key CHEVROLET MALIBU 2012 7.G Owner's Guide

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-32 Instruments and Controls
Personalization Menu Modes
OIL LIFE RESET
When this feature is displayed, you
can reset the engine oil life system.
To reset the system, seeEngine
Oil Life System on page 10‑12.
See “OIL LIFE” underDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24 for more information.
UNITS
This feature allows you to select
the units of measurement in which
the DIC will display the vehicle
information. When UNITS appears
on the display, press and hold the
reset button for at least one second
to scroll through the available
settings:
ENGLISH (default in United
States): All information will be
displayed in English units.
METRIC (default in Canada):
All information will be displayed in
metric units. To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
REMOTE START
If your vehicle has remote start, this
feature allows remote start to be
turned off or on. Remote start allows
you to start the engine from outside
of the vehicle using your Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
When REMOTE START appears on
the display, press and hold the reset
button for at least one second to
scroll through the available settings:
OFF:
The remote start feature will
be disabled.
ON (default): The remote start
feature will be enabled.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑5 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. LOCK HORN
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's horn to chirp every time
the lock button on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter
is pressed, can be enabled or
disabled. When LOCK HORN
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
OFF (default):
The horn will not
chirp on the first press of the lock
button on the RKE transmitter.
The horn will still chirp on the
second press.
ON: The horn will chirp on the first
press of the lock button on the RKE
transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-33
UNLOCK HORN
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's horn to chirp on the first
press of the unlock button on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter, can be enabled or
disabled. When UNLOCK HORN
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
OFF (default):The horn will not
chirp when the unlock button on the
RKE transmitter is pressed.
ON: The horn will chirp on the first
press of the unlock button on the
RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC. LIGHT FLASH
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's exterior hazard/turn signal
lighting to flash every time the lock,
unlock, or trunk release buttons on
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter are pressed, can be
enabled or disabled. When LIGHT
FLASH appears on the display,
press and hold the reset button for
at least one second to scroll through
the available settings:
OFF:
The exterior hazard/turn
signal lighting will not flash when
the lock, unlock, or trunk release
buttons on the RKE transmitter are
pressed.
ON (default): The exterior hazard/
turn signal lighting will flash when
the lock, unlock, or trunk release
buttons on the RKE transmitter are
pressed.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information. To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
DELAY LOCK
This feature, which delays the
actual locking of the vehicle, can be
enabled or disabled. When DELAY
LOCK appears on the display, press
and hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
ON (default):
The doors will not
lock until five seconds after the last
door is closed. You can temporarily
override delayed locking by
pressing the power lock switch or
the lock button on the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter a
second time.
OFF: The doors will lock
immediately when pressing the
power lock switch or the lock button
on the RKE transmitter.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
5-34 Instruments and Controls
SeePower Door Locks on page 2‑7,
Delayed Locking on page 2‑8, and
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
AUTO UNLK (Unlock)
This feature, which allows the
vehicle to automatically unlock
certain doors, can be enabled or
disabled. When AUTO UNLK
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
ALL (default): All of the doors will
automatically unlock.
DRIVER: The driver's door will
automatically unlock. NONE:
None of the doors will
automatically unlock. You will need
to manually unlock the doors.
See Automatic Door Locks on
page 2‑8 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
UNLK (Unlock)
This screen displays only if DRIVER
or ALL is selected for the AUTO
UNLK feature. This feature
determines when the automatic door
unlocking will occur. When UNLK
appears on the display, press and
hold the reset button for at least
one second to scroll through the
available settings:
KEY OFF: The door(s) will unlock
when the key is turned off.
SHIFT TO P (Park) (default):
The door(s) will unlock when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park). See
Automatic Door Locks on
page 2‑8 for more information.
To select a setting and move on to
the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
EXT (Exterior) LIGHTS
This feature, which allows the
vehicle's exterior perimeter lighting
to turn on each time the unlock
button on the Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter is pressed, can be
enabled or disabled. When EXT
LIGHTS appears on the display,
press and hold the reset button for
at least one second to scroll through
the available settings:
OFF: The exterior perimeter
lighting will not turn on when the
unlock button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed.
ON (default): The exterior
perimeter lighting will turn on when
the unlock button on the RKE
transmitter is pressed.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-35
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3 for
more information.
To select a setting and move on
to the next feature, press the
information button while the desired
setting is displayed on the DIC.
LANGUAGE
This feature allows you to select the
language in which the DIC will
display. When LANGUAGE appears
on the display, press and hold the
reset button for at least one second
to scroll through the available
settings:
ENGLISH (default): All messages
will appear in English.
FRENCH: All messages will appear
in French.
SPANISH: All messages will
appear in Spanish.
GERMAN: All messages will
appear in German. To select a setting and exit out of
the personalization menu mode,
press the information button while
the desired setting is displayed on
the DIC.
Exiting Personalization Menu
The personalization menu will be
exited when any of the following
conditions occur:
.A ten second time period has
elapsed.
.The ignition is turned off.
.The end of the personalization
menu list is reached.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
Delayed Headlamps
The delayed headlamps feature
keeps the headlamps on for
20 seconds after the key is turned to
LOCK/OFF, then the headlamps
automatically turn off.
To override the 20 second delayed
headlamp feature while it is active
turn the turn signal/multifunction
lever up one position and then back
to AUTO.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press this button located on the
instrument panel, to make the front
and rear turn signal lamps flash on
and off. This warns others that you
are having trouble.
