climate control CHEVROLET MALIBU 2017 9.G Owner's Guide

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
220 Driving and Operating
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires andthe road creates less traction orgrip, so drive carefully. Wet ice canoccur at about 0 °C (32 °F) whenfreezing rain begins to fall. Avoiddriving on wet ice or in freezing rainuntil roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Acceleratingtoo quickly causes the wheels tospin and makes the surfaceunder the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0241.
.The Antilock Brake System(ABS) improves vehicle stabilityduring hard stops, but thebrakes should be applied soonerthan when on dry pavement.SeeAntilock Brake System(ABS)0236.
.Allow greater following distanceand watch for slippery spots. Icypatches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.The surface of a curve or anoverpass can remain icy whenthe surrounding roads are clear.Avoid sudden steeringmaneuvers and braking whileon ice.
.Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place andsignal for help. Stay with the vehicleunless there is help nearby.If possible, use RoadsideAssistance. SeeRoadsideAssistance Program0387.Togethelp and keep everyone in thevehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warningflashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outsidemirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
.Clear snow from the base ofthe vehicle, especially anyblocking the exhaust pipe.
.Open a window about 5 cm(2 in) on the vehicle sidethat is away from the wind,to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets onor under the instrumentpanel.
.Adjust the climate controlsystem to circulate the airinside the vehicle and set
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 221
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highestsetting. See“ClimateControl Systems.”
For more information about CO,
seeEngine Exhaust0232.
To s a v e f u e l , r u n t h e e n g i n e f o rshort periods to warm the vehicleand then shut the engine off andpartially close the window. Movingabout to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,when running the engine, push theaccelerator pedal slightly so theengine runs faster than the idlespeed. This keeps the batterycharged to restart the vehicle and tosignal for help with the headlamps.Do this as little as possible, tosave fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin thewheels to free the vehicle whenstuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the tractionsystem to free the vehicle, turn thetraction system off and use therocking method. SeeTr a c t i o nControl/Electronic StabilityControl0241.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left andright to clear the area around thefront wheels. Turn off any tractionsystem. Shift back and forthbetween R (Reverse) and a lowforward gear, spinning the wheelsas little as possible. To preventtransmission wear, wait until thewheels stop spinning before shiftinggears. Release the acceleratorpedal while shifting, and presslightly on the accelerator pedalwhen the transmission is in gear.Slowly spinning the wheels in theforward and reverse directionscauses a rocking motion that couldfree the vehicle. If that does not getthe vehicle out after a few tries, itmight need to be towed out. If thevehicle does need to be towed out,seeTo w i n g t h e V e h i c l e0355.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 229
Warning (Continued)
however, once the brake pedal is
released, the engine will start up
again.
Shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF, before
exiting the vehicle.
If equipped with the 1.5L L4 engine,the vehicle has a fuel saving stop/start system to shut off the engine tohelp conserve fuel.
Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied andthe vehicle is at a complete stop,the engine may turn off. Whenstopped, the tachometer displaysAUTO STOP. SeeTa c h o m e t e r(Non-Hybrid)011 7.Whenthebrakepedal is released or the acceleratorpedal pushed, the engine willrestart.
Auto Stop may be deactivated if:
.Aminimumvehiclespeedisnotreached.
.The engine or transmission isnot at the required operatingtemperature.
.The outside temperature is notin the required operating range,typically below✓10 °C (14 °F) orabove 50 °C (122 °F).
.The shift lever is in any gearother than D (Drive).
.The battery has been recentlydisconnected.
.The battery charge is low.
.The interior comfort level has notreached the required level forthe climate control system ordefog settings. Use the eco(green indicator on) airconditioning mode for betterefficiency. SeeClimate ControlSystems0205andDualAutomatic Climate ControlSystem0208.
.The Auto Stop time is greaterthan two minutes.
Engine Heater
The engine coolant heater,if available, can help in cold weatherconditions at or below✓18 °C (0 °F)for easier starting and better fueleconomy during engine warm-up.Plug in the coolant heater at leastfour hours before starting thevehicle. An internal thermostat inthe plug end of the cord will preventengine coolant heater operation attemperatures above✓18 °C (0 °F).
To Use the Engine Coolant
Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap theelectrical cord.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Driving and Operating 273
.Turn off Forward AutomaticBraking when towing. SeeForward Automatic Braking(FAB)0260.
.The Front Pedestrian Brakingsystem should be set to Alert orOff when towing. SeeFrontPedestrian Braking (FPB)System0261.
{Warning
When towing a trailer, exhaust
gases may collect at the rear of
the vehicle and enter if the
liftgate, trunk/hatch, or rear-most
window is open.
When towing a trailer:
.Do not drive with theliftgate, trunk/hatch,or rear-most window open.
.Fully open the air outlets onor under the instrumentpanel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Also adjust the climatecontrol system to a settingthat brings in only outsideair. See“Climate ControlSystems”in the Index.
For information about carbon
monoxide, seeEngine
Exhaust0232.
To w i n g a t r a i l e r r e q u i r e s a c e r t a i namount of experience. Thecombination you are driving islonger and not as responsive as thevehicle itself. Get acquainted withthe handling and braking of the rigbefore setting out for the open road.
Before starting, check all trailer hitchparts and attachments, safetychains, electrical connectors, lamps,tires, and mirrors. If the trailer haselectric brakes, start thecombination moving and then applythe trailer brake controller by handto be sure the brakes work.
During the trip, check occasionallyto be sure that the load is secureand the lamps and any trailerbrakes still work.
Towing with a Stability Control
System
When towing, the sound of thestability control system might beheard. The system is reacting to thevehicle movement caused by thetrailer, which mainly occurs duringcornering. This is normal whentowing heavier trailers.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind thevehicle ahead as you would whendriving the vehicle without a trailer.This can help to avoid situationsthat require heavy braking andsudden turns.
Passing
More passing distance is neededwhen towing a trailer. Because therig is longer, it is necessary to gofarther beyond the passed vehiclebefore returning to the lane.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Vehicle Care 335
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AATemperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1Ω) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
Index 409
Cargo
Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 102
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Charging
Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 122
Check
Malfunction Indicator
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . 85
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96, 98
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 205
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Dual Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . 112, 114
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 390
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 339
Connections
OnStar®...................... 399
Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Coolant
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Engine Temperature Gauge . . .119
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205, 208
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 293, 294
Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Cruise Control, Adaptive . . . . . . . . 245
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385
Te x t Te l e p h o n e ( T T Y )
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 386
Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 392
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 390
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Collection
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 396
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 395
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 395
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Diagnostics
OnStar®...................... 401
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
410 Index
Door (cont'd)
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 382
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 252
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131, 134
Driving
Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . 257
Characteristics and
To w i n g T i p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 2
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 29
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 219
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 221
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Dual Automatic Climate
Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
E
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . 238
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . 124
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Electrical System
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Emergency
OnStar®...................... 398
Energy Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Engine
Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 283
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . 293, 294
Cooling System Messages . . . 140
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Engine (cont'd)
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 233
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 395
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 163
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 165
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
F
Features
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 166
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Fluid
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 292
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-10122664) - 2017 - crc - 5/23/16
416 Index
Seats (cont'd)
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 57
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 96, 98
Security
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
OnStar®...................... 398
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 205
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 280
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 379
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 380
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 392
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 389
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Service Electric Parking
Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Services
Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 374
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . 263
Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Special Application Services . . . . 374
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Starting the Vehicle
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Steering (cont'd)
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Steering System Messages . . . . . 145
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 307, 308
Storage Areas
Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 101
Storing the Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System
Forward Collision
Alert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171, 396
Systems
Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252