Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Lighting 163
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 163Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165Automatic HeadlampSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 166Turn and Lane-ChangeSignals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Battery Load Management . . . 169Battery Power Protection . . . . . 170Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on theinstrument panel to the left of thesteering column.
O:Turns the exterior lamps onand off.
AUTO :Turns the exterior lamps onand off automatically depending onoutside lighting.
;:Turns on the parking lampsincluding all lamps, except theheadlamps.
5:Turns on the headlampstogether with the parking lamps andinstrument panel lights.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
164 Lighting
IntelliBeam®System
If equipped, this system turns thevehicle's high-beam headlamps onand off according to surroundingtraffic conditions.
The system turns the high-beamheadlamps on when it is darkenough and there is no other trafficpresent.
This lightbcomes on in the
instrument cluster when theIntelliBeam system is enabled.
Turning On and EnablingIntelliBeam
To e n a b l e t h e I n t e l l i B e a m s y s t e m ,
pressbon the turn signal lever
when the exterior lamp control is in
the AUTO or5position. The blue
high-beam on light appears on theinstrument cluster when the highbeams are on.
Driving with IntelliBeam
The system only activates the highbeams when driving over 40 km/h(25 mph).
There is a sensor near the topcenter of the windshield thatautomatically controls the system.Keep this area of the windshieldclear of debris to allow for bestsystem performance.
The high-beam headlamps remainon, under the automatic control,until one of the following situationsoccurs:
.The system detects anapproaching vehicle'sheadlamps.
.The system detects a precedingvehicle's taillamps.
.The outside light is brightenough that high-beamheadlamps are not required.
.The vehicle's speed drops below20 km/h (12 mph).
.The IntelliBeam system isdisabled by the high/low-beamchanger or the flash-to-passfeature. If this happens,
pressbon the turn signal
lever when the exterior lamp
control is in the AUTO or5
position. The instrument clusterlight will come on to indicate theIntelliBeam system isreactivated. SeeHeadlampHigh/Low-Beam Changer0165andFlash-to-Pass0165.
The high beams may not turn offautomatically if the system cannotdetect another vehicle's lampsbecause of any of the following:
.The other vehicle's lamps aremissing, damaged, obstructedfrom view, or otherwiseundetected.
.The other vehicle's lamps arecovered with dirt, snow, and/orroad spray.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Lighting 165
.The other vehicle's lamps cannotbe detected due to denseexhaust, smoke, fog, snow, roadspray, mist, or other airborneobstructions.
.The vehicle's windshield is dirty,cracked, or obstructed bysomething that blocks the viewof the light sensor.
.The vehicle is loaded such thatthe front end points upward,causing the light sensor to aimhigh and not detect headlampsand taillamps.
.Driving on winding or hilly roads.
The IntelliBeam system may need tobe disabled if any of the aboveconditions exist.
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder
Awarningchimesoundsifthedriverdoor is opened while the ignition isoff and the exterior lamps are on.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3:Push the turn signal lever awayfrom you and release, to turn thehigh beams on. To return to lowbeams, push the lever again or pullit toward you and release.
This indicator light turns on in theinstrument cluster when thehigh-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To f l a s h t h e h i g h b e a m s , p u l l t h eturn signal lever toward you, andrelease.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others tosee the front of your vehicle duringthe day. Fully functional DRL arerequired on all vehicles first sold inCanada.
The DRL system comes on indaylight when the followingconditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
.The exterior lamp control is inAUTO, if equipped.
.The light sensor determines it isdaytime.
.The vehicle is not in P (Park).
When the DRL are on, the taillamps,sidemarker lamps, instrument panellights, and other lamps will notbe on.
The DRL turn off when the
headlamps are turned toOor(,
or when the ignition is off.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
166 Lighting
Automatic Headlamp
System
The headlamps come onautomatically when the exteriorlamp control is set to AUTO and it isdark enough outside
There is a light sensor on top of theinstrument panel. Do not cover thesensor, otherwise the headlampswill come on when they are notneeded.
The system may also turn on theheadlamps when driving through aparking garage or tunnel.
When it is bright enough outside,the headlamps will turn off or maychange to Daytime RunningLamps (DRL).
The automatic headlamp systemturns off when the exterior lamp
control is turned toOor the ignition
is off.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers areactivated in daylight with the engineon, and the exterior lamp control isin AUTO, the headlamps, parkinglamps, and other exterior lampscome on. The transition time for thelamps coming on varies based onwiper speed. When the wipers arenot operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control toO
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:Press this button to make thefront and rear turn signal lampsflash on and off. Press again to turnthe flashers off.
The hazard warning flashers turn onautomatically if the airbags deploy.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Lighting 169
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and most ofthe interior lamps turn on briefly atnight or in areas with limited lightingwhen the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitterKbutton is
pressed. SeeRemote Keyless Entry(RKE) System Operation032.Afterabout 30 seconds the exterior lampsturn off, then the dome lamps andremaining interior lamps dim to off.Entry lighting can be disabledmanually by changing the ignitionout of the OFF position, or by
pressing the RKE transmitterQ
button.
This feature can be changed. SeeVehicle Personalization0147.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interiorlights come on at night, or in areaswith limited lighting, when the driverdoor is opened after the ignition isturned off. The dome lamp comeson after the ignition is changed to
the OFF position. The exteriorlamps and dome lamp remain on forasetamountoftime,thenautomatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn offimmediately by turning the exteriorlamp control off.
