
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
46 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Immobilizer Operation
(Key Access)
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the key is
removed from the ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the vehicle is
started with the correct key. The key
uses a transponder that matches an
immobilizer control unit in the
vehicle and automatically disarms
the system. Only an authorized key
starts the vehicle. The vehicle may
not start if the key is damaged.
The security light in the instrument
cluster comes on if there is a
problem with arming or disarming
the theft-deterrent system.
When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.
If the engine still does not start, and
the key appears to be undamaged
or the light continues to stay on, try
another ignition key. If the engine
does not start with the other key, the
vehicle needs service. If the vehicle
does start, the first key may be
damaged. See your dealer who can
service the theft-deterrent system
and have a new key made.
Do not leave the transmitter or
device that disarms or deactivates
the theft-deterrent system in the
vehicle.Immobilizer Operation
(Keyless Access)
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system does not have to be
manually armed or disarmed.
The vehicle is automatically
immobilized when the transmitter
leaves the vehicle.
The immobilization system is
disarmed when ENGINE START/
STOP is pressed and a valid
transmitter is found in the vehicle.
The security light in the instrument
cluster comes on when there is a
problem with arming or disarming
the theft-deterrent system.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 47
The system has one or more
transmitters matched to an
immobilizer control unit in your
vehicle. Only a correctly matched
transmitter will start the vehicle.
If the transmitter is ever damaged,
you may not be able to start your
vehicle.
When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
vehicle off and try again.
If the RKE transmitter appears to be
undamaged, try another transmitter.
Or, you may try placing the
transmitter in the front cupholder.
See“Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery” underRemote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 029 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless Access)
0 31. If the engine does not start with the
other transmitter or when the
transmitter is in the pocket in the
front cupholder, the vehicle needs
service. See your dealer who can
service the theft-deterrent system
and have a new transmitter
programmed to the vehicle.
Do not leave the transmitter or
device that disarms or deactivates
the theft-deterrent system in the
vehicle.Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{Warning
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 51
Automatic Reversal System
Override
{Warning
If automatic reversal system
override is active, the window will
not reverse automatically. You or
others could be injured and the
window could be damaged.
Before using automatic reversal
system override, make sure that
all people and obstructions are
clear of the window path.
When the engine is on, override the
automatic reversal system by pulling
and holding the window switch if
conditions prevent it from closing.
Programming the Power
Windows
Programming may be necessary if
the vehicle battery has been
disconnected or discharged. If the
window is unable to express-up,
program each express-close
window: 1. Close all doors.
2. Turn the ignition on or to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
3. Partially open the window to be programmed. Then close it and
continue to pull the switch
briefly after the window has
fully closed.
4. Open the window and continue to press the switch briefly after
the window has fully opened.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, swing down the
sun visors. You can also remove
them from the center mount and
swing them to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirror
Vanity mirrors are on the back of the
sun visors. Swing down the sun
visor and open the cover.
Roof
Sunroof
If equipped, the sunroof only
operates when the ignition is on or
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) is
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0187.
Express-open : Press and release
eto express-open the sunroof.
Press again to stop the movement.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
58 Seats and Restraints
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.
Front Seat Armrest
There is an armrest on the inboard
side of the driver seat. To raise or
lower the armrest, push up or pull
down on the armrest.
Heated Front Seats
{Warning
If temperature change or pain to
the skin cannot be felt, the seat
heater may cause burns. To
reduce the risk of burns, use care
when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This may
cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
If equipped, the controls are on the
climate control system. To operate,
the engine must be running.
Press
MorLto heat the driver or
passenger seat. The indicator light
on the control turns on when this
feature is on. Press the control
again to turn this feature off.
The passenger seat may take
longer to heat up.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Seats and Restraints 73
fuel system after the airbags inflate.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. After turning the ignition
off and then on again, the fuel
system will return to normal
operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off,
and the hazard warning flashers can
be turned off using the controls for
those features. If any of these
systems are damaged in the crash
they may not operate as normal.
{Warning
A crash severe enough to inflate
the airbags may have also
damaged important functions in
the vehicle, such as the fuel
system, brake and steering
systems, etc. Even if the vehicle
appears to be drivable after a
moderate crash, there may be
concealed damage that could
make it difficult to safely operate
the vehicle.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Use caution if you should attempt
to restart the engine after a crash
has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to
inflate the airbag, windshields are
broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the front outboard
passenger airbag.
. Airbags are designed to inflate
only once. After an airbag
inflates, you will need some new
parts for the airbag system.
If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there
to help protect you in another
crash. A new system will include
airbag modules and possibly
other parts. The service manual
for the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
. The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy 0323 andEvent Data
Recorders 0323.
. Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the instrument panel
when the vehicle is started.
United States

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
102 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 103
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 103
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 104
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 104
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . 111
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 111 Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 113
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 113
Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . 115
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . 115
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Operate Pedal Light . . . . . . . . . . 116
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Power Steering Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 118
Ultrasonic Parking Sensor Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 118
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 120 Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 120
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Reduced Engine Power
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 121
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 121
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 122
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 122
Hood Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 128
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 129
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 129

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Instruments and Controls 107
Certain accessory power plugs may
not be compatible with the
accessory power outlet and could
overload vehicle or adapter fuses.
If a problem is experienced, see
your dealer.
When adding electrical equipment,
be sure to follow the proper
installation instructions included with
the equipment. SeeAdd-On
Electrical Equipment 0213.
Caution
Hanging heavy equipment from
the power outlet can cause
damage not covered by the
vehicle warranty. The power
outlets are designed for
accessory power plugs only, such
as cell phone charge cords.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Some warning lights come on briefly
when the engine is started to
indicate they are working. When
one of the warning lights comes on
and stays on while driving, or when
one of the gauges shows there may
be a problem, check the section that
explains what to do. Waiting to do
repairs can be costly and even
dangerous.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
110 Instruments and Controls
Speedometer
The speedometer shows the
vehicle's speed in either kilometers
per hour (km/h) or miles per
hour (mph).
Odometer
The odometer shows how far the
vehicle has been driven, in either
kilometers or miles.
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer shows how far
the vehicle has been driven since
the trip odometer was last reset.
The trip odometer is accessed and
reset through the Driver Information
Center (DIC). SeeDriver
Information Center (DIC) 0123.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine
speed in revolutions per
minute (rpm).
Caution
If the engine is operated with the
rpm’s in the warning area at the
high end of the tachometer, the
vehicle could be damaged, and
the damage would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Do not
operate the engine with the rpm’s
in the warning area.
Fuel Gauge
When the ignition is on, the fuel
gauge shows how much fuel is left
in the fuel tank. When the indicator nears empty, a fuel warning light will
come on. See
Low Fuel Warning
Light 0120. The vehicle still has a
little fuel left, but the vehicle should
be fueled soon. An arrow on the fuel
gauge indicates the side of the
vehicle the fuel door is on.
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. These are
normal and do not indicate a
problem with the fuel gauge:
. At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
. It takes a little more or less fuel
to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
fuel tank was half full, but it
actually took a little more or less
than half the fuel tank's capacity
to fill it.
. The indicator moves a little while
turning a corner or speeding up.
. The gauge goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off.