tow CHEVROLET MALIBU 2012 7.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-18
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-31
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6 Infotainment System
. . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-25
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-16
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-24
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-30
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-48

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Malibu Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-87
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-2
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-14 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-2
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-19
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-20
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-9
Lumbar Adjustment
A. Increase Lumbar SupportControl
B. Decrease Lumbar Support Control
If available, press the front (A) or
rear (B) of the control to increase or
decrease lumbar support. Release
the control when the desired level of
support is reached.
See Lumbar Adjustment on
page 3‑4.
Second Row Seats
With this feature, either side of the
seatback can be folded down for
more cargo space. Before folding a
seatback, make sure the front seat
is not reclined. If it is, the rear
seatback will not fold down all
the way.
To lower the rear seatback, pull up
on the seatback strap while folding
the seatback down. This allows
access to the trunk. To raise the
rear seatback pull the seatback up
and make sure it latches. Push and pull on the seatback to
be sure it is locked in position.
Make sure that the safety belts are
properly stowed over the seatback
in all three positions.
See
Rear Seats on page 3‑8 for
more information.
Heated Seats
If available, press the top of the
switch to turn the heat feature on to
the high heat setting. The indicator
light “2”will be lit.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Power Mirrors
Controls for the outside power
mirrors are located on the
driver door.
To adjust the mirrors:
1. Move the selector switch locatedbelow the four-way control pad
to the left or right to choose
either the driver side or
passenger side mirror. 2. Press one of the four arrows
located on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.
3. Adjust each outside mirror so that a little of the vehicle and the
area behind it can be seen.
Keep the selector switch in the
center position when not adjusting
either outside mirror.
Manually fold the mirrors inward
to prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash.
To fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward,
to return to its original position.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with heated mirrors:
1(Rear Defogger): Press to heat
the mirrors.
See “Rear Window Defogger” under
Automatic Climate Control System
on page 8‑5 for more information.
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view of behind your vehicle. Adjust
the mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind. Push the tab
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three
control buttons located at the
bottom of the mirror. See your
dealer for more information on the
system and how to subscribe to
OnStar. See OnStar Overview on
page 14‑1.
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror with
a compass display and OnStar
®
controls. See your dealer for more

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-15
information on the system and
how to subscribe to OnStar®.
See OnStar Overview on page 14‑1.
See Compass on page 5‑5 for more
information.
O(On/Off): Press to turn the
dimming feature on or off.
Automatic Dimming Mirror
Operation
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare of lights from behind the
vehicle. The dimming feature comes
on and the indicator light illuminates
each time the vehicle is started.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in a
pulsing sound when either rear
window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the
sound, open either a front window
or the sunroof (if equipped).

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
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 3‑5.
2. Pull up on the seatback strap while folding the seatback down.
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.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-9
To raise the seatback:
1. Push the seatback up and backto 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, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle. (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑13 for additional information.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-13
4. If equipped with a shoulder beltheight adjuster, move it to the
height that is right for you.
Improper shoulder belt height
adjustment could reduce the
effectiveness of the safety belt in
a crash. See “Shoulder Belt
Height Adjuster” later in this
section for instruction on use
and important safety information.
5. To make the lap part tight, pull
up on the shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull
stitching on the safety belt
through the latch plate to fully
tighten the lap belt on smaller
occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button
on the buckle. The belt should
return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the safety belt
webbing when the safety belt is not
in use. The latch plate should rest
on the stitching on the safety belt,
near the guide loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the
safety belt is out of the way. If a
door is slammed against a safety
belt, damage can occur to both the
safety belt and the vehicle.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
3-24 Seats and Restraints
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel.
In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants
can contact the inside of the
vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by safety belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
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? on
page 3‑22 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag 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? on page 3‑21.
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.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual - 2012
3-30 Seats and Restraints
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts”and“Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as
seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specific
vehicle. See Adding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 3‑31 for more information
about modifications that can affect
how the system operates.
{WARNING
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system.
To purchase a service manual,
see Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑18.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.