2021 CHEVROLET MALIBU climate control

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
100 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO XXX KM/H (MPH)
This message shows that the vehicle speed
has been limited to the speed displayed. The
limited speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems, such as
lubrication, thermal, brakes, suspension,
Teen Driver if equipped, or tires.
Vehicle Personalization
The following are all possible vehicle
personalization features. Depending on the
vehicle, some may not be available.
For System, Apps, and Personal features and
functions, seeSettings0147.
To access the vehicle personalization menu: 1. Touch the Settings icon on the Home Page of the infotainment display.
2. Touch Vehicle to display a list of available options.
3. Touch to select the desired feature setting.
4. Touch
9orRto turn a feature off or on.
5. Touch
zto go to the top level of the
Settings menu. The menu may contain the following:
Rear Seat Reminder
This allows for a chime and a message when
the rear door has been opened before or
during operation of the vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Buckle to Drive
This feature can prevent shifting out of Park
when the driver, and if applicable the front
passenger, seat belt is not buckled. See
Buckle To Drive
039.
Touch Off or On.
Climate and Air Quality
Touch and the following may display:
.Auto Fan Speed
.Auto Heated Seats
.Auto Defog
.Auto Rear Defog
Auto Fan Speed
This feature will set the auto fan speed.
Touch Low, Medium, or High. Auto Heated Seats
When enabled, this feature will
automatically activate the heated seats at
the level required by the interior
temperature. The auto heated seats can be
turned off by using the heated seat buttons
on the center stack. See
Heated and
Ventilated Front Seats 034.
Touch Off or On.
Auto Defog
When turned on and high humidity is
detected, the climate control system may
adjust to outside air supply and turn on the
air conditioner or the heater. The fan speed
may slightly increase to help prevent
fogging. When high humidity is no longer
detected, the system will return to its prior
operation.
Touch Off or On.
Auto Rear Defog
When on, this feature turns on the rear
defogger at vehicle start when the interior
temperature is cold and fog is likely. The
auto rear defog function can be disabled by
pressing
K. When off, the feature can be

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Instruments and Controls 101
turned on by pressingK. See“Rear
Window Defogger” underDual Automatic
Climate Control System 0166.
Touch Off or On.
Collision/Detection Systems
Touch and the following may display:
.Forward Collision System
.Front Pedestrian Detection
.Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
.Lane Change Alert
.Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
.Rear Cross Traffic Alert
Forward Collision System
This setting can alert of a potential crash
with a detected vehicle ahead and can apply
brakes to help reduce a collision’s severity.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake.
Front Pedestrian Detection
This feature may help avoid or reduce the
harm caused by front-end crashes with
nearby pedestrians.
See Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System
0 212.
Touch Off, Alert, or Alert and Brake. Adaptive Cruise Go Notifier
This feature will give a reminder that
Adaptive Cruise Control provides when it has
brought the vehicle to a complete stop
behind another stopping vehicle, and then
that vehicle drives on. See
Adaptive Cruise
Control (Advanced) 0197.
Touch Off or On.
Lane Change Alert
This allows the Lane Change Alert feature to
be turned on or off. See Lane Change Alert
(LCA) 0214.
When Lane Change Alert is disabled, Side
Blind Zone Alert is also disabled.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
This setting enables the Rear Camera Park
Assist Symbols. See Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0205.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert
This allows the Rear Cross Traffic Alert
feature to be turned on or off. See “Rear
Cross Traffic Alert” inAssistance Systems for
Parking or Backing 0205. Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may display:
.Chime Volume
.Reverse Tilt Mirror
Chime Volume
This allows the selection of the chime
volume level.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to adjust the volume.
Reverse Tilt Mirror
When on, the driver, passenger, or both
driver and passenger outside mirrors will tilt
downward when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse) to improve visibility of the
ground near the rear wheels. They may
move from their tilted position when the
vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse) or
turned off. See Reverse Tilt Mirrors 022.
Touch Off, On - Driver and Passenger, On -
Driver, or On - Passenger.
Lighting
Touch and the following may display:
.Vehicle Locator Lights
.Exit Lighting

