Page 221 of 349
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
220 Vehicle Care
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0226.
2. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0222.
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 228.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0222.
5. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0228.
6. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0234 and
Hydraulic Clutch 0226.
7. Battery - North America 0235.
8. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 233.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0244.
Page 223 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
222 Vehicle Care
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0226.
2. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0222.
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 228.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0222.
5. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0228.
6. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0234 and
Hydraulic Clutch 0226.
7. Battery - North America 0235.
8. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0244.
9. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 233.
Engine Oil
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil. Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
.
Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0224.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
If the engine oil pressure light
comes on, check the engine oil level
right away. The oil pressure light is
on the instrument cluster. See
Engine Oil Pressure Light 0120.
Check the engine oil level regularly;
this is an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
Check the engine oil level regularly,
every 650 km (400 mi), especially
prior to a long trip. The engine oil
dipstick handle is a loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0 219 for the location.
{Warning
The engine oil dipstick handle
may be hot; it could burn you.
Use a towel or glove to touch the
dipstick handle.
If a low oil Driver Information Center
(DIC) message displays, check the
oil level.
Page 232 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Vehicle Care 231
1.4L Engine Shown, 1.8L EngineSimilar
1. Remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap when the cooling
system, including the coolant
surge tank pressure cap and
upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise about
one-quarter of a turn. If you
hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any
pressure still left to be vented
out the discharge hose.
2. Keep turning the pressure cap slowly and remove it.
3. Fill the coolant surge tank withthe proper mixture to the
indicated level mark.
4. With the coolant surge tank pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run until you
can feel the upper radiator
hose getting hot. Watch out for
the engine cooling fan.
By this time, the coolant level
inside the coolant surge tank
may be lower. If the level is
lower, add more of the proper
mixture to the coolant surge
tank until the level reaches the
indicated level mark. 5. Replace the pressure cap
tightly.
Check the level in the coolant surge
tank when the cooling system has
cooled down. If the coolant is not at
the proper level, repeat Steps 1–
3 and reinstall the pressure cap.
If the coolant still is not at the proper
level when the system cools down
again, see your dealer.Caution
If the pressure cap is not tightly
installed, coolant loss and engine
damage may occur. Be sure the
cap is properly and tightly
secured.
Engine Overheating
The vehicle has an indicator to warn
of the engine overheating.
If the decision is made not to lift the
hood when this warning appears,
get service help right away. See
Roadside Assistance Program
0 315.
Page 237 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
236 Vehicle Care
SeeCalifornia Proposition
65 Warning 0215 and the back
cover.
Vehicle Storage
{Warning
Batteries have acid that can burn
you and gas that can explode.
You can be badly hurt if you are
not careful. See Jump Starting -
North America 0277 for tips on
working around a battery without
getting hurt.
Infrequent Usage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery to keep the battery from
running down.
Extended Storage: Remove the
black, negative (−) cable from the
battery or use a battery trickle
charger.
Starter Switch Check
{Warning
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle.
2. Apply both the parking brake and the regular brake.
Do not use the accelerator
pedal, and be ready to turn off
the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. For automatic transmission vehicles, try to start the engine
in each gear. The vehicle
should start only in P (Park) or
N (Neutral). If the vehicle starts
in any other position, contact
your dealer for service. For manual transmission
vehicles, put the shift lever in
Neutral, push the clutch pedal
down halfway, and try to start
the engine. The vehicle should
start only when the clutch
pedal is pushed down all the
way to the floor. If the vehicle
starts when the clutch pedal is
not pushed all the way down,
contact your dealer for service.
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check
{Warning
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle. It should be
parked on a level surface.
Page 238 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Vehicle Care 237
2. Apply the parking brake. Beready to apply the regular
brake immediately if the vehicle
begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the ignition on, but do not start the
engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the
shift lever out of P (Park) with
normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of P (Park), contact
your dealer for service.
Ignition Transmission
Lock Check
If equipped with Key Access, while
parked, and with the parking brake
set, try to turn the ignition off in
each shift lever position.