Press
|again to turn the
flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster flashes in the direction of the
turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Release the lever and the
turn signal automatically flashes
three times. If more flashes are
desired, continue to hold the lever.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened. They turn off after
all the doors are closed.
The dome lamps can also be turned
on by turning the instrument panel
brightness knob, located on the
instrument panel to the left of the
steering column, clockwise to the
farthest position. In this position, the
dome lamps remain on whether a
door is opened or closed.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with front and rear
reading lamps, press the lens to
turn the lamp on and off, while the
doors are closed. These lamps
come on automatically when any
door is opened.
Lighting Features
Entry/Exit Lighting
The lamps inside the vehicle come
on when any door is opened. These
lamps fade out about 20 seconds
after all of the doors have been
closed or when the ignition is turned
to ON/RUN. They also come on
when the unlock symbol button or
the horn symbol is pressed on the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
system transmitter.
The lamps inside the vehicle stay on
for about 20 seconds after the key is
removed from the ignition to provide
light as you exit.
Parade Dimming
Parade dimming is a separate
lighting mode that comes on while
the parking lamps are turned on
during the day. It prevents the
display lights and indicator lights
from being dim, while the parking
lamps are used during the day.
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.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-7
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, fog
lamps, 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, such as BATTERY
SAVER ACTIVE, BATTERY
VOLTAGE LOW, or LOW BATTERY.
If one of these messages displays,
it is recommended that the driver
reduce the electrical loads as much
as possible. See
Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑24.
Battery Power Protection
The vehicle has a battery run-down
protection feature designed to
protect the vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk,
reading, or visor vanity) is left on
while the ignition is turned off, the
battery run-down protection system
will automatically shut the lamp(s)
off after 20 minutes. This will avoid
draining the battery. To reactivate the interior lamps,
do one of the following:
.Turn on the ignition.
.Turn the exterior lamp control off
and then on.
.Open a door.
.Press any Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter button
(if equipped).
.Press the remote trunk release
button.
.Press the power door lock
switch.
The battery run-down feature will
also be activated when any door
on the vehicle is left open and the
ignition is in LOCK/OFF.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-3
Radio with CD (MP3) and USB Port shown, Radio with CD (MP3) similar
The vehicle has one of these radios as its infotainment system. Softkeys
The Radio with CD (MP3) and USB
Port, and the Radio with CD (MP3)
have five softkeys located below the
radio display. Softkeys are used to
control functions that appear on the
radio display as tabs directly above
the softkeys.
Using the Radio
O(Power/Volume):
Press to turn
the system on and off. Turn to
increase or decrease the volume.
4(Information): Press to switch
the display between the radio
station frequency and the time.
While the ignition is off, press this
button to display the time.
Speed Compensated Volume
(SCV): Radios with the Speed
Compensated Volume (SCV) feature
automatically adjust the radio
volume to compensate for road and
wind noise as the vehicle speeds up
or slows down, so that the volume
level is consistent.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
7-4 Infotainment System
To activate SCV:
1. Set the radio volume to thedesired level.
2. Press MENU to display the radio setup menu.
3. Press the softkey under the AUTO VOLUM tab on the radio
display.
4. Press the softkey under the desired Speed Compensated
Volume setting (OFF, Low, Med,
or High) to select the level of
radio volume compensation.
The display times out after
approximately 10 seconds.
Each higher setting allows
for more radio volume
compensation at faster
vehicle speeds.Setting the Tone (Bass/Treble)
Radio with CD
To adjust the bass, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until Bass or
Treble displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK button.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV button.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
Setting the Tone (Bass/
Midrange/Treble) Radio with
CD (MP3) and USB Port,
Radio with CD (MP3)
BASS/MID/TREB (Bass, Midrange,
or Treble): To adjust the bass,
midrange, or treble:
1. Press the
fknob until the tone
control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired tone control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Pressing thefknob..Press the softkey under the
desired tab.
3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV button.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Infotainment System 7-5
If a station's frequency is weak or if
there is static, decrease the treble.
To quickly adjust bass, midrange,
or treble to the middle position,
press the softkey positioned under
the BASS, MID, or TREB tab for
more than two seconds. A beep
sounds and the level adjusts to the
middle position.
To quickly adjust all tone and
speaker controls to the middle
position, press the
fknob for more
than two seconds until a beep
sounds.
EQ (Equalization): Press this
button to choose bass and treble
equalization settings designed for
different types of music. Selecting
MANUAL or changing bass or
treble, returns the EQ to the manual
bass and treble settings.
Unique EQ settings can be saved
for each source.
If the radio has a Bose
®audio
system, the EQ settings are either
MANUAL or TALK.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) Radio with CD
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
`or press the
fknob until the speaker control
label displays.
2. To adjust the setting, do one of the following:
.Turn thefknob.
.Press either¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK button.
.Press either\FWD,
or
sREV button.
Adjusting the Speakers
(Balance/Fade) Radio with
CD (MP3) and USB Port,
Radio with CD (MP3)
BAL/FADE (Balance/Fade):
To adjust the balance or fade:
1. Press the
fknob until the
speaker control tabs display.
2. Highlight the desired speaker control tab by doing one of the
following:
.Pressing thefknob.
.Press the softkey under the
desired tab.
3. Adjust the setting by doing one of the following:
.Turn thefknob clockwise
or counterclockwise.
.Press the¨SEEK,
or
©SEEK button.
.Press the\FWD,
or
sREV button.