Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Driving and Operating 173
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
asmallamountofalcohol.You
can have a serious—or even
fatal—collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
adriverwhohasbeendrinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and acceleratingare important factors in helping tocontrol a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perceptiontime and reaction time. Deciding topush the brake pedal is perceptiontime. Actually doing it isreaction time.
Average driver reaction time isabout three-quarters of a second. Inthat time, a vehicle moving at100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m(66 ft), which could be a lot ofdistance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mindinclude:
.Keep enough distance betweenyou and the vehicle in frontof you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while thevehicle is being driven, brakenormally but do not pump thebrakes. Doing so could make thepedal harder to push down. If theengine stops, there will be somepower brake assist but it will beused when the brake is applied.Once the power assist is used up, itcan take longer to stop and thebrake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric powersteering. It does not have powersteering fluid. Regular maintenanceis not required.
If power steering assist is lost dueto a system malfunction, the vehiclecan be steered, but may requireincreased effort. See your dealer ifthere is a problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until itreaches the end of its travel and isheld against that position for anextended period of time, powersteering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for anextended period of time, powerassist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steeringassist should return when thesystem cools down.
See your dealer if there is aproblem.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
284 Vehicle Care
Caution
To a v o i d s u r f a c e d a m a g e , d o n o t
use strong soaps, chemicals,
abrasive polishes, cleaners,
brushes, or cleaners that contain
acid on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels. Use only
approved cleaners. Also, never
drive a vehicle with aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels through an
automatic car wash that uses
silicone carbide tire cleaning
brushes. Damage could occur
and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Brake System
Visually inspect brake lines andhoses for proper hook-up, binding,leaks, cracks, chafing, etc. Inspectdisc brake pads for wear and rotorsfor surface condition. Inspect drumbrake linings/shoes for wear orcracks. Inspect all other brake parts.
Steering, Suspension, and
Chassis Components
Visually inspect steering,suspension, and chassiscomponents for damaged, loose,or missing parts or signs of wear atleast once a year.
Inspect power steering for properattachment, connections, binding,leaks, cracks, chafing, etc.
Visually check constant velocity jointboots and axle seals for leaks.
Body Component Lubrication
Lubricate all key lock cylinders,hood hinges, liftgate hinges, and thesteel fuel door hinges, unless thecomponents are plastic. Applyingsilicone grease on weatherstripswith a clean cloth will make themlast longer, seal better, and not stickor squeak.
Underbody Maintenance
At least twice a year, spring and fall,use plain water to flush anycorrosive materials from the
underbody. Take care to thoroughlyclean any areas where mud andother debris can collect.
Do not directly power wash thetransfer case and/or front/rear axleoutput seals. High pressure watercan overcome the seals andcontaminate the fluid. Contaminatedfluid will decrease the life of thetransfer case and/or axles andshould be replaced.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged andrequires sheet metal repair orreplacement, make sure the bodyrepair shop applies anti-corrosionmaterial to parts repaired orreplaced to restore corrosionprotection.
Original manufacturer replacementparts will provide the corrosionprotection while maintaining thevehicle warranty.
Finish Damage
Quickly repair minor chips andscratches with touch-up materialsavailable from your dealer to avoid
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
338 Index
Personalization
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Phone
Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155, 157
Hands-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Port
USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Power
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Reduced Engine Light . . . . . . . . 120
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 187
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Power Steering Warning
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . 63
Privacy
Vehicle Data Recording . . . . . . . 318
Program
Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 313
Proposition
65 Warning,
California . . . . . . . . . . . .213, 234, 275
R
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . 317
Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Radios
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . 201
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 103
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . 277
Reduced Engine Power Light . . . 120
Reimbursement Program,
GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . 28, 29, 31
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . . . 77
Replacing LATCH System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Reporting Safety Defects
Canadian Government . . . . . . . . 318
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Roadside Assistance
Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Roof
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Rotation, Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Routing, Engine Drive Belt . . . . . . 306
Running the Vehicle While
Parked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
S
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60