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Lighting 109
lamps dim to off. Entry lighting can be
disabled manually by turning the ignition on
or to ACC/ACCESSORY, or by pressing
Qon
the RKE transmitter.
This feature can be changed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0100.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior lights
come on at night, or in areas with limited
lighting, when the driver door is opened
after the ignition is turned off. The dome
lamp comes on after the ignition is turned
off. The exterior lamps and dome lamp
remain on for a set amount of time, then
automatically turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off immediately by
turning the exterior lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See Vehicle
Personalization 0100.
Battery Load Management
The vehicle has Electric Power Management
(EPM) that estimates the battery's
temperature and state of charge. It then
adjusts the voltage for best performance
and extended life of the battery. When the battery's state of charge is low,
the voltage is raised slightly to quickly bring
the charge back up. When the state of
charge is high, the voltage is lowered
slightly to prevent overcharging. If the
vehicle has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information Center
(DIC), you may see the voltage move up or
down. This is normal. If there is a problem,
an alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at idle if the
electrical loads are very high. This is true for
all vehicles. This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all of the power
needed for very high electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when several of
the following are on, such as: headlamps,
high beams, rear window defogger, climate
control fan at high speed, heated seats,
engine cooling fans, trailer loads, and loads
plugged into accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive discharge of
the battery. It does this by balancing the
generator's output and the vehicle's
electrical needs. It can increase engine idle
speed to generate more power whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce the power
demands of some accessories.Normally, these actions occur in steps or
levels, without being noticeable. In rare
cases at the highest levels of corrective
action, this action may be noticeable to the
driver. If so, a DIC message might be
displayed and it is recommended that the
driver reduce the electrical loads as much as
possible.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is designed to
protect the vehicle's battery.
If some interior lamps are left on and the
ignition is turned off, the battery rundown
protection system automatically turns the
lamp off after some time.
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver
The exterior lamps turn off about 10 minutes
after the ignition is turned off, if the parking
lamps or headlamps have been manually
left on. This protects against draining the
battery. To restart the 10-minute timer, turn
the exterior lamp control to the off position
and then back to the parking lamp or
headlamp position.
To keep the lamps on for more than
10 minutes, the ignition must be on or in
ACC/ACCESSORY.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Infotainment System 113
worx:Press to go to the next or
previous list on the instrument cluster.
V: Press to select a highlighted menu
option.
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.
Using the System
Audio
Touch the Audio icon to display the active
audio source page. Examples of available
sources may include AM, FM, SXM (if
equipped), USB, and Bluetooth.
Phone
Touch the Phone icon to display the
Phone main page. See Bluetooth (Overview)
0 141 or
Bluetooth (Pairing and Using a Phone) 0142.
Nav
Touch the Nav icon (if equipped) to display
the navigation map. See Using the
Navigation System 0124.
Climate
Touch the Climate icon to display the
Climate main page. See Dual Automatic
Climate Control System 0166.
Wi-Fi Hotspot
Touch the Wi-Fi Hotspot icon to display the
Wi-Fi Hotspot information. See Settings
0 147.
Users
If equipped, touch the Users icon to sign in
or create a new user profile, and follow the
on-screen instructions.
Only four user profiles can be active at one
time in the vehicle. It may be necessary to
remove a profile from the menu before
creating or signing into an existing profile.
The removed profile can be logged into at a
later time.
Settings
Touch the Settings icon to display the
Settings menu. See Settings0147.
Apple CarPlay
Touch the Apple CarPlay icon to activate
Apple CarPlay (if equipped) after a
supported device is connected. See Apple
CarPlay and Android Auto 0146.
Android Auto
Touch the Android Auto icon to activate
Android Auto (if equipped) after a supported
device is connected. See Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto 0146.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
152 Infotainment System
.HD Radio: This allows HD Radio reception
to be turned on or off.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
.Explicit Content Filter: This setting allows
access to explicit content SiriusXM
channels.
Touch Off or On.
.Manage Phones: Select to connect to a
different phone source, disconnect a
phone, or delete a phone.
.Reset Music Index: This allows the music
index to be reset if you are having
difficulty accessing all of the media
content on your device.
Touch Yes or No.
Climate
Touch and the following may display:
.Auto Fan Speed: This setting specifies the
amount of airflow when the climate
control fan setting is Auto Fan.
Touch Low, Medium, or High.
.Air Quality Sensor: This setting switches
the system into Recirculation Mode based
on the quality of the outside air.
Touch Off, Low Sensitivity, or High
Sensitivity.
.Auto Cooled Seats: This setting
automatically turns on and regulates the
ventilated seats when the cabin
temperature is warm.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
.Auto Heated Seats: This setting
automatically turns on and regulates the
heated seats when the cabin temperature
is cool. The auto heated seats can be
turned off by using the heated seat
controls on the center stack.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
.Auto Defog: This setting automatically
turns the front defogger on when the
vehicle engine is started.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
.Auto Rear Defog: This setting
automatically turns the rear window
defogger on when the vehicle engine is
started.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
Navigation
Touch and the following may display:
.Destination Card Preferences
.Map Preferences
.Route Preferences
.Navigation Voice Control
.Traffic Preferences
.Alert Preferences
.Fuel Grade Preferences
.Manage History
.Predictive Navigation
.About
See Using the Navigation System 0124.
Phone
Touch and the following may display:
.My Number: Displays the cell phone
number of the Bluetooth connected
device.
.Active Call View: Shows active call display
when answering a call.
Touch the controls on the infotainment
display to disable or enable.
.Privacy: Only show call alerts in the
instrument cluster.
Touch Off or On.
.Sort Contacts: Touch to sort by first or
last name.
.Re-sync Device Contacts:

