
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Instruments and Controls 145
stays on when the malfunctionindicator lamp is on, the vehicleshould be taken to your dealer forservice as soon as possible.
Ride Control System
Messages
SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL
This message displays when thereis a problem with the TractionControl System (TCS). When thismessage is displayed, the systemwill not limit wheel spin. Adjust yourdriving accordingly. See your dealerfor service.
SERVICE STABILITRAK
This message displays if there is aproblem with the StabiliTrak system.If this message appears, try to resetthe system. Stop; turn off the enginefor at least 15 seconds; then startthe engine again. If this messagestill comes on, it means there is aproblem. See your dealer forservice. The vehicle is safe to drive;
however, you do not have thebenefit of StabiliTrak, so reduceyour speed and drive accordingly.
Airbag System Messages
SERVICE AIRBAG
This message displays if there is aproblem with the airbag system. Seeyour dealer for service.
Security Messages
THEFT ATTEMPTED
This message displays if the vehicledetects a tamper condition.
Service Vehicle Messages
SERVICE AC SYSTEM
This message displays if there is aproblem with the air conditioningsystem. Take the vehicle to yourdealer for service.
SERVICE KEYLESS START
SYSTEM
This message is displayed if there isaproblemwiththepushbuttonstartsystem. Take the vehicle to yourdealer for service.
SERVICE VEHICLE SOON
This message displays if there is aproblem with the vehicle. Take thevehicle to your dealer for service.
Steering System
Messages
SERVICE POWER STEERING
This message displays and a chimemay sound when there may be aproblem with the power steeringsystem. If this message displaysand a reduction in steeringperformance or loss of powersteering assistance is noticed, seeyour dealer.

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
172 Infotainment System
functions may gray out when theyare unavailable. Many infotainmentfeatures are also available throughthe instrument cluster and steeringwheel controls.
Before driving:
.Become familiar with theoperation, faceplate buttons, andscreen buttons.
.Set up the audio by presettingfavorite stations, setting thetone, and adjusting thespeakers.
.Set up phone numbers inadvance so they can be calledeasily by pressing a singlebutton or by using a single voicecommand if equipped withBluetooth phone capability.
SeeDefensive Driving0216.
To p l a y t h e i n f o t a i n m e n t s y s t e m w i t hthe ignition off, seeRetainedAccessory Power (RAP)0230.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The infotainment system has anelectronic security system installedto prevent theft.
The infotainment system only worksin the vehicle in which it was firstinstalled, and cannot be used inanother vehicle.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
214 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 216Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 217Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 218Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 219Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 221Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 225Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 227Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 231Parking over ThingsThat Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 233Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 238Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 240Regenerative Braking(Hybrid Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Adaptive Cruise Control . . . . . . 245
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 252Assistance Systems forParking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 253
Assistance Systems forDriving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258Forward AutomaticBraking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260Front Pedestrian Braking(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261Side Blind ZoneAlert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . 264Lane DepartureWarning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . 266
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 269Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
216 Driving and Operating
Refer to the Infotainment section formore information on using thatsystem, including pairing and usingacellphone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“alwaysexpect the unexpected.”The firststep in driving defensively is to wearthe safety belt. SeeSafetyBelts064.
.Assume that other road users(pedestrians, bicyclists, andother drivers) are going to becareless and make mistakes.Anticipate what they might doand be ready.
.Allow enough following distancebetween you and the driver infront of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated withdrinking and driving is a globaltragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
asmallamountofalcohol.You
can have a serious—or even
fatal—collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
adriverwhohasbeendrinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and acceleratingare important factors in helping tocontrol a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perceptiontime and reaction time. Deciding topush the brake pedal is perceptiontime. Actually doing it isreaction time.
Average driver reaction time isabout three-quarters of a second. Inthat time, a vehicle moving at100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m(66 ft), which could be a lot ofdistance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mindinclude:
.Keep enough distance betweenyou and the vehicle in frontof you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while thevehicle is being driven, brakenormally but do not pump thebrakes. Doing so could make thepedal harder to push down. If theengine stops, there will be somepower brake assist but it will beused when the brake is applied.Once the power assist is used up, itcan take longer to stop and thebrake pedal will be harder to push.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 217
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric powersteering. It does not have powersteering fluid. Regular maintenanceis not required.
