2014 CHEVROLET SONIC towing

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
2014 Chevrolet Sonic Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-4
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30 Storage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Luggage/Load Locations . . . . . . . 4-2
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Trip Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-27
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-26 Downloadable Applications . . . 7-45
Bluetooth Phone/Devices . . . . . 7-50
Trademarks and License
Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-58
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-13
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-21
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-28
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 9-32
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-42

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
2014 Chevrolet Sonic Owner ManualM
Vehicle Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-75
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-81
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . 11-2
Special Application
Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Additional Maintenance
and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-8
Recommended Fluids . . . . . . . 11-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-15 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-12
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-1
OnStar Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
OnStar Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-5
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
3-28 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13-11.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing any
parts of the front seats, safety belts,
the airbag sensing and diagnosticmodule, steering wheel, instrument
panel, any of the airbag modules,
ceiling or pillar garnish trim, front
sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
5-16 Instruments and Controls
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will also come
on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking
brake does not fully release. If it
stays on after the parking brake is
fully released, it means there is a
brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
carefully pull off the road and stop.
The pedal may be harder to push or
may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10-77.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF or if the light comes
on, stop as soon as possible and
turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the brakes will still
work, but the antilock brakes will not
work. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, the antilock
brakes will not work and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See Brake System Warning Light on
page 5-15.
The ABS warning light will come on
briefly when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN. This is normal. If the light
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn if there is
a problem.Up-Shift Light
For manual transmission vehicles,
there is an up-shift light that comes
on in the lower DIC area. It shows
when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
See Manual Transmission on
page 9-24.
Power Steering Warning
Light

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 9-6
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-7
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-13
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17 Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-21
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-24
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . 9-27
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Driver Assistance Systems
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Gasoline Specifications . . . . . . 9-39
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-39
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-42

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-9
Warning (Continued)
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not getthe vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle on
page 10-77.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle show
how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
shorten the life of the vehicle.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-11
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, 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.”
This vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.
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 (19,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-6081473) -
2014 - 2nd Edition - 8/19/13
Driving and Operating 9-19
the driver seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting Into Park”previously in this
section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so you can pull
the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock control. The shift lock control 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 control 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 10-75.
To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN.
3. Press the shift lever button.
4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park):
1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position. If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
The doors may lock when shifting
from P (Park). See
Automatic Door
Locks on page 2-8.
Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) if parking on a downhill
slope. On a level surface or an
uphill slope, use 1 (First) gear.
Firmly apply the parking brake. Turn
the wheels toward the curb for a
downhill slope, or away from the
curb for an uphill slope. Once the
shift lever has been placed into gear
with the clutch pedal pressed in,
turn the ignition key to LOCK/OFF,
remove the key, and release the
clutch.