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
164 Climate Controls
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Dual Automatic Climate ControlSystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Maintenance
Passenger Compartment Air Filter . . . . . 170
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Climate Control Systems
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with this system.
1. Fan Control
2. MAX Defrost
3. A/C (Air Conditioning)
4. TEMP (Temperature Control)
5. Recirculation
6. Air Delivery Mode Controls
7. Rear Window Defogger
TEMP : Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the
temperature setting.^: Turn the knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or decrease the
fan speed or turn the fan off. The fan speed
appears in the display screen.
Air Delivery Mode Controls : Press the air
delivery mode buttons to change the
direction of the airflow. The indicator light
in the selected button will turn on. The
current mode appears in the display screen.
To change the current mode, select one or
more of the following modes:

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Climate Controls 165
0:Clears the windows of fog or moisture.
Air is directed to the windshield.
{: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
z: Air is directed to the floor outlets.
0MAX : Air is directed to the windshield
and the fan runs at a higher speed. This
mode overrides the previous mode selected
and clears fog or frost from the windshield
more quickly. When the button is pressed
again, the system returns to the previous
mode setting and fan speed. The current
mode setting and fan speed appear in the
display screen.
For best results, clear all snow and ice from
the windshield before defrosting.
A/C : Press to turn the air conditioning
system on or off. This status appears in the
display screen. If the fan control is turned
off or the outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioner will not run.
@: Press to turn on recirculation. An
indicator light comes on and the status
appears in the display screen. Air is
recirculated to quickly cool the inside of the
vehicle or to reduce the entry of outside air
and odors. Ionizer :
If equipped, this feature helps to
clean the air inside the vehicle and remove
contaminants such as pollen, odors, and
dust. If the climate control system is on and
the ionizer is enabled, the ionizer status
indicator will be lit on the climate control
display. To turn the ionizer on or off, see
“Climate and Air Quality” underVehicle
Personalization 0100.
Rear Window Defogger
K:Press to turn the rear window defogger
on or off. An indicator light on the button
comes on to show that the rear window
defogger is on. The defogger turns off when
the ignition is turned to off or to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The upper lines on the rear window are
antenna grids and are not intended to
defrost the glass.
The rear window defogger can be set to
automatic operation. See “Climate and Air
Quality” underVehicle Personalization 0100.
When Auto Rear Defog is selected, the rear
window defogger turns on automatically
when the interior temperature is cold and
the outside temperature is about 7 °C (44 °F)
and below. The auto rear defogger turns off
automatically. If the vehicle is equipped with heated
outside mirrors, they turn on when the rear
window defogger button is on and help to
clear fog or frost from the surface of the
mirror. See
Heated Mirrors 022.
Caution
Do not try to clear frost or other material
from the inside of the front windshield
and rear window with a razor blade or
anything else that is sharp. This may
damage the rear window defogger grid
and affect the radio's ability to pick up
stations clearly. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Remote Start Climate Control Operation :
If equipped with remote start, the climate
control system may run when the vehicle is
started remotely. The system will determine
the best mode and temperature setting for
operation. Once the vehicle is started with
the Engine Start/Stop button, the climate
control system will begin to operate at the
last customer selected operating mode and
temperature. If equipped with heated or
ventilated seats, they may come on
during a remote start. See Remote Vehicle
Start 013 and
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats 034.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
166 Climate Controls
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation for the vehicle can be controlled with this system.
1. Driver and Passenger Ventilated Seats (IfEquipped)
2. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
3. MAX Defrost
4. Air Delivery Mode Controls
5. A/C (Air Conditioning)
6. Driver and Passenger Heated Seats (If Equipped) 7. SYNC
8. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
9. Fan Controls
10. Power (On/Off)
11. Recirculation
12. Rear Window Defogger
Climate Control Display
1. Driver and Passenger Temperature Settings
2. Fan Control
3. Driver and Passenger Temperature Controls
4. Sync (Synchronized Temperature)
5. Recirculation
6. Air Delivery Mode Controls
7. Auto (Automatic Operation)
8. A/C (Air Conditioning)
9. On/Off (Power)