
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Average Fuel Economy and
Instantaneous Fuel Economy
This display shows the approximate
average liters per 100 kilometers(L/100 km) or miles per
gallon (mpg). This number is
calculated based on the number of
L/100 km (mpg) recorded since the
last time this menu item was reset.
The fuel economy can be reset by
pressing SET/CLR while the
Average Fuel Economy display is
showing.
The instantaneous fuel economy
display shows the current fuel
economy in liters per 100 kilometers
(L/100 km) or miles per gallon
(mpg). This number reflects only the
fuel economy that the vehicle has
right now and changes frequently as
driving conditions change. Unlike
average economy, this display
cannot be reset.
Average Vehicle Speed
This display shows the average
speed of the vehicle in kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per hour (mph). This average is
calculated based on the various
vehicle speeds recorded since the
last reset of this value. The average
speed can be reset by pressing
SET/CLR while the Average Vehicle
Speed display is showing.
Timer
This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press SET/CLR
while Timer is displayed. The
display will show the amount of time
that has passed since the timer was
last reset, not including time the
ignition is off. Time will continue to
be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being
shown on the DIC. The timer will
record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes,
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after
which the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press SET/CLR
briefly while Timer is displayed. To
reset the timer to zero, press and
hold SET/CLR.
Navigation
This display is used for the
Turn-by-Turn navigation,
if equipped.
Boost Gauge
This display, available on some
vehicles, is a boost gauge. It shows
a visual display of the level of boost.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until Vehicle Information menu
is displayed. Use
w/xto scroll
through the menu items. The
following is the list of all possible
vehicle information displays. Some
of the items may not be available for
your particular vehicle.
.Display Units
.Tire Pressure
.Jump Start (eAssist Only)
.Remaining Oil Life
.Battery

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
5-34 Instruments and Controls
Transmission Messages
SERVICE TRANSMISSION
This message displays if there is a
problem with the transmission. See
your dealer.
SHIFT DENIED
This message displays when
attempting to use the automatic
transmission manual mode to shift
to too low or too high of a gear. See
Manual Mode on page 9‑27.
SHIFT TO PARK
This message displays when the
transmission needs to be shifted to
P (Park). This may appear when
attempting to remove the key from
the ignition or from the vehicle if the
vehicle is not in P (Park).
TRANSMISSION HOT—IDLE
ENGINE
This message displays and a chime
sounds if the transmission fluid in
the vehicle gets hot. Driving with the
transmission fluid temperature high
can cause damage to the vehicle.
Stop the vehicle and let it idle to
allow the transmission to cool. This
message clears when the fluid
temperature reaches a safe level.
Vehicle Reminder
Messages
ICE POSSIBLE DRIVE
WITH CARE
This message displays when ice
conditions are possible.
Washer Fluid Messages
WASHER FLUID LOW ADD
FLUID
This message may display when the
washer fluid level is low. See
Washer Fluid on page 10‑22.
Window Messages
OPEN, THEN CLOSE DRIVER/
PASSENGER WINDOW
This message is displayed when the
window needs to be reprogrammed.
If the vehicle's battery has been
recharged or disconnected, you will
need to reprogram each front
window for the express-up feature to
work. See Power Windows on
page 2‑17.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
5-36 Instruments and Controls
Auto Defog
Only vehicles with dual automatic
climate control will have this option.
This will allow you to turn the auto
defog on or off.
Press TUNE/MENU when Auto
Defog is highlighted to open the
menu. Turn the TUNE/MENU knob
to highlight On or Off. Press TUNE/
MENU to confirm the selection and
move back to the last menu.
Auto Rear Defog
This will allow you to turn the auto
rear defog on or off. This feature will
automatically turn on the rear
window defogger when it is cold
outside.
Press TUNE/MENU when Auto
Rear Defog is highlighted to open
the menu. Turn the TUNE/MENU
knob to highlight On or Off. Press
TUNE/MENU to confirm the
selection and move back to the
last menu.Comfort and Convenience
Select the Comfort and
Convenience menu and the
following may be displayed:
.Easy Exit Driver Seat
.Chime Volume
.Reverse Tilt Mirror
Easy Exit Driver Seat
When on, this feature will move the
driver seat rearward upon turning
the ignition off and opening the
driver door. This may be done to
make it easier to exit the vehicle.
See “Easy Exit Driver Seat” under
Memory Seats on page 3‑6.
This feature can be turned on or off.
