2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE Owners Manual

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-27
WARNING (Continued)
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. 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 on
page 9‑22 andDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips
on page 9‑51.
Make sure the shift lever is fully in
P (Park) before starting the engine.
The vehicle has an automatic
transmission shift lock control
system. The regular brake must be
fully applied first and then the shift
lever button pressed before shifting
from P (Park) when the ignition key
is in ON/RUN. If you cannot shift out
of P (Park), ease pressure on the
shift lever, then push the shift lever all the way into P (Park) as you
maintain brake application. Then
press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into another
gear. See
Shifting out of Park on
page 9‑23.
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 9‑9.
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. The vehicle has an automatic
neutral shift feature which allows the
transmission to automatically shift to
N (Neutral) when the vehicle is
stopped with a forward gear
engaged. The reduced load on the
engine improves vehicle fuel
economy.
{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

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-28 Driving and Operating
the vehicle warranty. Be sure the
engine is not running at high
speed when shifting the vehicle.
D (Drive):This position is for
normal driving. It provides the best
fuel economy. If more power is
needed for passing, and the
vehicle is:
.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.
Notice: If the vehicle seems to
accelerate slowly or not shift
gears when you go faster, and
you continue to drive the vehicle
that way, you could damage the
transmission. Have the vehicle
serviced right away.
Manual Mode
Driver Shift Control (DSC)
All Models Except Fuel Economy
Model
Notice: Driving with the engine at
a high rpm without upshifting
while using Driver Shift Control
(DSC), could damage the vehicle.
Always upshift when necessary
while using DSC.
DSC allows you to shift an
automatic transmission similar to a
manual transmission.
1. Move the shift lever from D (Drive) to the left into the (+) or
(−) manual position.
2. Press the shift lever forward (+)
to upshift or rearward (−) to
downshift. An M and the current
gear will be displayed in the DIC.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-29
While using the DSC feature, the
vehicle will have firmer, quicker
shifting. You can use this for sport
driving or when climbing or
descending 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 lower gear if the
engine rpm is too high, nor to the
next higher gear when the maximum
engine rpm is reached.
If shifting is prevented for any
reason, the currently selected gear
will flash multiple times, indicating
that the transmission has not shifted
gears.
While in the DSC mode, the
transmission will automatically
downshift when the vehicle comes
to a stop. This will allow for more
power during take-off.When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces.
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
Fuel Economy Model
Notice:
If you drive the vehicle at
a high rpm without upshifting
while using Electronic Range
Select (ERS), you could damage
the vehicle. Always upshift when
necessary while using ERS.
ERS allows for the selection of the
range of gear positions. Use this
mode when driving downhill or
towing a trailer to limit the top gear
and vehicle speed. The shift
position indicator within the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
a number next to the M indicating
the highest available gear under manual mode and the driving
conditions when manual mode was
selected.
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) to the left into the (+) or
(−) manual position.
2. Press the shift lever forward (+) to upshift or rearward (−) to
downshift. An M and the current
gear will be displayed in the DIC.
When shifting to M (Manual Mode),
the transmission will shift to the
range of the current gear. For this
range, the highest gear available is
displayed next to the M in the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22 for more information.
All gears below that number are
available to use. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the M,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
shifted automatically. To shift to
5 (Fifth) gear, press the shift lever
forward (+) to upshift or shift into
D (Drive).

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-30 Driving and Operating
M (Manual Mode) will prevent
shifting to a lower gear range if the
engine speed is too high. If vehicle
speed is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. Slow the
vehicle, then press the shift lever
rearward (−) to downshift to the
desired lower gear range.
While using the ERS, cruise control
can be used.Manual Transmission
Shift Pattern
All Models
Except Fuel
Economy ModelFuel Economy
Model
These are the shift patterns for the
six-speed manual transmissions.
To operate the transmissions:
Notice: Do not rest your hand on
the shift lever while driving. The
pressure could cause premature
wear in the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Notice: Do not rest your foot on
the clutch pedal while driving or
while stopped. The pressure can cause premature wear in the
clutch. The repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
1 (First):
Press the clutch pedal
fully to the pedal stop and shift into
1 (First). Then slowly let up on the
clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
If you 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
fully to the pedal stop 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.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-31
3 (Third), 4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and
6 (Sixth):Shift into 3 (Third),
4 (Fourth), 5 (Fifth), and 6 (Sixth) the
same way you do for 2 (Second).
Slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
For the best fuel economy, use
6 (Sixth) gear whenever vehicle
speed and driving conditions allow.
An up-shift light in the instrument
cluster indicates when to shift to the
next higher gear for the best fuel
economy.
During normal driving, upshifts
should occur between 1,300 and
2,500 rpm, and downshifts should
occur between 1,500 and
1,000 rpm. 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. The
shift lever is in Neutral when it is
centered in the shift pattern, not in
any gear.
R (Reverse): To back up, with the
vehicle at a complete stop, press
down the clutch pedal. Then pull up
the ring on the shift lever, and shift into R (Reverse). Let up on the
clutch pedal slowly while pressing
the accelerator pedal.
If the gear does not engage, shift
the transmission to Neutral, release
the clutch pedal and press it back
down. Repeat the gear selection.
{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.
Notice: Do not skip gears while
upshifting. This can cause
premature wear in the
transmission. The repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-32 Driving and Operating
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 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. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-33
Parking Brake
To apply the parking brake, pull up
on the parking brake handle. It is
not necessary to push in on the
release button while applying the
parking brake. If the ignition is in the
ON/RUN position, the brake system
warning light will come on. See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑16.
To release the parking brake:
1. Hold the brake pedal down.2. Pull the parking brake handle up
until you can press the release
button.
3. Hold the release button in as you move the brake handle 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.
Driving with the parking brake
applied will cause a warning chime
to sound and the RELEASE
PARKING BRAKE message to
appear in the DIC. The message will
remain on until the parking brake is
released or the vehicle is stopped.
If parking on a hill, or if the vehicle
is pulling a trailer, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑51.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time is
normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal as
the driving situation dictates. The
brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-34 Driving and Operating
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, SERVICE TRACTION
CONTROL and SERVICE
STABILITRAK 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.
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.
A chime may also sound when the
light comes on steady.
Notice: Do not repeatedly brake
or accelerate heavily when TCS is
off. The vehicle's driveline could
be damaged.
TCS/StabiliTrak Button
gis located on the console.