[Malibooboo]

What types of information does the D.I.C. read out on the dash? In my Grand Prix, I have a 5-button system that gives a huge amount of info. I'm wondering what I'd be giving up when I get a Malibu. Does the owner's manual list all the info the DIC will display?

 

[Lee]

I'll try by memory and check the manual tonight or my wife's car to see what I forgot.
Outside air temp.
Instant and Avg. MPG
Avg. speed
Tire pressure
Battery charge
Fuel range
Two trip meters

 

[Pizza Man]

I've got the manual with me, Lee. The DIC displays:

Trip a & b
Fuel Range
Average MPG
Instant MPG
Average Speed
Oil Life
Tire Pressure

Tire pressure is pretty cool, it actually gives the PSI readings for each tire.

 

[plgtx]

I had OnStar send me my first vehicle report...even though there's really nothing to report! It gives you your PSI readings and current miles, it's great!

The DIC is quite comprehensive, and yes, the manual tells you every message that the DIC can display.

 

[Malibooboo]

My GP shows engine hours, tranny temp, battery volts, etc. Nothing I'm going to miss. Plus the GP only has a warning light for low tire pressure, not actual PSI.

 

[Lee]

My GP shows engine hours, tranny temp, battery volts, etc. Nothing I'm going to miss. Plus the GP only has a warning light for low tire pressure, not actual PSI.

The Malibu also has battery volts. My wife's last car was a 97 Grand Prix GT and it also had the low tire warning. At least a half dozen times it caught a tire puncture before the tire lost much pressure.
The one big thing my wife misses from the Grand Prix was the HUD display.

 

[MalibuCanuk]

One thing I miss from my HHR is engine temp.

 

[Pizza Man]

One thing I miss from my HHR is engine temp.

Isn't there a dashboard guage for that?

 

[MalibuCanuk]

Yes but I liked the digital readout also.

 

[Pizza Man]

Yes but I liked the digital readout also.

Got'cha!

 

[Malibooboo]

The Malibu also has battery volts. My wife's last car was a 97 Grand Prix GT and it also had the low tire warning. At least a half dozen times it caught a tire puncture before the tire lost much pressure.
The one big thing my wife misses from the Grand Prix was the HUD display.

Yup - I'll be giving up that. But I don't consider that a fatal flaw.

 

[Lee]

The Malibu also has battery volts.

I lied
I was driving my wife's Malibu today and when flipping through the DIC info there was no battery readout.
I'm surprised they left that out. I would rather have that than instant MPG or Avg. speed.

 

[08MalibuLeaser]

The tire pressure indicators are a nice touch...

 

[Lee]

The tire pressure indicators are a nice touch...

I think the tire pressure readout is great.

 

[Pizza Man]

I think the tire pressure readout is great.

Especially, when OnStar sends you an diagnostic e-mail which also lists tire pressures.

 

[08MalibuLeaser]

The OnStar feature is a great standard feature - however my wife hates how it interrupts the music - can you turn the voice prompts off and just have the text on the screen? Guess I need to read the manual...

 

[AGstone]

The tire pressure sensors DO compliment the 'class' of the Malibu. However, I continue to occasionally use my trusted tire pressure gauge (actually I have two of 'em), and it appears my Malibu TPS reads slightly lower (one to 2 PSI . . . no big deal) then what my gauges read. I would recommend keeping (and using) a good, relatively accurate TP gauge in ones glove box.

This morning I 'added air' to a couple wheels that were slightly low, and noticed that even though all wheels measured exactly the same TP with my gauge, one wheel (on the DIC) was lower than the other 3 wheels (1 PSI . . . again, no big deal) and remained lower as the tires warmed up while driving.

For me, an occasional 'scan' of the TPS on the DIC gives me information (if the TP is lower) that I might have picked up road debris (nail / screw / glass) that's causing a slow leak, and 'maintenance' might need to be done before I'm surprised by a flat tire.

My Malibu is the second car I've owned that has used TPS units in the wheels.

 

[Inni]

Especially, when OnStar sends you an diagnostic e-mail which also lists tire pressures.

Sorry for the bad quality. The quality gets better if you zoom in

http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/gallery/index.php?n=42

 

[08LTZ]

Don't know what it is but I'm happy to report that the last 2 fill-ups the DIC has come in at .8 and .5 of my calculation.

 

[BuckyFan]

The manual does list everything. It also has a sub menu where you can tweak the car settings like the horn beeping and the lights flashing with the alarm, how the doors lock and unlock, etc.