2012 CHEVROLET SONIC Manual transmission

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in P (Park) with the parking
brake firmly set. The vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure the vehicle will
not move, even when you are on
fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑28 for
more information.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pressing the button on the
shift lever and pushing the lever
all the way toward the front of
the vehicle. 3. Turn the ignition key to
LOCK/OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can leave the vehicle
with the ignition key in your
hand, the vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
The vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. And, if you leave the
vehicle with the engine running, it
could overheat and even catch
fire. You or others could be
injured. Do not leave the vehicle
with the engine running. If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
brake pedal down. Then see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pushing the
button on the shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift your transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of
the vehicle may put too much
force on the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called
“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-21
the driver seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission)”in this section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so you can pull
the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock control. The shift lock control is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
.Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is in ON/RUN and the
brake pedal is applied. The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9‐volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See
Jump Starting on
page 10‑74.
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
The doors may lock when shifting
from P (Park). See
Automatic Door
Locks on page 2‑7.
Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) if parking on a downhill
slope. On a level surface or an
uphill slope, use 1 (First) gear.
Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn
the wheels toward the curb for a
downhill slope, or away from the
curb for an uphill slope. Once the
shift lever has been placed into gear
with the clutch pedal pressed in,
turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF,
remove the key, and release the
clutch.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-23
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running. But if you ever have
to, here are some things to know.
{WARNING
Idling a vehicle in an enclosed
area with poor ventilation is
dangerous. Engine exhaust may
enter the vehicle. Engine exhaust
contains carbon monoxide (CO)
which cannot be seen or smelled.
It can cause unconsciousness
and even death. Never run the
engine in an enclosed area that
has no fresh air ventilation. For
more information, seeEngine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
{WARNING
It can be dangerous to get out of
the vehicle if the automatic
transmission shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll. Do
not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
it is on fairly level ground, always
set the parking brake and move
the automatic transmission shift
lever to P (Park), or the manual
transmission shift lever to Neutral.
Follow the proper steps to be sure
the vehicle will not move. If the
vehicle has an automatic
transmission, see Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission) on
page 9‑20.
Automatic
Transmission
P (Park): This position locks the
front wheels. It is the best position
to use when you start the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-24 Driving and Operating
{WARNING
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running unless you
have to. If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑20.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has a shift lock control.
You must fully apply the brake pedal
then press the shift lever button
before you can shift from P (Park)
while the ignition key is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out of P (Park),
ease pressure on the shift lever and
push the shift lever all the way into
P (Park) as you maintain brake
application. Then move the shift
lever into another gear. See
Shifting
out of Park (Automatic
Transmission) on page 9‑21.
R (Reverse): Use this gear to
back up.
Notice: Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
To rock the vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice, or sand without
damaging the transmission, see If
the Vehicle Is Stuck on page 9‑10.
N (Neutral): In this position, the
engine does not connect with the
wheels. To restart the engine when
the vehicle is already moving, use N (Neutral) only. Also, use
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
being towed.
{WARNING
Shifting into a drive gear while the
engine is running at high speed is
dangerous. Unless your foot is
firmly on the brake pedal, the
vehicle could move very rapidly.
You could lose control and hit
people or objects. Do not shift
into a drive gear while the engine
is running at high speed.
Notice: Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) with the engine
running at high speed may
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-25
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If you need more
power for passing, and you are:
.Going less than 56 km/h
(35 mph), push the accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
.Going about 56 km/h (35 mph) or
more, push the accelerator all
the way down.
M (Manual Mode): This position,
allows you to change gears similar
to a manual transmission. If the
vehicle has this feature, see
“Manual Mode” following.
Manual Mode
To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) rearward to
M (Manual Mode).
While driving in manual mode,
the transmission will remain in
the driver selected gear. When
coming to a stop in the manual position, the vehicle will
automatically shift into
1 (First) gear.
2. Press the + (plus) end of the
button on the side of the shift
lever to upshift, or push the
−(minus) end of the button to
downshift.
The Driver Information Center (DIC)
in the instrument cluster will change
from the currently displayed
message to the letter “M,”for
Manual position, and a number
indicating the requested gear. While using manual mode, the
transmission will have firmer shifting
and sportier performance. You can
use this for sport driving or when
climbing 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
higher gear if the vehicle speed
or engine rpm is too low.
.The transmission will not allow
shifting to the next lower gear if
the vehicle speed or engine rpm
is too high.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
9-26 Driving and Operating
Manual Transmission
The vehicle may be equipped with a
five‐speed or six‐speed manual
transmission.
Notice:Shifting the vehicle
initially into any gear other than
1 (First) or R (Reverse) can
damage the clutch. Shift the
manual transmission in the
proper sequence, and time the
gear shifting with the accelerator
to avoid revving the engine and
damaging the clutch. 1 (First):
Press the clutch pedal
and shift into 1 (First). Then, slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you
press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into 1 (First) when
going less than 32 km/h (20 mph).
If you have come to a complete stop
and it is hard to shift into 1 (First),
put the shift lever in Neutral and let
up on the clutch. Press the clutch
pedal back down. Then shift into
1 (First).
2 (Second): Press the clutch pedal
as you let up on the accelerator
pedal and shift into 2 (Second).
Then, slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator
pedal.
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth): Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) (if
equipped) the same way as for
2 (Second). Slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal. 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.
R (Reverse): To back up, press
down the clutch pedal, lift up the
ring on the shift lever, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-27
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse)
while the vehicle is moving
forward could damage the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle is stopped.
Shift Speeds
{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.
Up‐Shift Light
Vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission may have an up-shift
light. This light indicates when to
shift to the next higher gear for
better fuel economy.
For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on, and if the weather,
road, and traffic conditions allow.
It is normal for the light to go on and
off if the accelerator position
changes quickly. Ignore the light
during downshifts.
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. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-33
1(On/Off):Press to turn the
cruise control system on and off.
RES/+ (Resume/Accelerate):
Move the thumbwheel up to resume
a previously set speed or to
accelerate.
SET/− (Set/Coast): Move the
thumbwheel down to set a speed or
to make the vehicle decelerate.
*(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory. Setting Cruise Control
If
1is on when not in use, it could
get bumped and go into cruise when
not desired. Keep
1off when cruise
control is not being used.
To set cruise control:
1. Press
1.
2. Get to the speed desired.
3. Move the thumbwheel down to SET/‐ and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
or clutch for manual transmissions
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory. Once the vehicle reaches about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more, move the
thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. The vehicle returns to the
speed selected previously and stays
there.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up toward
RES/+ and hold it until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase the speed in small
amounts, move the thumbwheel
up toward RES/+ briefly and
then release it. Each time this is
done, the vehicle goes about
1.6 km/h (1 mph) faster.