
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 109
This light comes on when the hood
is open or not securely latched.
Before driving, check that the hood
is properly closed.
Door Ajar Light
This light comes on when a door is
open or not securely latched. Before
driving, check that all doors are
properly closed.
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about
the vehicle. It also displays warning
messages if a system problem is
detected. SeeVehicle Messages
0 113. All messages appear in the
DIC display in the instrument panel
cluster.
DIC Operation and Displays
On some models, the trip odometer
reset stem is used to operate the
DIC. On other models, the controls
for the DIC are on the turn signal
lever.
DIC Buttons
1. SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed. 2.
w/x:
Turn the band to scroll
through the menus.
3. MENU: Press to display the
Trip/Fuel menu and the Vehicle
Information menu. This button
is also used to return to or exit
the last screen displayed on
the DIC.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items (Base Level DIC)
Press MENU to view the DIC menu.
Some items display in the upper
display area, some in the lower
display area, and others use both
the upper and lower display areas.
Use
w/xto scroll through the
menu items. Not all items are
available on every vehicle. The
following is a list of possible menu
items:
. Remaining Oil Life
. Units
. Tire Learn

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
116 Instruments and Controls
The menu may contain the
following:
Rear Seat Reminder
This allows for a chime and a
message when the rear door has
been opened before or during
operation of the vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Collision / Detection Systems
Touch and the following may
display:
.Park Assist
. Rear Camera Park Assist
Symbols
Park Assist
This feature can assist in backing
up and parking the vehicle. See
Park Assist 0193.
Touch Off or On.
Rear Camera Park Assist Symbols
When on and an object is detected
behind the vehicle, the warning
symbols appear on the infotainment
display. See Park Assist0193. Touch Off or On.
Comfort and Convenience
Touch and the following may
display:
.
Chime Volume
. Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
Chime Volume
This allows the selection of the
chime volume level.
Touch the controls on the
infotainment display to adjust the
volume.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
When on and the front wiper is on,
the rear wiper will automatically
activate when the vehicle is shifted
to R (Reverse).
Touch Off or On.
Lighting
Touch and the following may
display:
. Vehicle Locator Lights
. Exit Lighting Vehicle Locator Lights
This feature will flash the exterior
lamps and allows some exterior
lamps and most interior lamps to
turn on briefly when
Kon the
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter is pressed to locate the
vehicle.
Touch Off or On.
Exit Lighting
This allows the selection of how
long the exterior lamps stay on
when leaving the vehicle when it is
dark outside.
Touch Off, 30 Seconds, 60 Seconds,
or 120 Seconds.
Power Door Locks
Touch and the following may
display:
. Open Door Anti Lock Out
. Auto Door Unlock
. Delayed Door Lock

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Lighting 119
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . 119
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 121
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Battery Load Management . . . 124
Battery Power Protection . . . . . 125
Exterior Lighting Battery Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is on the
instrument panel to the outboard
side of the steering column.
There are four positions:
O: Turns the exterior lamps off and
deactivates the AUTO mode. Turn
to
Oagain to reactivate the
AUTO mode.
In Canada, the headlamps will
automatically reactivate when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
AUTO : Automatically turns the
exterior lamps on and off,
depending on outside lighting.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
120 Lighting
;:Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps except the
headlamps.
5: Turns the headlamps on
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights. A warning
chime sounds if the driver door is
opened when the ignition switch is
off and the headlamps are on.
#: If equipped with fog lamps,
press to turn the lamps on or off.
See Fog Lamps 0122.
When the lights are on,
;will be
lit. See Lamps On Reminder 0108.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3:Push the turn signal lever away
from you to turn the high beams on. Push the lever again or pull the
lever toward you to return to low
beams.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The engine is running.
When the DRL are on, only the
low-beam headlamps, at a reduced
level of brightness, will be on. The
taillamps, sidemarker, instrument
panel, and other lamps will not
be on.
The headlamps automatically
change from DRL to the regular
headlamps depending on the
darkness of the surroundings. The
other lamps that come on with the
headlamps will also come on.
When it is bright enough outside,
the headlamps go off and the DRL
come on.
To turn the DRL lamps off or on
again, turn the exterior lamp control
to
Oand then release. For vehicles

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Lighting 121
first sold in Canada, the DRL can
only be turned off when the vehicle
is parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the exterior lamp control is in the
automatic position, the headlamps
come on automatically. SeeExterior
Lamp Controls 0119.
The vehicle has a light sensor on
top of the instrument panel. Make
sure it is not covered, or the
headlamps will be on when they are
not needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are
not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|:Press and momentarily hold
this button to make the front and
rear turn signal lamps flash on and
off. This warns others that you are
having trouble. Press and
momentarily hold again to turn the
flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
An arrow on the instrument cluster
will flash in the direction of the turn
or lane change.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. Hold it there until the lane

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 163
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. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water
can build up under the vehicle's
tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is
wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no
contact with the road. There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to
slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet
weather driving tips include:
.
Allow extra following distance.
. Pass with caution.
. Keep windshield wiping
equipment in good shape.
. Keep the windshield washer fluid
reservoir filled.
. Have good tires with proper
tread depth. See Tires0233.
. Turn off cruise control.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through
mountains is different than driving
on flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in
good shape.
. Check all fluid levels and brakes,
tires, cooling system, and
transmission.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 165
Assistance. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program 0298. 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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.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
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0179.
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
0 185.
{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).

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
166 Driving and Operating
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,
seeTowing the Vehicle 0262.
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.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle. Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). The Tire and
Loading Information label shows
the number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.