2013 CHEVROLET SONIC headlamp

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Lighting 6-3
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel, and other lamps will not
be on.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps go off and the DRL
come on.
To turn the DRL lamps off or on
again, turn the exterior lamp control
to
Oand then release. For vehicles
first sold in Canada, the DRL lamps
cannot be turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the exterior lamp control is in the
automatic position, the headlamps
come on automatically. See Exterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
top of the instrument panel. Make
sure it is not covered, or the
headlamps will be on when they are
not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press and momentarily hold this
button to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are
having trouble. Press and
momentarily hold again to turn the
flashers off.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
6-4 Lighting
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
will flash in the direction of the turn
or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. The turn signal flashes
three times.
The lever returns to its neutral
position when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulbmay be burned out. Replace any
burned out bulbs. If a bulb is not
burned out, check the fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑32
orBulb Replacement on
page 10‑27.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for more
than 1.2 km (0.75 mi), a chime will
sound at each flash of the turn
signal. To turn the chime off, move
the turn signal lever to the neutral
position.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with front fog lamps,
the button is on the outboard side of
the instrument panel.
The ignition must be on to turn on
the fog lamps.
#(Fog Lamps): Press to turn the
fog lamps on or off. An indicator
light on the instrument cluster
comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The fog lamps come on together
with the parking lamps.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned on, the fog lamps will turn off.
If the high-beam headlamps are
turned off, the fog lamps will turn
back on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
6-6 Lighting
Lighting Features
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Normally, these actions occur in
steps or levels, without being
noticeable. In rare cases at the
highest levels of corrective action,
this action may be noticeable to the
driver.
Battery Power Protection
The battery saver feature is
designed to protect the vehicle's
battery.
If some interior lamps are left on
and the ignition is turned off, the
battery rundown protection system
automatically turns the lamp off after
some time.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
9-8 Driving and Operating
.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.
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.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.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.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑20.
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. See
Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑28.
{WARNING
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
(Continued)

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Vehicle Care 10-1
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . 10-3
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-9
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . 10-11
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . 10-13
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-16
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . 10-19 Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-20
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . 10-24
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-25
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Fog Lamps (LS, LT, and LTZ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Fog Lamps (RS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . 10-31
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-33
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . 10-41
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Vehicle Care 10-27
3. Once the blade pin disengagesfrom the wiper arm, remove the
wiper blade by sliding the pin out
of the guide hole.
4. Reverse the steps to install the new blade.
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp aim has been preset and
should need no further adjustment.
If the vehicle is damaged in a crash,
the headlamp aim may be affected.
If adjustment to the headlamps is
necessary, see your dealer.
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, see Replacement Bulbs on
page 10‑31.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
10-28 Vehicle Care
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal and Parking
Lamps
Passenger Side Shown, Driver
Side Similar
1. High-Beam Headlamp
2. Low-Beam Headlamp
3. Parking/Turn Signal Lamps
High-Beam Headlamp/
Low-Beam Headlamp
1. Open the hood. SeeHood on
page 10‑4.
2. For the driver side bulb, remove the windshield washer bottle
filler neck by turning it
one-quarter turn
counterclockwise and pulling it
straight up and out of the bottle.
3. Remove the headlamp bulbaccess cover. 4. Turn the bulb counterclockwise
and pull straight back.
5. Disconnect the wiring harness connector from the bulb.
6. Install the new bulb in the headlamp assembly by turning
clockwise.
7. Reconnect the wiring harness connector.
8. Install the headlamp bulb access cover.
9. For the driver side bulb, replace the windshield washer bottle
filler neck by turning it
one-quarter turn clockwise into
the bottle.
Parking/Turn Signal Lamp
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10‑4.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Vehicle Care 10-29
2. Remove the parking/turn signallamp bulb socket from the
headlamp assembly by turning
counterclockwise.
3. Remove the bulb from the bulb socket by pulling it straight out.
4. Install the new bulb in the bulb socket.
5. Install the bulb socket into the headlamp assembly by turning
clockwise.
Fog Lamps (LS, LT,
and LTZ)
To replace the front fog lamp bulb:
1. Locate the fog lamp locatedunder the front fascia.
2. Disconnect the electrical connector from the fog lamp bulb
assembly.
3. Remove the bulb by turning it counterclockwise and pulling it
straight out of the assembly.
4. Install the new bulb by turning it clockwise into the assembly.
5. Reconnect the electrical connector.
Fog Lamps (RS)
To replace the front fog lamp bulb:
1. Locate the fog lamp locatedunder the front fascia.
2. Remove the cap from the back of the fog lamp assembly.
3. Disconnect the electrical connector from the fog lamp bulb
assembly.
4. Remove the bulb by turning it counterclockwise and pulling it
straight out of the assembly.