2012 CHEVROLET CRUZE light

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-19
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral).This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift to P (Park), and turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF. On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, the
shift lever must be in P (Park) to
turn the ignition switch to the
LOCK/OFF position. 4. Set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑36.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
switch the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY. ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber LED
Light):
This mode allows you to
use some electrical accessories
when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from
ACC/ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
rundown.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
ON/RUN/START (Green LED
Light):This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button once will place the
ignition system in ON/RUN/START.
Once engine cranking begins,
release the button. Engine cranking
will continue until the engine
starts. See Starting the Engine on
page 9‑20 for more information. The
ignition will then remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and
the brake pedal not applied,
pressing and holding the button for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only Mode.
The instruments and audio systems
will operate as they do in ON/RUN,
but the vehicle will not be able to be driven. The engine will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the
proper gear.
Notice:
The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
vehicle when it is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Notice:
Do not try to shift to
P (Park) if the vehicle is moving.
If you do, you could damage the
transmission. Shift to P (Park)
only when the vehicle is stopped.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor and start the engine. The
vehicle will not start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down.
Starting Procedure (Key Access)
1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the ignition key to
START. When the engine starts,
let go of the key. The idle speed
will go down as the engine
warms. Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-34 Driving and Operating
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth):Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) the
same way you do for 2 (Second).
Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
For the best fuel economy, use
6 (Sixth) gear whenever vehicle
speed and driving conditions allow.
An up-shift light in the instrument
cluster indicates when to shift to the
next higher gear for the best fuel
economy.
During normal driving, upshifts
should occur between 1,300 and
2,500 rpm, and downshifts should
occur between 1,500 and
1,000 rpm. To stop, let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brake pedal.
Just before the vehicle stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake
pedal, and shift to Neutral.
Neutral:
Use this position when
you start or idle the engine. The
shift lever is in Neutral when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, with the
vehicle at a complete stop, press
down the clutch pedal. Then pull up
the ring on the shift lever, and shift into R (Reverse). Let up on the
clutch pedal slowly while pressing
the accelerator pedal.
If the gear does not engage, shift
the transmission to Neutral, release
the clutch pedal and press it back
down. Repeat the gear selection.
{WARNING
If you skip a gear when you
downshift, you could lose control
of the vehicle. You could injure
yourself or others. Do not shift
down more than one gear at a
time when you downshift.
Notice: Do not skip gears
while upshifting. This can
cause premature wear in the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-35
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑17. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-36 Driving and Operating
Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull up
on the parking brake handle. It is
not necessary to push in on the
release button while applying the
parking brake. If the ignition is in the
ON/RUN position, the brake system
warning light will come on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑16.To release the parking brake:
1. Hold the brake pedal down.
2. Pull the parking brake handle up
until you can press the release
button.
3. Hold the release button in as you move the brake handle all
the way down.
Notice: Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause a warning chime
to sound and the RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE message to
appear in the DIC. The message will
remain on until the parking brake is
released or the vehicle is stopped. If parking on a hill, or if the vehicle
is pulling a trailer, see
Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑49.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the
driver in stopping or decreasing
vehicle speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle.
The stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-37
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) that limits wheel spin.
On a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the
system operates if it senses that
one or both of the front wheels are
spinning or beginning to lose
traction. When this happens, the
system brakes the spinning
wheel(s), and/or reduces engine
power to limit wheel spin.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working, but this is
normal.
TCS is on whenever the vehicle is
started. To limit wheel spin,
especially in slippery road
conditions, the system should
always be left on. But, TCS can
be turned off if needed.TCS/StabiliTrak Light
dflashes to indicate that the
traction control system is active.
If there is a problem detected with
TCS, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL and SERVICE
STABILITRAK may be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Vehicle Messages (Canada
Base Level) on page 5‑28 or
Vehicle Messages (Canada Uplevel
and United States) on page 5‑28.
When this message is displayed
and
dcomes on and stays on, the
vehicle is safe to drive but the
system is not operational. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-38 Driving and Operating
Ifdcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
A chime may also sound when the
light comes on steady.
Notice: Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
TCS/StabiliTrak Button
gis located on the console.
TCS Off Light
TCS can be turned off by pressing
and releasing
g. When TCS is
turned off,
icomes on and the
system will not limit wheel spin.
Driving should be adjusted
accordingly. Press and release
g
again to turn the system back on.
It may be necessary to turn the
system off if the vehicle gets stuck
in sand, mud, or snow and rocking
the vehicle is required. See If the
Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑10 for
more information. See also Winter
Driving on page 9‑8 for information
on using TCS when driving in snowy
or icy conditions.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS activates, cruise control will
automatically disengage. Press the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See
Cruise Control on
page 9‑40.
Adding non‐GM accessories can
affect the vehicle's performance.
See Accessories and Modifications
on page 10‑3 for more information.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has a vehicle stability
enhancement system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists with directional control of the
vehicle in difficult driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a difference
between the intended path, and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one
of the vehicle's brakes to help steer
the vehicle in the intended direction.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-39
StabiliTrak is on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started. To
assist with directional control of the
vehicle, the system should always
be left on.
TCS/StabiliTrak Light
When the stability control system
activates,
dflashes on the
instrument panel. This also occurs
when traction control is activated.
A noise may be heard or vibration
may be felt in the brake pedal. This
is normal. Continue to steer the
vehicle in the intended direction.
If there is a problem detected
with StabiliTrak, SERVICE
STABILITRAK is displayed on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
See Vehicle Messages (Canada
Base Level) on page 5‑28 or
Vehicle Messages (Canada Uplevel and United States) on page 5‑28.
When this message is displayed
and/or
dcomes on and stays on,
the vehicle is safe to drive but the
system is not operational. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.
If
dcomes on and stays on, reset
the system:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.
3. Start the engine.
If
dstill comes on and stays on at a
speed above 20 km/h (13 mph), see
your dealer for service.
TCS/StabiliTrak Button
gis located on the console.
StabiliTrak Off
LightTCS Off Light
StabiliTrak can be turned off if
needed by pressing and holding
g
untilgandicome on the
instrument panel. When StabiliTrak
is turned off, the system will not
assist with directional control of the
vehicle or limit wheel spin. Driving
should be adjusted accordingly.
Press and release
gagain to turn
the system back on.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, cruise control
will automatically disengage. Press
the cruise control button to
reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑40 for more information.