Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
200 Driving and Operating
Cold Weather Operation(Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Water in Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . 255
Running Out of Fuel (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Fuel Filter Replacement (Diesel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, always
keep your eyes on the road, hands
on the wheel, and mind on the drive.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions. .
Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
Driving and Operating 205
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0235.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner
than when on dry pavement.
See Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0233. .
Allow greater following distance
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.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0373. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
206 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0221.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability
Control 0235.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0339.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
216 Driving and Operating
Stop/Start System
{Warning
Exiting the vehicle without first
shifting into P (Park) may cause
the vehicle to move. You or others
may be injured. Because the
vehicle has the auto engine stop/
start feature, the vehicle's engine
might seem to be shut off;
however, once the brake pedal is
released, the engine will start up
again.
Shift to P (Park) and turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF, before
exiting the vehicle.
The vehicle may have a fuel saving
stop/start system to shut off the
engine to help conserve fuel. Auto Engine Stop/Start
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When
stopped, the tachometer displays
AUTO STOP. See
Tachometer
0 121. When the brake pedal is
released or the accelerator pedal is
pushed, the engine will restart.
Auto Stop may be deactivated if:
. A minimum vehicle speed is not
reached.
. The engine or transmission is
not at the required operating
temperature.
. The outside temperature is not
in the required operating range,
typically below 5 °C (41 °F) or
above 50 °C (122 °F).
. The shift lever is in any gear
other than D (Drive).
. The battery has been recently
disconnected.
. The battery charge is low. .
The interior comfort level has not
reached the required level for
the climate control system or
defog settings. Use the eco
(green indicator on) air
conditioning mode for better
efficiency. See Automatic
Climate Control System 0193.
. The Auto Stop time is greater
than two minutes.
Diesel Engine Starting Procedure
The diesel engine starts differently
than a gasoline engine. 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle.
Observe the wait-to-start light.
See Wait-to-Start Light 0131.
This light may not come on if
the engine is warm.
2. Press the ENGINE START/ STOP button with the brake
pedal or clutch pedal applied to
START. The start will be
delayed if the wait-to-start lamp
is illuminated.
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
318 Vehicle Care
Warning (Continued)
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0316 and
Accessories and
Modifications 0265.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
Vehicle Care 345
Windshield and Wiper Blades
Clean the outside of the windshield
with glass cleaner.
Clean rubber blades using lint-free
cloth or paper towel soaked with
windshield washer fluid or a mild
detergent. Wash the windshield
thoroughly when cleaning the
blades. Bugs, road grime, sap, and
a buildup of vehicle wash/wax
treatments may cause wiper
streaking.
Replace the wiper blades if they are
worn or damaged. Damage can be
caused by extreme dusty
conditions, sand, salt, heat, sun,
snow and ice.
Clear ice and snow from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen
them or thaw them. Damaged wiper
blades should be replaced. See
Wiper Blade Replacement0288.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wipers. If the wiper motor overheats,
the windshield wipers will stop until the motor cools and the wiper
control is turned off. See
Electrical
System Overload 0293.
Weatherstrips
Apply Dielectric silicone grease on
weatherstrips to make them last
longer, seal better, and not stick or
squeak. Lubricate weatherstrips at
least once a year. Hot, dry climates
may require more frequent
application. Black marks from
rubber material on painted surfaces
can be removed by rubbing with a
clean cloth. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0361.
Tires
Use a stiff brush with tire cleaner to
clean the tires.
Caution
Using petroleum-based tire
dressing products on the vehicle
may damage the paint finish and/
or tires. When applying a tire
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
dressing, always wipe off any
overspray from all painted
surfaces on the vehicle.
Wheels and Trim—Aluminum
or Chrome
Use a soft, clean cloth with mild
soap and water to clean the wheels.
After rinsing thoroughly with clean
water, dry with a soft, clean towel.
A wax may then be applied.
Caution
Chrome wheels and other chrome
trim may be damaged if the
vehicle is not washed after driving
on roads that have been sprayed
with magnesium, calcium,
or sodium chloride. These
chlorides are used on roads for
conditions such as ice and dust.
Always wash the chrome with
soap and water after exposure.
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
394 Index
Assistance Systems forParking and Backing . . . . . . . . . . 240
Audio Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 167
Automatic Climate Control System . . . . . . . 193
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
B
Battery
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Voltage and Charging Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Battery - North America . . . . 285, 336
Biodiesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 288
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180, 181 Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 128
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 210
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Headlamps and Front TurnSignal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Taillamps and Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 249 California (cont'd)
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .264, 285, 336
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Center Console Storage . . . . . . . . 106
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Charging Wireless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 126
Check Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 287
Malfunction IndicatorEngine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 87
Lower Anchors and Tethersfor Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9803785) - 2017 - CRC - 4/13/16
Index 395
Child Restraints (cont'd)Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99, 101
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
Climate Control
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190, 192
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . 190, 192
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190, 192
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . . . 255
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 376
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Compressor Kit, Tire Sealant . . . 322
Connections OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385 Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Coolant Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine Temperature Gauge . . 123
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Engine Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 372 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Customer Information Service PublicationsOrdering Information . . . . . . . . 378
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 376
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionInfotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 382
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 381
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Diagnostics OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
Diesel Exhaust Fluid . . . . . . . . 29, 223
Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Diesel Exhaust Fluid Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Diesel Particulate Filter . . . . . . . . . 222
Diesel Particulate Filter Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Power Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45