Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-3
Notice:Do not use a razor blade
or sharp object to clear the inside
rear window. Do not adhere
anything to the defogger grid
lines in the rear glass. These
actions may damage the rear
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
Heated Seats (If Equipped): Press
to turn the heated seats on or off.
See Heated Front Seats on
page 3‑7Automatic Climate
Control System
The heating, cooling, and ventilation
for the vehicle can be controlled
with this system.
A. Temperature Control
B. Rear Window Defogger
C. AUTO (Automatic Operation)
D. Defrost E. Fan Control
F. Driver and Passenger Heated
Seats
G. Power
H. Recirculation
I. MODE (Air Delivery Mode)
J. AQS (Air Quality Sensor)
K. Air Conditioning
Automatic Operation
The system automatically controls
the fan speed, air delivery, air
conditioning, and recirculation in
order to heat or cool the vehicle to
the desired temperature.
When the indicator light is on, the
system is in full automatic operation.
If the air delivery mode or fan
setting is manually adjusted, the
auto indicator turns off and displays
will show the selected settings.
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
8-4 Climate Controls
To place the system in automatic
mode do the following:
1. Press AUTO.
2. Set the temperature. Allow thesystem time to stabilize. Then
adjust the temperature as
needed for best comfort.
To improve fuel efficiency and to
cool the vehicle faster, recirculation
may be automatically selected in
warm weather. The recirculation
light will not come on. Press
hto
select recirculation; press it again to
select outside air.
English units can be changed to
metric units through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑34. Manual Operation
O(Power):
Press to turn the
climate control system on or off.
Fan Control: Turn the knob
clockwise or counterclockwise to
increase or decrease the fan speed.
The selected fan speed is indicated
by a number on the display screen.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation.
MODE (Air Delivery Mode): Press
to change the direction of the
airflow. The current mode appears
in the display screen. Automatic
operation is canceled and manual
mode is initiated. Press AUTO to
return to automatic operation.
To change the current mode, select
one of the following:
Y(Vent): Air is directed to the
instrument panel outlets.
\(Bi-level): Air is divided
between the instrument panel
outlets and the floor outlets.
C(Tri‐Level): Air is divided
between the windshield, instrument
panel, and floor outlets.
[(Floor): Air is directed to the
floor outlets.
-(Defog): Clears the windows of
fog or moisture. Air is directed to the
windshield and floor outlets.
0(Defrost): Clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield.
#(Air Conditioning): Press to
turn the automatic air conditioning
on or off. If the fan is turned off or
the outside temperature falls below
freezing, the air conditioning
compressor will not run.
Press AUTO to return to automatic
operation and the air conditioner
runs as needed. When the indicator
light is on, the air conditioner runs
automatically to cool the air inside
the vehicle or to dry the air needed
to defog the windshield faster.
Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-16 Driving and Operating
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steadypressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to Neutral. This can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting to Neutral,
continue to firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
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,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
The ignition switch can bind in the
LOCK/OFF position with the wheels
turned off center. If this happens,
move the steering wheel from right
to left while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service. B (ACC/ACCESSORY):
This position provides power to
some of the electrical accessories.
It unlocks the steering wheel and
ignition. To move the key from
ACC/ACCESSORY to LOCK/OFF,
push in the key and then turn it
to LOCK/OFF.
C (ON/RUN):
The ignition switch
stays in this position when the
engine is running. This position can
be used to operate the electrical
accessories, including the
ventilation fan and 12‐volt power
outlet, as well as to display some
warning and indicator lights. This
position can also be used for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. The transmission is
also unlocked in this position on
automatic transmission vehicles.
Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-18 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
(Keyless Access)
The vehicle has an electronic
keyless ignition with pushbutton
start.
Pressing the button cycles it through
three modes, ACC/ACCESSORY,
ON/RUN/START, and Stopping the
Engine/OFF.The transmitter must be in the
vehicle for the system to operate.
If the pushbutton start is not
working, the vehicle may be near a
strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the keyless access
system. See
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3 for more information.
To shift out of P (Park), the vehicle
must be in ACC/ACCESSORY or
ON/RUN and the brake pedal must
be applied.
Stopping the Engine/OFF
(No LED Lights): When the
vehicle is stopped, press the engine
START/STOP button once to turn
the engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) on page 9‑23 for
more information. If the vehicle is not in P (Park),
the ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
the message SHIFT TO PARK in
the Driver Information Center (DIC).
