
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Introduction 5
1.Air Vents 0162.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn and
Lane-Change Signals 0105.
IntelliBeam System Button (If Equipped).
See Exterior Lamp Controls 0102.
3. Instrument Cluster 080.
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 095 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 98.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer 075.
5. Light Sensor. See Automatic Headlamp
System 0104.
6. Infotainment. See Overview0110.
7. Climate Control Systems 0157.
Dual Automatic Climate Control System
0 159 (If Equipped).
8. Hazard Warning Flashers 0104.
Stop/Start Disable Button (If Equipped).
See Stop/Start System 0177.
9. Power Outlets 076.
10. Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0186.
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing
0 198 (If Equipped). 11. Shift Lever. See
Automatic Transmission
0 182.
12. Electric Parking Brake 0185 (If Equipped).
13. USB Port 0118.
14. ENGINE START/STOP Button. See Ignition
Positions 0175.
15. Steering Wheel Controls 075.
Driver Information Center Buttons. See
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base
Level) 095 or
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0 98.
16. Horn 075.
17. Steering Wheel Adjustment 075 (Out
of View).
18. Cruise Control 0188.
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) 0190
(If Equipped).
Heated Steering Wheel 075 (If
Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System
0 202 (If Equipped).
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) 0209 (If
Equipped).
19. Hood Release. See Hood0222. 20. Data Link Connector (Out of View). See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) 088.
21. Exterior Lamp Controls 0102.
22. Instrument Panel Illumination Control
0105.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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74 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Engine Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . . 84
Voltmeter Gauge (Uplevel Cluster Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . 87
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check
Engine Light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . 90
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light (Uplevel Cluster Only) . . . . . . . . . . 92
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Door Ajar Light (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Engine Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Instruments and Controls 95
Lamps On Reminder
This light comes on when the exterior lamps
are in use, except when only the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRL) are active. SeeExterior
Lamp Controls 0102.
Cruise Control Light
The cruise control light is white when the
cruise control is on and ready, and turns
green when the cruise control is set and
active. See Cruise Control 0188.
Adaptive Cruise Control Light
This light comes on when Adaptive Cruise
Control (if equipped) is active. See Adaptive
Cruise Control (Advanced) 0190.
Door Ajar Light (Uplevel)
This light comes on when a door is open or
not securely latched. Before driving, check
that all doors are properly closed.
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level)
The DIC displays are shown in the center of
the instrument cluster. See Instrument
Cluster 080. The displays show the status
of many vehicle systems.
worx: Press to move up or down in
a list.
oorp: Press to move between the DIC
menus.
V: Press to open a menu or select a menu
item. Press and hold to reset values on
certain screens.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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100 Instruments and Controls
Timer :This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press
Vwhile this
display is active. The display will show the
amount of time that has passed since the
timer was last reset. To stop the timer,
press
Vbriefly while this display is active
and the timer is running. To reset the timer
to zero, press and hold
Vwhile this display
is active, or press
pand select reset.
Speed Limit : Shows the current speed limit
on vehicles with the navigation system. The
information for this page comes from a
roadway database.
Follow Distance : When Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) is not engaged, the current
follow time to the vehicle ahead is displayed
as a time value on this page. When ACC has
been engaged, the display switches to the
gap setting page. This page shows the
current gap setting along with the vehicle
ahead indicator.
Battery Voltage : Displays the current
battery voltage, if equipped. Battery voltage
changes are normal while driving. See
Charging System Light 087. If there is a
problem with the battery charging system,
the DIC will display a message. Coolant Temperature :
Shows the engine
coolant temperature in either degrees
Celsius (°C) or degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Oil Pressure : Oil pressure is displayed in
either kilopascal (kPa) or in pounds per
square inch (psi).
Oil pressure can vary with engine speed,
outside temperature, and oil viscosity. On
some models, the oil pump will vary engine
oil pressure according to engine needs. Oil
pressure may change quickly as the engine
speed or load varies. This is normal. If the
oil pressure warning light or Driver
Information Center (DIC) message indicates
oil pressure outside the normal operating
range, check the vehicle's oil as soon as
possible.
Blank Page : Shows no information.
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC indicate the
status of the vehicle or some action that
may be needed to correct a condition.
Multiple messages may appear one after
another. The messages that do not require
immediate action can be acknowledged and
cleared by pressing
V. The messages that
require immediate action cannot be cleared
until that action is performed.
