CHEVROLET MALIBU 2011 7.G Workshop Manual

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-3
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.To move a manual seat forward or
rearward:
1. Lift the bar under the front of the
seat cushion to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the bar.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to make sure it is locked in
place.
Power Seat Adjustment
On vehicles with power seats, the
controls are located on the outboard
side of the seats.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-4 Seats and Restraints
To adjust the seat:
.Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.
.Raise or lower the front part of
the seat cushion by moving the
front of the control up or down.
.Raise or lower the rear part of
the seat cushion by moving the
rear of the control up or down.
Lumbar Adjustment
On vehicles with power lumbar, the
control is on the outboard side of
the seat.
Press the front (A) or rear (B) of the
control to increase or decrease
lumbar support.
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.(Continued)

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-5
WARNING (Continued)
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.
Manual Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.If the seats have manual reclining
seatbacks, the lever used to operate
them is on the outboard side of the
seats.To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the
desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-6 Seats and Restraints
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully withoutapplying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.Power Reclining Seatbacks
If the seats have power reclining
seatbacks, the controls used to
operate them are on the outboard
side of the seats.
.Tilt the top of the control
rearward to recline the seatback.
.Tilt the top of the control forward
to raise the seatback.
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-7
On vehicles with heated front seats,
press the top of the switch to turn
the heat feature on to the high heat
setting. The indicator light“2”will
be lit.
Press the top of the switch again to
go to the low heat setting. The
indicator light “1”will be lit.
Press the bottom of the switch to
turn the feature off.
The heated seat are canceled when
the ignition is turned off.
Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Adjust the seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
Notice: Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
To fold the seatback down:
1. Make sure the front seatback is not reclined. If it is, the rear
seatback will not fold down all
the way. If necessary, return the
front seatback to the upright
position. See Reclining
Seatbacks on page 3‑4.
2. Pull up on the seatback strap while folding the seatback down.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Raising the Seatback
{WARNING
A safety belt that is improperly
routed, not properly attached,
or twisted will not provide the
protection needed in a crash. The
person wearing the belt could be
seriously injured. After raising the
rear seatback, always check to be
sure that the safety belts are
properly routed and attached, and
are not twisted.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.To raise the seatback:
1. Push the seatback up and back
to lock it into place.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sure it is locked
into position.
3. Make sure that the safety belts are properly stowed over the
seatback in all three seating
positions.
When the seat is not in use, it
should be kept in the upright, locked
position.
Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, the injuries can be
much worse. You can hit things
inside the vehicle harder or be
ejected from the vehicle. You and
your passenger(s) can be
seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be,
if you are buckled up. Always
fasten your safety belt, and check
that your passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-9
{WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or
killed. Do not allow people to ride
in any area of your vehicle that is
not equipped with seats and
safety belts. Be sure everyone in
your vehicle is in a seat and using
a safety belt properly.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders
on
page 5‑13for additional
information.
In most states and in all Canadian
provinces, the law requires wearing
safety belts. Here is why:
You never know if you will be in a
crash. If you do have a crash, you
do not know if it will be a
serious one. A few crashes are mild, and some
crashes can be so serious that even
buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in
between. In many of them, people
who buckle up can survive and
sometimes walk away. Without
safety belts they could have been
badly hurt or killed.
After more than 40 years of safety
belts in vehicles, the facts are clear.
In most crashes buckling up does
matter ... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything,
you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose
it is just a seat on wheels.
Put someone on it.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-10 Seats and Restraints
Get it up to speed. Then stop the
vehicle. The rider does not stop.The person keeps going until
stopped by something. In a real
vehicle, it could be the windshield...or the instrument panel...
or the safety belts!

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-11
With safety belts, you slow down as
the vehicle does. You get more time
to stop. You stop over more
distance, and your strongest bones
take the forces. That is why safety
belts make such good sense.
Questions and Answers About
Safety Belts
Q: Will I be trapped in the vehicleafter a crash if I am wearing a
safety belt?
A: You could be—whether you are
wearing a safety belt or not. But
your chance of being conscious
during and after an accident, so
you canunbuckle and get out, is
much greater if you are belted.
And you can unbuckle a safety
belt, even if you are
upside down. Q: If my vehicle has airbags, why
should I have to wear safety
belts?
A: Airbags are supplemental
systems only; so they work with
safety belts —not instead of
them. Whether or not an airbag
is provided, all occupants still
have to buckle up to get the
most protection. That is true not
only in frontal collisions, but
especially in side and other
collisions. Q: If I am a good driver, and I
never drive far from home,
why should I wear safety
belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver,
but if you are in a crash —even
one that is not your fault —you
and your passenger(s) can be
hurt. Being a good driver does
not protect you from things
beyond your control, such as
bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
40 km (25 miles) of home. And
the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at
speeds of less than
65 km/h (40 mph).
Safety belts are for everyone.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2011
3-12 Seats and Restraints
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly
This section is only for people of
adult size.
Be aware that there are special
things to know about safety belts
and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and
infants. If a child will be riding in
the vehicle, seeOlder Children
on
page 3‑38or Infants and Young
Childrenon page 3‑40. Follow
those rules for everyone's
protection.
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 safety belts.
Occupants who are not buckled up
can be thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash. And they can strike others in
the vehicle who are wearing safety
belts. First, before you or your
passenger(s) wear a safety belt,
there is important information you
should know.
Sit up straight and always keep your
feet on the floor in front of you. The
lap part of the belt should be worn
low and snug on the hips, just
touching the thighs. In a crash, this
applies force to the strong pelvic
bones and you would be less likely
to slide under the lap belt. If you slid
under it, the belt would apply force
on your abdomen. This could causeserious or even fatal injuries. The
shoulder belt should go over the
shoulder and across the chest.
These parts of the body are best
able to take belt restraining forces.
The shoulder belt locks if there is a
sudden stop or crash.
Q: What is wrong with this?
A:
The shoulder belt is too loose.
It will not give as much
protection this way.