Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Sonic Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Seats and Restraints
. . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Luggage/Load Locations . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-27 Lighting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
1-8 In Brief
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully withoutapplying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑5 for more information.
Second Row Seats
The rear seatbacks can be folded
down to increase cargo space.
For detailed instructions see Rear
Seats on page 3‑8.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
For more information see Head
Restraints on page 3‑2 andSeat
Adjustment on page 3‑4.
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑10.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑11.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑12.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑41.
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-15
Manual Windows
If equipped, use the window crank
to open and close each window.
The rear windows do not open fully.
Power Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the keys is dangerous for many
reasons. Children or others could
be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power
windows or other controls or even
make the vehicle move. The
windows will function and they
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave keys in a
vehicle with children.
When there are children in the
rear seat use the window lockout
button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.
If equipped, push the switch down
to open the window. Pull the front of
the switch up to close it.
The switches work when the vehicle
is in ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY,
or when Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) is active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 9‑19.
Express Window Operation
Windows with an express-down or
express-up feature allow the window
to be lowered or raised without
holding the switch. The driver
window has express-down and
express-up. Pull a window switch up
or push it down all the way, release
it, and the window goes up or down
automatically. Stop the window by
pushing or pulling the switch in the
same direction a second time or
briefly operating the switch to the
first detent in either direction.
Safety Function
If any object is in the path of the
window when the Express-Up
feature is active, the window will
stop and auto-reverse to a preset
position. Weather conditions may
cause the window to auto-reverse.
The window switch may be held up
to the second position to close the
window. The window will return to
normal operation once the
obstruction or condition is removed.
Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
3-44 Seats and Restraints
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH
System
{WARNING
If a LATCH-type child restraint is
not attached to anchors, the child
restraint will not be able to protect
the child correctly. In a crash, the
child could be seriously injured or
killed. Install a LATCH-type child
restraint properly using the
anchors, or use the vehicle safety
belts to secure the restraint,
following the instructions that
came with the child restraint and
the instructions in this manual.
{WARNING
Do not attach more than one child
restraint to a single anchor.
Attaching more than one child(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
restraint to a single anchor could
cause the anchor or attachment
to come loose or even break
during a crash. A child or others
could be injured. To reduce the
risk of serious or fatal injuries
during a crash, attach only one
child restraint per anchor.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Buckle any unused safety
belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull
the shoulder belt all the way out
of the retractor to set the lock,
if the vehicle has one, after the
child restraint has been installed. Notice:
Do not let the LATCH
attachments rub against the
vehicle’ s safety belts. This may
damage these parts. If necessary,
move buckled safety belts to
avoid rubbing the LATCH
attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat
with a safety belt buckled. This
could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the
safety belt to its stowed position,
before folding the seat.
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the lower
anchors. If the child restraint
does not have lower
attachments or the desired
seating position does not have
lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and
the safety belts. Refer to your
child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions
in this manual.
Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
INDEX i-7
Lights (cont'd)Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-18
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Reduced Engine Power . . . . . . 5-21
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-10
Service Vehicle Soon . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Speed Sensitive Power
Steering (SSPS) Warning . . . 5-17
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Up-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Central Locking System . . . . . . . 2-7
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8 Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-16
Maintenance Schedule Recommended Fluidsand Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-13
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . 5-13
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Messages
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Mirrors Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13 Mirrors (cont'd)
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46N
Navigation, OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Oil Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-12
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . 3-33
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . 13-4
Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
i-10 INDEX
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . 13-7
Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-60
SeatsAdjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-47, 3-49
Security Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Security, OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Service Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-16
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1 Service (cont'd)
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-11
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-7
Vehicle Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speed Sensitive Power Steering (SSPS) Warning
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-31
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . 1-3, 9-17
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Storage Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-10
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1