This feature can be changed. SeeVehicle Personalization0147.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric PowerManagement (EPM), whichestimates the battery's temperatureand state of charge. It then adjuststhe voltage for best performanceand extended life of the battery.
When the battery's state of chargeis low, the voltage is raised slightlyto quickly bring the charge back up.When the state of charge is high,the voltage is lowered slightly toprevent overcharging. If the vehiclehas a voltage display on the DriverInformation 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 atidle if the electrical loads are veryhigh. This is true for all vehicles.This is because the generator(alternator) may not be spinning fastenough at idle to produce all thepower that is needed for very highelectrical loads.
Ahighelectricalloadoccurswhenseveral of the following are on, suchas: headlamps, high beams, foglamps, rear window defogger,climate control fan at high speed,heated seats, engine cooling fans,trailer loads, and loads plugged intoaccessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessivedischarge of the battery. It does thisby balancing the generator's outputand the vehicle's electrical needs.It can increase engine idle speed togenerate more power, wheneverneeded. It can temporarily reducethe power demands of someaccessories.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
170 Lighting
Normally, these actions occur insteps or levels, without beingnoticeable. In rare cases at thehighest levels of corrective action,this action may be noticeable to thedriver. If so, a DIC message mightbe displayed and it is recommendedthat the driver reduce the electricalloads as much as possible. SeeBattery Voltage and ChargingMessages0138.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature isdesigned to protect the vehicle'sbattery.
If some interior lamps are left onand the ignition is turned off, thebattery rundown protection systemautomatically turns the lamp off aftersome time.
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about10 minutes after the ignition isturned off, if the parking lamps orheadlamps have been manually lefton. This protects against draining
the battery. To restart the 10-minutetimer, turn the exterior lamp controlto the off position and then back tothe parking lamp or headlampposition.
To k e e p t h e l a m p s o n f o r m o r e t h a n10 minutes, the ignition must be inthe ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUNposition.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 221
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highestsetting. See“ClimateControl Systems.”
For more information about CO,
seeEngine Exhaust0232.
To s a v e f u e l , r u n t h e e n g i n e f o rshort periods to warm the vehicleand then shut the engine off andpartially close the window. Movingabout to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,when running the engine, push theaccelerator pedal slightly so theengine runs faster than the idlespeed. This keeps the batterycharged to restart the vehicle and tosignal for help with the headlamps.Do this as little as possible, tosave fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin thewheels to free the vehicle whenstuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the tractionsystem to free the vehicle, turn thetraction system off and use therocking method. SeeTr a c t i o nControl/Electronic StabilityControl0241.
{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 andright to clear the area around thefront wheels. Turn off any tractionsystem. Shift back and forthbetween R (Reverse) and a lowforward gear, spinning the wheelsas little as possible. To preventtransmission wear, wait until thewheels stop spinning before shiftinggears. Release the acceleratorpedal while shifting, and presslightly on the accelerator pedalwhen the transmission is in gear.Slowly spinning the wheels in theforward and reverse directionscauses a rocking motion that couldfree the vehicle. If that does not getthe vehicle out after a few tries, itmight need to be towed out. If thevehicle does need to be towed out,seeTo w i n g t h e V e h i c l e0355.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 259
Warning (Continued)
or ice, or if the windshield is
damaged. It may also not detect a
vehicle on winding or hilly roads,
or in conditions that can limit
visibility such as fog, rain,
or snow, or if the headlamps or
windshield are not cleaned or in
proper condition. Keep the
windshield, headlamps, and FCA
sensors clean and in good repair.
Collision Alert
When your vehicle approachesanother detected vehicle too rapidly,the red FCA display will flash on thewindshield. Also, eight rapidhigh-pitched beeps will sound fromthe front. When this Collision Alertoccurs, the brake system mayprepare for driver braking to occur
more rapidly which can cause abrief, mild deceleration. Continue toapply the brake pedal as the drivingsituation dictates. Cruise controlmay be disengaged when theCollision Alert occurs.
Tailgating Alert
The vehicle ahead indicator willdisplay amber when you arefollowing a detected vehicle aheadmuch too closely.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the
steering wheel. Press[to set the
FCA timing to far, medium, near,or off. The first button press showsthe current control setting on theDIC. Additional button presses willchange this setting. The chosensetting will remain until it is changedand will affect the timing of both theCollision Alert and the Tailgating
Alert features. The timing of bothalerts will vary based on vehiclespeed. The faster the vehicle speed,the farther away the alert will occur.Consider traffic and weatherconditions when selecting the alerttiming. The range of selectable alerttiming may not be appropriate for alldrivers and driving conditions.
Following Distance Indication
The following distance to a movingvehicle you are following isindicated in following time inseconds on the Driver InformationCenter (DIC). SeeDriverInformation Center (DIC) (BaseLevel)0131orDriver InformationCenter (DIC) (Uplevel)0134.Theminimum following time is0.5 seconds away. If there is novehicle detected ahead, or thevehicle ahead is out of sensorrange, dashes will be displayed.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may provide unnecessaryalerts to turning vehicles, vehicles inother lanes, objects that are not