2019 CHEVROLET SONIC brake

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
118 Instruments and Controls
The vehicle may not pass
inspection if:
.The light is on when the engine
is running.
. The light does not come on
when the ignition is on with the
engine not running for Key
Access or in Service Mode for
Keyless Access.
. Critical emission control systems
have not been completely
diagnosed. If this happens, the
vehicle would not be ready for
inspection and might require
several days of routine driving
before the system is ready for
inspection. This can happen if
the 12-volt battery has recently
been replaced or run down, or if
the vehicle has been recently
serviced.
See your dealer if the vehicle will
not pass or cannot be made ready
for the test.Service Vehicle Soon
Light
For vehicles with this light, it comes
on if a condition exists that may
require the vehicle to be taken in for
service.
If the light comes on, take the
vehicle to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Owner Manual Indicator
This symbol is shown when you
need to see the owner ’s manual for
additional instructions or
information.
Brake System Warning
Light
The vehicle brake system consists
of two hydraulic circuits. If one
circuit is not working, the remaining
circuit can still work to stop the
vehicle. For normal braking
performance, both circuits need to
be working
If the warning light comes on, there
is a brake problem. Have the brake
system inspected right away.
{Warning
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
(Continued)

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Instruments and Controls 119
Warning (Continued)
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you if there is
a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will also come
on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking
brake does not fully release. If it
stays on after the parking brake is
fully released, it means there is a
brake problem. If the light comes on while driving,
carefully pull off the road and stop.
The pedal may be harder to push or
may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See
Towing the Vehicle
0 282.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 118.
Operate Pedal Light
This light comes on when the clutch
or brake pedal needs to be applied
to start the vehicle.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
130 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the DIC
indicate the status of the vehicle or
some action that may be needed to
correct a condition. Multiple
messages appear one after another.
All messages should be taken
seriously.
Base Level Cluster
On the base level cluster, vehicle
messages appear as code numbers.
Some of these codes may appear
with the Service Vehicle Soon light
in the DIC display.
2 :No Remote Detected. Press
Clutch to Restart
3 : Coolant Level Low Add Coolant
4 : A/C Off Due to High
Engine Temp
5 : Steering Column Is Locked
6 : Step on Brake to Release Park
Brake
7 : Turn Steering Wheel, Turn Key
Off, Then On 9 :
Turn Steering Wheel, Start
Vehicle Again
10 : Brakes Overheated
11 : Brakes Worn
12 : Vehicle Overloaded
13 : Compressor Overheated
15 : Check High Mounted
Brake Lamp
16 : Check Brake Lamps
17 : Headlamp Leveling Malfunction
18 : Left Low Beam Failure
19 : Check Rear Fog Lamp
20 : Check Right Low Beam Lamp
21 : Check Left Position Lamp
22 : Check Right Position Lamp
23 : Reversing Lamp Failure
24 : License Plate Lamp Failure
25 : Check Left Front Turn
Signal Lamp
26 : Left Rear Turn Indicator Failure
27 : Check Right Front Turn
Signal Lamp 28 :
Check Right Rear Turn
Signal Lamp
35 : Replace Battery In Remote Key
36 : Stabilitrak/Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) Initializing
49 : Lane Departure Warning
Unavailable
52 : Change Timing Belt
53 : Tighten Gas Cap
56 : Pressure Imbalance Front
57 : Pressure Imbalance Rear
59 : Open, Then Close Driver
Window
60 : Open, Then Close Passenger
Window
61 : Open, Then Close Left Rear
Window
62 : Open, Then Close Right Rear
Window
65 : Theft Attempted
66 : Service Theft Alarm
67 : Service Steering Column Lock
68 : Service Power Steering, Drive
with Care

