2020 CHEVROLET MALIBU Owner's Manual

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
The key that is part of the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter can
be used for all locks.
To remove the key, press the button
near the bottom of the transmitter,
and pull the key out. Never pull the
key out without pressing the button.
If it becomes difficult to turn the key,
inspect the key blade for debris.
See your dealer if a new key is
needed.
If locked out of the vehicle, see
Roadside Assistance Program
0323.
With an active OnStar or connected
service plan, an OnStar Advisor
may remotely unlock the vehicle.
See OnStar Overview 0335.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
See Radio Frequency Statement
0 329.
If there is a decrease in the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) operating
range:
. Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle. .
Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.
. Check the transmitter's battery.
See “Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
. If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
The Keyless Access system allows
for vehicle entry when the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter is
within 1 m (3 ft). See “Keyless
Access Operation” following.
The transmitter functions may work
up to 60 m (197 ft) away from the
vehicle.
Other conditions can impact the
performance of the transmitter. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System 08.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 9
With Remote Start Shown
Q:Press to lock all doors.
The turn signal indicators may flash
and/or the horn may sound on the
second press to indicate locking.
See Vehicle Personalization 0120.
If the driver door is open when
Qis
pressed and Open Door
Anti-Lockout is enabled, all doors
will lock and then the driver door will
immediately unlock. See Vehicle
Personalization 0120.
If the passenger door is open when
Qis pressed, all doors lock. Pressing
Qmay also arm the alarm
system. See Vehicle Alarm System
0 24.
K:Press to unlock the driver door.
Press again within five seconds to
unlock all doors. The RKE
transmitter can be programmed to
unlock all doors on the first button
press. See Vehicle Personalization
0 120.
The turn signal indicators may flash
to indicate unlocking. See Vehicle
Personalization 0120.
Pressing
Kwill disarm the alarm
system. See Vehicle Alarm System
0 24.
X:Press twice quickly to release
the trunk.
7: Press and release one time to
initiate vehicle locator. The exterior
lamps flash and the horn chirps
three times.
Press and hold
7for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the turn signals flash for about
30 seconds until
7is pressed again
or the vehicle is started.
/: If equipped, pressQand
release and then press and hold
/
for at least four seconds to start the
engine from outside the vehicle
using the RKE transmitter. See
Remote Vehicle Start 016.
Keyless Access Operation
The Keyless Access system lets
you lock and unlock the doors and
access the trunk without removing
the RKE transmitter from your
pocket, purse, briefcase, etc. The
RKE transmitter should be within
1 m (3 ft) of the trunk or door being
opened. If equipped, there will be
buttons on the outside door
handles.
Keyless Access can be
programmed to unlock all doors on
the first unlock/lock button press
from the driver door. See Vehicle
Personalization 0120.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
If equipped with memory seats, RKE
transmitters 1 and 2 are linked to
seating positions of memory 1 or 2.
SeeMemory Seats 038.
Keyless Unlocking/Locking from
the Driver Door
When the doors are locked and the
RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft)
of the driver door handle, pressing
the lock/unlock button on the driver
door handle will unlock the driver
door. If the lock/unlock button is
pressed again within five seconds,
all passenger doors will unlock. Pull
the door handle to unlatch the door.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger Similar
Pressing the lock/unlock button will
cause all doors to lock if any of the
following occur:
. It has been no more than
five seconds since the first lock/
unlock button press.
. Two lock/unlock button presses
were used to unlock all doors.
. Any vehicle door has opened
and all doors are now closed. Keyless Unlocking/Locking from
Passenger Door(s)
When the doors are locked and the
RKE transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft)
of the door handle, pressing the
lock/unlock button on that door
handle will unlock the front doors or
all doors. See
“Passive Door
Unlock” inVehicle Personalization
0 120.
Pressing the lock/unlock button will
cause the front doors or all doors to
lock if any of the following occur:
. The lock/unlock button was used
to unlock all doors.
. Any vehicle door has opened
and all doors are now closed.
Disable/Enable Keyless Unlocking
of Exterior Door Handles and
Trunk
If equipped, keyless unlocking of the
exterior door handles and trunk can
be disabled and enabled.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 11
Disabling Keyless Unlocking:
With the vehicle off, press and hold
QandKon the RKE transmitter at
the same time for approximately
three seconds. The turn signal
lamps will flash four times quickly to
indicate access is disabled. Using
any exterior handle to unlock the
doors or open the trunk will cause
the turn signal lamps to flash four
times quickly, indicating access is
disabled. If disabled, disarm the
alarm system before starting the
vehicle.
Enabling Keyless Unlocking:
With the vehicle off, press and
hold
QandKon the RKE
transmitter at the same time for
approximately three seconds. The
turn signal lamps will flash twice
quickly to indicate access is
enabled.
Passive Locking
This feature will lock the vehicle
several seconds after all doors are
closed, if the vehicle is off and at least one RKE transmitter has been
removed from the interior or none
remain in the interior.
If other electronic devices interfere
with the RKE transmitter signal, the
vehicle may not detect the RKE
transmitter inside the vehicle.
If passive locking is enabled, the
doors may lock with the RKE
transmitter inside the vehicle. Do
not leave the RKE transmitter in an
unattended vehicle.
To customize the doors to
automatically lock when exiting the
vehicle, see
Vehicle Personalization
0 120.
