2011 CHEVROLET CRUZE Owners Manual

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-9
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
This vehicle has a tamper‐resistant
odometer. The digital odometer will
read 999,999 if it is turned back.
If the vehicle needs a new odometer
installed, it must be set to the
mileage total of the old odometer.
If that is not possible, then it must
be set at zero and a label must be
put on the driver door to show the
old mileage reading when the new
odometer was installed.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can show how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last reset.
The trip odometer is accessed and
reset through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑24 for more information.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Notice:If the engine is operated
with the tachometer in the shaded
warning area, the vehicle could
be damaged, and the damages
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Do not operate
the engine with the tachometer in
the shaded warning area.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge tells you about how much
fuel you have left in your tank.
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates the side of the vehicle the
fuel door is on.
A FUEL LEVEL LOW message may
appear in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) and a single chime
sounds. See Fuel System
Messages on page 5‑31 for more
information.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
5-10 Instruments and Controls
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with your fuel
gauge:
.At the service station, the fuel
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The gauge moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge takes a few seconds
to stabilize after the ignition is
turned on, and will go back to
empty when the ignition is
turned off.
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gauge
This gauge shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the indicator needle moves to the
hot side of the gauge toward the H
or shaded area, the engine is
too hot.
If the vehicle has been operated
under normal driving conditions, pull
off the road, stop the vehicle, and
turn off the engine as soon as
possible.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
When the engine is started, a chime
sounds for several seconds to
remind a driver to fasten the safety
belt, unless the driver safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt reminder light comes
on for several seconds, then flashes
for several more.
This chime and light sequence are
repeated if the driver remains
unbuckled and the vehicle is in
motion. If the driver safety belt is
already buckled, neither the chime
nor the light comes on.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
Several seconds after the engine is
started, a chime sounds for
several seconds to remind the front
passenger to buckle their safety
belt. The passenger safety belt light
comes on and flashes for several
seconds.
This chime and light sequence is
repeated if the passenger remains
unbuckled and the vehicle is in
motion.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop, or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and/or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem. The system
check includes the airbag sensor,
the pretensioners, the airbag
modules, the wiring, and the crash
sensing and diagnostic module. For
more information on the airbag
system, see
Airbag System on
page 3‑25.
The airbag readiness light comes on
and stays on for several seconds
when the vehicle is started. Then
the light goes out.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑33 for
important safety information. The
instrument panel has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds
as a system check. If you are using
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle from a distance you may not
see the system check. Then, after
several seconds, the status
indicator will light either ON or OFF,
or either the on or off symbol to let
you know the status of the right front
passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the right
front passenger frontal airbag and
passenger knee airbag are enabled
(may inflate).
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the right front passenger
frontal airbag and passenger knee
airbag. If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑11 for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-13
Charging System Light
The charging system light comes on
briefly when the ignition is turned
on, but the engine is not running, as
a check to show the light is working.
The light turns off when the engine
is started. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.If the light stays on, or comes on
while driving, there could be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery.
If a short distance must be driven
with the light on, be sure to turn off
all accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors operation of
the fuel, ignition, and emission
control systems. It ensures thatemissions are at acceptable levels
for the life of the vehicle, helping to
produce a cleaner environment.
This light should come on when the
ignition is on, but the engine is not
running, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the Malfunction Indicator Lamp
comes on and stays on while the
engine is running, this indicates that
there is an OBD II problem and
service is required.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system assists
the service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, after a while, the emission
controls might not work as well,
the vehicle fuel economy might
not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This
could lead to costly repairs that
might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Notice: Modifications made
to the engine, transmission,
exhaust, intake, or fuel system of
the vehicle or the replacement of
the original tires with other
than those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing:
A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If towing a trailer, reduce the
amount of cargo being hauled as
soon as it is possible. If the light continues to flash, when
it is safe to do so, stop the vehicle.
Find a safe place to park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady:
An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emissions system malfunction:
.Make sure the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑43. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-15
.Make sure the electrical system
is not wet. The system could be
wet if the vehicle was driven
through a deep puddle of water.
The condition is usually
corrected when the electrical
system dries out. A few driving
trips should turn the light off.
.Make sure to fuel the vehicle
with quality fuel. Poor fuel quality
causes the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and can
cause: stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these
conditions occurs, change the
fuel brand used. It will require at
least one full tank of the proper
fuel to turn the light off.
SeeRecommended Fuel on
page 9‑40. If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.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 to the left of 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.

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
.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.Service Vehicle Soon
Light
For vehicles with this light, it comes
on if a condition exists that may
require the vehicle to be taken in for
service.
Vehicles not equipped with a light,
display a SERVICE VEHICLE
SOON message.
SeeService Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑32 for more information.
If the light comes on, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
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.
EnglishMetric
The Brake System Warning Light
should come on briefly as the
engine is started. If it does not come
on, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.