2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU automatic transmission

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
2014 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
eAssist Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-21
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-23
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-32 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-27
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-34
Universal Remote System . . . . 5-40
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21 Climate Controls
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-14
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-27
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-32
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 9-37
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-58
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-91

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11 Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-16
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-17
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-19
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Universal Remote System . . . 1-20
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
eAssist Features
eAssist®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
High Voltage Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Driver Efficiency Gauge . . . . . . 1-22
Automatic Engine Start/Stop Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . 1-22
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-23
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-24
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
In Brief 1-3
1.Air Vents on page 8-8.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on
page 6-4.
Driver Information Center
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5-24.
3. Instrument Cluster on page 5-8.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5-24.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5-3.
5. Storage Area (if Equipped). See Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4-1.
6. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System on page 6-3.
7. Infotainment on page 7-1.
8. CD Player on page 7-15. 9.
Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6-1.
Fog Lamps on page 6-4.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6-5.
10. Storage Compartment. See Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4-1.
11. Data Link Connector (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5-14.
12. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10-4.
13. Cruise Control on page 9-35.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System on page 9-37 (If
Equipped).
14. Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5-2.
15. Horn on page 5-3.
16. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5-2. 17.
Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) on page 9-15 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
on page 9-17.
18. Heated Front Seats on
page 3-7 (If Equipped).
19. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6-3.
20. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9-27.
21. Parking Brake on page 9-31.
22. Power Outlets on page 5-5.
23. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-32.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) on page 9-46 (If
Equipped).
24. Climate Control Systems on
page 8-1.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System on page 8-4.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
In Brief 1-15
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
1. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
2. Air Conditioning or Comfort/Eco Air Conditioning
3. Air Delivery Modes
4. Defrost
5. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
6. Heated Seats (If Equipped)
7. Recirculation 8. Fan Control
9. Rear Window Defogger
10. SYNC
See
Climate Control Systems on
page 8-1 orDual Automatic Climate
Control System on page 8-4 (If
Equipped).
Transmission
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
DSC allows you to change gears
similar to a manual transmission. To
use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever from D (Drive) rearward to
M (Manual).
2. Press the + (plus) end of the button on the top of the shift
lever to upshift, or push the −
(minus) end of the button to
downshift.
See Manual Mode on page 9-29.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
5-34 Instruments and Controls
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 9-29.
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 10-21.
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 program each front window
for the express-up feature to work.
See Power Windows on page 2-21.
Vehicle
Personalization
Use the audio system controls to
access the personalization menus
for customizing vehicle features.
The following are all possible
personalization features. Depending
on the vehicle, some may not be
available.
CONFIG (Configuration): Press to
access the Configuration
Settings menu.
TUNE/MENU: Turn to scroll
through the menus. Press to enter
the menus and select the menu
items.
BACK
/: Press to exit or move
backward in a menu.
Entering the Personalization
Menus
1. Press CONFIG to access the Configuration Settings menu.
2. Turn the TUNE/MENU knob to highlight Vehicle Settings.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Track Events and CompetitiveDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-7
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17 Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-27
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-32
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Driver Assistance Systems
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 9-40
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-49
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-49
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
9-16 Driving and Operating
3. Come to a complete stop, shiftto P (Park), and turn the ignition
to OFF. On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, the shift
lever must be in P (Park) to turn
the ignition switch to the OFF
position.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake on page 9-31.
{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,
press and hold the ENGINE START/
STOP button for longer than
two seconds, or press twice in
five seconds. ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light):
This mode allows
you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
run down.
ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light): This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button once will place the
ignition system in ON/RUN/START.
Once engine cranking begins,
release the button. Engine cranking
will continue until the engine starts.
See Starting the Engine on
page 9-19. The ignition will then
remain in ON/RUN. Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and
the brake pedal not applied,
pressing and holding the button for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode.
The instruments and audio systems
will operate as they do in ON/RUN,
but the vehicle will not be able to be
driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
6081487) - 2014 - CRC - 11/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-17
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
{Caution
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(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
only with your hand. If the key
cannot be turned by hand, see
your dealer.
The key must be fully extended to
start the vehicle.
To shift out of P (Park), turn the
ignition to ON/RUN and apply the
brake pedal.
1 (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 9-23.
This is the only position from which
the key can be removed. This locks
the ignition and automatic
transmission. 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.