See
Transmission Messages on
page 5‑33 for more information.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
switch to OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
components. If the ignition key is
turned to the START position,
and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the
engine will continue cranking
for a few seconds or until the
vehicle starts. If the engine does
not start and the key is held in
START for many seconds,
cranking stops after 15 seconds
to prevent cranking motor
damage. To prevent gear
damage, this system also
prevents cranking if the engine
is already running. Engine
cranking can be stopped by
turning the ignition switch to
ACC/ACCESSORY or
LOCK/OFF.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down. 2. If the engine does not start after
five to 10 seconds, especially
in very cold weather (below 0°F
or−18°C), it could be flooded
with too much gasoline.
Push the accelerator pedal all
the way to the floor and hold it
there as you hold the key in
START for a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try, to
allow the cranking motor to cool.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key and accelerator. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, repeat the
procedure. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
until the oil warms up and
lubricates all moving parts. Starting Procedure
(Keyless Access)
1. If the vehicle has the keyless
access system, the transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Put your
foot on the brake pedal and
push the START/STOP button.
When the engine begins
cranking, let go of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it. Operate the
engine and transmission gently
to allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
If the transmitter is not in the
vehicle or something is
interfering with the transmitter,
the Driver Information Center
(DIC) will display NO REMOTE
DETECTED. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑23 for more information.
Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-22 Driving and Operating
If the battery in the keyless
access transmitter needs
replacing, the DIC displays
REPLACE BATTERY IN
REMOTE KEY. The vehicle can
still be driven. See“Starting the
Vehicle with a Low Transmitter
Battery” inRemote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation
on page 2‑3 for more
information.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects
components. If the START
button is pressed, and then
released when the engine
begins cranking, the engine will
continue cranking for a few
seconds or until the vehicle
starts. If the engine does not
start and the button is pressed
for many seconds, cranking will
be stopped after 15 seconds to
prevent cranking motor damage. To prevent gear damage, this
system also prevents cranking if
the engine is already running.
Engine cranking can be stopped
by pressing the START button a
second time.
Notice: Cranking the engine for
long periods of time, by returning
the key to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds, especially in
very cold weather (below −18°C
or 0°F), it could be flooded with
too much gasoline. Try pushing
the accelerator pedal all the way
to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in START,
or press the START button, for
up to a maximum of 15 seconds. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to allow the
cranking motor to cool down.
When the engine starts, let go of
the key or button, and the
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do
the same thing. This clears the
extra gasoline from the engine.
Do not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Operate the engine and
transmission gently until the oil
warms up and lubricates all
moving parts.
Engine Heater
The engine heater, if available, can
help in cold weather conditions at or
below
−18°C (0°F) for easier starting
and better fuel economy during
engine warm-up. Plug in the heater
at least four hours before starting
the vehicle. An internal thermostat
in the plug end of the cord will
prevent engine heater operation at
temperatures above −18°C (0°F).
Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
All Models Except Fuel Economy
Model
Notice:If you drive the vehicle at
a high rpm without upshifting
while using Driver Shift Control
(DSC), you could damage the
vehicle. Always upshift when
necessary while using DSC.
DSC allows you to shift an
automatic transmission similar to a
manual transmission.
1. Move the shift lever from D (Drive) to the left into the (+) or
(−) manual position.2. Press the shift lever forward (+)to upshift or rearward (−) to
downshift. An M and the current
gear will be displayed in the DIC.
Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. You can use this for
sport driving or when climbing or
descending hills, to stay in gear
longer, or to downshift for more
power or engine braking.
The transmission will only allow
you to shift into gears appropriate
for the vehicle speed and engine
revolutions per minute (rpm). The
transmission will not automatically
shift to the next lower gear if the
engine rpm is too high, nor to
the next higher gear when the
maximum engine rpm is reached.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not
shifted gears.
While in the DSC mode, the
transmission will automatically
downshift when the vehicle comes
to a stop. This will allow for more
power during take-off.When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces.
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
Fuel Economy Model
Notice:
If you drive the vehicle at
a high rpm without upshifting
while using Electronic Range
Select (ERS), you could damage
the vehicle. Always upshift when
necessary while using ERS.
ERS allows for the selection of the
range of gear positions. Use this
mode when driving downhill or
towing a trailer to limit the top gear
and vehicle speed. The shift
position indicator within the
Driver Information Center (DIC)
will display a number next to the
M indicating the highest available gear under manual mode and the
driving conditions when manual
mode was selected.
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) to the left into the (+) or
(−) manual position.
2. Press the shift lever forward (+) to upshift or rearward (−) to
downshift. An M and the current
gear will be displayed in the DIC.
When shifting to M (Manual Mode),
the transmission will shift to the
range of the current gear. For this
range, the highest gear available is
displayed next to the M in the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑23 for more information.
All gears below that number are
available to use. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the M,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
shifted automatically. To shift to
5 (Fifth) gear, press the shift lever
forward (+) to upshift or shift into
D (Drive).