Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
In Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . 26
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Instruments and Controls . . . . . . 102
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . 139
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . . 170
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 293
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Customer Information . . . . . . . . . 311
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . . . 321
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
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 . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Liftgate (Hatchback) . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Trunk Release (Sedan) . . . . . . . . 10
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 14
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 15
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 20
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 22
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 25
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
12 In Brief
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust a manual seat:1. Pull the handle at the front of the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the
handle.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure it is locked in
place.
See Seat Adjustment 055.
Power Seats
To adjust a power seat:
.
Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the control
forward or rearward.
. Raise or lower the front part of
the seat cushion by moving the
front of the control up or down.
. Raise or lower the entire seat by
moving the rear of the control up
or down.
See Power Seat Adjustment 056.
Lumbar Adjustment
If available, press the front or rear of
the switch to increase or decrease
lumbar support. Release the switch
when the desired level of support is
reached.
See Lumbar Adjustment 056.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
In Brief 13
Reclining Seatbacks
Manual Seat Shown, Power SeatSimilar
To recline the seatback: 1. Lift the lever. If necessary, move the seat
belt out of the way to access
the lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then release
the lever to lock the seatback
in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked. To return the seatback to an upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback
returns to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
See Reclining Seatbacks 057.
Second Row Seats
The rear seatbacks can be folded
down to increase cargo space.
See Rear Seats 059.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position. See
Head Restraints 054 and Seat
Adjustment 055.
Seat Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
seat belts properly:
.
Seat Belts 061.
. How to Wear Seat Belts Properly
062.
. Lap-Shoulder Belt 063.
. Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) 086.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
In Brief 15
Interior Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view behind your vehicle. Adjust the
mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind you. Push the
tab forward for daytime use and pull
it for nighttime use.
SeeManual Rearview Mirror 049.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down. 2. Move the steering wheel up,
down, forward, and backward.
3. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are in the
headliner above the rear seats.
9: Press to turn the lamps off,
even when a door is open.
H: When the button is returned to
the middle position, the lamps turn
on automatically when a door is
opened.
R: Press to turn on the dome lamps.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with front reading
lamps, they are in the overhead
console.
#or$: Press to turn each lamp
on or off.
For more information about interior
lighting, see Instrument Panel
Illumination Control 0136 or
Courtesy Lamps 0136.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
In Brief 17
OFF :Use to turn the wipers off.
1X : For a single wipe, briefly move
the wiper lever down. For several
wipes, hold the wiper lever down.
n L: Pull the windshield wiper
lever toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer
0 104. For vehicles with a rear
window wiper/washer, see Rear
Window Wiper/Washer 0105.
Climate Controls
If equipped with these climate
control systems, the heating,
cooling, and ventilation can be
controlled for the vehicle.
Climate Control System with
Heater and Air Conditioning
1. Temperature Control
2. Fan Control
3. Air Delivery Mode Control
4. Driver and Passenger Heated Seats (If Equipped)
5. Recirculation
6. Rear Window Defogger
7. Air ConditioningClimate Control System with Heater Only
1. Temperature Control
2. Fan Control
3. Air Delivery Mode Control
4. Rear Window Defogger
See Climate Control Systems 0165.
Transmission
Automatic Transmission
Manual Mode
If equipped, this position allows you
to change gears similar to a manual
transmission. To use this feature:
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 37
2. Separate the two halves of thetransmitter using the key or a
flat tool inserted into the area
near the key slot.
3. Lift the battery with a flatobject.
4. Remove the battery.
5. Insert the new battery, positive side toward the back cover.
Replace with a CR2032 or
equivalent battery.
6. Push the transmitter together.
Remote Vehicle Start
If equipped, this feature allows the
engine to be started from outside
the vehicle.
/: This button will be on the RKE
transmitter if the vehicle has remote
start.
The climate control system will use
the previous settings during a
remote start. The rear defog may
come on during remote start based
on cold ambient conditions. The
rear fog indicator light does not
come on during remote start.
If the vehicle has heated seats, they
may come on during a remote start.
See Heated Front Seats 058. Laws in some local communities
may restrict the use of remote
starters. For example, some laws
require a person using remote start
to have the vehicle in view. Check
local regulations for any
requirements.
Other conditions can affect the
performance of the transmitter. See
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System
028.
Starting the Vehicle
To start the engine using the remote
start feature:
1. Press and releaseQ.
2. Immediately after completing Step 1, press and hold
/for at
least four seconds or until the
turn signal lamps flash. The
turn signal lamps flashing
confirms the request to remote
start the vehicle has been
received.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Seats and Restraints 53
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Power Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . 56
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Front Seat Armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Seat Belts
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Seat Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Seat Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . 66
Seat Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Replacing Seat Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . . . 69
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Passenger Sensing System . . . 73
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . 78
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . . . 78
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Infants and Young Children . . . . 81
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . . . 83
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . . 85
Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH System) . . . . 86
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Securing Child Restraints (With
the Seat Belt in the
Rear Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the
Front Seat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95