the infotainment
(navigation) system. Taking your
eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash
resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
A Bluetooth system can use a
Bluetooth‐capable cell phone with a
Hands Free Profile to make and
receive phone calls. The system
can be used while the key is in
ON/RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY
position. The range of the Bluetooth
system can be up to 9.1 m (30 ft).
Not all phones support all functions,
and not all phones work with the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system. See
www.gm.com/bluetooth for more
information on compatible phones.

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 (17,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-17
Notice:Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.
9 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/
LOCK/OFF): When the vehicle is
stopped, turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF to turn the engine off.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) on
page 9‑21.
This position locks the ignition.
It also locks the transmission.
The key can only be removed in
LOCK/OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags. If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9‑29.{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled
over, and must be shut off while
driving, turn the ignition to
ACC/ACCESSORY.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
doesn't work, the vehicle needs
service.

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 (19,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-19
The vehicle has a Computer-
Controlled Cranking System.
This feature assists in starting
the engine and protects
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking
for a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START, cranking will be stopped
after 15 seconds to prevent
cranking motor damage.
To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by turning the ignition switch to
the ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF position.Notice:
Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after
5 to 10 seconds, especially in
very cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the
way to the floor and holding it
there as you hold the key in
START for up to a maximum
of 15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to
allow the cranking motor to cool
down. When the engine starts,
let go of the key and accelerator. If the vehicle starts briefly but
then stops again, repeat these
steps. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts.
Notice: The engine is designed
to work with the electronics in
the vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could
change the way the engine
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly.
Any resulting damage would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.