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Instruments and Controls 131
70 :Service Leveling System
75 : Service AC System
77 : Service Front Camera System
78 : Service Pedestrian Protection
79 : Engine Oil Low –Add Oil
81 : Service Transmission
82 : Change Engine Oil Soon
84 : Engine Power Is Reduced
88 : Use Transmitter Pocket to Start
89 : Service Vehicle Soon
91 : No Remote Detected
92 : No Remote Detected, Press
Brake To Restart
93 : Press Button Again To Turn
Engine Off
94 : Shift to Park
95 : Service Airbag
99 : Pedestrian Protection System
Disabled
120 : Reduce Speed For Hill
Descent Control 136 :
Service Park Assist
145 : Washer Fluid Low —Add
Fluid
151 : Press Clutch to Start
174 : Low Battery
258 : Park Assist Off
:% CHANGE
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When changing the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System 0229,
Engine Oil 0227, and Maintenance
Schedule 0297.
LF XX, RF XX, LR XX,
or RR XX
A message displays when the tire
pressure is low. It shows the
location of the low tire and the
approximate pressure of the low tire.
If a tire pressure message appears,
stop as soon as you can. Inflate the
tires by adding air until the tire
pressure is equal to the values shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See
Tires0253,
Vehicle Load Limits 0181, and Tire
Pressure 0260.
Uplevel Cluster
Messages that do not require
immediate action can be
acknowledged and cleared by
pressing SET/CLR.
Messages that require immediate
action cannot be cleared until that
action is performed. Clearing
messages does not correct the
problem.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's propulsion power is
reduced. Reduced propulsion power
can affect the vehicle's ability to
accelerate. If this message is on,
but there is no observed reduction
in performance, proceed to your
destination. The performance may
be reduced the next time the vehicle
is driven. The vehicle may be driven

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
174 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 178
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 179
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 181
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 185
Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Extended Parking (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 196
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 199
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 203
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 208
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 209
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 216
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 217
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
176 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for
more information on using that
system and the navigation system,
if equipped, including pairing and
using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always
expect the unexpected.” The first
step in driving defensively is to wear
the seat belt. See Seat Belts062.
. Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and
other drivers) are going to be
careless and make mistakes.
Anticipate what they might do
and be ready.
. Allow enough following distance
between you and the driver in
front of you. .
Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a global
tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious —or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
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 accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
. Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Driving and Operating 177
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time while the
vehicle is not moving, power assist
may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.See your dealer if there is a
problem.
Curve Tips
.
Take curves at a reasonable
speed.
. Reduce speed before entering a
curve.
. Maintain a reasonable steady
speed through the curve.
. Wait until the vehicle is out of
the curve before accelerating
gently into the straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
.There are some situations when
steering around a problem may
be more effective than braking.
. Holding both sides of the
steering wheel allows you to turn
180 degrees without removing
a hand.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) allows steering while
braking.
Off-Road Recovery
The vehicle's right wheels can drop
off the edge of a road onto the
shoulder while driving. Follow
these tips:
1. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer the vehicle so that it
straddles the edge of the
pavement.
2. Turn the steering wheel about one-eighth of a turn, until the
right front tire contacts the
pavement edge.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
178 Driving and Operating
3. Turn the steering wheel to gostraight down the roadway.
Loss of Control
Skidding
There are three types of skids that
correspond to the vehicle's three
control systems:
.Braking Skid —wheels are not
rolling.
. Steering or Cornering Skid —
too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force.
. Acceleration Skid —too much
throttle causes the driving
wheels to spin.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids
by taking reasonable care suited to
existing conditions, and by not
overdriving those conditions. But
skids are always possible.
If the vehicle starts to slide, follow
these suggestions: .
Ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and steer the
way you want the vehicle to go.
The vehicle may straighten out.
Be ready for a second skid if it
occurs.
. Slow down and adjust your
driving according to weather
conditions. Stopping distance
can be longer and vehicle
control can be affected when
traction is reduced by water,
snow, ice, gravel, or other
material on the road. Learn to
recognize warning clues —such
as enough water, ice, or packed
snow on the road to make a
mirrored surface —and slow
down when you have any doubt.
. Try to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking,
including reducing vehicle speed
by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause
the tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce
vehicle traction and affect your
ability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these types
of driving conditions and avoid
driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle (Continued)