2021 CHEVROLET MALIBU ignition

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
32 Seats and Restraints
.Tilt the top of the control rearward to
recline.
.Tilt the top of the control forward to
raise.
Memory Seats
If equipped, memory seats allow two drivers
to save and recall their unique seat positions
for driving the vehicle, and a shared exit
position for getting out of the vehicle. Other
feature positions may also be saved, such as
power mirrors and power steering wheel,
if equipped. Memory positions are linked to
RKE transmitter 1 or 2 for automatic
memory recalls.Before saving, adjust all available memory
feature positions. Turn the vehicle on and
then press and release SET; a beep will
sound. Then immediately press and hold 1,
2, or
B(Exit) until two beeps sound. To
manually recall these positions, press and
hold 1, 2, or
Buntil the saved position is
reached. Follow the instructions under
“Saving Memory Positions.”
The vehicle identifies the current driver’s RKE
transmitter number (1–8). See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation 07.
Only RKE transmitters 1 and 2 can be used
for automatic memory recalls. A Driver
Information Center (DIC) welcome message
indicating the transmitter number may
display for the first few ignition cycles
following a transmitter change. For Seat
Entry Memory to work properly, save the
positions to the memory button (1 or 2)
matching the RKE transmitter number
displayed in the DIC welcome message.
Carry the linked RKE transmitter when
entering the vehicle.
Vehicle Personalization Settings
.To have the Seat Entry Memory
movement begin when the vehicle is
started, select the Settings menu, then Vehicle, then Seating Position, and then
Seat Entry Memory. Select On or Off. See
“Seat Entry Memory”
later in this section.
.To begin Seat Exit Memory movement
when the vehicle is turned off and the
driver door is opened, or when the vehicle
is turned off with the driver door already
opened, select the Settings menu, then
Vehicle, then Seating Position, and then
Seat Exit Memory. Select On or Off. See
“Seat Exit Memory”later in this section.
.SeeVehicle Personalization 0100 for
additional setting information.
Identifying Driver Number
To identify the driver number: 1. Move your RKE transmitter away from the vehicle.
2. Start the vehicle with another key or RKE transmitter. The DIC should display the
driver number for the other RKE
transmitter. Turn the vehicle off and
remove the key or RKE transmitter from
the vehicle.
3. Start the vehicle with the initial key or RKE transmitter. The DIC should display
the driver number of your RKE
transmitter.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 35
Press{orCto ventilate the driver or
passenger seat. Indicator lights on the
button show the current setting.
Press the button once for the highest
setting. With each press of the button, the
ventilated seat will change to the next lower
setting, and then to the off setting. The
lights indicate three for the highest setting
and one for the lowest.
Auto Heated Seats
When the vehicle is on, this feature will
automatically activate the heated seats at
the level required by the vehicle’s interior
temperature.
The active high, medium, low, or off heated
seat level will be indicated by the manual
heated seat buttons on the center stack. Use
the manual heated seat buttons on the
center stack to turn auto heated seats off.
If the passenger seat is unoccupied, the auto
heated seats feature will not activate that
seat. The auto heated seats feature can be
programmed to always be enabled when
the vehicle is on.
See Vehicle Personalization 0100. Remote Start Auto Heated and Ventilated
Seats
During a remote start, the heated or
ventilated seats, if equipped, can be turned
on automatically. When it is cold outside,
the heated seats turn on, and when it is hot
outside the ventilated seats turn on. The
heated or ventilated seats may be canceled
when the ignition is turned on. Press the
button to use the heated or ventilated seats
after the vehicle is started.
The heated or ventilated seat indicator lights
on the button may not turn on during a
remote start.
The heated seat temperature performance of
an unoccupied seat may be reduced. This is
normal.
The heated or ventilated seats will not turn
on during a remote start unless they are
enabled in the vehicle personalization menu.
See
Remote Vehicle Start 013 and
Vehicle Personalization 0100.Rear Seats
Rear Seat Reminder
If equipped, the message REAR SEAT
REMINDER LOOK IN REAR SEAT displays
under certain conditions indicating there
may be an item or passenger in the rear
seat. Check before exiting the vehicle.
This feature will activate when a second row
door is opened while the vehicle is on or up
to 10 minutes before the vehicle is turned
on. There will be an alert when the vehicle
is turned off. The alert does not directly
detect objects in the rear seat; instead,
under certain conditions, it detects when a
rear door is opened and closed, indicating
that there may be something in the
rear seat.
