2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU oil reset

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-19
Cruise Control
The cruise control buttons are
located on the left side of the
steering wheel.
J:Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off.
RES+: Press briefly to make the
vehicle resume a previously set
speed or press and hold to
accelerate.
SET−: Press to set the speed and
activate cruise control or make the
vehicle decelerate.
For more information, see Cruise
Control on page 9‑33.
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is located at the
bottom of the instrument panel
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems and enables
access to the personalization menu.
The DIC buttons are located on the
left side of the steering wheel.
INFO: Press to scroll through the
vehicle information displays.
r: Press to reset some vehicle
information displays, select a
personalization setting,
or acknowledge a warning
message.
For more information, see Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24.
Vehicle Personalization
Some vehicle features can be
programmed by using the DIC
buttons on the left side of the
steering wheel. These features
include:
.Oil Life Reset
.Units
.RKE Lock and Unlock Feedback
.Door Lock and Unlock Settings
.Language
See Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑31.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
1-22 In Brief
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the“Change Oil Soon”
DIC message when it is necessary
to change the engine oil and filter.
The oil life system should be reset
to 100% only following an oil
change.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN, with the engine off.
2. Press and hold the DIC INFO and reset buttons, on the left
side of the steering wheel,
at the same time to enter the
personalization menu. The “Oil
Life Reset” message displays.
3. Press and hold the reset button until the DIC display shows
“Acknowledged.”
4. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12.
Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol)
Vehicles that have a FlexFuel badge
and a yellow fuel cap can use either
unleaded gasoline or ethanol fuel
containing up to 85% ethanol (E85).
See Fuel E85 (85% Ethanol) on
page 9‑39. For all other vehicles,
use only the unleaded gasoline
described under Recommended
Fuel on page 9‑36.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
OIL LIFE
Press the information button until
OIL LIFE displays. The engine oil
life system shows an estimate of the
oil's remaining useful life. It shows
100% when the system is reset
after an oil change. It alerts you to
change the oil on a schedule
consistent with your driving
conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life
system monitoring the oil life,
additional maintenance is
recommended in the Maintenance
Schedule in this manual. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑10and
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑2.
Always reset the engine oil life
system after an oil change. See
“How to Reset the Engine Oil Life
System” underEngine Oil Life
System on page 10‑12. Tire Pressure
On vehicles with the Tire Pressure
Monitor System (TPMS), the
pressure for each tire can be viewed
in the DIC. The tire pressure is
shown in either kilopascals (kPa)
or pounds per square inch (psi).
Press the information button until
LF ## PSI (kPa) ## RF displays
for the front tires. Press the
information button again until
LR ## PSI (kPa) ## RR displays
for the rear tires.
If a low tire pressure condition is
detected by the system while
driving, a message advising you to
add air will appear in the display.
See
Tire Pressure on page 10‑50
and Tire Messages on page 5‑30
for more information.Vehicle Messages
The following messages appear if
there is a problem detected in one
of your vehicle's systems.
A message clears when the
vehicle's condition is no longer
present. To acknowledge a
message and clear it from the
display, press and hold any of the
DIC buttons. If the condition is still
present, the warning message
comes back on the next time the
vehicle is turned off and back on.
With most messages, a warning
chime sounds when the message
displays. Your vehicle may have
other warning messages.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Brake System Messages
BRAKE FLUID
This message displays, while the
ignition is on, when the brake fluid
level is low. The brake system
warning light on the instrument
panel cluster also comes on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑18for more information.
Have the brake system serviced by
your dealer as soon as possible.
PUSH PARK PEDAL
This message displays if the parking
brake is left engaged. See Parking
Brake on page 9‑29 for more
information.
Cruise Control Messages
CRUISE ENGAGED
This message displays when the
cruise control system is active.
See Cruise Control on page 9‑33 for
more information.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR AJAR
This message displays if one or
more of the vehicle's doors are not
closed properly. Make sure that the
door(s) are closed completely.
TRUNK AJAR
This message displays when the
trunk is not closed completely.
Make sure that the trunk is closed
completely. See Trunk on page 2‑9
for more information.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE OIL SOON
This message displays when the life
of the engine oil has expired and it
should be changed.
When this message is
acknowledged and cleared from
the display, the engine oil life
system must still be reset
separately. See Engine Oil Life System on page 10‑12,
Engine Oil
on page 10‑10, and Maintenance
Schedule on page 11‑2 for more
information.
Engine Power Messages
ENG (Engine) PWR (Power)
REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is
no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination.
The performance may be reduced
the next time the vehicle is driven.
