Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
96 Seats and Restraints
7. Before placing a child in thechild restraint, make sure it issecurely held in place. Tocheck, grasp the child restraintat the safety belt path andattempt to move it side to sideand back and forth. When thechild restraint is properlyinstalled, there should be nomore than 2.5 cm (1 in) ofmovement.
If the airbags are off, the offindicator in the passenger airbagstatus indicator will come on andstay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installedand the off symbol is not lit, see“Ifthe On Indicator Is Lit for a ChildRestraint”underPassenger SensingSystem071.
To r e m o v e t h e c h i l d r e s t r a i n t ,unbuckle the vehicle's safety beltand let it go back all the way.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
172 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many formsand can take your focus from thetask of driving. Exercise goodjudgment and do not let otheractivities divert your attention awayfrom the road. Many localgovernments have enacted lawsregarding driver distraction. Becomefamiliar with the local laws inyour area.
To a v o i d d i s t r a c t e d d r i v i n g , k e e pyour eyes on the road, keep yourhands on the steering wheel, andfocus your attention on driving.
.Do not use a phone indemanding driving situations.Use a hands-free method toplace or receive necessaryphone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,take notes, or look upinformation on phones or otherelectronic devices.
.Designate a front seatpassenger to handle potentialdistractions.
.Become familiar with vehiclefeatures before driving, such asprogramming favorite radiostations and adjusting climatecontrol and seat settings.Program all trip information intoany navigation device prior todriving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parkedto retrieve items that have fallento the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tendto children.
.Keep pets in an appropriatecarrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversationswhile driving, whether with apassenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Ta k i n g y o u r e y e s o f f t h e r o a d t o o
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the Infotainment section formore information on using thatsystem, including pairing and usingacellphone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“alwaysexpect the unexpected.”The firststep in driving defensively is to wearthe safety belt. SeeSafetyBelts059.
.Assume that other road users(pedestrians, bicyclists, andother drivers) are going to becareless and make mistakes.Anticipate what they might doand be ready.
.Allow enough following distancebetween you and the driver infront of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated withdrinking and driving is a globaltragedy.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Driving and Operating 181
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
the vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification Label
Label Example
Avehicle-specificCertification
label is attached to the vehicle's
center pillar (B-pillar). The label
may show the gross weight
capacity of the vehicle, called
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, and cargo.
{Warning
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat
folded down unless
needed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
.Do not drive at any oneconstant speed, fast or slow,for the first 805 km (500 mi).Do not make full-throttlestarts. Avoid downshifting tobrake or slow the vehicle.
.Avoid making hard stops forthe first 322 km (200 mi) orso. During this time the newbrake linings are not yetbroken in. Hard stops withnew linings can meanpremature wear and earlierreplacement. Follow this
(Continued)
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
332 Index
Assistance Program,
Roadside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Audio
Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . . 142
Automatic
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Shift Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Auxiliary
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Avoiding Untrusted Media
Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
B
Battery
Exterior Lighting Battery
Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Battery - North America . . . . 234, 275
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 236
Bluetooth
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155, 157
Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . .114
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 181
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Headlamps and Front Turn
Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 241
Ta i l l a m p s , T u r n S i g n a l ,
Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 208
California (cont'd)
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .213, 234, 275
Camera
Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Cargo
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 3
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 112
Check
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 235
Malfunction Indicator
Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Child Restraints
Infants and Young Children . . . . . 79
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Index 333
Child Restraints (cont'd)
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91, 93
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 166
Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 314
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Connections
OnStar®...................... 323
Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Coolant
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Engine Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Courtesy Transportation
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Cover
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Te x t Te l e p h o n e ( T T Y )
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Customer Information
Service Publications
Ordering Information . . . . . . . . 316
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 314
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data Collection
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 319
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Devices
Auxiliary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Diagnostics
OnStar®...................... 325
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Door
Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 306
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Driving
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 24
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 176
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Index 335
Fuel (cont'd)
Requirements, California . . . . . 208
Fuses
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 242
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
G
Gauges
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Ta c h o m e t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 9
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 289
To w i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 11
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
GM Mobility Reimbursement
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Hands-Free Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 136
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Headlamps
Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 120
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 134
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 120
Heated
Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heater
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 176
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 197
Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
I
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . 182, 183
Ignition Transmission Lock
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Indicator
Owner Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Vehicle Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Infants and Young Children,
Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Instrument Panel
Storage Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
J
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Index 337
Maintenance Schedule (cont'd)
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . 112
Manual Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Manual Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Media
Avoiding Untrusted Devices . . 149
Messages
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Mirrors
Convex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Folding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Manual Rearview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Monitor System, Tire
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Multi-band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
N
Navigation
OnStar®...................... 323
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . 181
O
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Off-Road
Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Oil
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 222
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Older Children, Restraints . . . . . . . 77
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . 310
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
OnStar®Additional
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
OnStar®Connections . . . . . . . . . . . 323
OnStar®Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
OnStar®Emergency . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
OnStar®Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
OnStar®Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
OnStar®Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Operate Pedal Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Operation
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Operation (cont'd)
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 144
Ordering
Service Publications . . . . . . . . . . 316
Outlets
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Overheating, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . . . 114
P
Park
Shifting Into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Shifting Out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 236
Extended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 189
Ultrasonic Sensor Light . . . . . . . .116
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Passenger Compartment Air
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Passenger Sensing System . . . . . 71
Perchlorate Materials
Requirements, California . . . . . . 213
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Index 339
Safety Belts (cont'd)
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 65
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 63
Safety Defects Reporting
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 318
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 313
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 54
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 54
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 91, 93
Security
OnStar®...................... 322
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Service (cont'd)
Accessories and
Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 166
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .112
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 302
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 303
Publications Ordering
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 313
Vehicle Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Services
Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Shifting
Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Special Application Services . . . . 296
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . .115
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Storage
Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 97
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3