Page 17 of 382

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
In Brief 1-11
For more information about interior
lighting, seeInstrument Panel
Illumination Control on page 6‑5 or
Courtesy Lamps on page 6‑5.
Exterior Lighting
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the outboard
side of the steering column.
O: Briefly turn to this position to
turn the automatic light control off or
on again.
AUTO: Turns the headlamps on
automatically at normal brightness,
together with the parking lamps, taillamps, license plate lamps,
sidemarker lamps, and instrument
panel lights.
;:
Turns on the parking lamps,
taillamps, license plate lamps,
sidemarker lamps, and instrument
panel lights.
5: Turns on the headlamps,
parking lamps, taillamps, license
plate lamps, sidemarker lamps, and
instrument panel lights. A warning
chime sounds if the driver door is
opened when the ignition switch is
off and the headlamps are on.
#: For vehicles with fog lamps,
press to turn the lamps on or off.
See:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑2
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑4
Windshield Wiper/Washer
Sedan
Hatchback
The windshield wiper/washer lever
is on the right side of the steering
column.
Move the lever to one of the
following positions:
HI: Use for fast wipes.
LO: Use for slow wipes.
Page 18 of 382

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
1-12 In Brief
Hatchback Shown, Sedan Similar
INT: Move the lever up to INT for
intermittent wipes, then turn the
x
INT band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
OFF: Use to turn the wipers off.
8:For a single wipe, briefly move
the wiper lever down. For several
wipes, hold the wiper lever down.
n L: Pull the windshield wiper
lever toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑3. For vehicles with a rear
window wiper/washer, see Rear
Window Wiper/Washer on page 5‑4.
Climate Controls
For vehicles with these climate
control systems, the heating,
cooling, and ventilation can be
controlled for the vehicle.
Climate Control System with
Heater and Air Conditioning
1. Temperature Control
2. Fan Control
3. Air Delivery Mode Control
4. Driver and Passenger Heated Seats
5. Air Conditioning 6. Rear Window Defogger
7. Recirculation
Climate Control System with
Heater Only
1. Temperature Control
2. Fan Control
3. Air Delivery Mode Control
4. Rear Window Defogger
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
Page 19 of 382

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
In Brief 1-13
Transmission
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode
This position allows you to change
gears similar to a manual
transmission. To use this feature:
1. Move the shift lever fromD (Drive) rearward to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the + (plus) end of thebutton on the side of the shift lever to upshift, or push the
−
(minus) end of the button to
downshift.
See Manual Mode on page 9‑23.
Manual Transmission
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, if 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. Reverse LockoutThe manual transmission is
equipped with a lock ring to prevent
shifting into R (Reverse). To shift
into R (Reverse), 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.
See
Manual Transmission on
page 9‑24.
Page 20 of 382

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
1-14 In Brief
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
Radio Controls Without
Touchscreen
O/VOL:Press to turn the system
on or off.
Turn to increase or decrease the
volume.
When the system is on, press and
release to mute the system. Press
and release again to turn the sound
back on.
RADIO/BAND: Press to choose FM,
AM, or SiriusXM
®(if equipped).
SEEK
¨:
.Radio: Seeks the next station.
.CD: Select the next track or fast
forwards within a track.
©SEEK :
.Radio: Seeks the previous
station.
.CD: Select the previous track or
rewinds within a track.
MENU/TUNE: Turn to navigate the
available menus. Turn to search for
stations.
AUX or CD/AUX: Press to play a
CD when listening to the radio.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Operation on page 7‑8.
Storing a Favorite Station
Stations from all bands can be
stored in any order in the favorite
pages.
Up to six stations can be stored in
each favorite page and the number
of available favorite pages can
be set.
Storing Stations
To store the station to a position in
the list, press the corresponding
button 1 to 6 until a beep is heard. Retrieving Stations
Press the FAV 1-2-3 button to open
a favorite page or to switch to
another favorite page. Briefly press
one of the 1 to 6 buttons to retrieve
the station.
See
“Storing a Favorite Station”
under AM-FM Radio on page 7‑12.
Radio Controls With
Touchscreen
Audio Source Menu
zVOLy(Volume): Press to
increase or decrease the volume.
O(Power): Press and hold to turn
the system on and off.
D(Home Page): Press to enter
the Home Page.
Storing a Favorite Station
Stations from all bands can be
stored in any order in the favorite
pages.
Up to five stations can be stored in
each of the seven favorites pages.
Page 21 of 382

