Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Introduction 3
{Danger
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result
in serious injury or death.
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
Acirclewithaslashthroughitisasafety symbol which means“DoNot,”“Do not do this,”or“Do not letthis happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components andlabels that use symbols instead oftext. Symbols are shown along withthe text describing the operation orinformation relating to a specificcomponent, control, message,gauge, or indicator.
M:Shown when the ownermanual has additional instructionsor information.
*:Shown when the servicemanual has additional instructionsor information.
0:Shown when there is moreinformation on another page—“see page.”
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbolsthat may be found on the vehicleand what they mean. For moreinformation on the symbol, refer tothe Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controlsor OnStar®(if equipped)
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
g:First Responder
_:Flame/Fire Prohibited
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3:Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 6/1/16
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 12Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Passenger Sensing System . . . 13Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20Bluetooth®..................... 20Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 21Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Forward AutomaticBraking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 23Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 24Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 24Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Automatic ParkingAssist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Universal Remote System . . . . . 25Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hybrid Features
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
High Voltage SafetyInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Regenerative Braking(Hybrid Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 28Fuel (1.5L and 1.8LEngines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Fuel (2.0L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 29Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Roadside AssistanceProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 6/1/16
In Brief 29
E85 or FlexFuel
No E85 or FlexFuel
Gasoline-ethanol fuel blends greaterthan E15 (15% ethanol by volume),such as E85, cannot be used in thisvehicle.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculatesengine oil life based on vehicle useand displays the CHANGE ENGINEOIL SOON message when it is timeto change the engine oil and filter.The oil life system should be resetto 100% only following an oilchange.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Using the DIC controls on theright side of the steering wheel,display REMAINING OIL LIFEon the DIC. SeeDriverInformation Center (DIC) (BaseLevel)0131orDriverInformation Center (DIC)(Uplevel)0134.Whenremaining oil life is low, theCHANGE ENGINE OIL SOONmessage will appear on thedisplay. SeeEngine OilMessages0141.
2. PressVon the DIC controls
and hold down for a fewseconds to clear the CHANGEENGINE OIL SOON messageand reset the oil life at 100%.
Be careful not to reset the oillife display accidentally at anytime other than after the oil ischanged. It cannot be resetaccurately until the next oilchange.
The system is reset when theCHANGE ENGINE OIL SOONmessage is off and the REMAININGOIL LIFE 100% message isdisplayed.
SeeEngine Oil Life System0291.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuelmileage. Here are some driving tipsto get the best fuel economypossible.
.Avoid fast starts and acceleratesmoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoidabrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for longperiods of time.
.When road and weatherconditions are appropriate, usecruise control.
.Always follow posted speedlimits or drive more slowly whenconditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properlyinflated.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
40 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Conditions in Which Remote StartWill Not Work
The remote vehicle start feature willnot operate if:
.Atransmitterisinthevehicle.
.The hood is not closed.
.The hazard warning flashersare on.
.The malfunction indicator lampis on.
.The engine coolant temperatureis too high.
.The oil pressure is low.
.Tw o r e m o t e v e h i c l e s t a r t s , o r asingle remote start with anextension, have alreadybeen used.
.The vehicle is not in P (Park).
Door Locks
{Warning
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especiallychildren, can easily openthe doors and fall out of amoving vehicle. The doorscan be unlocked andopened while the vehicle ismoving. The chance ofbeing thrown out of thevehicle in a crash isincreased if the doors arenot locked. So, allpassengers should wearsafety belts properly and thedoors should be lockedwhenever the vehicle isdriven.
.Yo u n g c h i l d r e n w h o g e t i n t ounlocked vehicles may beunable to get out. A childcan be overcome byextreme heat and can sufferpermanent injuries or even
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
death from heat stroke.Always lock the vehiclewhenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enterthrough an unlocked doorwhen you slow down or stopthe vehicle. Locking thedoors can help prevent thisfrom happening.
To l o c k o r u n l o c k t h e d o o r s f r o m t h eoutside:
.PressQorKon the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.SeeRemote Keyless Entry(RKE) System Operation032.
.Use the key in the driver door.The key lock cylinder is coveredwith a cap.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Instruments and Controls 103
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 104Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 104Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 105Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 105Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Instrument Cluster (BaseLevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Instrument Cluster(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Ta c h o m e t e r ( N o n - H y b r i d ) . . . . . 11 7Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Power Indicator Gauge(Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Engine Coolant TemperatureGauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 120Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 120Passenger Airbag StatusIndicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121Charging System Light . . . . . . . 122Malfunction Indicator Lamp(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 122Brake System WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Electric Parking BrakeLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Service Electric Parking BrakeLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Lane Keep Assist (LKA)Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 126Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 126Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 127Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 127Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 127Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 128Low Fuel Warning Light(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Low Fuel Warning Light (BaseLevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129Vehicle Ready Light(Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 129Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 130Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 130Door Ajar Light (Uplevel) . . . . . 130
Information Displays
Power Flows (Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . 131Energy Information(Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Driver Information Center (DIC)(Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Driver Information Center (DIC)(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Brake System Messages . . . . . 138Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 139Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 139Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 140Engine Cooling SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 141Engine Power Messages . . . . . 141Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 141Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 141
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
128 Instruments and Controls
When the Light Flashes First andThen Is On Steady
If the light flashes for about a minuteand then stays on, there may be aproblem with the TPMS. If theproblem is not corrected, the lightwill come on at every ignition cycle.SeeTire Pressure MonitorOperation0328.
