
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Vehicle Care 299
Instrument Panel, Leather,
Vinyl, Other Plastic Surfaces,
Low Gloss Paint Surfaces, and
Natural Open Pore Wood
Surfaces
Use a soft microfiber cloth
dampened with water to remove
dust and loose dirt. For a more
thorough cleaning, use a soft
microfiber cloth dampened with a
mild soap solution.
Caution
Soaking or saturating leather,
especially perforated leather, as
well as other interior surfaces,
may cause permanent damage.
Wipe excess moisture from these
surfaces after cleaning and allow
them to dry naturally. Never use
heat, steam, or spot removers. Do
not use cleaners that contain
silicone or wax-based products.
Cleaners containing these
solvents can permanently change(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
the appearance and feel of
leather or soft trim, and are not
recommended.
Do not use cleaners that increase
gloss, especially on the instrument
panel. Reflected glare can decrease
visibility through the windshield
under certain conditions.
Caution
Use of air fresheners may cause
permanent damage to plastics
and painted surfaces. If an air
freshener comes in contact with
any plastic or painted surface in
the vehicle, blot immediately and
clean with a soft cloth dampened
with a mild soap solution.
Damage caused by air fresheners
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Cargo Cover and
Convenience Net
Wash with warm water and mild
detergent. Do not use chlorine
bleach. Rinse with cold water, and
then dry completely.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
300 Vehicle Care
Floor Mats
{Warning
If a floor mat is the wrong size or
is not properly installed, it can
interfere with the pedals.
Interference with the pedals can
cause unintended acceleration
and/or increased stopping
distance which can cause a crash
and injury. Make sure the floor
mat does not interfere with the
pedals.
Use the following guidelines for
proper floor mat usage:
. The original equipment floor
mats were designed for your
vehicle. If the floor mats need
replacing, it is recommended
that GM certified floor mats be
purchased. Non-GM floor mats
may not fit properly and may
interfere with the pedals. Always
check that the floor mats do not
interfere with the pedals. .
Do not use a floor mat if the
vehicle is not equipped with a
floor mat retainer on the driver
side floor.
. Use the floor mat with the
correct side up. Do not turn
it over.
. Do not place anything on top of
the driver side floor mat.
. Use only a single floor mat on
the driver side.
. Do not place one floor mat on
top of another.
Removing and Replacing the
Floor Mats
Pull up on the rear of the floor mat
to unlock each retainer and remove.
Reinstall by lining up the floor mat
retainer openings over the carpet
retainers and snap into position.
Make sure the floor mat is properly
secured in place.
Verify the floor mat does not
interfere with the pedals.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
302 Service and Maintenance
frequent checks and services. The
Additional Required Services -
Normal are for vehicles that:
.Carry passengers and cargo
within recommended limits on
the Tire and Loading Information
label. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 187.
. Are driven on reasonable road
surfaces within legal driving
limits.
. Use the recommended fuel. See
Fuel 0213.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services - Normal chart.
The Additional Required Services -
Severe are for vehicles that are:
. Mainly driven in heavy city traffic
in hot weather.
. Mainly driven in hilly or
mountainous terrain.
. Frequently towing a trailer. .
Used for high speed or
competitive driving.
. Used for taxi, police, or delivery
service.
Refer to the information in the
Maintenance Schedule Additional
Required Services - Severe chart.
{Warning
Performing maintenance work can
be dangerous and can cause
serious injury. Perform
maintenance work only if the
required information, proper tools,
and equipment are available.
If they are not, see your dealer to
have a trained technician do the
work. See Doing Your Own
Service Work 0221.
Maintenance
Schedule
Owner Checks and Services
At Each Fuel Stop
.
Check the engine oil level. See
Engine Oil 0226.
Once a Month
. Check the tire inflation
pressures. See Tire Pressure
0 261.
. Inspect the tires for wear. See
Tire Inspection 0266.
. Check the windshield washer
fluid level. See Washer Fluid
0 237.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
342 Index
IndexA
Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Accessory Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . 217
Additional Information OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Additional Maintenance and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Agreements
Trademarks and License . . . . . 174
Air Cleaner/Filter, Engine . . . . . . . 230
Air Filter, Passenger Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Air Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
How Does an AirbagRestrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Passenger Sensing System . . . . 62
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
When Should an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . . 58 Airbags
Adding Equipment to the
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Passenger Status Indicator . . . . . 99
Readiness Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Servicing Airbag-Equipped Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Alarm Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Antenna
Multi-band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . 202
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Appearance Care Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Armrest
Front Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Assistance Program, Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Audio
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 128

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Index 343
AutomaticDoor Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
B
Battery
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Battery - North America . . . . 240, 287
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 242
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . 146, 147, 153
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 102
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 Brakes (cont'd)
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 190
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123, 245
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Headlamps, Front TurnSignal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 246
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
California Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .220, 240, 287
Camera
Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 100
Check
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 241
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 69
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80, 82
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
344 Index
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 176Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 325
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 275
Computer, Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Control Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Coolant
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Engine TemperatureWarning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Customer Information
Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 327
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 325
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 330
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Devices Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336 Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 317
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Driving Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 24
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 185
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 186
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
E
Electrical Equipment,
Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Electrical System Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 248

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Index 345
Electrical System (cont'd)Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Emergency OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Check and Service EngineSoon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 223
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Oil Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Reduced Power Light . . . . . . . . . 107
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 197
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17, 192
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . 330
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 120
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126F
Filter,Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 122
Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273 Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 229
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Fog Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 123, 245
Folding Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . 104
Frequency Statement Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Front Seats
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 107
Requirements, California . . . . . 214
Fuses Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 248
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
G
GaugesFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Warning Lights andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
346 Index
General InformationService and Maintenance . . . . . 301
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Hands-Free Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 122
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . . 108
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 121
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 108
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 176
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 185
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 203
Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Indicator Owner Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Instrument Panel Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
K
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . 27
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 256
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 121
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 100
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104