Press TUNE/MENU when Easy Exit
Driver Seat is highlighted. Turn the
TUNE/MENU knob to select On or
Off. Press TUNE/MENU to confirm
and go back to the last menu. Chime Volume
This allows selection of the chime
volume level.
Press TUNE/MENU when Chime
Volume is highlighted. Turn the
TUNE/MENU knob to select Normal
or High. Press TUNE/MENU to
confirm and go back to the
last menu.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, both the driver and
passenger mirrors will tilt downward
when the vehicle is shifted to
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of
the ground near the rear wheels.
They will return to their previous
driving position when the vehicle is
shifted out of R (Reverse), the
ignition is turned to OFF, or the
vehicle is left in R (Reverse). See
Reverse Tilt Mirrors on page 2‑16.
Press TUNE/MENU when Reverse
Tilt Mirror is highlighted. Turn the
TUNE/MENU knob to select On or
Off. Press TUNE/MENU to confirm
and go back to the last menu.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
6-2 Lighting
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
AUTO (Automatic):Automatically
turns the exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on the
parking lamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Parking Lamps
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
A warning chime sounds if the driver
door is opened while the ignition is
off and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
2 3
(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal
lever away from you and release, to
turn the high beams on. To return to
low beams, push the lever again or
pull it toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever toward you, and
release.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime running lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
The DRL system turns on the
low-beam headlamps at a reduced
brightness. For vehicles with
High Intensity Discharge (HID)
headlamps, there is a dedicated
DRL. The DRL will come on when
all of the following conditions
are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Lighting 6-3
.The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
.The vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned to
Oor the
ignition is off.
This vehicle may have a DRL
disabling function. When the DRL
are on and a turn signal is activated,
the DRL on that side will be off until
the turn signal goes off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor, otherwise the headlamps
will come on when they are not
needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps will turn off or may
change to Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). The automatic headlamp system
turns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned to
Oor the ignition
is off.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
OFF or to the Parking Lamp position
to disable this feature.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
6-4 Lighting
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flashers):
Press this button to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. Press again to turn the
flashers off.
The hazard warning flashers turn on
automatically if the airbags deploy.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
flashes in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane
change is completed. If the lever is
briefly pressed and released, the
turn signal flashes three times. The turn and lane-change signal
can be turned off manually by
moving the lever back to its original
position.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change, the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
might be burned out.
Have any burned out bulbs
replaced. If a bulb is not burned out,
check the fuse. See
Fuses on
page 10‑38.
Fog Lamps
To turn on the fog lamps, the ignition
and the headlamps or parking lamps
must be on.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
6-6 Lighting
To operate, press the buttons:
E(Off):Turns the lamps off.
1(Door): Turns the lamps on
when any door is opened.
+(On): Keeps the lamps on all
the time.
Reading Lamps
There are front and rear reading
lamps in the overhead console and
the headliner.
Front Reading Lamps
Rear Reading Lamps
#or$(Reading Lamps): Press
the button near each lamp to turn it
on or off.
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, back-up lamps, dome
lamps, and most of the interior
lights turn on briefly when the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter
Kbutton is pressed,
or when the door handle is pulled
on a keyless access vehicle. See
Ignition Positions (Key Access) on
page 9‑14 orIgnition Positions
(Keyless Access) on page 9‑16.
After about 30 seconds the exterior
lamps turn off, then the dome
lamps and remaining interior lights
dim to off. Entry lighting can be
disabled manually by changing
the ignition out of the OFF
position, or by pressing the RKE
transmitter
Qbutton.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑35.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2013 - CRC - 6/6/12
Lighting 6-7
Exit Lighting
The headlamps, taillamps, parking
lamps, back-up lamps, and license
plate lamps come on at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when the
key is removed from the ignition.
The dome lamps also come on
when the key is removed from the
ignition. The exterior lights and
dome lamps remain on after the
door is closed for a set amount of
time, then automatically turn off.
For vehicles with keyless access,
the exterior lamps and dome lamps
automatically turn on when a door is
opened after the ignition is turned
off. SeeIgnition Positions (Key
Access) on page 9‑14 orIgnition
Positions (Keyless Access) on
page 9‑16.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑35.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM), which
estimates the battery's temperature
and state of charge. It then adjusts
the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltage display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC), you may
see the voltage move up or down.
This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power that is needed for very high
electrical loads. A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might
be displayed and it is recommended
that the driver reduce the electrical
loads as much as possible. See
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages on page 5‑28.