The feature is active only once each time
the vehicle is turned on and off, and will
require reactivation by opening and closing
the second row doors. There may be an
alert even when there is nothing in the rear
seat; for example, if a child entered the
vehicle through the rear door and left the
vehicle without the vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off. See
Vehicle Personalization 0100.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Seats and Restraints 39
Questions and Answers About Seat Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicle after acrash if I am wearing a seat belt?
A: You could be— whether you are
wearing a seat belt or not. Your chance
of being conscious during and after a
crash, so you canunbuckle and get out,
is much greater if you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why should I have to wear seat belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental systems only.
They work withseat belts —not instead
of them. Whether or not an airbag is
provided, all occupants still have to
buckle up to get the most protection.
Also, in nearly all states and in all
Canadian provinces, the law requires
wearing seat belts.
Buckle To Drive
If equipped, this feature prevents the vehicle
from shifting out of P (Park) when the driver
seat belt is not buckled. The Buckle to Drive
feature must be turned ON in the
infotainment system to work. See Vehicle
Personalization 0100 and if equipped, Teen
Driver 0153. If the engine is running, the
driver seat belt is not buckled, and the brake pedal is pressed with the vehicle in P (Park),
a message displays in the Driver Information
Center (DIC). Buckle the driver seat belt to
shift out of P (Park). Shifting from P (Park)
will be prevented once for each ignition
cycle.
For some fleet vehicles, the feature is
always ON and it cannot be turned OFF in
the infotainment system. Shifting from
P (Park) will be prevented each time the
above conditions exist.
On some models, Buckle to Drive may also
prevent shifting out of P (Park) if a front
passenger is unbuckled under similar
conditions. A message displays in the DIC.
Buckle the front passenger seat belt to shift
out of P (Park). This feature may not allow
the vehicle to shift out of P (Park) if an
object, such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic device, is on
the front passenger seat. If this happens,
remove the object from the seat or buckle
the seat belt to shift out of P (Park).
If the driver, or on some vehicles, the
present front passenger remains unbuckled,
the DIC message will turn off after several
seconds and the vehicle can be shifted out
of P (Park). See
“Seat Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for information
about the importance of proper
restraint use.
If the driver seat belt, and in some vehicles
the front passenger seat belt, is unbuckled
when driving, the seat belt reminder chime
and light(s) will come on. See Seat Belt
Reminders 085. This feature may not
function properly if the airbag readiness
light is on. See Airbag Readiness Light 085.
How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
Follow these rules for everyone's protection.
There are additional things to know about
seat belts and children, including smaller
children and infants. If a child will be riding
in the vehicle, see Older Children055 or
Infants and Young Children 056. Review
and follow the rules for children in addition
to the following rules.
It is very important for all occupants to
buckle up. Statistics show that unbelted
people are hurt more often in crashes than
those who are wearing seat belts.
There are important things to know about
wearing a seat belt properly.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 49
But airbags would not help in many types
of collisions, primarily because the
occupant's motion is not toward those
airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
0 47.
Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to seat
belts.
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and seat-mounted side
impact airbags inflate, they quickly deflate,
so quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbags inflated. Roof-rail airbags
may still be at least partially inflated for
some time after they inflate. Some
components of the airbag module may be
hot for several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the Airbags? 046.
The parts of the airbag that come into
contact with you may be warm, but not too
hot to touch. There may be some smoke
and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of the
windshield or being able to steer the
vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there may be
dust in the air. This dust could cause
breathing problems for people with a
history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is
safe to do so. If you have breathing
problems but cannot get out of the
vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn on the
interior lamps and hazard warning flashers,
and shut off the fuel system after the
airbags inflate. The feature may also
activate, without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition off and
then on again, the fuel system will return to
normal operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off, and
the hazard warning flashers can be turned off using the controls for those features.
If any of these systems are damaged in the
crash they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate the
airbags may have also damaged
important functions in the vehicle, such
as the fuel system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a moderate crash,
there may be concealed damage that
could make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt to
restart the engine after a crash has
occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate
the airbag, windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional windshield
breakage may also occur from the front
outboard passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only once.
After an airbag inflates, you will need
some new parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help protect
you in another crash. A new system will

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Instruments and Controls 75
Controls
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.
Steering Wheel Controls
The infotainment system can be operated
by using the steering wheel controls. See
Steering Wheel Controls 0112.
Heated Steering Wheel
(:If equipped with a heated steering
wheel, press to turn on or off. A light on
the button displays when the feature is
turned on.
The steering wheel takes about
three minutes to reach maximum heat.