Engine Oil Pressure Light
Caution
Lack of proper engine oil
maintenance can damage the
engine. Driving with the engine oil
low can also damage the engine.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Check
the oil level as soon as possible.
Add oil if required, but if the oil
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil.
This light should come on briefly asthe engine is started. If it does notcome on, have the vehicle servicedby your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, itmeans that oil is not flowing throughthe engine properly. The vehiclecould be low on oil and might havesome other system problem. Seeyour dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Light
(Uplevel)
This light is near the fuel gauge andcomes on briefly when the ignition isturned on as a check to show it isworking.
It also comes on when the fuel tankis low on fuel. The light turns offwhen fuel is added. If it does not,have the vehicle serviced.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Instruments and Controls 133
Remaining Oil Life :Displays anestimate of the oil's remaining usefullife. If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% isdisplayed, that means 99% of thecurrent oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOONmessage will appear on the display.SeeEngine Oil Messages0141.The oil should be changed as soonas possible. SeeEngine Oil0288.In addition to the engine oil lifesystem monitoring the oil life,additional maintenance isrecommended in the MaintenanceSchedule. SeeMaintenanceSchedule0369.
The Oil Life display must be resetafter each oil change. Do not resetthe Oil Life display accidentally atany time other than when the oil hasjust been changed. It cannot bereset accurately until the next oilchange. To reset the engine oil lifesystem, seeEngine Oil LifeSystem0291.
Oil Pressure :Oil pressure isdisplayed in either kilopascal (kPa)or in pounds per square inch (psi).
Oil pressure can vary with enginespeed, outside temperature, and oilviscosity. On some models, the oilpump will vary engine oil pressureaccording to engine needs. Oilpressure may change quickly as theengine speed or load varies. This isnormal. If the oil pressure warninglight or Driver Information Center(DIC) message indicates oilpressure outside the normaloperating range, check the vehicle'soil as soon as possible. SeeEngineOil Messages0141.
Tire Pressure :Displays a vehiclewith the approximate pressures ofall four tires. Tire pressure isdisplayed in either kilopascal (kPa)or in pounds per square inch (psi).SeeTire Pressure Monitor System0327andTire Pressure MonitorOperation0328.
Battery Voltage :Displays thecurrent battery voltage, if equipped.Battery voltage changes are normalwhile driving. SeeCharging SystemLight0122.Ifthereisaproblemwith the battery charging system,
the DIC will display a message. SeeBattery Voltage and ChargingMessages0138.
Coolant Temperature :Shows theengine coolant temperature in eitherdegrees Celsius (°C) or degreesFahrenheit (°F).
Speed Warning :This display isused to set the vehicle speed atwhich the speed warning chimesounds and the alert is displayed.The speed can be set by pressingVwhile the speed warning displayis showing.
Units :Movewxto change
between Metric or US when the Unit
display is active. PressVto confirm
the setting. This will change thedisplays on the DIC to the type ofmeasurements you select.
ECO Drive Assist Menu (ECO)
Items
Usewxto scroll through the
menu items. Not all items areavailable on every vehicle. Thefollowing is a list of all possiblemenu items:
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Instruments and Controls 135
DIC Info Page Options
The info pages on the DIC can beturned on or off through theSettings menu.
1. Pressoto access the cluster
applications.
2. Pressworxto scroll to the
Settings application.
3. PressVto enter the
Settings menu.
4. Scroll to Info Pages and
pressp.
5. Pressworxto move
through the list of possibleinformation displays.
6. PressVwhile an item is
highlighted to select ordeselect that item. When anitem is selected, a checkmarkwill appear next to it.
DIC Info Pages
The following is the list of allpossible DIC info page displays.Some may not be available for yourparticular vehicle. Some items may
not be turned on by default but canbe turned on through the Settingsapp. See“DIC Info Page Options”earlier in this section.
Speed :Shows the vehicle speed ineither kilometers per hour (km/h) ormiles per hour (mph).
Tr i p A o r Tr i p B :Shows thecurrent distance traveled, in eitherkilometers (km) or miles (mi), sincethe trip odometer was last reset.
This also shows the approximateaverage liters per 100 kilometers(L/100 km) or miles pergallon (mpg). This number iscalculated based on the number ofL/100 km (mpg) recorded since thelast time this menu item was reset.This number reflects only theapproximate average fuel economythat the vehicle has right now, andwill change as driving conditionschange.
Press and holdVwhile this display
is active to reset the trip odometerand the average fuel economy. TripAandTripBcanalsoberesetby
pressingpand choosing reset.
Fuel Range :Shows theapproximate distance the vehiclecan be driven without refueling.LOW will be displayed when thevehicle is low on fuel. The fuelrange estimate is based on anaverage of the vehicle's fueleconomy over recent driving historyand the amount of fuel remaining inthe fuel tank.
Oil Life :Shows an estimate of theoil's remaining useful life.If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% isdisplayed, that means 99% of thecurrent oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOONmessage will appear on the display.SeeEngine Oil Messages0141.The oil should be changed as soonas possible. SeeEngine Oil0288.In addition to the engine oil lifesystem monitoring the oil life,additional maintenance isrecommended in the MaintenanceSchedule. SeeMaintenanceSchedule0369.