2020 CHEVROLET SONIC brakes

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 103
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop carefully.
The brake pedal might be harder to
push, or the brake pedal may go
closer to the floor. It could take
longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service.
SeeTowing the Vehicle 0262.
{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
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
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
0 102.
Operate Pedal Light
This light comes on when the clutch
or brake pedal needs to be applied
to start the vehicle.
Power Steering Warning
Light
This light comes on briefly when the
ignition is turned on as a check to
show it is working.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 113
OIL LIFE 99 % is displayed, that
means 99% of the current oil life
remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message will appear on the display.
The oil should changed as soon as
possible. SeeEngine Oil0208. In
addition to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule. See
Maintenance Schedule 0278.
Remember, the Oil Life display must
be reset after each oil change. It will
not reset itself. Also, be careful not
to reset the Oil Life display
accidentally at any time other than
when the oil has just been changed.
It cannot be reset accurately until
the next oil change. To reset the
engine oil life system, press SET/
CLR while the Oil Life display is
active. See Engine Oil Life System
0 210.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

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 115
Information label. SeeTires0233,
Vehicle Load Limits 0166, and Tire
Pressure 0240.
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. A reduction in 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
while this message is on, but maximum acceleration and speed
may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, or displays
repeatedly, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as
soon as possible.
Under certain operating conditions,
propulsion will be disabled. Try
restarting after the vehicle has been
off for 30 seconds.
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO XXX
KM/H (MPH)
This message shows that the
vehicle speed has been limited to
the speed displayed. The limited
speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems,
such as lubrication, brakes, thermal,
suspension, Teen Driver if
equipped, or tires.
Vehicle
Personalization
The following are all possible
vehicle personalization features.
Depending on the vehicle, some
may not be available.
For System and Apps features and
functions, see
Settings0147.
To access the vehicle
personalization menu: 1. Touch the Settings icon on the Home Page of the infotainment
display.
2. Touch Vehicle to display a list of available options.
3. Touch to select the desired feature setting.
4. Touch
9orRto turn a feature
off or on.
5. Touch
zto go to the top level
of the Settings menu.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
158 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 163
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 163
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 165
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 170
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Extended Parking (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 180
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 184
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 190
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 191
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 198
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 198
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 161
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.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering
system, do not drive over curbs,
parking barriers, or similar objects
at speeds greater than 3 km/h
(1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane
dividers and speed bumps.
Damage caused by misuse of the
vehicle is not covered by the
vehicle warranty.
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.

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
164 Driving and Operating
.Shift to a lower gear when going
down steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering assist. Always
have the engine running and the
vehicle in gear. .
Drive at speeds that keep the
vehicle in its own lane. Do not
swing wide or cross the
center line.
. Be alert on top of hills;
something could be in your lane
(e.g., stalled car, crash).
. 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 0185.
. 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) 0183.
. 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

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 171
Information Center (DIC) will display
the message SHIFT TO PARK.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
switch to OFF.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park).
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0184.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
press and hold ENGINE START/
STOP for longer than two seconds,
or press twice in five seconds.
ACC/ACCESSORY (Amber
Indicator Light) : This mode allows
you to use some electrical
accessories when the engine is off.
With the ignition off, pressing the
button one time without the brake
pedal applied will place the ignition
system in ACC/ACCESSORY.
The ignition will switch from ACC/
ACCESSORY to OFF after
five minutes to prevent battery
rundown. ON/RUN/START (Green Indicator
Light) :
This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off and the
brake pedal applied, pressing
ENGINE START/STOP once will
place the ignition system in ON/
RUN/START. Once engine cranking
begins, release the button. Engine
cranking will continue until the
engine starts. See Starting the
Engine 0174. The ignition will then
remain in ON/RUN.
Service Mode
This power mode is available for
service and diagnostics, and to
verify the proper operation of the
malfunction indicator lamp as may
be required for emission inspection
purposes. With the vehicle off, and
the brake pedal not applied,
pressing and holding ENGINE
START/STOP for more than
five seconds will place the vehicle in
Service Mode. The instruments and
audio systems will operate as they
do in ON/RUN, but the vehicle will
not be able to be driven. The engine