
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 225
{Warning
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat
folded down unless
needed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any oneconstant speed, fast or slow,for the first 805 km (500 mi).Do not make full-throttlestarts. Avoid downshifting tobrake or slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops forthe first 322 km (200 mi) orso. During this time the newbrake linings are not yetbroken in. Hard stops withnew linings can meanpremature wear and earlierreplacement. Follow this
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
breaking-in guideline everytime you get new brakelinings.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The vehicle has an electronickeyless ignition with pushbuttonstart.

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
Driving and Operating 227
With the ignition off, pressing thebutton one time without the brakepedal applied will place the ignitionsystem in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/ACCESSORY to OFF afterfive minutes to prevent batteryrun down.
ON/RUN/START (Green IndicatorLight) :This mode is for driving andstarting. With the ignition off, andthe brake pedal applied, pressingthe button once will place theignition system in ON/RUN/START.Once engine cranking begins,release the button. Engine crankingwill continue until the engine starts.SeeStarting the Engine0227.Theignition will then remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available forservice and diagnostics, and toverify the proper operation of themalfunction indicator lamp as maybe required for emission inspectionpurposes. With the vehicle off, andthe brake pedal not applied,pressing and holding the button formore than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode.The instruments and audio systemswill operate as they do in ON/RUN,but the vehicle will not be able to bedriven. The engine will not start inService Only Mode. Press thebutton again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Move the shift lever to P (Park) orN(Neutral). The engine will not startin any other position. To restart theengine when the vehicle is alreadymoving, use N (Neutral) only.
For hybrid vehicles, the engine willonly start if required for cabinwarming or high voltage batterycharging. The vehicle ready light willbe illuminated when the vehicle isready 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
Equipment0277.
Starting Procedure
1. With the Keyless Accesssystem, the RKE transmittermust be in the vehicle. PressENGINE START/STOP with thebrake pedal applied. When theengine begins cranking, let goof the button.
The idle speed will go down asthe engine gets warm. Do notrace the engine immediatelyafter starting it.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
228 Driving and Operating
If the RKE transmitter is not inthe vehicle, if there isinterference, or the RKEtransmitter battery is low, theDriver Information Center (DIC)will display a message. SeeDriver Information Center (DIC)(Base Level)0131orDriverInformation Center (DIC)(Uplevel)0134andRemoteKeyless Entry (RKE) SystemOperation032.
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
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not startafter five to 10 seconds,especially in very cold weather(below✓18 °C or 0 °F), it couldbe flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing theaccelerator pedal all the way tothe floor and holding it there asyou hold ENGINE START/STOP, for up to a maximum of15 seconds. Wait at least15 seconds between each try,to allow the cranking motor tocool down. When the enginestarts, let go of the button andthe accelerator. If the vehiclestarts briefly but then stopsagain, do the same thing. Thisclears the extra gasoline fromthe engine. Do not race theengine immediately afterstarting it. Operate the engineand transmission gently untilthe oil warms up and lubricatesall moving parts.
Hybrid Operation
This vehicle combines gasoline andelectric propulsion. The gasolineengine will automatically start toprovide power and then shut off tosave fuel.
The engine may remainrunning when:
.Accelerating aggressively orclimbing hills.
.Vehicle speed is greater than88 km/h (55 mph).
.Charging the high voltagebattery.
.The heater is being used.
The engine and transmission worktogether to provide propulsionpower at the highest efficiency. Thismay 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;
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
232 Driving and Operating
4. Move the shift lever to thedesired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift leverbutton.
2. Hold the brake pedal down andpress the shift lever buttonagain.
3. Move the shift lever to thedesired position.
If you are still having a problemshifting, 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.
Extended Parking
It is better not to park with thevehicle running. If the vehicle is leftwhile running, follow the propersteps to be sure the vehicle will notmove and there is adequateventilation. SeeShifting Into Park0230andEngine Exhaust0232.
If the vehicle is left in P (Park) whilerunning and the Remote KeylessEntry (RKE) transmitter is outsidethe vehicle, the vehicle will turn offafter one hour.
If the vehicle is left in P (Park) whilerunning and the RKE transmitter isinside, the vehicle will run for twohours. At the end of the secondhour, the vehicle will turn off.
The timer will reset if the vehicle istaken out of P (Park) while it isrunning.
Engine Exhaust
{Warning
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO), which cannot be
seen or smelled. Exposure to CO
can cause unconsciousness and
even death.
Exhaust may enter the vehicle if:
.The vehicle idles in areaswith poor ventilation(parking garages, tunnels,deep snow that may blockunderbody airflow or tailpipes).
.The exhaust smells orsounds strange or different.
.The exhaust system leaksdue to corrosion or damage.
.The vehicle exhaust systemhas been modified,damaged, or improperlyrepaired.
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Vehicle Care 279
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335Wheel Alignment and TireBalance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 336Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 338Tire Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339Storing the Tire Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 351
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - NorthAmerica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
Towing the Vehicle
To w i n g t h e V e h i c l e . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 5Recreational VehicleTo w i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 6
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
General Information
For service and parts needs, visityour dealer. You will receivegenuine GM parts and GM-trainedand supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one ofthese marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
WARNING:Most motor vehicles,including this one, as well as manyof its service parts and fluids,contain and/or emit chemicalsknown to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects orother reproductive harm. Engineexhaust, many parts and systems,many fluids, and some componentwear by-products contain and/oremit these chemicals.
SeeBattery - North America0301andJump Starting - NorthAmerica0352.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotiveapplications, such as airbaginitiators, safety belt pretensioners,and lithium batteries contained inRemote Keyless Entry transmitters,may contain perchlorate materials.Special handling may be necessary.For additional information, seewww.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
412 Index
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205, 208
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Indicator
Pedestrian Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Information
Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 396
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . 112, 114
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . . 6
Interior Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . 49
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 352
K
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . . . . 141
Keyless Entry
Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 32
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 320
Lamps
Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 165
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 122
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . 264
Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . 266
Lane Keep Assist Light . . . . . . . . . 125
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
LATCH, Lower Anchors and
Te t h e r s f o r C h i l d r e n . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 0
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Light
Ready Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Vehicle Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 167
LED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 124
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . 124
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 128
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 165
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . 128, 129

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Index 415
Proposition
65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .279, 301, 352
Propulsion Power Messages . . . 144
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 393
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Ready Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rear Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 253
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 356
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Reimbursement Program,
GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 82
Replacing LATCH System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Reporting Safety Defects
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 394
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Reverse Tilt Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Ride Control Systems
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 382
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 70
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 69
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 394
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 394
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 389
Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Heated and Ventilated Front . . . . 60
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 57
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59