2019 CHEVROLET SONIC climate control

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
172 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Air Intake
Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from the air intake at the base of the
windshield that can block the flow of
air into the vehicle.
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule 0297.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0307.1. Open the glove box completely
and disconnect the damper on
the outboard side.
2. Push in both sides of the glove box and pull to remove.3. Install the new air filter.
4. Reinstall the air filter cover andglove box in reverse order.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Climate Controls 173
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.
The air conditioning system requires
periodic maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule0297.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Driving and Operating 175
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
180 Driving and Operating
.Pay attention to special road
signs (e.g., falling rocks area,
winding roads, long grades,
passing or no-passing zones)
and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and
the road creates less traction or
grip, so drive carefully. Wet ice can
occur at about 0 °C (32 °F) when
freezing rain begins to fall. Avoid
driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating
too quickly causes the wheels to
spin and makes the surface
under the tires slick.
. Turn on Traction Control. See
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0203.
. The Antilock Brake System
(ABS) improves vehicle stability
during hard stops, but the
brakes should be applied sooner than when on dry pavement.
See
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) 0201.
. Allow greater following distance
and watch for slippery spots. Icy
patches can occur on otherwise
clear roads in shaded areas.
The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear.
Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
. Turn off cruise control.
Blizzard Conditions
Stop the vehicle in a safe place and
signal for help. Stay with the vehicle
unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use Roadside
Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0317. To get
help and keep everyone in the
vehicle safe:
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{Warning
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
(Continued)

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Driving and Operating 181
Warning (Continued)
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See“Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0195.
To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow. If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 203.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0282.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
270 Vehicle Care
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions onspecified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Temperature
The temperature grades are A
(the highest), B, and C,
representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and
excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of
performance which all
passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Safety
Standard No. 109. Grades B and
A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum
required by law. Warning: The
temperature grade for this tire is
established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not
overloaded. Excessive speed,
underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat
buildup and possible tire failure.
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance
The tires and wheels were aligned
and balanced at the factory to
provide the longest tire life and best
overall performance. Adjustments to
wheel alignment and tire balancing
are not necessary on a regular
basis. Consider an alignment check
if there is unusual tire wear or the

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Index 341
Child Restraints (cont'd)Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96, 98
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Cleaning
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 169 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Clutch, Hydraulic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 320
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Compartments
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 336 Control
Traction and Electronic
Stability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Coolant Engine Temperature
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Cover Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 316 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Text Telephone (TTY)Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Customer Information Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 320
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 3
Data CollectionOnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 325
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 338
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 312
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 208
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Driving Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
For Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 25
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 181

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12461769) -
2019 - crc - 5/21/18
Index 347
S
Safety Defects ReportingCanadian Government . . . . . . . . 324
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 319
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 69
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 68
Seats
Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Lumbar Adjustment, Front . . . . . . 57
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 57
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 96, 98 Security
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 169
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 223
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 308
Maintenance, General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 309
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 319
Vehicle Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Services
Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Spare Tire
Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Special Application Services . . . . 302
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 120
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Storage Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 102
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243