Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Introduction 3
{Warning
Warning indicates a hazard that
could result in injury or death.
Caution
Caution indicates a hazard that
could result in property or vehicle
damage.
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:
Shown when the owner
manual has additional instructions
or information.
*: Shown when the service
manual has additional instructions
or information.
0: Shown when there is more
information on another page —
“see page.”
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
`:Do Not Puncture
^:Do Not Service
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
_: Flame/Fire Prohibited
#: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
>: Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
a:Under Pressure
M: Windshield Washer Fluid
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 89
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 90
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 90
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 91
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 99
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 100 Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 100
Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . 102
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . 102
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Power Steering Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 104
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 107
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Reduced Engine Power Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) Indicator Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 108
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 108
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 111
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Trip Computer
Trip Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 113
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
100 Instruments and Controls
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
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light 099 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 (Check Engine
Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board
diagnostic system. If this light is on
while the engine is running, a
malfunction has been detected and
the vehicle may require service. The
light should come on to show that it
is working when the ignition is in
ON/RUN with the engine not
running. See Ignition Positions
0 191.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when
it comes on may prevent damage.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Lighting 125
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps turn on briefly at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when
K
is pressed on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. When a
door is opened, the interior lamps
come on if the dome lamp control is
in the Door position. They stay on
for about 20 seconds. When all of
the doors have been closed or the
ignition is turned to ON/RUN, they
gradually fade out.
This feature can be changed. See
“Vehicle Locator Lights”under
Vehicle Personalization 0113.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the key is
removed from the ignition. The
dome lamp comes on after the
ignition is changed to the OFF
position. The exterior lamps and dome lamp remain on for a set
amount of time, then automatically
turn off.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamp control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization
0113.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to
prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
needed. It can temporarily reduce
the power demands of some
accessories.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
142 Infotainment System
charging the phone's battery,
or simply having the phone on. This
interference causes an increased
level of static while listening to the
radio. If static is received while
listening to the radio, unplug the
cellular phone and turn it off.
Satellite Radio Antenna
The XM Satellite Radio antenna is
located on the roof of the vehicle.
Keep the antenna clear of
obstructions for clear radio
reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the
performance of the XM system (if
equipped) may be affected if the
sunroof is open.
Multi-Band Antenna
The multi-band antenna is on the
roof of the vehicle. The antenna is
used for the AM-FM radio, OnStar,
the SiriusXM Satellite Radio Service
System, and GPS (Global
Positioning System), if the vehicle
has these features. Keep the
antenna clear of obstructions for
clear reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, the
performance of the features listed
above may be affected if the
sunroof is open.
Audio Players
USB Port
The USB port, if equipped, is in the
storage area to the right of the
infotainment system. SeeOverview
(Radio with Touchscreen) 0131 or
Overview (AM-FM Radio) 0129.
Portable devices are controlled by
using the menu system described in
Operation 0132.
1. 3.5 mm (1/8 in) Auxiliary
Input Jack. See Auxiliary
Devices 0144.
2. USB Port.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
196 Driving and Operating
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 - North
America 0287.
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 032.
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.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
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
Index 347
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
LATCH SystemReplacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Lighting
Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 102
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Engine Coolant
Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 106
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 121 Lights (cont'd)
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 104
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Reduced Engine Power . . . . . . 107
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 98
Service Vehicle Soon . . . . . . . . . 102
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Up-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Warning, Power Steering . . . . . 104
Link Smartphone . . . . . . . . 160, 162, 164
Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 107
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 302 Recommended Fluids andLubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 100
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Messages
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Mirrors
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Monitor System, Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142