
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
228 Driving and Operating
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. Press the
button again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
engine when the vehicle is already
moving, use N (Neutral) only.
For hybrid vehicles, the engine will
only start if required for cabin
warming or high voltage battery
charging. The Vehicle Ready
indicator will be illuminated when
the vehicle is ready to be driven.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
SeeAdd-On Electrical Equipment
0 278
ii.
Caution
If the steering wheel is turned
until it reaches the end of its
travel, and is held in that position
while starting the vehicle, damage
may occur to the hydraulic power
steering system and there may be
loss of power steering assist.
Starting Procedure 1. With the Keyless Access System, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Press
the ENGINE START/STOP
button with the brake pedal applied. When the engine
begins cranking, let go of the
button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or the RKE
transmitter battery is low, the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
will display a message. See
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level)
0129iior Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0132
iiand Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 031
ii.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 229
Caution (Continued)
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold ENGINE START/
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the button and
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Hybrid Operation
This vehicle combines gasoline and
electric propulsion. The gasoline
engine will automatically start to
provide power and then shut off to
save fuel.
The engine may remain
running when:
.
Accelerating aggressively or
climbing hills.
. Vehicle speed is greater than
88 km/h (55 mph).
. Charging the high voltage
battery.
. The heater is being used.
The engine and transmission work
together to provide propulsion
power at the highest efficiency. This
may result in higher engine speeds.
Stop/Start System
{Warning
Exiting the vehicle without first
shifting into P (Park) may cause
the vehicle to move. You or others
may be injured. Because the
vehicle has the auto engine stop/
start feature, the vehicle's engine
might seem to be shut off;
however, once the brake pedal is
released, the engine will start up
again.
Shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF, before
exiting the vehicle.
If equipped with the 1.5L L4 engine,
the vehicle has a fuel saving stop/
start system to shut off the engine to
help conserve fuel.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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232 Driving and Operating
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then,
see if you can move the shift lever
away from P (Park) without first
pressing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift
lever was not fully locked in
P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly, then it is difficult to
shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see“Shifting Into Park”
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, your
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park). If you are towing a trailer and
parking on a hill, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
0 273
ii.
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
electronic shift lock release system.
The shift lock release is designed to
prevent movement of the shift lever
out of P (Park), unless the ignition is
in ON/RUN and the brake pedal is
applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0352
ii.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Place the ignition in ON/RUN.
3. Press the shift lever button. 4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you are still having a problem
shifting, see your dealer.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Index 409
Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Armrest Rear Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 388
Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Assistance Systems for Parking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 253
Audio
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 169
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
B
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
BatteryLoad Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 Battery (cont'd)
Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Battery - North America . . . . 302, 352
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 305
Bluetooth
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 182, 184, 188
Brake Parking, Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 122
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . 241
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Braking System
Front Pedestrian (FPB) . . . . . . . 261
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 226
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310 Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 309
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . 307, 308
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .280, 302, 352
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Cargo
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 101
Center Stack Display . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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410 Index
ChargingWireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 119
Check Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . 83
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95, 97
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 206 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 110, 112
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 391
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 340
Connections
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Engine Temperature Gauge . . .117
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 294, 295 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 390
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 246
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 393
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 391
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 396
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402
Display
Center Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 383
Driver Teen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 413
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
IndicatorPedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Infants and Young Children, Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Information Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 397
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . 110, 112
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 6
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 48
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . . 139
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 31
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 320
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 163
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 120
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 263
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 265
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 123
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Light Ready Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Light (cont'd)
Vehicle Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 165
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 122
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 122
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 125
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 163
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . .117
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Service Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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414 Index
Lights (cont'd)Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 125
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 126
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
M
Maintenance
Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 368 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 120
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235 Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Memory Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Messages
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Battery Voltage andCharging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Engine Cooling System . . . . . . . 138
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Engine Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Key and Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Object Detection System . . . . . 140
Ride Control System . . . . . . . . . . 142
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Service Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Starting the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Steering System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Vehicle Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Mirrors
Automatic Dimming
Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Tilt in Reverse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Mirrors, Interior Rearview . . . . . . . . 48
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
N
Navigation OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Net, Convenience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 226
O
Object Detection System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Index 419
W
WarningBrake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Caution and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Lane Departure (LDW) . . . . . . . 265
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Warnings Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wheels
Alignment and Tire Balance . . 336
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . . 87
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . 305
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Wiring, High Voltage Devices . . . 310