
Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
3-26 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag
when it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in the
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children on page 3‑38 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑41.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑12 for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-27
The right front passenger's frontal
airbag is in the instrument panel on
the passenger's side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If your vehicle has seat-mounted
side impact airbags for the driver
and right front passenger, they are
in the side of the seatbacks closest
to the door.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept
clear. Do not put anything
between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel
hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories
that block the inflation path of a
seat-mounted side impact airbag.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-29
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
will inflate if the crash severity is
above the system's designed
threshold level. The threshold level
can vary with specific vehicle
design.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not intended to inflate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one
can say whether an airbag should
have inflated simply because of
the damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
deployment is determined by the
location and severity of the side
impact.What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbag modules in the side
of the front seatbacks closest to
the door.
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. Frontal
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body, stopping
the occupant more gradually.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant's
upper 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 3‑28 for more information.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
3-36 Seats and Restraints
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 13‑12.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition 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.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change your vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, front sensors, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of
the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger
position, which includes
sensors that are part of the
passenger seat. The passenger

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-1
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-3
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-12
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Hold Mode Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-18
Change Engine Oil Light . . . . . 5-19
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 5-20
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . 5-20
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Trip Computer
Trip Computer (US Only) . . . . 5-21
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The lever is located under the
steering column, slightly to the left.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
5-2 Instruments and Controls
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up ordown into a comfortable position.
3. Pull the lever up to lock the wheel in place.
Do not adjust the tilt lever while
driving.Steering Wheel Controls
Front View of the Steering Wheel Controls
Side View of the Volume Control
If the vehicle has this feature, some
audio controls can be adjusted at
the steering wheel.
PWR (Power): Press and release
to turn the system on and off.
When the system is on, press and
release for a short time to mute the
system. Press and release again to
turn the sound back on.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-3
+ VOLUME−:Press the toggle
bar located below the + VOLUME −
button to adjust the volume. Press
the left side of the toggle bar, below
the + (plus) sign to increase the
volume. Press the right side of the
toggle bar, below the −(minus) sign
to decrease the volume.
MODE: Press and release this
button multiple times to cycle
through the audio playback options
that are available on the vehicle.
Options may include FM, AM, XM,
CD, and AUX.
SEEK: Press and release to go to
the next preset station.
Press and hold for a long time to go
to the next AM, FM, or XM station.
The radio seeks stations only with
a strong signal that are in the
selected band.
When playing a CD, press and
release to go to the next track.
Press and hold to fast forward
through the tracks.Horn
Press near or on the horn symbols
on the steering wheel pad to sound
the horn.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
Sedan Shown
Hatchback Shown
The lever is located on the right side
of the steering column. The ignition
must be turned to ON/RUN to
operate the windshield wipers.
Move the lever to one of the
following positions:
HI (High Speed): Fast wipes.
LO (Low Speed): Slow wipes.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Aveo Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local
governments may have programs to
inspect the on-vehicle emission
control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system test
equipment is connected to the
vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel near the steering wheel. See
your dealer if assistance is needed.
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The Malfunction Indicator Lamp
is on with the engine running,
or if the light does not come on
when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN while the engine is off.
.The critical emission control
systems have not been
completely diagnosed by the
system. This can happen if the
battery has recently been
replaced or if the battery has run
down. The diagnostic system
evaluates critical emission
control systems during normal
driving. This can take
several days of routine driving.
If this has been done and the
vehicle still does not pass the
inspection, your dealer can
prepare the vehicle for
inspection.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working.If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
MetricEnglish
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.