2012 CHEVROLET MALIBU steering

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control (ESC)
M: Windshield Washer Fluid

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 (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Air Vents on page 8‑9.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever. See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
C. Instrument Cluster on
page 5‑10.
D. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.
E. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
F. Infotainment on page 7‑1.
G. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
H. Driver Compartment Storage. See Front Storage on page 4‑2.
I. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑4. J.
Cruise Control on page 9‑33.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑24.
K. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑16.
L. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2 (Out of View).
M. Horn on page 5‑3.
N. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2 (If Equipped).
O. Ignition Positions on page 9‑16.
P. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 (If Equipped).
Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8‑5
(If Equipped). Q.
Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑4.
R. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑24.
S. Front Storage on page 4‑2.
Power Outlets on page 5‑7.
T. Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑26.
U. Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑30.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
1-12 In Brief
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The lever is located on the left side
of the steering wheel column.
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel upor down. 3. Pull or push the steering wheel
closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when
any door is opened. They turn off
after all the doors are closed.
To turn the dome lamps on
manually, turn the instrument panel
brightness knob, located on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column, clockwise to the
farthest position. The dome lamps
will remain on whether a door is
opened or closed. Reading Lamps
The front reading lamps are located
in the front overhead console.
The rear reading lamps are near the
dome lamp overhead near the rear
passenger seats.
For vehicles with front and/or 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.
For more information on interior
lighting, see:
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
.Entry/Exit Lighting on page 6‑6.
.Parade Dimming on page 6‑6.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-13
Exterior Lighting
P:Briefly turn to this position to
manually turn the automatic lamp
control off or on.
In Canada, this position only works
when a vehicle is in the P (Park)
position. When the vehicle is put
into D (Drive) the lights come on.
AUTO: Automatically turns on the
Daytime Running Lamps during
daytime, and the headlamps,
parking lamps, and taillamps at
night.
;: Manual operation of the parking
lamps and taillamps.
2: Manual operation of the
headlamps, parking lamps, and
taillamps. For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Delayed Headlamps on
page 6‑4.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑2.
.Automatic Headlamp System on
page 6‑3.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper lever is
located on the right side of the
steering column.
9:
Turns the wipers off.
3: For intermittent or speed
sensitive operation. While in this
position, turn the
xband up or
down to vary frequency.
The amount of delay time varies
between wiping cycles due to the
delay setting selected or the speed
of the vehicle. As vehicle speed is
increased or decreased, the wiper
interval also increases or
decreases.
6 :Slow wipes.
1 :Fast wipes.
8: Use for a single wiping cycle.
Windshield Washer: Press the
button at the end of the lever until
the washers begin.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑4.

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 (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.