2012 CHEVROLET SONIC traction control

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-2 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving
tips to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate,
use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
.Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-6 Driving and Operating
3. Then turn the steering wheel togo straight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
.Steering or Cornering
Skid —too much speed or
steering in a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force.
.Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible. If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions:
.Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. The vehicle may
straighten out. Be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
.Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues
—such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep‐standing or flowing water.
{WARNING
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle. (Continued)

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑27 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13‑5.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-10 Driving and Operating
WARNING (Continued)
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the climate control
system to a setting that
circulates the air inside the
vehicle and set the fan speed
to the highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems”in
the Index.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
Run the engine for short periods
only as needed to keep warm, but
be careful.
To save fuel, run the engine for only
short periods as needed to warm
the vehicle and then shut the engine
off and close the window most of
the way to save heat. Repeat this
until help arrives but only when you
feel really uncomfortable from the
cold. Moving about to keep warm
also helps.
If it takes some time for help to
arrive, now and then when you run
the engine, push the accelerator
pedal slightly so the engine runs
faster than the idle speed. This
keeps the battery charged to restart
the vehicle and to signal for help
with the headlamps. Do this as little
as possible to save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 55 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains on page 10‑57.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-11
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a forward
gear, or with a manual transmission,
between 1 (First) or 2 (Second) and
R (Reverse), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
seeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑77.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo and all
nonfactory‐installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry, the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{WARNING
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-29
To release the parking brake, hold
the brake pedal down. Pull the
parking brake lever up until you can
press the release button. Hold the
release button in as you move the
brake lever 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.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, a message may be displayed
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑26. 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 (31,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-31
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.
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, a message is displayed
on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). See Vehicle Messages on
page 5‑26. 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

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-32 Driving and Operating
StabiliTrak OffLightTCS Off Light
StabiliTrak can be turned off if
needed by pressing and holding the
TCS/StabiliTrak button until
iand
gcome on in 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 the TCS/StabiliTrak button
again to turn the system back on.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, cruise control
will automatically disengage. Press
the appropriate cruise control button
to reengage when road conditions
allow. See Cruise Control on
page 9‑32 for more information.
Cruise Control
For vehicles with cruise control, the
vehicle can maintain a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below 40 km/h
(25 mph).
If the brakes are applied, the cruise
control shuts off.
If the vehicle's Traction Control
System (TCS) or StabiliTrak system
begins to limit wheel spin while
using cruise control, the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
SeeTraction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑29 orStabiliTrak
®System
on page 9‑31. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, the
cruise control can be turned
back on.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.