
Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
iv Introduction
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9: Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/18/12
In Brief 1-9
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑11.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑37.
Passenger Sensing
System
United States
Canada
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the passenger sensing system. See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑24
for important information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle is
started. See Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 5‑11.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Manual Outside Mirrors
Move the control up, down, or side
to side to adjust the mirror.
See Manual Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Power Outside Mirrors
For vehicles with power outside
mirrors:
1. Select the mirror by moving the selector switch to L for the driver
side or R for the passenger side.
2. Use the control knob to move the mirror in the desired
direction.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑13.

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.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
3-24 Seats and Restraints
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the instrument panel
when the vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. check.
If you use remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle, you may not see
the system check. When the system
check is complete, either the word
ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or
off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑11.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat. The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag should be allowed
to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Seats and Restraints 3-45
5. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the belt,
and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing
a forward-facing child restraint, it
may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child
restraint as you tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 4 and 5. 6. If the child restraint has a top
tether, follow the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions
regarding the use of the top
tether. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑37 for more
information.
7. Before placing a child in the child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To check,
grasp the child restraint at the
safety belt path and attempt to
move it side to side and back
and forth. When the child
restraint is properly installed,
there should be no more than
2.5 cm (1 in) of movement.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a top
tether anchor, disconnect it.
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front
Passenger Seat)
This vehicle has airbags. A rear seat
is a safer place to secure a
forward-facing child restraint. See
Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑36.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag under certain
conditions. See Passenger Sensing
System on page 3‑24 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑11 for more information
on this, including important safety
information.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag deploys.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
5-12 Instruments and Controls
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag are allowed to
inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑11 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Charging System Light
This light will come on briefly when
the ignition is turned on, and the
engine is not running, as a check to
show it is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started. If it stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery. If a short
distance must be driven with the
light on, turn off all accessories,
such as the radio and air
conditioner, to help reduce the drain
on the battery.
Malfunction
Indicator Lamp
A computer system called OBD II
(On-Board Diagnostics-Second
Generation) monitors the operation
of the vehicle to ensure emissions
are at acceptable levels, helping to
maintain a clean environment. The
malfunction indicator lamp comes
on when the vehicle is placed in
ON/RUN, as a check to show it is
working. If it does not, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer. See
Ignition Positions on page 9‑14
for
more information.

Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Instruments and Controls 5-13
If the malfunction indicator lamp
comes on while the engine is
running, this indicates that the
OBD II system has detected a
problem and diagnosis and service
might be required.
Malfunctions often are indicated by
the system before any problem is
apparent. Being aware of the light
can prevent more serious damage
to the vehicle. This system also
assists the service technician in
correctly diagnosing any
malfunction.
Notice:If the vehicle is
continually driven with this light
on, the emission controls might
not work as well, the vehicle fuel
economy might not be as good,
and the engine might not run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
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 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.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
5-20 Instruments and Controls
Immobilizer Light
The immobilizer light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the immobilizer
system. SeeImmobilizer Operation
on page 2‑11.
Reduced Engine Power
Light
The reduced engine power light
should come on briefly as the
engine is started. If it does not come
on, have the vehicle serviced by
your dealer.
This light, along with the malfunction
indicator lamp, displays when a
noticeable reduction in the vehicle's
performance occurs. Stop the
vehicle and turn off the ignition. Wait
10 seconds and restart the vehicle.
This might correct the condition. The vehicle can be driven at a
reduced speed when the reduced
engine power light is on but
acceleration and speed might be
reduced. The performance could be
reduced until the next time the
vehicle is driven. If this light stays
on, see your dealer as soon as
possible for diagnosis and repair.High-Beam On Light
This light comes on when the
high-beam headlamps are in use.
See
Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer on page 6‑2.