Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 23
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 23
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 24
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Universal Remote System . . . . . 25
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hybrid Features
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 High Voltage Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Regenerative Braking (Hybrid Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (1.5L and 1.8L Engines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (2.0L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 29
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0203.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 158.
IntelliBeam System Button
(If Equipped). See Exterior
Lamp Controls 0154.
3. Instrument Cluster (Base
Level) 0112 orInstrument
Cluster (Uplevel) 0114.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0134 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0131.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer
0106.
5. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0157.
6. Infotainment 0162.
7. Climate Control Systems
0196.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0199 (If Equipped).
8. Hazard Warning Flashers
0157.
9. Power Outlets 0109. 10.
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0231.
Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0243
(If Equipped).
11. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0224.
12. Electric Parking Brake 0228.
13. USB Port 0176.
14. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0216.
15. Steering Wheel Controls 0105.
Driver Information Center
Buttons.
See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Uplevel) 0134 orDriver
Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 0131.
16. Horn 0106.
17. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0105.
18. Cruise Control 0233.
Adaptive Cruise Control 0235
(If Equipped). Heated Steering Wheel
0106
(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0247 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0255
(If Equipped).
19. Hood Release. See Hood
0 271.
20. Data Link Connector (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0122.
21. Exterior Lamp Controls 0154.
22. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0158.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
14 In Brief
The passenger airbag status
indicator will light on the overhead
console when the vehicle is started.
SeePassenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0121.
Mirror Adjustment
Interior Mirror
Adjust the rearview mirror for a clear
view of the area behind your
vehicle.
Manual Rearview Mirror
If equipped, push the tab forward for
daytime use and pull it rearward for
nighttime use to avoid glare of the
headlamps from behind.
Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror
If equipped, the mirror will
automatically reduce the glare of the
headlamps from behind. The
dimming feature comes on when the
vehicle is started.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror 050.
Exterior Mirrors
To adjust a mirror:
1. Press
}or|to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction.
See Power Mirrors 049.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
16 In Brief
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column.
O:Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn
to
Oagain to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
AUTO : Turns the exterior lamps on
and off automatically depending on
outside lighting.
;: Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps, except the
headlamps.
5: Turns on the headlamps
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights.
See:
. Exterior Lamp Controls 0154
. Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
0156
Windshield Wiper/Washer
With the ignition on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, move the lever to
select the wiper speed.
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.
INT : Move the lever up to INT for
intermittent wipes, then adjust the
band to control the frequency of
wipes.
OFF : Use to turn the wipers off.
1X : For a single wipe, briefly move
the lever down. For several wipes,
hold the lever down.
f: Pull the lever toward you to
spray windshield washer fluid and
activate the wipers.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 106.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 19
Hybrid Low Mode
When descending steep grades or
in stop-and-go traffic, L (Low)
provides the ability to slow the
vehicle with regenerative braking
when lifting off the accelerator
pedal. L2 provides moderate
braking and L1 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.
2. Press + (Plus) or −(Minus) on
the shift lever to shift between
L2 and L1.
See Manual Mode 0225.
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 the 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, center stack controls,
and infotainment display
controls.
. 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
control or by using a single voice
command if equipped with
Bluetooth phone capability.
See Defensive Driving 0207.
To play the infotainment system with
the ignition off, see Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0221.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 21
Bluetooth
The Bluetooth system allows users
with a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
to make and receive hands-free
calls using the vehicle audio system
and controls.
The Bluetooth-enabled cell phone
must be paired with the in-vehicle
Bluetooth system before it can be
used in the vehicle. Not all phones
will support all functions.
SeeBluetooth (Overview) 0182 or
Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls
Radio with Touchscreen) 0187 or
Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls
Radio without Touchscreen) 0183.
Steering Wheel Controls
g:If equipped with OnStar®or a
Bluetooth®system, press to interact
with those systems. See OnStar
Overview 0389, Bluetooth
(Overview) 0182 orBluetooth
(Infotainment Controls Radio with
Touchscreen) 0187 orBluetooth
(Infotainment Controls Radio without
Touchscreen) 0183, or “Bluetooth
(Overview)” in the infotainment
manual.
c: Press to reject an incoming
call or end a current call. Press to
mute or unmute the infotainment
system when not on a call.
