
Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 12/2/14
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Cruise Control Messages
APPLY BRAKE BEFORE
CRUISE
If this message displays when
attempting to activate cruise control,
apply the brake pedal and try again.
CRUISE SET TO XXX
This message displays when the
cruise control is set and shows the
speed it was set to. SeeCruise
Control on page 9-43.
Door Ajar Messages
DOOR(S) OPEN
A vehicle symbol will be displayed
on the DIC showing which door is
open along with this message.
Close the door completely.
HOOD OPEN
This message will display when the
hood is open. Close the hood
completely.
TRUNK OPEN
This message will display when the
trunk is open. Close the trunk
completely.
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot. See Engine
Overheating on page 10-23.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . 9-5
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 . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-14
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-23
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . 9-24
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . 9-26
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-33
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-37
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-38
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-40
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Driver Assistance Systems
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Side Blind ZoneAlert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48
Fuel
Fuel (Gasoline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-52
Fuel Additives (Gasoline) . . . . 9-52
Fuel for Diesel Engines . . . . . . 9-53
What Fuel to Use in Canada (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-58
Cold Weather Operation (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-59
Water in Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . 9-60

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
9-6 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
.Have good tires with proper
tread depth. SeeTires on
page 10-43.
.Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips for
driving in these conditions include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
Driving and Operating 9-7
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
.Stay in your own lane. Do not
swing wide or cut across the
center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own lane.
.Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C (32°
F) when freezing rain begins to fall,
resulting in even less traction. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated with salt
or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Traction Control should be turned
on. SeeTraction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-41.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
improves vehicle stability during
hard stops on slippery roads, but apply the brakes sooner than when
on dry pavement. See
Antilock
Brake System (ABS) on page 9-38.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13-5.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
9-36 Driving and Operating
While in the DSC mode, the
transmission will automatically
downshift when the vehicle comes
to a stop. This will allow for more
power during take-off.
When accelerating the vehicle from
a stop in snowy and icy conditions,
you may want to shift into second
gear. A higher gear allows the
vehicle to gain more traction on
slippery surfaces.
Electronic Range Select
(ERS) Mode
Fuel Economy Model
{Caution
If the vehicle is driven at a high
rpm without upshifting while using
Electronic Range Select (ERS),
the vehicle could be damaged.
Always upshift when necessary
while using ERS.ERS allows for the selection of the
range of gear positions. Use this
mode when driving downhill or
towing a trailer to limit the top gear
and vehicle speed. The shift
position indicator within the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
a number next to the M indicating
the highest available gear under
manual mode and the driving
conditions when manual mode was
selected.
1. Move the shift lever from
D (Drive) to the left into the (+) or
(−) manual position.
2. Press the shift lever forward (+) to upshift or rearward (−) to
downshift. An M and the current
gear will be displayed in the DIC.
When shifting to M (Manual Mode),
the transmission will shift to the
range of the current gear. For this
range, the highest gear available is
displayed next to the M in the DIC.
See Driver Information Center (DIC)
on page 5-23 for more information.
All gears below that number are available to use. For example, when
4 (Fourth) is shown next to the M,
1 (First) through 4 (Fourth) gears are
shifted automatically. To shift to
5 (Fifth) gear, press the shift lever
forward (+) to upshift or shift into
D (Drive).
M (Manual Mode) will prevent
shifting to a lower gear range if the
engine speed is too high. If vehicle
speed is not reduced within the time
allowed, the lower gear range shift
will not be completed. Slow the
vehicle, then press the shift lever
rearward (−) to downshift to the
desired lower gear range.
While using the ERS, cruise control
can be used.

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
Driving and Operating 9-41
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
System Operation
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) and StabiliTrak®, an
electronic stability control system.
These systems help limit wheel slip
and assist the driver in maintaining
control, especially on slippery road
conditions.
TCS activates if it senses that any
of the drive wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this
happens, TCS applies the brakes to
the spinning wheels and reduces
engine power to limit wheel spin.
StabiliTrak activates when the
vehicle senses a difference between
the intended path and the direction
the vehicle is actually traveling.
StabiliTrak selectively applies
braking pressure to any one of the vehicle wheel brakes to assist the
driver in keeping the vehicle on the
intended path.
If cruise control is being used and
traction control or StabiliTrak begins
to limit wheel spin, cruise control will
disengage. Cruise control may be
turned back on when road
conditions allow.
Both systems come on
automatically when the vehicle is
started and begins to move. The
systems may be heard or felt while
they are operating or while
performing diagnostic checks. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
It is recommended to leave both
systems on for normal driving
conditions, but it may be necessary
to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See
If the Vehicle Is Stuck on
page 9-8 and“Turning the Systems
Off and On” later in this section.
The indicator light for both systems
is in the instrument cluster. This
light will:
.Flash when TCS is limiting
wheel spin.
.Flash when StabiliTrak is
activated.
.Turn on and stay on when either
system is not working.
If either system fails to turn on or to
activate, a message displays in the
Driver Information Center (DIC),
and
dcomes on and stays on to
indicate that the system is inactive
and is not assisting the driver in
maintaining control. The vehicle is
safe to drive, but driving should be
adjusted accordingly.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
Driving and Operating 9-43
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).
{Warning
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. Do not use
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.
The vehicle has a Traction Control
System (TCS) or StabiliTrak system
that begins to limit wheel spin while using cruise control and the cruise
control will automatically disengage.
See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control on page 9-41.
When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, the cruise
control can be turned on.
If the brakes are applied, the cruise
control shuts off.
1(On/Off): Press to turn the
cruise control system on and off.
A white indicator comes on in the
instrument cluster when cruise is
turned on. RES/+ (Resume/Accelerate):
If
there is a set speed in memory,
move the thumbwheel up briefly to
resume to that speed or hold
upward to accelerate. If cruise
control is already active, use to
increase vehicle speed.
SET/− (Set/Coast): Move the
thumbwheel down briefly to set the
speed and activate cruise control.
If cruise control is already active,
use to decrease speed.
*(Cancel): Press to disengage
cruise control without erasing the
set speed from memory.
Setting Cruise Control
If
*is on when not in use, SET/- or
RES/+ could get bumped and go
into cruise when not desired.
Keep
*off when cruise control is
not being used.
1. Press
1to turn the cruise
system on.
2. Get up to the desired speed.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707493) -
2015 - crc - 11/24/14
9-44 Driving and Operating
3. Move the thumbwheel down andrelease it.
4. Remove foot from the accelerator.
The cruise control indicator on the
instrument cluster turns green after
cruise control has been set to the
desired speed. See Instrument
Cluster on page 5-8.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
or clutch for manual transmissions
are applied or
*is pressed, the
cruise control is disengaged without
erasing the set speed from memory.
Once the vehicle reaches about
40 km/h (25 mph) or more, move the
thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. The vehicle returns to the
previous set speed. Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel up toward
RES/+ and hold it until the
desired speed is reached, then
release it.
.To increase vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel up toward RES/+
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) faster.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5-23. The increment
value used depends on the units
displayed. Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated:
.Move the thumbwheel toward
SET/−
and hold until the desired
lower speed is reached, then
release it.
.To decrease the vehicle speed in
small increments, move the
thumbwheel toward SET/−
briefly. For each press, the
vehicle goes about 1.6 km/h
(1 mph) slower.
The speedometer reading can be
displayed in either English or metric
units. See Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5-23. The increment
value used depends on the units
displayed.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle slows down to the previous