.For automatic transmission
vehicles, the ignition should turn
off only when the shift lever is in
P (Park).
. For manual transmission
vehicles, the ignition should turn
off only when the shift lever is in
Neutral. On all Key Access vehicles, the
ignition key should come out only
when the ignition is off.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check
{Warning
When you are doing this check,
the vehicle could begin to move.
You or others could be injured
and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front
of the vehicle in case it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle
begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the
vehicle facing downhill. Keeping
your foot on the regular brake, set
the parking brake.
. To check the parking brake's
holding ability: With the engine
running and the transmission in N (Neutral), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake
pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.
. To check the P (Park)
mechanism's holding ability:
With the engine running, shift to
P (Park). Then release the
parking brake followed by the
regular brake.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Wiper Blade Replacement
Front Wiper Blade
Replacement
Windshield wiper blades should be
inspected for wear or cracking. See
the Maintenance Schedule 0295 for
more information.
Replacement blades come in
different types and are removed in
different ways. For proper
windshield wiper blade length and
type, see Maintenance
Replacement Parts 0305.
Page 239 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
238 Vehicle Care
Caution
Allowing the wiper arm to touch
the windshield when no wiper
blade is installed could damage
the windshield. Any damage that
occurs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Do not allow
the wiper arm to touch the
windshield.
To replace the windshield wiper
blade: 1. Pull the windshield wiper assembly away from the
windshield.
2. Squeeze the tabs on each sideof the wiper blade assembly
and slide the assembly off the
end of the wiper arm.
3. Install the new blade onto the
arm and make sure the tabs
are fully set in the locked
position.
4. Repeat the steps for the other wiper.
Rear Wiper Blade Replacement
1. Pull the wiper arm a shortdistance away from the
glass (1).
2. Pull the blade out from the arm (2).
It may require extra effort to
remove the old blade.
3. Once the blade pin disengagesfrom the wiper arm, remove the
wiper blade by sliding the pin
out of the guide hole.
4. Reverse the steps to install the new blade.
Page 242 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Vehicle Care 241
Headlamps and Front
Turn Signal
Passenger Side Shown, DriverSide Similar
1. Turn Signal Lamp
2. Low-Beam Headlamp
3. High-Beam Headlamp
High-Beam Headlamp/
Low-Beam Headlamp
1. Open the hood. See Hood
0 217.
2. For the driver side bulb, remove the windshield washer
bottle filler neck by turning it one-quarter turn
counterclockwise and pulling it
straight up and out of the
bottle.
3. Remove the headlamp bulb
access cover.
4. Turn the bulb counterclockwise and pull straight back.
5. Disconnect the wiring harness connector from the bulb.
6. Install the new bulb in the headlamp assembly by turning
clockwise.
7. Reconnect the wiring harness connector. 8. Install the headlamp bulb
access cover.
9. For the driver side bulb, replace the windshield washer
bottle filler neck by turning it
one-quarter turn clockwise into
the bottle.
Turn Signal Lamp
1. Open the hood. See Hood
0 217.
2. Remove the turn signal lamp
bulb socket from the headlamp
assembly by turning
counterclockwise.
Page 243 of 349

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
242 Vehicle Care
3. Remove the bulb from the bulbsocket by pulling it straight out.
4. Install the new bulb in the bulb socket.
5. Install the bulb socket into the headlamp assembly by turning
clockwise.
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps
Sedan Taillamp Shown, Hatchback
Taillamp Similar
1. Back-up Lamp
2. Stoplamp/Taillamp 3. Turn Signal Lamp
4. Taillamp
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the trunk.
2. Remove the two screws, which secure the taillamp assembly.
3. Remove the taillamp assembly by pulling it straight back until
the two posts disengage from
the grommets.
4. Remove the bulb socket from the taillamp assembly by
turning it counterclockwise. 5. Remove the bulb by pulling it
straight out.
6. Install a new bulb into the bulb socket.
7. Install the bulb socket into the taillamp assembly by turning it
clockwise.
8. Install the taillamp assembly and tighten the two screws.