
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Portable Audio Devices (Auxiliary Input or
USB Port) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-18
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-21
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-22
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) . . . . . 1-22
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
1-18 In Brief
Portable Audio Devices
(Auxiliary Input or
USB Port)
This vehicle may have a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) auxiliary input jack and a
USB port, located on the audio
faceplate. Some portable audio
devices such as iPods
®, MP3
players, and USB storage devices
can be connected to the vehicle
using a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable or a
USB cable.
For more information, see Auxiliary
Devices on page 7‑20.
Bluetooth®
For vehicles with a Bluetooth
system, it allows users with a
Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone to
make and receive hands-free calls
using the vehicle’ s audio system
and controls.
The Bluetooth‐enabled cell phone
must be paired with the Bluetooth
system before it can be used in the vehicle. Not all phones will support
all functions. For more information,
visit www.gm.com/bluetooth.
For more information, see
Bluetooth
on page 7‑25.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls
can be adjusted using the controls
on the right side of the steering
wheel.
e+ /e− : Increases or decreases
volume.
worx/c: Press to change
radio stations, select tracks on a
CD, or to select tracks and navigate
folders on an iPod
®or USB device.
b/g: Press to silence the vehicle
speakers only. Press again to turn
the sound on. Press and hold longer
than two seconds to interact with
the OnStar
®or Bluetooth systems.
x/c: Press to reject an
incoming call, or to end a call.
For more information, see Steering
Wheel Controls on page 5‑2.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-1
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 7-2
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Satellite Radio Antenna . . . . . . 7-14
Audio Players
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Phone
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Introduction
Infotainment
Determine which radio the vehicle
has and read the following pages to
become familiar with its features.
{WARNING
Taking your eyes off the road for
extended periods could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death
to you or others. Do not give
extended attention to
entertainment tasks while driving.
This system provides access to
many audio and non audio listings.
To minimize taking your eyes off the
road while driving, do the following
while the vehicle is parked:
.Become familiar with the
operation and controls of the
audio system.
.Set up the tone, speaker
adjustments, and preset radio
stations. For more information, see
Defensive
Driving on page 9‑3.
Notice: Contact your dealer
before adding any equipment.
Adding audio or communication
equipment could interfere with
the operation of the engine, radio,
or other systems, and could
damage them. Follow federal
rules covering mobile radio and
telephone equipment.
Notice: The chime signals related
to safety belts, parking brake,
and other functions of your
vehicle operate through the
radio/entertainment system.
If that equipment is replaced or
additional equipment is added to
your vehicle, the chimes may
not work. Make sure that
replacement or additional
equipment is compatible
with your vehicle before
installing it. See Accessories
and Modifications on page 10‑3.

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 (18,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-18 Infotainment System
Playing an MP3
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 playback starts from a new
folder, the new track name displays
unless folder mode has been
chosen as the default display, then
the new folder name displays. Buttons and Knobs
The buttons and knobs on the radio
control the following features.
f(Tune):
Turn to select MP3 files
on the disc.
©SEEK: Press to go to the start of
the track, if more than ten seconds
have played. Press and hold or
press multiple times to continue
moving backward through tracks.
¨SEEK: Press to go to the next
track. Press and hold or press
multiple times to continue moving
forward through tracks.
sREV (Reverse): Press and hold
to reverse playback quickly. Sound
is heard at a reduced volume and
the elapsed time of the track
displays. Release
sREV to
resume playing.
\FWD (Fast Forward): Press
and hold to advance playback
quickly. Sound is heard at a reduced
volume and the elapsed time of the
track displays. Release
\FWD to
resume playing.
4(Information): Press to display
available additional information
about the current track.
BAND: Press to listen to the
radio while an MP3 disc is playing.
The MP3 disc remains inside the
CD player.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to
play an MP3 disc 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.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-20 Infotainment System
CD Player Messages
CHECK DISC:If an error message
displays and/or the disc comes out,
it could be for one of the following
reasons:
.The CD player is very hot.
When the temperature returns to
normal, the disc should play.
.The road is very rough. When
the road becomes smoother,
the disc should play.
.The disc is dirty, scratched, wet,
or upside down.
.The air is very humid. If so, wait
about an hour and try again.
.A problem may have occurred
while burning the disc.
.The label could be caught in the
CD player.
If the disc is not playing correctly
for any other reason, try a known
good disc. If any error occurs repeatedly or if
an error cannot be corrected,
contact your dealer. If the radio
displays an error message, write it
down and provide it to your dealer
when reporting the problem.
Auxiliary Devices
This vehicle may have a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) auxiliary input jack and a
USB port, located on the audio
faceplate. Some portable audio
devices such as iPods
®, MP3
players, and USB storage devices
can be connected to the vehicle
using a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable or a
USB cable.
Drivers are encouraged to set up
any auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park). See
Defensive Driving on page 9‑3
for more information on driver
distraction.
Using the 3.5 mm (1/8 in)
Auxiliary Input Jack
The radio system may have a
3.5 mm (1/8 in) auxiliary input jack
located on the lower right or left side
of the faceplate. This is not an audio
output; do not plug the headphone
set into the front auxiliary input jack.
An external audio device such as an
iPod
®, laptop computer, MP3 player,
CD changer, etc. can be connected
to the auxiliary input jack for use as
another audio source.
To use a portable audio player,
connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable to
the auxiliary input jack. When a
device is connected, press the
CD/AUX button to begin playing
audio from the device over the
vehicle speakers.
O(Power/Volume): Turn to adjust
the volume. Additional volume
adjustments may have to be made
from the portable device if the
volume is too quiet or not loud.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-21
BAND:Press to listen to the radio
while a portable audio device is
connected to the auxiliary input.
The portable audio device continues
playing until it is stopped or
turned off.
CD/AUX (CD/Auxiliary): Press to
play a CD while a portable audio
device is connected to the auxiliary
input. Press again and the system
begins playing audio from the
connected portable audio player.
If a portable audio player is not
connected, No Aux Input Device
may display.
Using the USB Port
The radio may have a USB port
located on the lower right side of the
faceplate. Radios that have a USB
port can play .mp3 and .wma files
that are stored on a USB storage
device as well as tracks that are
stored on an iPod
®. USB Supported File and Folder
Structure
The radio supports:
.Up to 700 folders.
.Up to eight folders in depth.
.Up to 65,535 files.
.Folder and file names up to
64 bytes.
.Files with an .mp3 or .wma file
extension.
.AAC files stored on an iPod.
.FAT16
.FAT32
Root Directory
The root directory is treated as a
folder. Files are stored in the root
directory when the disc or storage
device does not contain folders.
Files accessed from the root
directory of a USB device display as
F1 ROOT. Empty Folder
Folders that do not contain files are
skipped, and the player advances to
the next folder that contains files.
File Naming
The song name that displays is the
song name that is contained in the
ID3 tag. If the song name is not
present in the ID3 tag, then the
radio displays the file name without
the file extension as the track name.
Track names longer than
32 characters or four pages are
shortened. The display does not
show parts of words on the last
page of text and the extension of
the filename is not displayed.
Preprogrammed Playlists
Playlists that have an .m3u or .pls
file extension and are stored on a
USB device may be supported by
the radio with a USB port.

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.