
Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
Driving and Operating 9-9
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
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 get
the 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 10-66.
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
(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 (25,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
Driving and Operating 9-25
Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has ABS, an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the vehicle begins to drive
away, ABS checks itself.
A momentary motor or clicking noise
might be heard while this test is
going on, and it might even be
noticed that the brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. SeeAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5-16. If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
you steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows you to steer and brake
at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
Driving and Operating 9-29
StabiliTrak Off Lightgcome on and
stay on in the instrument cluster. To
turn TCS and StabiliTrak on again,
press and release the
gbutton. The
Traction Off Light
iand StabiliTrak
Off Light
gin the instrument cluster
turn off.
Adding accessories can affect the
vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications on
page 10-3.
Cruise Control
If equipped with cruise control, the
vehicle can maintain a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more
without keeping your foot on the
accelerator. Cruise control does not
work at speeds below 40 km/h
(25 mph).
If the brakes are applied, the cruise
control disengages.
If the vehicle's Traction Control
System (TCS) or StabiliTrak system
begins to limit wheel spin while
using cruise control, the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-27.
When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, the cruise
control can be turned back on.
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use the
cruise control on winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
Vehicle Care 10-19
{Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated,
inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications. See Capacities and
Specifications on page 12-2.
Brake pads should be replaced as
complete sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service might be
required.
Brake Adjustment
Every time the brakes are applied,
with or without the vehicle moving,
the brakes adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a vehicle is
complex. Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well together
if the vehicle is to have really good
braking. The vehicle was designed
and tested with top-quality brake
parts. When parts of the braking
system are replaced, be sure to get
new, approved replacement parts.
If this is not done, the brakes might
not work properly. For example,
installing disc brake pads that are
wrong for the vehicle, can change
the balance between the front and
rear brakes
—for the worse. The
braking performance expected can change in many other ways if the
wrong replacement brake parts are
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake/clutch master cylinder
reservoir is filled with DOT 4 brake
fluid as indicated on the reservoir
cap. See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 10-6 for the
location of the reservoir.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir
might go down:
.The brake fluid level goes down
because of normal brake lining
wear. When new linings are
installed, the fluid level goes
back up.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
10-36 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
.Worn or old tires can
cause a crash. If the tread
is badly worn,
replace them.
.Replace any tires that
have been damaged by
impacts with potholes,
curbs, etc.
.Improperly repaired tires
can cause a crash. Only
the dealer or an
authorized tire service
center should repair,
replace, dismount, and
mount the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 56 km/h
(35 mph) on slippery
surfaces such as snow,
mud, ice, etc. Excessive
spinning may cause the
tires to explode.
All-Season Tires
This vehicle may come with
all-season tires. These tires are
designed to provide good overall
performance on most road surfaces
and weather conditions. Original
equipment tires designed to GM's
specific tire performance criteria
have a TPC specification code
molded onto the sidewall. Original
equipment all-season tires can be
identified by the last two characters
of this TPC code, which will
be“MS.”
Consider installing winter tires on
the vehicle if frequent driving on
snow or ice-covered roads is
expected. All-season tires provide
adequate performance for most
winter driving conditions, but they
may not offer the same level of
traction or performance as winter
tires on snow or ice-covered roads.
See Winter Tires on page 10-36.
Winter Tires
This vehicle was not originally
equipped with winter tires. Winter
tires are designed for increased
traction on snow and ice-covered
roads. Consider installing winter
tires on the vehicle if frequent
driving on ice or snow covered
roads is expected. See your dealer
for details regarding winter tire
availability and proper tire selection.
Also, see Buying New Tires on
page 10-49.
With winter tires, there may be
decreased dry road traction,
increased road noise, and shorter
tread life. After changing to winter
tires, be alert for changes in vehicle
handling and braking.
If using winter tires:
.Use tires of the same brand and
tread type on all four wheel
positions.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
10-48 Vehicle Care
Use this rotation pattern when
rotating the tires.
Adjust the front and rear tires to
the recommended inflation
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label after
the tires have been rotated. See
Tire Pressure on page 10-42
andVehicle Load Limits on
page 9-9.
Reset the Tire Pressure Monitor
System. See Tire Pressure
Monitor Operation on
page 10-44. Check that all wheel nuts are
properly tightened. See
“Wheel
Nut Torque” underCapacities
and Specifications on
page 12-2.
{Warning
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on
the parts to which it is
fastened, can make wheel
nuts become loose after a
time. The wheel could come
off and cause a crash. When
changing a wheel, remove any
rust or dirt from places where
the wheel attaches to the
vehicle. In an emergency, a
cloth or a paper towel can be
used, however, use a scraper
or wire brush to remove all
rust or dirt.
Lightly coat the center of the
wheel hub with wheel bearing
grease after a wheel change or tire rotation to prevent corrosion
or rust build-up. Do not get
grease on the flat wheel
mounting surface or on the
wheel nuts or bolts.When It Is Time for New
Tires
Factors such as maintenance,
temperatures, driving speeds,
vehicle loading, and road conditions
affect the wear rate of the tires.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
INDEX i-9
Roadside AssistanceProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . 12-3
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . 3-16
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . 3-15
Safety Defects Reporting Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-13
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 3-16
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . 13-7 Sealant Kit, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Securing Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-45, 3-48
Security OnStar®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-2
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Service Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 10-3
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Maintenance Records . . . . . . .11-15
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 12-1
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13-11
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 13-7
Vehicle Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15 Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . 3-28
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Shopping Bag Hooks . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Smartphone
Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-29, 7-31, 7-32
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-22
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3 Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 5-17
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-26

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-5853490) -
2014 - crc - 9/3/13
i-10 INDEX
Storage AreasCargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Roof Rack System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .v
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Roof Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-26
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-11 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38 Tires (cont'd)
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-44
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-43
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-47
Sealant and
Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-55
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-51
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-53
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-48
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Towing
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-67
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Transmission
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10
Fluid, Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-11
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Turn Signal Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-26