All messages should be taken seriously;
clearing the message does not correct the
problem.
If a SERVICE message appears, see your
dealer.
Follow the instructions given in the
messages. The system displays messages
regarding the following topics:
.Service Messages
.Fluid Levels
.Vehicle Security
.Brakes
.Steering
.Ride Control Systems
.Driver Assistance Systems
.Cruise Control
.Lighting and Bulb Replacement
.Wiper/Washer Systems
.Doors and Windows
.Seat Belts
.Airbag Systems

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Infotainment System 149
or off and choose the desired speed warning
level. The speed warning does not limit the
speed of the vehicle. On some infotainment
systems, touch Set Teen Driver Speed
Warning to set the warning speed.
Set Teen Driver Speed Warning :Choose the
desired speed warning level. The speed
warning does not limit the speed of the
vehicle.
SiriusXM Explicit Content Filter : Allows the
SiriusXM Explicit Content Filter to be turned
ON or OFF. When ON, the teen driver will
not be able to listen to SiriusXM stations
that contain explicit content, and the Explicit
Content Filter selection in the Audio Settings
will be unavailable for change.
When Teen Driver is Active:
.If equipped, the radio will mute when the
driver seat belt, and in some vehicles the
front passenger seat belt, is not buckled.
The audio from any device paired to the
vehicle will also be muted.
.An object placed on the front passenger
seat, such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other electronic
device, could cause the passenger sensing
system to falsely sense an unbuckled
front passenger and mute the radio. If this happens, remove the object from
the seat. See
Passenger Sensing System
0 50.
.Some safety systems, such as Automatic
Emergency Braking, if equipped, cannot
be turned off.
.The gap setting for Adaptive Cruise
Control and alert timing for Forward
Collision Alert, if equipped, cannot be
changed.
.When trying to change a safety feature
that is not configurable in Teen Driver,
the feature may be grayed out or
removed from the infotainment menu,
or the DIC will display a message
indicating that Teen Driver is active and
the action is not available.
.Super Cruise, if equipped, is not available.
.Enhanced Low Fuel Warning
(if equipped) –When the vehicle is low
on fuel, the low fuel light on the
instrument cluster flashes and the DIC
low fuel warning cannot be dismissed.
.Do not tow a trailer if equipped with
Automatic Emergency Braking. Report Card
The vehicle owner must secure the driver’s
consent to record certain vehicle data when
the vehicle is driven with a registered Teen
Driver key. There is one Report Card per
vehicle. Data is only recorded when a
registered Teen Driver key is used to
operate the vehicle.
The Report Card data is collected from the
time Teen Driver is activated or the last
time the Report Card was reset. The
following items may be recorded:
.Distance Driven
–the total distance
driven.
.Maximum Speed –the maximum vehicle
speed detected.
.Overspeed Warnings –the number of
times the speed warning setting was
exceeded.
.Wide Open Throttle –the number of
times the accelerator pedal was pressed
nearly all the way down.
.Forward Collision Alerts (if equipped) –
the number of times the driver was
notified when approaching a vehicle
ahead too quickly and at potential risk for
a crash.

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Driving and Operating 165
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . 166
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 179
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . 181
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 181
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic StabilityControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . 190
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Assistance Systems for Parking orBacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . 200
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 202
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . 207
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 213
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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166 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions are
appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and can
take your focus from the task of driving.
Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away from
the road. Many local governments have
enacted laws regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your eyes
on the road, keep your hands on the
steering wheel, and focus your attention on
driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding driving
situations. Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take notes,
or look up information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle features
before driving, such as programming
favorite radio stations and adjusting
climate control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to the
floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier or
restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or on a
cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for more
information on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in driving
defensively is to wear the seat belt. See
Seat Belts 037.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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170 Driving and Operating
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather
driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir
filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth.
SeeTires 0251.
.Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains
is different than driving on flat or rolling
terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in good
shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires, and
cooling system.
.Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a
long downhill slope can cause brake
overheating, can reduce brake
performance, and could result in a loss of
braking. Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
.Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
.Pay attention to special road signs (e.g.,
falling rocks area, winding roads, long
grades, passing or no-passing zones) and
take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Caution
To avoid damage to the wheels and
brake components, always clear snow and
ice from inside the wheels and
underneath the vehicle before driving.
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0186.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0184.