Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
In Brief 17
Climate Controls
If equipped with one of these systems, it controls the heating, cooling, and
ventilation.
Climate Control System
1. Fan Control
2. MAX Defrost
3. A/C (Air Conditioning) or Max/ Eco Air Conditioning (Stop/
Start Only)
4. TEMP (Temperature Control) 5. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats (If Equipped)
6. Recirculation
7. Air Delivery Mode Controls
8. Rear Window Defogger
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
18 In Brief
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
1. Driver and Passenger Ventilated Seats (If Equipped)
2. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
3. MAX Defrost
4. Fan Controls
5. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
6. A/C (Air Conditioning) or Max/ Eco Air Conditioning (Stop/
Start Only) 7. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats (If Equipped)
8. SYNC
9. Recirculation
10. Power
11. Air Delivery Mode Controls
12. Rear Window Defogger
See Climate Control Systems 0206
iior Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0209ii(If Equipped).
Transmission
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
ERS mode allows you to choose the
top-gear limit of the transmission
and the vehicle's speed while
driving downhill or towing a trailer.
The vehicle has an electronic shift
position indicator within the
instrument cluster. When using the
ERS mode a number will display
next to the L, indicating the current
gear that has been selected.
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever to L (Low).
2. Press + (Plus) or −(Minus) on
the shift lever to increase or
decrease the gear range
available.
See Manual Mode 0235
ii.
Hybrid Low Mode
When descending steep grades or
in stop-and-go traffic, L (Low Mode)
provides the ability to slow the
vehicle with regenerative braking
when lifting off the accelerator
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
In Brief 19
pedal. L2 (Low 2) provides moderate
braking and L1 (Low 1) provides
maximum braking below 80 km/h
(50 mph). When the battery reaches
full charge the engine may run to
maintain braking.
To use this feature:1. Move the shift lever to L (Low). The transmission will enter
L2 (Low 2).
2. Press + (Plus) or −(Minus) on
the shift lever to shift between
L2 (Low 2) and L1 (Low 1).
See Manual Mode 0235
ii.
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System
Base radio information is included in
this manual. See the infotainment
manual for information on other
available infotainment systems.
Read the following pages to
become familiar with these features.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road for
too long or too often while using
any infotainment feature can
cause a crash. You or others
could be injured or killed. Do not
give extended attention to
infotainment tasks while driving.
Limit your glances at the vehicle
displays and focus your attention
on driving. Use voice commands
whenever possible.
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid
distraction by disabling some
functions when driving. These functions may gray out when they
are unavailable. Many infotainment
features are also available through
the instrument cluster and steering
wheel controls.
Before driving:
.
Become familiar with the
operation, faceplate buttons, and
screen buttons.
. Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
. Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
button or by using a single voice
command if equipped with
Bluetooth phone capability.
See Defensive Driving 0217
ii.
To play the infotainment system with
the ignition off, see Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0231
ii.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Keys, Doors, and Windows 35
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
6. Put the key back into the transmitter.
Programming without a
Recognized Transmitter
If there are no currently recognized
transmitters available, follow this
procedure to program up to eight
transmitters. This feature is not
available in Canada. This procedure
will take approximately 30 minutes
to complete. The vehicle must be off
and all of the transmitters to be
programmed must be with you. 1. Remove the key lock cylinder cap on the driver door handle.
See Door Locks 038
ii. Insert
the vehicle key of the
transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key
counterclockwise five times
within 10 seconds. The Driver Information Center
(DIC) displays REMOTE
LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
2. Wait for 10 minutes until the DIC displays PRESS ENGINE
START BUTTON TO LEARN
and then press ENGINE
START/STOP.
The DIC displays will again
show REMOTE LEARN
PENDING, PLEASE WAIT.
3. Repeat Step 2 two additional times. After the third time, all
previously known transmitters
will no longer work with the
vehicle. Remaining transmitters
can be relearned during the
next steps.
The DIC display should now
show READY FOR REMOTE
# 1.
4. Place the new transmitter intothe transmitter pocket with the
buttons facing toward the rear
of the vehicle. The transmitter
pocket is inside the center
console storage area.
5. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
6. Remove the transmitter from the transmitter pocket and
press
KorQ.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
36 Keys, Doors, and Windows
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold the ENGINE START/
STOP for 12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
7. Return the key back into the transmitter.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
While trying to start the vehicle,
if the transmitter battery is weak or if
there is interference with the signal,
the DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED or NO REMOTE KEY
WAS DETECTED PLACE KEY IN
TRANSMITTER POCKET THEN
START YOUR VEHICLE. The
REPLACE BATTERY IN REMOTE
KEY message may also be
displayed at this time.
To start the vehicle:
1. Open the center console and place the transmitter in the
transmitter pocket with the
buttons facing the rear of the
vehicle. 2. With the vehicle in P (Park) or
N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and press ENGINE
START/STOP. See Starting the
Engine 0228
ii.
Replace the transmitter battery
as soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC. See
Key and Lock Messages 0139
ii.
Caution
When replacing the battery, do
not touch any of the circuitry on
the transmitter. Static from your
body could damage the
transmitter.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
1. Press the button on the side of the transmitter near the bottom
and pull the key out.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Keys, Doors, and Windows 49
Press the switch down to open the
window. Pull the front of the switch
up to close it.
The power windows only operate
with the ignition in ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN, or when
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is
active. SeeRetained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0231
ii.
Express-Down/Up Windows
The express feature allows the
windows to be raised and lowered
all the way without holding the
switch. Press or pull the switch fully and
release it to activate the express
feature.
Cancel the express mode by briefly
pressing or pulling the switch.
Express Window Anti-Pinch
Feature
If any object is in the path of the
window when the express-up is
active, the window will stop at the
obstruction and auto-reverse to a
preset factory position. Weather
conditions such as severe icing may
also cause the window to
auto-reverse. The window will return
to normal operation after the
obstruction or condition is removed.
Express Window Anti-Pinch
Override
{Warning
If express override is activated,
the window will not reverse
automatically. You or others could
be injured and the window could
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
be damaged. Before you use
express override, make sure that
all people and obstructions are
clear of the window path.
To override the anti-pinch feature,
hold the window switch all the way
up to the second position. The
window will raise for as long as the
switch is held. Once the switch is
released, the express mode is
reactivated.
In this mode, the window can close
on an object in its path. Use care
when using the override mode.
Programming the Power
Windows
If the vehicle battery has been
recharged or disconnected, or is not
working, the front power windows
will need to be reprogrammed for
the express-up feature to work.
Before reprogramming, replace or
recharge the vehicle's battery.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
72 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seat Driver Side Shown,Passenger Side Similar
On vehicles with second row
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
they are in the sides of the rear
seatback closest to the door.
{Warning
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that
block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof
of a vehicle with roof-rail airbags
by routing a rope or tie‐down
through any door or window
opening. If you do, the path of an
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. SeeAirbag System 069ii.
Airbags are designed to inflate if the
impact exceeds the specific airbag
system's deployment threshold.
Deployment thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is likely
to be in time for the airbags to
inflate and help restrain the
occupants. The vehicle has
electronic sensors that help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries, mainly to the driver's or
front outboard passenger's head
and chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Seats and Restraints 73
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity.
Knee airbags are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal impacts. Knee airbags
are not designed to inflate during
vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts,
or in many side impacts.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the locationof the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate during a rollover or in a
severe frontal impact. Roof-rail
airbags are not designed to inflate in
rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the
vehicle is struck, if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? 071
ii.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.