Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
2 Introduction
Introduction
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem, and
SONIC are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name“General
Motors of Canada Company” for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual. This manual describes features that
may or may not be on the vehicle
because of optional equipment that
was not purchased on the vehicle,
model variants, country
specifications, features/applications
that may not be available in your
region, or changes subsequent to
the printing of this owner
’s manual.
Refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm the
features.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
A French language manual can be
obtained from your dealer, at
www.helminc.com, or from:
Propriétaires Canadiens
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
Attention: Customer Service
47911 Halyard Drive
Plymouth, MI 48170
USA
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 84096120 B Second Printing©2017 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
18 In Brief
1. Move the shift lever fromD (Drive) rearward to
M (Manual Mode).
2. Press the + (plus) end of the
button on the side of the shift
lever to upshift, or press the −
(minus) end of the button to
downshift.
See Manual Mode 0193.
Manual Transmission
Up-Shift Light
Vehicles equipped with a manual
transmission have an up-shift light.
This light indicates when to shift to
the next higher gear for better fuel
economy.
For the best fuel economy,
accelerate slowly and shift when the
light comes on, if weather, road, and
traffic conditions allow.
It is normal for the light to go on and
off if the accelerator position
changes quickly. Ignore the light
during downshifts. Reverse Lockout
The manual transmission is
equipped with a reverse lockout
ring. To shift into R (Reverse), press
down the clutch pedal, lift up the
ring on the shift lever, and shift into
R (Reverse). Let up on the clutch
pedal slowly while pressing the
accelerator pedal.
See
Manual Transmission 0194.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 35
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Programming without Recognized
Transmitters
If two currently recognized
transmitters are not available, follow
this procedure to program up to
eight transmitters. This feature is
not available in Canada. This
procedure will take approximately
30 minutes to complete. The vehicle
must be off and all of the
transmitters to be programmed must
be with you. 1. Insert the vehicle key of the transmitter into the key lock
cylinder on the outside of the
driver door and turn the key
counterclockwise five times
within 10 seconds.
The Driver Information Center
(DIC) displays REMOTE
LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT. 2. Wait for 10 minutes until the
DIC displays PRESS ENGINE
START BUTTON TO LEARN
and then press ENGINE
START/STOP.
The DIC will again display
REMOTE LEARN PENDING,
PLEASE WAIT.
3. Repeat Step 2 two additional times. After the third time, all
previously known transmitters
will no longer work with the
vehicle. Remaining transmitters
can be relearned during the
next steps.
The DIC should now display
READY FOR REMOTE # 1.
4. Place the new transmitter intothe front cupholder.
5. Press ENGINE START/STOP. When the transmitter is
learned, the DIC will show that
it is ready to program the next
transmitter.
6. Remove the transmitter from the front cupholder and
press
K.
To program additional
transmitters, repeat Steps 4–6.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
36 Keys, Doors, and Windows
When all additional transmitters
are programmed, press and
hold ENGINE START/STOP for
10 seconds to exit
programming mode.
Starting the Vehicle with a Low
Transmitter Battery
While trying to start the vehicle,
if the transmitter battery is weak, the
DIC may display NO REMOTE
DETECTED. The REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message may also be displayed at
this time.1. Place the transmitter in the front cupholder.
2. With the vehicle in P (Park) orN (Neutral), press the brake
pedal and press ENGINE
START/STOP. See Starting the
Engine 0184.
Replace the transmitter battery
as soon as possible.
Battery Replacement
Replace the battery if the REPLACE
BATTERY IN REMOTE KEY
message displays in the DIC.
Caution
When replacing the battery, do
not touch any of the circuitry on
the transmitter. Static from your
body could damage the
transmitter.
The battery is not rechargeable. To
replace the battery:
1. Press the button on the side of the transmitter near the bottom
and pull the key out.
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
72 Seats and Restraints
For airbag locations, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? 069.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering
wheel or the instrument panel. In
moderate to severe side collisions,
even belted occupants can contact
the inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection
provided by seat belts by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the
first and second rows. The rollover
capable roof-rail airbags are
designed to help reduce the risk of
full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections. But airbags would not help in many
types of collisions, primarily
because the occupant's motion is
not toward those airbags. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? 070.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to seat belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
After frontal, knee, and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize the airbags inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after
they inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 069.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be warm,
but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not
prevent the driver from seeing out of
the windshield or being able to steer
the vehicle, nor does it prevent
people from leaving the vehicle.
{Warning
When an airbag inflates, there
may be dust in the air. This dust
could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of
asthma or other breathing trouble.
To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as
it is safe to do so. If you have
breathing problems but cannot
get out of the vehicle after an
airbag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.
If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek
medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may
automatically unlock the doors, turn
on the interior lamps and hazard
warning flashers, and shut off the
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
Seats and Restraints 91
Restraint Removal and
Reinstallation”at the end
of this section.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on the
child restraint to the lower
anchors.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached,
attach and tighten the top
tether to the top tether anchor,
if equipped. Refer to the child
restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Find the top tether anchor.
2.2. Open the cover, if equipped, to access the
top tether anchors.
2.3. For hatchback models, remove the cargo cover
before installing the top
tether. The cargo cover
should remain off while
the top tether is in use. 2.4. Route and tighten the top
tether according to your
child restraint instructions
and the following
instructions:
If the position you are
using does not have a
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a
single tether, route the
tether over the seatback.
If the position you are
using does not have a
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a dual
tether, route the tether
over the seatback.
If the position you are
using has an adjustable
headrest or head restraint
and you are using a
single tether, raise the
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Instruments and Controls 113
Warning (Continued)
Light0111 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Charging System Light
This light will come on briefly when
the ignition is turned on, and the
engine is not running, as a check to
show it is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started. If it stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery. If a short
distance must be driven with the
light on, turn off all accessories, such as the radio and air
conditioner, to help reduce the drain
on the battery.
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine
Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board
diagnostic system. If this light is on
while the engine is running, a
malfunction has been detected and
the vehicle may require service. The
light should come on to show that it
is working when the ignition is on
with the engine not running for Key
Access or in Service Mode for
Keyless Access.
See
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 181 orIgnition Positions (Keyless
Access) 0183.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when
it comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not
run smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not
meet the original tire
specifications, can cause this light
to come on. This could lead to
(Continued)