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.
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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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102 Lighting
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . . . . . . . . 103
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . 103
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . 104
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . 104
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . 105
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel IlluminationControl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Battery Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . 108
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
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
O
again 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.
IntelliBeam System
If equipped, this system turns the vehicle's
high-beam headlamps on and off according
to surrounding traffic conditions.
The system turns the high-beam headlamps
on when it is dark enough and there is no
other traffic present.
This light
bcomes on in the instrument
cluster when the IntelliBeam system is
enabled.
Turning On and Enabling IntelliBeam
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16273584) - 2023 - CRC - 9/28/22
Infotainment System 111
.USB/Bluetooth: Press to seek to
the beginning of the current or
previous track. Press and hold to
quickly reverse through a track.
Release to return to playing speed.
SeeUSB Port 0118 or
Bluetooth Audio 0121.
3.O(Power)
.Press to turn the power on.
.Press to mute/unmute the system
when on.
.Press and hold to display the
power off screen or the option to
display the power off screen.
.Turn to decrease or increase the
volume.
4.6
.Radio: Press and release to go to
the next station or channel. Press
and hold to fast seek the next
strongest station or channel.
.USB/Bluetooth: Press to seek the
next track. Press and hold to fast
forward through a track. Release to
return to playing speed. See USB
Port 0118 or
Bluetooth Audio 0121.
5.SBACK
.PressSBACK to return to the
previous display in a menu.
Home Page
The Home Page is where vehicle application
icons are accessed. Some applications are
disabled when the vehicle is moving.
Swipe left or right across the display to
access the pages of icons.
Managing Home Page Icons 1. Touch and hold any of the Home Page icons to enter edit mode.
2. Continue holding the icon and drag it to the desired position.
3. Release your finger to drop the icon in the desired position.
4. To move an application to another page, drag the icon to the edge of the display
toward the desired page.
5. Continue dragging and dropping application icons as desired.
Steering Wheel Controls
If equipped, some audio controls can be
adjusted at the steering wheel.
g:Press to answer an incoming call or
start voice recognition. See Bluetooth
(Pairing and Using a Phone) 0139 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0138.
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.
oorp: Press to go to the previous or
next menu on the instrument cluster.
worx: Press to go to the next or
previous list on the instrument cluster.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Infotainment System 121
Songs :TouchHnext to any song to store
the song as a favorite. Touch a saved
favorite to recall a favorite song.
Albums : Touch
Hnext to any album to
store the album as a favorite. Touch a saved
favorite to recall a favorite album. The first
song in the album list begins to play.
Genres : Touch
Hnext to any genre to
store the genre as a favorite. Touch a saved
favorite to recall a favorite genre. The first
song of the genre begins to play.
Podcasts : Touch
Hnext to any podcast to
store the podcast as a favorite. Touch a
saved favorite to recall a favorite podcast.
The podcast begins to play.
Audiobooks : Touch
Hnext to any
audiobook to store the audiobook as a
favorite. Touch a saved favorite to recall a
favorite audiobook. The first chapter in the
audiobook begins to play.
Media Playback and Mute
USB playback will be paused if the system is
muted. If the steering wheel mute control is
pressed again, playback will resume.
If the source is changed while in mute,
playback resumes and audio will unmute.
Auxiliary Jack
This vehicle may have an auxiliary input
jack. Possible auxiliary audio sources include:
.Laptop computer
.Audio music player
This jack is not an audio output. Do not
plug headphones into the auxiliary input
jack. Set up an auxiliary device while the
vehicle is in P (Park).
Connect a 3.5 mm (1/8 in) cable from the
auxiliary device to the auxiliary input jack.
When a device is connected, the system can
play audio from the device over the vehicle
speakers.
If an auxiliary device has already been
connected, but a different source is currently
active, touch More and then touch AUX to
make the source active.
Shuffle and Browse are not available in the
AUX source menu.
Bluetooth Audio
Music may be played from a paired
Bluetooth device. See Bluetooth (Pairing and
Using a Phone) 0139 or
Bluetooth (Overview) 0138 for help pairing
a device. Volume and song selection may be
controlled by using the infotainment
controls or the mobile device. If Bluetooth is
selected and no volume is present, check the
volume setting on the infotainment system.
Music can be launched by touching
Bluetooth from the recent sources list on
the left of the display or by touching the
More option and then touching the
Bluetooth device.
To play music via Bluetooth:
1. Power on the device, and pair to connect the device.
2. Once paired, touch Audio from the Home Page, then touch Bluetooth from the
recent sources list on the left of the
display.
Bluetooth Sound Menu
See “Infotainment System Sound Menu”
under AM-FM Radio 0115.
Manage Bluetooth Devices
From the Home Page: 1. Touch Audio.
2. Touch Devices to add or delete devices.
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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146 Infotainment System
Apps
The menu may contain the following:
Android Auto
Allows interacting directly with a mobile
device on the infotainment display. See
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto0142.
Apple CarPlay
This feature allows you to interact directly
with your mobile device on the infotainment
display. See Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
0 142.
Apps
Shows app settings and information.
Audio
Adjusts different audio settings.
Climate
Adjusts different climate settings.
Navigation
Adjusts different navigation settings.
See Using the Navigation System 0122.
Phone
Adjusts different phone settings.
Vehicle
The menu may contain the following:
Rear Seat Reminder
Allows for a chime and a message when the
rear door has been opened before or during
operation of the vehicle.
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 038.
Climate and Air Quality
Adjusts different climate settings.
Collision/Detection Systems
Adjusts different driver assistance system
settings.
Comfort and Convenience
Adjusts different comfort and convenience
settings.
Lighting
Adjusts different lighting settings.
Power Door Locks
Adjusts different door lock settings. Remote Lock, Unlock, and Start
Adjusts different remote lock settings.
Seating Position
Adjusts different seat settings.
Teen Driver
See
Teen Driver 0147.
Valet Mode
This will lock the infotainment system and
steering wheel controls. It may also limit
access to vehicle storage locations,
if equipped.
To enable valet mode: 1. Enter a four-digit code on the keypad.
2. Select Enter to go to the confirmation screen.
3. Re-enter the four-digit code.
Touch Lock or Unlock to lock or unlock the
system. Touch Back to go back to the
previous menu.
Personal
If equipped, this menu allows adjustment of
different user profile settings. See “Users”in
Using the System 0112 for information on
setting up user profiles.
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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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Driving and Operating 167
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they may do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with impaired
driving is a global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then
driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You can have a
serious—or even fatal —collision if you
drive after drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs, or ride with a driver
who has been drinking or is impaired by
drugs. Find alternate transportation
home; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control a
vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time. Deciding to push the brake
pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that time, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:
.Keep enough distance between you and
the vehicle in front of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is
being driven, brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the engine
stops, there will be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake is applied. Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering system,
do not drive over curbs, parking barriers,
or similar objects at speeds greater than
3 km/h (1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused by
misuse of the vehicle is not covered by
the vehicle warranty.