2012 CHEVROLET SONIC climate control

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the Climate Control
System to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See“Climate
Control Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
To open the trunk from outside of
the vehicle:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter,
then use the touch pad.
.PressVon the
RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
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 a glow-in-the-dark
emergency trunk release handle on
the underside of the trunk lid. This
handle will glow following exposure
to light. Pull the release handle
down to open the trunk from the
inside.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Liftgate (Hatchback)
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
System to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
highest setting. See “Climate
Control Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
To lock or unlock the liftgate from
outside the vehicle, press
QorK
on the RKE transmitter. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
To lock or unlock the liftgate from
the inside, press
QorKon the
central locking switch located on the
center stack.
To open the liftgate from outside of
the vehicle:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter,
then use the touch pad.
.PressVon the
RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
When closing the liftgate, close from
the center to ensure that it fully
latches.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-13
Manual Mirrors
Move the control up, down, or side
to side to adjust the mirror.
SeeFolding Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Power Mirrors
For vehicles with power outside
mirrors:
1. Select the mirror by moving the
selector switch to L for the driver
side or R for the passenger side.
2. Use the control knob to move the mirror in the desired
direction.
See Folding Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Folding Mirrors
Manual Foldaway Mirrors
The vehicle has manual folding
mirrors. These mirrors can be folded
inward to prevent damage when
going through an automatic car
wash. To fold, pull the mirror toward
the vehicle. Push the mirror outward
to return it to the original position.
Heated Mirrors
For vehicles with this feature:
1(Rear Window Defogger):
Press to heat the mirrors. See “Rear
Window and Outside Mirror
Defogger” underClimate Control
Systems on page 8‑1 for more
information.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-7
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
On vehicles with heated front seats,
the controls are on the climate
control system. To operate, the
engine must be running.
Press
MorLto heat the driver or
passenger seat. The indicator light
on the control turns on when this
feature is on. Press the control
again to turn this feature off.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.
Remote Start Heated Seats
When it is cold outside, the
heated seats can be turned on
automatically during a remote
vehicle start. The heated seats will
be canceled when the ignition is
turned on. Press the control to use
the heated seats after the vehicle is
started.
The heated seat indicator lights do
not turn on during a remote start.
The temperature performance of an
unoccupied seat may be reduced.
This is normal.
See Remote Vehicle Start on
page 2‑4 for more information.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Vehicle
Personalization
The audio system controls are used
to access the personalization
menus for customizing vehicle
features.
CONFIG (Configuration):Press to
access the Configuration
Settings menu.
MENU/TUNE: Turn to scroll
through the menus. Press to enter
the menus and select the menu
items.
/BACK: Press to exit or move
backward in a menu.
Entering the Personalization
Menus
1. Press CONFIG to access the
Configuration Settings menu.
2. Turn the MENU/TUNE knob to highlight Vehicle Settings.
3. Press MENU/TUNE to select the Vehicle Settings menu. The following list of menu items may
be available:
.Comfort and Convenience
.Climate and Air Quality
.Language
.Lighting
.Power Door Locks
.Remote Lock, Unlock, Start
.Return to Factory Settings
Turn the MENU/TUNE knob to
highlight the menu. Press MENU/
TUNE to select it. Each of the
menus is detailed in the following
information.
Comfort and Convenience
Select the Comfort and
Convenience menu and the
following will be displayed:
.Chime Volume
.Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear Chime Volume
This allows selection of the chime
volume level.
Press MENU/TUNE when Chime
Volume is highlighted. Turn the
MENU/TUNE knob to select Normal
or High. Press MENU/TUNE to
confirm and go back to the
last menu.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
When on and the vehicle on, this
feature will turn the rear wipers on
when the vehicle is placed in
R (Reverse) when the front wipers
are on.
Press MENU/TUNE when Auto
Wipe in Reverse Gear is
highlighted. Turn the MENU/TUNE
knob to select On or Off. Press
MENU/TUNE to confirm and go
back to the last menu.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
The DRL system makes the
low‐beam headlamps come on
at a reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is in the ON/
RUN mode.
.The exterior lamps control is
in AUTO.
.The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, only the
low‐beam headlamps, at a reduced
level of brightness, will be on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel, and other lamps will not
be on.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps go off and the DRL
come on. To turn the DRL lamps off or on
again, turn the exterior lamps
control to the off position and then
release. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the DRL lamps cannot be
turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the exterior lamps control is in the
automatic position, the headlamps
come on automatically. See
Exterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located on top of the instrument
panel. Make sure it is not covered, or the headlamps will be on when
they are not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press and momentarily hold this
button located on the instrument
panel above the climate control
system, to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
6-6 Lighting
Lighting Features
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If some interior lamps are left on
and the ignition is turned off, the
battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after
some time.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Climate Controls 8-1
Climate Controls
Climate Control Systems
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Maintenance
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Passenger Compartment AirFilter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Climate Control
Systems
For vehicles with these climate
control systems, the heating,
cooling, and ventilation can be
controlled for the vehicle.
Climate Control System with
Heater and Air Conditioning
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Driver and Passenger Heated Seats E. Air Conditioning
F. Rear Window Defogger
G. Recirculation
Climate Control System with
Heater Only
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Rear Window Defogger
E. Recirculation