The favorite and volume switches
are on the back of the steering
wheel.
1. Favorite: When on a radio source, press to select the next
or previous favorite. When on a
media source, press to select
the next or previous track.
2. Volume: Press to increase or decrease the volume.
See Steering Wheel Controls 0105.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 23
is detected ahead. This indicator
displays amber if you follow a
vehicle much too closely. When
approaching a vehicle ahead too
quickly, FCA provides a red flashing
alert on the windshield and rapidly
beeps.
SeeForward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0247.
Forward Automatic
Braking (FAB)
If the vehicle has Forward Collision
Alert (FCA), it also has FAB, which
includes Intelligent Brake
Assist (IBA). When the system
detects a vehicle ahead in your path
that is traveling in the same
direction that you may be about to
crash into, it can provide a boost to
braking or automatically brake the
vehicle. This can help avoid or
lessen the severity of crashes when
driving in a forward gear.
See Forward Automatic Braking
(FAB) 0249.
Front Pedestrian Braking
(FPB) System
If equipped, the FPB system may
help avoid or reduce the harm
caused by front-end crashes with
nearby pedestrians when driving in
a forward gear. FPB displays a
pedestrian ahead indicator when a
nearby pedestrian is detected
directly ahead. When approaching a
detected pedestrian too quickly,
FPB provides a red flashing alert on
the windshield and rapidly beeps.
FPB can provide a boost to braking
or automatically brake the vehicle.
See Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB)
System 0251.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
If equipped, LKA may help avoid
crashes due to unintentional lane
departures. It may assist by gently
turning the steering wheel if the
vehicle approaches a detected lane
marking without using a turn signal
in that direction. It may also provide
a Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
alert as the lane marking is crossed. The system will not assist or alert if
it detects that you are actively
steering. Override LKA by turning
the steering wheel. LKA uses a
camera to detect lane markings
between 60 km/h (37 mph) and
180 km/h (112 mph).
See
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
0 255 andLane Keep Assist (LKA)
0 255.
Lane Change Alert (LCA)
If equipped, the LCA system is a
lane-changing aid that assists
drivers with avoiding lane change
crashes that occur with moving
vehicles in the side blind zone (or
spot) areas or with vehicles rapidly
approaching these areas from
behind. The LCA warning display
will light up in the corresponding
outside mirror and will flash if the
turn signal is on. The Side Blind
Zone Alert (SBZA) system is
included as part of the LCA system.
See Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA)
0 253 andLane Change Alert (LCA)
0 253.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
24 In Brief
Rear Vision
Camera (RVC)
If equipped, RVC shows a view of
the area behind the vehicle on the
infotainment display when the
vehicle is shifted into R (Reverse) to
aid with parking and low-speed
backing maneuvers.
SeeAssistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0243.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
(RCTA) System
If equipped, the RCTA system uses
a triangle with an arrow on the
infotainment display to warn of
traffic behind your vehicle that may
cross your vehicle's path while in
R (Reverse). In addition, beeps will
sound.
See Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0243.
Parking Assist
If equipped, Front and Rear Parking
Assist (FRPA) uses sensors on the
front and rear bumpers to assist with parking and avoiding objects
during low-speed parking
maneuvers. It operates at speeds
less than 8 km/h (5 mph). The
system may show a warning triangle
on the infotainment display and a
graphic on the instrument cluster to
provide the object distance. In
addition, multiple beeps may occur
if very close to an object.
See
Assistance Systems for Parking
or Backing 0243.
Automatic Parking
Assist (APA)
If equipped, the APA system helps
to search for and maneuver the
vehicle into parallel or perpendicular
parking spots using automatic
steering, DIC displays, and beeps.
When the vehicle speed is below
30 km/h (18 mph), press
Oto
enable the system.
See “Automatic Parking Assist
(APA)” underAssistance Systems
for Parking or Backing 0243.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
There are two accessory power
outlets:
.
One on the center stack below
the climate control system.
. One on the rear of the center
console.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.
See Power Outlets 0109.