
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-29
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-37
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Object Detection Systems . . . . 9-42
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Conversions and
Add-Ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-42
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-80
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-3
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-9
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . 11-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-16 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-13
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10 Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-13
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-17
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-17
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Ultrasonic Parking Assist . . . . 1-19
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-20
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-21
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-22

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-3
A.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Front Fog Lamps on page 6‑4
(If Equipped).
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
B. Air Vents on page 8‑6.
C. Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2.
Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑23.
D. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑8.
E. Horn on page 5‑3.
F. Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑23.
G. Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2. H.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑3.
I. Infotainment on page 7‑2.
Satellite Radio on page 7‑14
(If Equipped).
J. Infotainment Display Screen.
K. Instrument Panel Storage on
page 4‑1.
L. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System on page 6‑3.
M. Passenger Airbag. See Where
Are the Airbags? on page 3‑21.
N. Hood Release. See Hood on
page 10‑4.
O. Data Link Connector (DLC) (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 5‑13.
P. Instrument Panel Fuse Block on
page 10‑40.
Q. Cruise Control on page 9‑40. R.
Steering Wheel Adjustment on
page 5‑2.
S. Driver Airbag. See Where Are
the Airbags? on page 3‑21.
T. Ignition Switch or Keyless Ignition Button (If Equipped).
See Ignition Positions (Key
Access) on page 9‑15 or
Ignition Positions (Keyless
Access) on page 9‑18.
U. Driver Knee Airbag. See Where
Are the Airbags? on page 3‑21.
V. Power Door Locks on
page 2‑11.
W. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
X. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission on page 9‑29 or
Manual Transmission on
page 9‑33.
Y. Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑37.
StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑38.

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-15
F. Driver and Passenger HeatedSeats (If Equipped)
G. Power
H. Recirculation
I. MODE (Air Delivery Mode)
J. AQS (Air Quality Sensor)
K. Air Conditioning
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1 orAutomatic Climate
Control System on page 8‑3
(If Equipped).Transmission
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC) allows
the automatic transmission to be
shifted similar to a manual
transmission.
Electronic Range Select (ERS)
allows for the selection of a range
of gears.
See Manual Mode on page 9‑31.
Up‐Shift Light
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, it will have an up-shift
light that indicates when to shift to
the next higher gear for the best fuel
economy.
SeeManual Transmission on
page 9‑33.
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
O
: Press to turn the system on
and off. Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
BAND: Press to choose between
FM, AM, or XM™, if equipped.
MENU: Turn to select radio
stations. Press to select a menu.
g: Press to seek the previous
station or track.
l: Press to seek the next station
or track.
Buttons 1 to 6: Press to save and
select favorite stations.
INFO: Press to show available
information about the current
station or track.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Operation on page 7‑6.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Remote Trunk Release
To open the trunk from outside the
vehicle, press the
Vbutton on
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter, or by pressing the touch
pad above the license plate when
the doors are unlocked. If the engine is running, the doors
must be unlocked. Vehicles with an
automatic transmission must be in
P (Park), vehicles with a manual
transmission must have the park
brake applied.
Emergency Trunk Release
Handle
Notice:
Do not use the
emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point
when securing items in the trunk
as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release
handle is only intended to aid a
person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk
from the inside.
There is an emergency trunk
release handle located inside the
trunk on the trunk lid. The release
handle can be accessed by folding
the rear seatback. See Rear Seats
on page 3‑8. Pull the release handle
to open the trunk from the inside.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
5-2 Instruments and Controls
Ride Control SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Airbag System Messages . . . . 5-32
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . 5-32
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-32
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-33
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-33
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-34
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . 5-34
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever (A) down.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down. 3. Pull or push the steering wheel
closer or away from you.
4. Push the lever (A) up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
For vehicles with audio steering
wheel controls, some audio controls
can be adjusted at the steering
wheel.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
5-8 Instruments and Controls
Instrument Cluster
English Automatic Transmission Cluster Shown, Metric Similar

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
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 dealer technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, 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. 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:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑46. 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.