2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU tow

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
122 Instruments and Controls
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem. If the light comes on and stays on,
there is a brake problem.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Electric Parking Brake
Light
MetricEnglish
This light comes on when the
parking brake is applied. If the light
continues flashing after the parking brake is released, or while driving,
there is a problem with the Electric
Parking Brake system or another
system. A message may also
display in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See
Brake System
Messages 0136
ii.
If the light does not come on,
or remains flashing, see your dealer.
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light
For vehicles with the Electric
Parking Brake (EPB), the service
electric parking brake light should
come on briefly when the vehicle is
in ON/RUN. If it does not come on,
have the vehicle serviced by your
dealer.
If this light stays on, there is a
problem with a system on the
vehicle that is causing the parking

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Lighting 163
.Driving on winding or hilly roads.
The IntelliBeam system may need to
be disabled if any of the above
conditions exist.
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
3
: 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)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system comes on in
daylight when the following
conditions are met:
. The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is in
AUTO, if equipped.
. 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
O,(,
or the ignition is off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
If equipped, the headlamps come on
automatically when the exterior
lamp control is set to AUTO and it is
dark enough outside
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.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Infotainment System 181
Audio Players
USB Port
Using the USB Port
The infotainment system can play
music or movies by connecting an
auxiliary device to the USB port.
USB Support
If equipped, the USB connector is in
the center stack below the climate
controls, and uses the USB 2.0
standard.
USB Supported Devices
.USB Flash Drives
. Portable USB Hard Drives
Not all iPods and USB drives are
compatible with the USB port.
Make sure the iPod has the latest
firmware from Apple
®for proper
operation. iPod firmware can be
updated using the latest iTunes
®
application. See www.apple.com/
itunes.
For help with identifying your iPod,
go to www.apple.com/support. The USB port can play both lower
and upper case .mp3, .wma, .ogg,
and .wav files stored on a USB
storage device.
Supported Apple
®Devices
To view supported devices in U.S.,
see my.chevrolet.com\learned.
To view supported devices in
Canada, see chevroletowner.ca.
To view supported devices in
Mexico, see your dealer for details.
USB Supported File and Folder
Structure
The infotainment system supports:
. FAT16.
. FAT32.
. exFAT.
Connecting a USB Storage
Device or iPod/iPhone
To connect a USB storage device,
connect the device to the USB port.
To connect an iPod/iPhone, connect
one end of the device’ s cable to the
iPod/iPhone and the other end to
the USB port. The iPod/iPhone charges while it is
connected to the vehicle if the
vehicle is in ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN. See
Ignition Positions
0 226
ii. When the vehicle is turned
off, the iPod/iPhone automatically
powers off and will not charge or
draw power from the vehicle's
battery.
For more information on USB
usage, see “Audio System
Information” underPictures and
Movies (Picture System with
Touchscreen) 0201
iior Pictures and
Movies (Movie System with
Touchscreen) 0202
iior Pictures and
Movies (Audio System with
Touchscreen) 0197
ii.
Playing Movies
Movies are not available while
driving.
If the USB storage device is already
connected:
1. Press
{.
2. Touch GALLERY.
3. Touch
s.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Driving and Operating 215
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 219
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 220
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 222
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 226
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 234
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 238
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 240
Regenerative Braking (Hybrid Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 246
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 253
Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 253 Assistance Systems for
Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Front Automatic Braking (FAB)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 263
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 265
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 269
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
216 Driving and Operating
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
222 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0233
ii.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 241
ii.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0355
ii.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
224 Driving and Operating
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred toyour vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing 0276
iifor
important information on towing
a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 2 = 136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 5 = 340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight
= 113 kg (250 lbs).

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Driving and Operating 231
Warning (Continued)
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord will not reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the
cord as it was before to keep it
away from moving engine
parts.
The length of time the heater should
remain plugged in depends on
several factors. Ask a dealer in the
area where you will be parking the
vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after the
engine is turned off:
. Audio System
. Power Windows
. Sunroof (if equipped) These features continue to work up
to 10 minutes after the ignition is
turned to LOCK/OFF.
The power windows and sunroof will
work until any door is opened.
The radio continues to work until the
driver door is opened.
All these features operate when the
key is in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down and
set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0238
ii.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the
button on the shift lever and
pushing the shift lever all the
way toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
See Shifting Into Park 0231
ii.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved