Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Driving and Operating 215
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
If planning to drive in countries
outside the U.S. or Canada, the
proper fuel might be hard to find.
Check regional auto club or fuel
retail brand websites for availability
in the country where driving. Never
use leaded gasoline, fuel containing
methanol, manganese, or any other
fuel not recommended. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper
fuel would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuel Additives
To keep fuel systems clean, TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline is
recommended. SeeFuel0213.
If TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline is
not available, one bottle of Fuel
System Treatment PLUS added to
the fuel tank at every engine oil
change, can help. Fuel System
Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.
Filling the Tank
{Warning
Fuel vapors and fuel fires burn
violently and can cause injury or
death. . To help avoid injuries to you
and others, read and follow
all the instructions on the
fuel pump island.
. Turn off the engine when
refueling.
. Keep sparks, flames, and
smoking materials away
from fuel.
. Do not leave the fuel pump
unattended.
. Do not use a cell phone
while refueling.
. Do not reenter the vehicle
while pumping fuel.
. Keep children away from
the fuel pump and never let
children pump fuel.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Fuel can spray out if the fuel
cap is opened too quickly.
This spray can happen if the
tank is nearly full, and is
more likely in hot weather.
Open the fuel cap slowly
and wait for any hiss noise
to stop then unscrew the
cap all the way.
The fuel cap is behind a hinged fuel
door on the passenger side of the
vehicle.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
228 Vehicle Care
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil can result in engine
damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Check with your
dealer or service provider on
whether the oil is approved to the
dexos1 specification.
Viscosity Grade
Use SAE 5W-30 viscosity grade
engine oil.
Cold Temperature Operation: In an
area of extreme cold, where the
temperature falls below −29 °C
(−20 °F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be
used. An oil of this viscosity grade
will provide easier cold starting for
the engine at extremely low
temperatures. When selecting an oil
of the appropriate viscosity grade,
always select an oil of the correct
specification. See “Specification”
earlier in this section for more
information.
Engine Oil Additives/Engine
Oil Flushes
Do not add anything to the oil. The
recommended oils meeting the
dexos1 specification are all that is
needed for good performance and
engine protection.
Engine oil system flushes are not
recommended and could cause
engine damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
What to Do with Used Oil
Used engine oil contains certain
elements that can be unhealthy for
your skin and could even cause
cancer. Do not let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your
skin and nails with soap and water,
or a good hand cleaner. Wash or
properly dispose of clothing or rags
containing used engine oil. See the
manufacturer's warnings about the
use and disposal of oil products.
Used oil can be a threat to the
environment. If you change your
own oil, be sure to drain all the oil
from the filter before disposal. Never
dispose of oil by putting it in the trash or pouring it on the ground,
into sewers, or into streams or
bodies of water. Recycle it by taking
it to a place that collects used oil.
Engine Oil Life System
When to Change Engine Oil
This vehicle has a computer system
that indicates when to change the
engine oil and filter. This is based
on a combination of factors which
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
When the system has calculated
that oil life has been diminished, it
indicates that an oil change is
necessary. A
:% CHANGE
message in the DIC comes on. See
Vehicle Messages 0111. Change
the oil as soon as possible within
the next 1 000 km (600 mi). It is
possible that, if driving under the
best conditions, the oil life system
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Vehicle Care 233
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL engine
coolant. This coolant is designed to
remain in the vehicle for 5 years or
240 000 km (150,000 mi), whichever
occurs first.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
seeEngine Overheating 0236.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
overheat warning. The engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F), outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F), engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0311.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, pouring it on
the ground, or into sewers, streams,
or bodies of water. Have the coolant
changed by an authorized service
center, familiar with legal
requirements regarding used
coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
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