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
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 12
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Passenger Sensing System . . . 12
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 13
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 15
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 19
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 21
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 23
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 23
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0178.
2. Exterior Lamp Controls 0120.
Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0124.
3. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 123.
4. Instrument Cluster 096.
5. Horn 090.
6. Windshield Wiper/Washer 091.
7. Infotainment 0127.
8. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0122.
9. Instrument Panel Storage 086.
USB Port 0142 (Inside IP
Storage) (If Equipped).
Auxiliary Devices 0144 (Inside
IP Storage) (If Equipped).
10. Passenger Sensing System
062.
11. Hazard Warning Flashers
0122. 12. Shift Lever. See
Automatic
Transmission 0198 (If
Equipped) or Manual
Transmission 0200 (If
Equipped).
13. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0204.
14. Trunk Release (Sedan). See Trunk (Sedan) 033.
15. Power Outlets 094.
16. Climate Control Systems
0176.
17. Central Locking Switch. See Door Locks 030.
18. Ignition Switch. See Ignition
Positions 0191.
19. Steering Wheel Controls 090.
20. Steering Wheel Adjustment
090.
21. Cruise Control 0206.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0210 (If Equipped.
Lane Departure Warning
(LDW) 0212 (If Equipped). 22. Data Link Connector (DLC)
(Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0100.
23. Hood Release. See Hood
0 222.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
8 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The RKE transmitter may work up to
60 m (195 ft) away from the vehicle.
With Remote Start Shown
Press the key release button to
extend the key blade. The key can
be used for the ignition and all
locks.
Press
Kto unlock the driver door or
all doors.
Press
Qto lock all doors.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See Vehicle
Personalization 0113.
If equipped, press and hold
Yto
release the trunk. Press and release
7to initiate
vehicle locator.
Press and hold
7for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm.
Press
7again to cancel the panic
alarm.
See Keys 025 and Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation 027.
Remote Vehicle Start
If equipped, the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Press and releaseQon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash.
3. Start the vehicle normally after entering.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on.
Remote start can be extended.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
In Brief 17
Manual Transmission
Up-Shift Light
Vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission may have an up-shift
light. This light indicates when to
shift to the next higher gear for
better fuel economy.
For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on, if weather, road, and
traffic conditions allow.
It is normal for the light to go on and
off if the accelerator position
changes quickly. Ignore the light
during downshifts.Reverse Lockout
The manual transmission is
equipped with a reverse lockout
ring. To shift into R (Reverse), press
down the clutch pedal, lift up the
ring on the shift lever, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.
See
Manual Transmission 0200.
Starting the Engine
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. It assists in starting the
engine and protects components.
If the ignition key is turned to
START and then released when the
engine begins cranking, the engine
will continue cranking for a few
seconds or until the engine starts.
If the engine does not start and the
key is held in START, cranking will
be stopped after 15 seconds to
prevent damage. To prevent gear
damage, cranking is not allowed if
the engine is running. Engine
cranking can be stopped by turning
the ignition key to ACC/
ACCESSORY or LOCK/OFF. See
Starting the Engine 0192.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
In Brief 23
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
The Traction Control System (TCS)
limits wheel spin. The system is on
when the vehicle is started.
The StabiliTrak system assists with
directional control of the vehicle in
difficult driving conditions. The
system is on when the vehicle is
started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release the TCS/StabiliTrak
button
gon the center console.
The traction off light
i
illuminates.
. Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button
gagain to
turn traction control back on.
. To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and hold
the TCS/StabiliTrak button
g
until the traction off lightiand
the StabiliTrak OFF light
g
illuminate.
. Press the TCS/StabiliTrak button
gagain to turn on both systems.
See Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0204.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The low tire pressure warning light
alerts to a significant loss in
pressure of one of the vehicle's
tires. If the warning light comes on,
stop as soon as possible and inflate
the tires to the recommended
pressure shown on the Tire and
Loading Information label. See Vehicle Load Limits
0187. The
warning light will remain on until the
tire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
may be an early indicator that the
tire pressures are getting low and
the tires need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. Maintain
the correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
0 262.
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the
:% CHANGE
message on the DIC when it is
necessary to change the engine oil
and filter.
Remember, the oil life display must
be reset after each oil change. It will
not reset itself.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
24 In Brief
Resetting the Oil Life System1. Press the MENU button to show Remaining Oil Life on the
display. This display shows an
estimate of the oil’s remaining
useful life. If 99% is displayed,
that means that 99% of the
current oil life remains.
2. To reset the engine oil life system, press the SET/CLR
button while the oil life display
is active. After a few seconds,
there will be a single chime and
the oil life will be reset
to 100%.
Be careful not to reset the oil life
display accidentally at any time
other than when the oil has just
been changed. It cannot be reset
accurately until the next oil change.
See Engine Oil Life System 0228.Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.
Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
. Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated. .
Combine several trips into a
single trip.
. Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
. Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Roadside Assistance
Program
U.S.: 1-800-243-8872
TTY Users (U.S. Only):
1-888-889-2438
Canada: 1-800-268-6800
As the owner of a new Chevrolet,
you are automatically enrolled in the
Roadside Assistance program.
See Roadside Assistance Program
0 322.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
26 Keys, Doors, and Windows
{Warning
If the key is unintentionally
rotated while the vehicle is
running, the ignition could be
moved out of the RUN position.
This could be caused by heavy
items hanging from the key ring,
or by large or long items attached
to the key ring that could be
contacted by the driver or
steering wheel. If the ignition
moves out of the RUN position,
the engine will shut off, braking
and steering power assist may be(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
impacted, and airbags may not
deploy. To reduce the risk of
unintentional rotation of the
ignition key, do not change the
way the ignition key and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter,
if equipped, are connected to the
provided key rings.
The ignition key, key rings, and RKE
transmitter, if equipped, are
designed to work together. As a
system, it reduces the risk of
unintentionally moving the key out
of the RUN position. If replacements
or additions are required, see your
dealer. Limit added items to a few
essential keys or small, light items
no larger than an RKE transmitter.
The key that is part of the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter can
be used for the ignition and all
locks.
Press the button on the RKE
transmitter to extend the key. Press
the button and the key blade to
retract the key.
See your dealer if a new key is
needed.
If the vehicle has an ignition, and it
becomes difficult to turn they key,
inspect the key blade for debris.
If you are locked out of the vehicle,
see Roadside Assistance Program
0 322.