Temporary Disable of Passive
Locking
Temporarily disable passive locking
by pressing and holding
Kon the
interior door switch with a door open
for at least four seconds, or until
three chimes are heard. Passive
locking will then remain disabled
until
Qon the interior door is
pressed, or until the vehicle is
turned on. Remote Left In Vehicle Alert
When the vehicle is turned off and
an RKE transmitter is left in the
vehicle, the horn will chirp three
times after all doors are closed. To
turn on or off see
Vehicle
Personalization 0120.
Remote No Longer In Vehicle Alert
If the vehicle is on with a door open,
and then all doors are closed, the
vehicle will check for an RKE
transmitter inside. If an RKE
transmitter is not detected, the
Driver Information Center (DIC) will
display NO REMOTE DETECTED
and the horn will chirp three times.
This occurs only once each time the
vehicle is driven. See Vehicle
Personalization 0120.
Keyless Trunk Opening
Press the touch pad on the rear of
the trunk to open it if the RKE
transmitter is within 1 m (3 ft) of the
trunk.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Key Access
To access a vehicle with a weak
transmitter battery, seeDoor Locks
0 17.
Programming Transmitters to
the Vehicle
Only RKE transmitters programmed
to the vehicle will work. If a
transmitter is lost or stolen, a
replacement can be purchased and
programmed through your dealer.
The vehicle can be reprogrammed
so that lost or stolen transmitters no
longer work. Any remaining
transmitters will need to be
reprogrammed. Each vehicle can
have up to eight transmitters
matched to it.
Programming with Recognized
Transmitters
A new transmitter can be
programmed to the vehicle when
there are two recognized
transmitters. To program, the vehicle
must be off and all of the transmitters, both currently
recognized and new, must be
with you.
1. Place the two recognized transmitters in the cupholder.
2. Remove the key lock cylinder cap on the driver door handle.
See Door Locks 017. Insert
the vehicle key of the new
transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key
counterclockwise five times
within 10 seconds.
The DIC displays READY FOR
REMOTE #2, 3, 4 or 5.
3. Place the first new transmitter
into the transmitter pocket with
the buttons facing the rear of
the vehicle. The transmitter
pocket is inside the center
console storage area.
4. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
5. Remove the transmitter from the transmitter pocket and
press
KorQ.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 13
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 3–5
for each new transmitter.
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
6. Put the key back into the transmitter.
7. Replace the key lock cylinder cap. See Door Locks 017.
Programming without Recognized
Transmitters
If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters to be programmed must
be with you. 1. Remove the key lock cylinder cap on the driver door handle.
See Door Locks 017. Insert the vehicle key of the
transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key
counterclockwise five times
within 10 seconds.
The DIC displays REMOTE
LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
2. Wait for 10 minutes until the DIC displays PRESS ENGINE
START BUTTON TO LEARN
and then press ENGINE
START/STOP.
The DIC will again display
REMOTE LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
3. Repeat Step 2 two additional times. After the third time, all
previously known transmitters
will no longer work with the
vehicle. Remaining transmitters
can be relearned during the
next steps.
The DIC should now display
READY FOR REMOTE # 1.
4. Place the new transmitter intothe transmitter pocket with the
buttons facing toward the rear
of the vehicle. The transmitter
pocket is inside the center
console storage area.
5. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
6. Remove the transmitter from the transmitter pocket and
press
KorQ.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
12 seconds to exit
programming mode.
7. Return the key back into the transmitter.
8. Replace the key lock cylinder cap. See Door Locks 017.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
While trying to start the vehicle,
if the transmitter battery is weak or if
there is interference with the signal,
the DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED or NO REMOTE KEY
WAS DETECTED PLACE KEY IN
TRANSMITTER POCKET THEN
START YOUR VEHICLE. The DIC
may also display REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY.
To start the vehicle:
1. Open the center console and place the transmitter in the
transmitter pocket with the
buttons facing the rear of the
vehicle. 2. With the vehicle in P (Park) or
N (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and press ENGINE
START/STOP. See Starting the
Engine 0157.
Replace the transmitter battery
as soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
{Warning
Never allow children to play with
the RKE transmitter. The
transmitter contains a small
battery, which can be a choking
hazard. If swallowed, internal
burns can occur, resulting in
severe injury or death. Seek
medical attention immediately if a
battery is swallowed.
{Warning
To avoid personal injury, do not
touch metal surfaces on the RKE
transmitter when it has been
exposed to extreme heat. These
surfaces can be hot to the touch
at temperatures above 59 °C (138
°F).
Caution
When replacing the battery, do
not touch any of the circuitry on
the transmitter. Static from your
body could damage the
transmitter.
Caution
Always replace the battery with
the correct type. Replacing the
battery with an incorrect type
could potentially create a risk of (Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
13555849) - 2020 - CRC - 8/16/19
Keys, Doors, and Windows 15
Caution (Continued)
battery explosion. Dispose of
used batteries according to
instructions and local laws. Do
not attempt to burn, crush, or cut
the used battery, and avoid
exposing the battery to
environments with extremely low
air pressures or high
temperatures.
Replace the battery if the DIC
displays REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
1. Press the button on the side of the RKE transmitter near the
bottom and pull the key out.
Never pull the key out without
pressing the button.2. Separate the two halves of thetransmitter using a flat tool
inserted into the bottom center
of the transmitter. Do not use
the key slot.