Horn
Pressaon the steering wheel pad to
sound the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
The windshield wiper/washer lever is on the
side of the steering column. With the
ignition on or in ACC/ACCESSORY, move the
windshield wiper lever to select the wiper
speed.
HI : Use for fast wipes.
LO : Use for slow wipes.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
76 Instruments and Controls
INT :Move the lever up to INT for
intermittent wipes, then turn the band up
for more frequent wipes or down for less
frequent 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.
Clear snow and ice from the wiper blades
and windshield before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or thaw
them. Damaged blades should be replaced.
See Wiper Blade Replacement 0247. Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper
motor. If the wiper motor overheats, the
windshield wipers will stop until the motor
cools and the wiper control is turned off.
See
Electrical System Overload 0253.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use the
washer until the windshield is warmed.
Otherwise the washer fluid can form ice
on the windshield, blocking your vision.
{Warning
Before driving the vehicle, always clear
snow and ice from the hood, windshield,
roof, and rear of the vehicle, including all
lamps and windows. Reduced visibility
from snow and ice buildup could lead to
a crash.
Wiper Parking
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are on LO, HI, or INT, they will
immediately stop. If the windshield wiper lever is then moved
to OFF before the driver door is opened or
within 10 minutes, the wipers will restart
and move to the base of the windshield.
If the ignition is turned off while the wipers
are performing wipes due to windshield
washing, the wipers continue to run until
they reach the base of the windshield.
f:
Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to spray windshield washer fluid
and activate the wipers. The wipers will
continue until the lever is released or the
maximum wash time is reached. When the
lever is released, additional wipes may occur
depending on how long the windshield
washer had been activated. See Washer
Fluid 0242 for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
Clock
Set the time and date using the
infotainment system. See "Time / Date"
under Settings 0147.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Instruments and Controls 77
Power Outlets
Power Outlet 12-Volt Direct Current
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
The outlet is powered when the ignition is
on or in ACC/ACCESSORY, or until the driver
door is opened within 10 minutes of turning
off the vehicle. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0186.
Open the protective cover to use the
accessory power outlet.
Certain electrical accessories may not be
compatible with the accessory power outlets
and could overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If there is a problem, see your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment, be sure
to follow the installation instructions
included with the equipment. See Add-On
Electrical Equipment 0226.
Caution
Hanging heavy equipment from the
power outlet can cause damage not
covered by the vehicle warranty. The
power outlets are designed for accessory
power plugs only, such as cell phone
charge cords.
Always unplug electrical equipment when
not in use and do not plug in equipment
that exceeds the maximum 20 amps rating.
Power Outlet 110/120-Volt Alternating
Current
If equipped, this power outlet can be used
to plug in electrical equipment that uses a
maximum limit of 150 watts.
The power outlet is on the rear of the
center console.
An indicator light on the outlet turns on to
show it is in use. The light comes on when
the ignition is on, equipment requiring less
than 150 watts is plugged into the outlet,
and no system fault is detected.
The indicator light does not come on if the
ignition is off, if no equipment is plugged
into the outlet, or if the equipment is
plugged in, but not fully seated in the
outlet.
If equipment is connected using more than
150 watts or a system fault is detected, the
equipment may operate briefly then turn
off. A protection circuit shuts off the power

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Instruments and Controls 83
SeeDriver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 094 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 96.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in
revolutions per minute (rpm).
For vehicles with the Stop/Start system,
when the ignition is on, the tachometer
indicates the vehicle status. When pointing
to AUTO STOP, the engine is off but the
vehicle is on and can move. The engine
could auto start at any time. When the
indicator points to OFF, the vehicle is off.
When the engine is on, the tachometer will
indicate the engine’s revolutions per minute
(rpm). The tachometer may vary by several
hundred rpm’s, during Auto Stop mode,
when the engine is shutting off and
restarting.
Caution
If the engine is operated with the rpm in
the warning area at the high end of the
tachometer, the vehicle could be
damaged, and the damage would not be
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
covered by the vehicle warranty. Do not
operate the engine with the rpm in the
warning area.
Fuel Gauge
English Base Level Shown, Metric Similar
English Uplevel Shown, Metric Similar
When the ignition is on, the fuel gauge
indicates about how much fuel is left in
the tank.
There is an arrow near the fuel gauge
pointing to the side of the vehicle the fuel
door is on.
When the indicator nears empty, the low
fuel light comes on. There still is a little fuel
left, but the vehicle should be refueled soon.
Here are three things that some owners ask
about. None of these show a problem with
the fuel gauge:
.It takes a little more, or less fuel to fill up
than the gauge indicated. For example,
the gauge may have indicated the tank