The vehicle may be driven at a
reduced speed while this message
is on, but acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your dealer for
service as soon as possible.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Personalization Menu Modes
OIL LIFE RESET
When this feature is displayed, you
can reset the engine oil life system.
To reset the system, seeEngine
Oil Life System on page 10‑12.
See “OIL LIFE” underDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24 for more information.
UNITS
This feature allows you to select
the units of measurement in which
the DIC will display the vehicle
information. When UNITS appears
on the display, press and hold the
reset button for at least one second
to scroll through the available
settings:
ENGLISH (default in United
States): All information will be
displayed in English units.
METRIC (default in Canada):
All information will be displayed in
metric units. To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE START
If your vehicle has remote start, this
feature allows remote start to be
turned off or on. Remote start allows
you to start the engine from outside
of the vehicle using your Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
When REMOTE START appears on
the display, press and hold the reset
button for at least one second to
scroll through the available settings:
OFF:
The remote start feature will
be disabled.
ON (default): The remote start
feature will be enabled.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 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. LOCK HORN
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's horn to chirp every time
the lock button on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
is pressed, can be enabled or
disabled. When LOCK HORN
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
OFF (default):
The horn will not
chirp on the first press of the lock
button on the RKE transmitter.
The horn will still chirp on the
second press.
ON: The horn will chirp on the first
press of the lock button on the RKE
transmitter.
See 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.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
10-12 Vehicle Care
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil.
The recommended oils with the
dexos specification and displaying
the dexos certification mark are all
that is needed for good performance
and engine protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal.
Never dispose of oil by putting it in
the trash or pouring it on the
ground, into sewers, or into streams
or bodies of water. Recycle it by
taking it to a place that collects
used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably.
For the oil life system to work
properly, the system must be reset
every time the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished,
it indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A CHANGE OIL SOON
message comes on. SeeEngine Oil
Messages on page 5‑27. Change
the oil as soon as possible within

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-13
the next 1 000 km (600 mi). It is
possible that, if driving under the
best conditions, the oil life system
might indicate that an oil change
is not necessary for up to a year.
The engine oil and filter must be
changed at least once a year and,
at this time, the system must be
reset. Your dealer has trained
service people who will perform this
work and reset the system. It is also
important to check the oil regularly
over the course of an oil drain
interval and keep it at the proper
level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. To reset the
system:
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,with the engine off.
2. Press and hold the DIC INFO and reset buttons, on the left
side of the steering wheel,
at the same time to enter the
personalization menu. The OIL
LIFE RESET message displays.
See Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5‑24 andEngine
Oil Messages on page 5‑27. 3. Press and hold the reset button
until the DIC display shows
ACKNOWLEDGED.
4. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF.
The system is reset when the
CHANGE OIL SOON message
is off.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON
message comes back on when the
vehicle is started, the engine oil life
system has not reset. Repeat the
procedure.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-21
If the overheat warning is displayed
with no sign of steam:
1. Turn the air off.
2. Turn the heater on to the highesttemperature and to the highest
fan speed. Open the windows
as necessary.
3. In heavy traffic, let the engine idle in N (Neutral) while stopped.
If it is safe to do so, pull off
the road, shift to P (Park) or
N (Neutral) and let the
engine idle.
If the temperature overheat gauge is
no longer in the overheat zone or
an overheat warning no longer
displays, the vehicle can be driven.
Continue to drive the vehicle slowly
for about 10 minutes. Keep a safe
vehicle distance from the vehicle in
front. If the warning does not come
back on, continue to drive normally. If the warning continues, pull over,
stop, and park the vehicle
right away.
If there is no sign of steam, idle the
engine for three minutes while
parked. If the warning is still
displayed, turn off the engine until it
cools down. Also, see
“Overheated
Engine Protection Operating Mode”
following.
Overheated Engine
Protection
Operating Mode
This emergency operating mode
allows the vehicle to be driven to
a safe place in an emergency
situation. If an overheated engine
condition exists, an overheat
protection mode which alternates
firing groups of cylinders helps
prevent engine damage. In this mode, a significant loss in
power and engine performance will
be noticed. The temperature gauge
will indicate an overheat condition
exists. Driving extended km (mi)
and/or towing a trailer in the
overheat protection mode should be
avoided.
Notice:
After driving in the
overheated engine protection
operating mode, to avoid engine
damage, allow the engine to cool
before attempting any repair.
The engine oil will be severely
degraded. Repair the cause of
coolant loss, change the oil
and reset the oil life system.
See Engine Oil on page 10‑10.