If power steering assist is lost dueto a system malfunction, the vehiclecan be steered, but may requireincreased effort.
See your dealer if there is aproblem.
If the steering wheel is turned until itreaches the end of its travel and isheld against that position for anextended period of time, powersteering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for anextended period of time, powerassist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steeringassist should return when thesystem cools down.
See specific vehicle steeringmessages underService VehicleMessages0145.Seeyourdealerifthere is a problem.
Curve Tips
.Ta k e c u r v e s a t a r e a s o n a b l espeed.
.Reduce speed before entering acurve.
.Maintain a reasonable steadyspeed through the curve.
.Wait until the vehicle is out ofthe curve before acceleratinggently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations whensteering around a problem maybe more effective than braking.
.Holding both sides of thesteering wheel allows you to turn180 degrees without removingahand.
.The Antilock Brake System(ABS) allows steering whilebraking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can dropoff the edge of a road onto theshoulder while driving. Followthese tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator andthen, if there is nothing in theway, steer the vehicle so that itstraddles the edge of thepavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel aboutone-eighth of a turn, until theright front tire contacts thepavement edge.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
226 Driving and Operating
Pressing the button cycles it throughthree modes: ACC/ACCESSORY,ON/RUN/START, and Stopping theEngine/LOCK/OFF.
The RKE transmitter must be in thevehicle for the system to operate.If the pushbutton start is notworking, the vehicle may be near astrong radio antenna signal causinginterference to the Keyless Accesssystem. SeeRemote Keyless Entry(RKE) System Operation032.
To s h i f t o u t o f P ( P a r k ) , t h e v e h i c l emust be in ACC/ACCESSORY orON/RUN and the brake pedal mustbe applied.
Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF (No Indicator Lights) :Whenthe vehicle is stopped, pressENGINE START/STOP once to turnthe engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), theignition will turn off, and RetainedAccessory Power (RAP) will remainactive. SeeRetained AccessoryPower (RAP)0230.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), theignition will return to ACC/ACCESSORY and display themessage SHIFT TO PARK in theDriver Information Center (DIC).SeeTr a n s m i s s i o n M e s s a g e s0146.When the vehicle is shifted intoP(Park), the ignition system willswitch to OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when thevehicle is moving. This will cause aloss of power assist in the brakeand steering systems and disablethe airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in anemergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steadypressure. Do not pump thebrakes repeatedly. This maydeplete power assist, requiringincreased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).This can be done while thevehicle is moving. After shiftingto N (Neutral), firmly apply thebrakes and steer the vehicle toasafelocation.
3. Come to a complete stop, shiftto P (Park), and turn theignition to OFF. On vehicleswith an automatic transmission,the shift lever must be inP(Park) to turn the ignitionswitch to the OFF position.
4. Set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake0237.
{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 overand must be shut off while driving,press and hold ENGINE START/STOP for longer than two seconds,or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (AmberIndicator Light) :This mode allowsyou to use some electricalaccessories when the engine is off.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Vehicle Care 313
The vehicle may not be equippedwith all of the fuses, relays, andfeatures shown.
Fuses Usage
1–
2–
3ABSpump
5ACDCinverter
6Rearclosure
7ATWS/Horn
8Window/Mirror/Seats
9Eboost
10 Left seat lumbar/Airbag HEV
11 D C D C b a t t e r y 1
12 Rear defogger
13 Heated mirror
14–
15 Passive entry/Passivestart
16 Front wiper
17 Passenger power seat
18 ABS valve
Fuses Usage
19 Driver power seat
21 Sunroof
22 Parking lamp
23 Active headlampleveling
24–
26 Transmission controlmodule/Ignition
27 Instrument panelbody/Ignition
28 Fuel pump
29 Regulated voltagecontrol/Ventilation
30 Malfunction indicatorlamp/SS
32 CVS
33 Front heated seat
34 Rear heated seat/BSM/ESS fan
35 Body controlmodule 6/Body controlmodule 7
36 Fuel module
Fuses Usage
38–
39–
40 Steering column lock
41–
43 Heated steering wheel
44 Active headlampleveling
45–
46 Engine controlmodule/Ignition
47–
48 Eboost (HEV)
49 DC DC battery 2
50–
51–
52–
53–
54–
55–
56–