
Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
5-14 Instruments and Controls
Notice:Modifications made to the
engine, transmission, exhaust,
intake, or fuel system of the
vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than
those of the same Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) can
affect the vehicle's emission
controls and can cause this light
to come on. Modifications to
these systems could lead to
costly repairs not covered by the
vehicle warranty. This could also
result in a failure to pass a
required Emission Inspection/
Maintenance test. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10‑3.
This light comes on during a
malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing: A misfire condition
has been detected. A misfire
increases vehicle emissions and
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required. To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
.If the vehicle is towing a trailer,
reduce the amount of cargo
being hauled as soon as it is
possible.
If the light continues to flash, find a
safe place to stop and park the
vehicle. Turn the vehicle off, wait at
least 10 seconds, and restart the
engine. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps and see
your dealer for service as soon as
possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required. The following may correct an
emissions control system
malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See
Filling the Tank on
page 9‑48. The diagnostic
system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-2 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing (Fuel EconomyModel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Trailer Towing (Except Fuel Economy Model) . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Driving Information
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.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-12 Driving and Operating
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, the load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how this
reduces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
See Trailer Towing (Fuel
Economy Model) on page 9‑54
or Trailer Towing (Except Fuel
Economy Model) on page 9‑54
for important information on
towing a trailer, towing safety
rules, and trailering tips.
Example 1
1.
Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight @
68 kg (150 lbs) × 2 = 136 kg
(300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.
Vehicle Capacity Weight for
Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant Weight @
68 kg (150 lbs) × 5 = 340 kg
(750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight =
113 kg (250 lbs).

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-23
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. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑51.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, the vehicle must
be in P (Park) and the parking
brake set.
Release the button and check that
the shift lever cannot be moved out
of P (Park).
Torque Lock
Torque lock is when the weight of
the vehicle puts too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. This happens when
parking on a hill and shifting the
transmission into P (Park) is not
done properly and then it is difficult
to shift out of P (Park). To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake
and then shift into P (Park). To find
out how, see “Shifting Into Park”
listed previously.
If torque lock does occur, the
vehicle may need to be pushed
uphill by another vehicle to relieve
the parking pawl pressure, so you
can shift out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission shift lock
control system. The shift lock 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 release 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 10‑77
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
Driving and Operating 9-25
Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse), and firmly apply the
parking brake. Once the shift lever
has been placed into R (Reverse)
with the clutch pedal pressed in,
turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF, and
release the clutch.
If parking on a hill, or if the vehicle
is pulling a trailer, seeDriving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑51.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{WARNING
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
Engine Exhaust
{WARNING
Engine exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. Exposure to CO
can cause unconsciousness and
even death.
Exhaust may enter the vehicle if:
.The vehicle idles in areas
with poor ventilation (parking
garages, tunnels, deep snow
that may block underbody
airflow or tail pipes).
.The exhaust smells or
sounds strange or different.
.The exhaust system leaks
due to corrosion or damage.
.The vehicle exhaust system
has been modified, damaged,
or improperly repaired.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.There are holes or openings
in the vehicle body from
damage or aftermarket
modifications that are not
completely sealed.
If unusual fumes are detected or
if it is suspected that exhaust is
coming into the vehicle:
.Drive it only with the windows
completely down.
.Have the vehicle repaired
immediately.
Never park the vehicle with the
engine running in an enclosed
area such as a garage or a
building that has no fresh air
ventilation.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2013 - crc - 10/16/12
9-26 Driving and Operating
Running the Vehicle
While Parked
It is better not to park with the
engine running.
If the vehicle is left with the engine
running, follow the proper steps to
be sure the vehicle will not move.
SeeShifting Into Park on page 9‑22
and Engine Exhaust on page 9‑25.
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, see Parking on
page 9‑25.
If parking on a hill and pulling a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics
and Towing Tips on page 9‑51.
Automatic
Transmission
The automatic transmission has a
shift lever located on the console
between the seats.
The selected gear is also shown in
the instrument cluster.
English Shown, Metric Similar
P (Park): This position locks the
drive wheels. It is the best position
to use when starting the engine
because the vehicle cannot move
easily.
{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.
(Continued)

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 (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.