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
In Brief 1-15
Storing Stations
To store the station to a position in
the list, press the corresponding
button 1−5 until a beep is heard.
1. Select the desired station.
2. Press
SorTto select the
desired page of saved favorites.
3. Hold down any of the preset buttons to save the current radio
station to that button of the
selected favorites page.
To change a preset button, tune to
the new desired radio station and
hold the button.
See “Storing a Favorite Station”
under AM-FM Radio on page 7‑12.
Setting the Clock
SeeClock on page 5‑4.
Satellite Radio
SiriusXM®is a satellite radio service
based in the 48 contiguous United
States and 10 Canadian provinces.
SiriusXM satellite radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
A fee is required to receive the
SiriusXM service.
Refer to:
.www.siriusxm.com or call
1-866-635-2349 (U.S.).
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-209-0079 (Canada)
See Satellite Radio on page 7‑16.
Portable Audio Devices
Some vehicles have a 3.5 mm
(1/8 in) auxiliary input and a USB
port in the storage area to the right
of the infotainment system. A second AUX input is on the front
of the infotainment system,
if equipped. External devices such
as iPods
®, laptop computers, MP3
players, CD changers, and USB
storage devices may be connected,
depending on the audio system.
See Auxiliary Devices on page 7‑24.
Bluetooth®
The Bluetooth®system allows users
with a Bluetooth-enabled mobile
phone to make and receive
hands-free calls using the vehicle
audio system and controls.
The Bluetooth-enabled mobile
phone must be paired with the
in-vehicle Bluetooth system before it
can be used in the vehicle. Not all
phones will support all functions.
See Bluetooth (Voice Recognition)
on page 7‑37 orBluetooth
(Overview) on page 7‑26 or
Bluetooth (Infotainment Controls) on
page 7‑28 andHands-Free Phone
on page 7‑42.
Page 22 of 382

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
1-16 In Brief
Steering Wheel Controls
Some audio steering wheel controls
could differ depending on the
vehicle's options. Some audio
steering wheel controls can be
adjusted at the steering wheel.
b/g:Press to interact with the
available Bluetooth or OnStar
systems.
$/i: Press to reject an
incoming call, or end a current call.
Press to silence the vehicle speakers while using the
infotainment system. Press again to
turn the sound on.
For vehicles with OnStar or
Bluetooth systems, press to reject
an incoming call, or end a
current call.
_SRC^:
Press to select an audio
source.
Toggle up or down to select the next
or previous favorite radio station or
CD/MP3 track.
+
x−: Press + or −to increase or
decrease the volume.
See Steering Wheel Controls on
page 5‑2.
Cruise Control
5: Press to turn the cruise control
system on and off.
RES/+: Move the thumbwheel up to
resume a previously set speed or to
accelerate.
SET/−: Move the thumbwheel down
to set a speed or to make the
vehicle decelerate.
*: Press to disengage cruise
control without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Page 23 of 382

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
In Brief 1-17
SeeCruise Control on page 9‑31.
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC display is in the instrument
cluster. It shows the status of many
vehicle systems. The controls for
the DIC are on the turn signal lever.
1.SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed.
2.
w x: Use the thumbwheel to
scroll through the items in
each menu.
3. MENU: Press to display the DIC
menus. This button is also used
to return to or exit the last
screen displayed on the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5‑22.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle has an accessory
power outlet in front of the
cupholders on the center stack.
See Power Outlets on page 5‑6.
Sunroof
On vehicles with this feature, the
sunroof only operates when the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN or
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is
active.
Open/Close: To open the sunroof,
press and hold the rear of the
switch. To close the sunroof, press
and hold the front of the switch.
Vent: Press and hold the front of
the switch to vent the sunroof.
Manually close the sunshade.
The sunroof will not operate if the
vehicle has an electrical failure.
See Sunroof on page 2‑17.
Page 24 of 382

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
1-18 In Brief
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
limits wheel spin. The system is on
when the vehicle is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release the TCS/StabiliTrak
button
gon the center console.
The Traction Off light
i
illuminates.
.Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button
gagain to
turn traction control back on.
See Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑28.
StabiliTrak®System
The StabiliTrak system assists with
directional control of the vehicle in
difficult driving conditions. The
system is on when the vehicle is
started.
.To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and hold
the TCS/StabiliTrak button
g
until the Traction Off lightiand
the StabiliTrak Off light
g
illuminate.
.Press the TCS/StabiliTrak buttongagain to turn on both systems.
See StabiliTrak
®System on
page 9‑29.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The low tire pressure warning light
alerts to a significant loss in
pressure of one of the vehicle's
tires. If the warning light comes on,
stop as soon as possible and inflate
the tires to the recommended
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See
Vehicle Load Limits on page 9‑9.
The warning light will remain on until
the tire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
may be an early indicator that the
tire pressures are getting low and
the tires need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.