Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/30/18
Driving and Operating 179
Caution
Use the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in—or pushed all
the way in toward the steering
column when turning off the
vehicle —and turn it only with
your hand.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position allows features such as the
infotainment system to operate
while the vehicle is off. It also
unlocks the steering column,
if equipped with a locking steering
column. Use this position if the
vehicle must be pushed or towed.
See Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0183.
From ON/RUN, push the key all the
way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If the key is left in ACC/
ACCESSORY with the engine off,
the battery could drain and the
vehicle may not start. A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
2 (ON/RUN) :
This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.
If the key is left in ON/RUN with the
engine off, the battery could drain
and the vehicle may not start.
3 (START) : This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
returns to ON/RUN for driving.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the
proper gear.
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
See Add-On Electrical Equipment
0 210.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the vehicle
when it is already moving, use
N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/30/18
180 Driving and Operating
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor, press the brake pedal and
start the engine.
Key Access1. With your foot off the accelerator pedal, turn the
ignition key to START. When
the engine starts, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go
down as the engine warms. Do
not race the engine
immediately after starting it.
Allow the oil to warm up and
lubricate all moving parts.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather
(below −18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Push the accelerator
pedal all the way to the floor
and hold it there as you hold
the key in START for a
maximum of 15 seconds. Wait
at least 15 seconds between
each try, to allow the cranking
motor to cool. When the engine
starts, let go of the key and
accelerator. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again,
repeat the procedure. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Keyless Access 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. For
vehicles with an automatic
transmission, press the brake
pedal, then press ENGINE
START/STOP on the
instrument panel.
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, press the clutch
pedal and the brake pedal first,
then press ENGINE
START/STOP.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/30/18
Driving and Operating 181
If the RKE transmitter is not in
the vehicle, if there is
interference, or if the RKE
battery is low, a Driver
Information Center (DIC)
message will display.
SeeDriver Information Center
(DIC) 0114 and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Key Access) 027 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Keyless
Access) 029.
Caution
Cranking the engine for long
periods of time, by returning the
ignition to the START position
immediately after cranking has
ended, can overheat and damage
the cranking motor, and drain the
battery. Wait at least 15 seconds
between each try, to let the
cranking motor cool down.
2. If the engine does not start after five to 10 seconds,
especially in very cold weather (below
−18 °C or 0 °F), it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you press ENGINE START/
STOP, for up to a maximum of
15 seconds. Wait at least
15 seconds between each try,
to allow the cranking motor to
cool down. When the engine
starts, let go of the button and
the accelerator. If the vehicle
starts briefly but then stops
again, do the same thing. This
clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. Do not race the
engine immediately after
starting it. Operate the engine
and transmission gently until
the oil warms up and lubricates
all moving parts.
Engine Heater
The engine heater can provide
easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up in
cold weather conditions at or below −18 °C or 0 °F. Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in
at least four hours before starting.
{Warning
Do not plug in the engine block
heater while the vehicle is parked
in a garage or under a carport.
Property damage or personal
injury may result. Always park the
vehicle in a clear open area away
from buildings or structures.
1. Turn off the engine.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/30/18
184 Driving and Operating
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave
the driver seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting Into Park” previously in this
section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so you can pull
the shift lever out of P (Park).
Shifting out of Park
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock release system. The shift lock
release is designed to:
. Prevent ignition key removal
unless the shift lever is in
P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is on and the brake
pedal is applied.
The shift lock release is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0273.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Start the vehicle.
3. Press the shift lever button. 4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If the shift lever still cannot be
moved from P (Park), have the
vehicle serviced soon.
The doors may lock when shifting
from P (Park). See Automatic Door
Locks 035.
Parking (Manual
Transmission)
{Warning
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, never get out of the
vehicle without first moving the
(Continued)
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/30/18
Driving and Operating 211
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 070 and Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 71.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/26/18
212 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 214
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 222
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 223
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 227
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229 Battery - North America . . . . . . 231
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 232
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 233
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 234
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 235
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
LED Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
License Plate Lamp . . . . . . . . . . 240
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 241
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 242
Engine Compartment Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 249
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Wheel Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/26/18
Vehicle Care 213
Uniform Tire QualityGrading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 265
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 272
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North
America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0231
and Jump Starting - North America
0 273 and the back cover.
Chevrolet Spark Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-12146335) -
2019 - CRC - 4/26/18
218 Vehicle Care
1.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter 0223.
2. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0218.
3. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0218.
4. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 224.
5. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0229 and
Hydraulic Clutch 0222.
6. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See
Cooling System 0224.
7. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 228.
8. Battery - North America 0231.
9. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0242.
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 0220.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
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
0217 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.
Follow these guidelines:
. To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground.
Check the engine oil level after
the engine has been off for at
least two hours. Checking the
engine oil level on steep grades
or too soon after engine shutoff
can result in incorrect readings.
Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if