Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Instruments and Controls 89
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 90
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 90
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . 91
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 91
Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . 92
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . . 98
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Charging System Light . . . . . . . 100
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 100
Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . 102
Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . 102
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Operate Pedal Light . . . . . . . . . . 103
Power Steering Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 104
Ultrasonic Parking Sensor Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 106
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . 107
Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Reduced Engine Power
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 108
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 108
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 108
Hood Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 115
Vehicle Speed Messages . . . . . 115
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 115
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
100 Instruments and Controls
Warning (Continued)
away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light 098 for more information,
including important safety
information.
Charging System Light
This light will come on briefly when
the ignition is turned on, and the
engine is not running, as a check to
show it is working.
It should go out when the engine is
started. If it stays on, or comes on
while driving, there may be a
problem with the electrical charging
system. Have it checked by your
dealer. Driving while this light is on
could drain the battery. If a short
distance must be driven with the
light on, turn off all accessories, such as the radio and air
conditioner, to help reduce the drain
on the battery.
Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (Check Engine
Light)
This light is part of the vehicle’s
emission control on-board
diagnostic system. If this light is on
while the engine is running, a
malfunction has been detected and
the vehicle may require service. The
light should come on to show that it
is working when the ignition is on
with the engine not running for Key
Access or in Service Mode for
Keyless Access. See
Ignition
Positions (Keyless Access) 0170 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 172.
Malfunctions are often indicated by
the system before any problem is
noticeable. Being aware of the light
and seeking service promptly when
it comes on may prevent damage.
Caution
If the vehicle is driven continually
with this light on, the emission
control system may not work as
well, the fuel economy may be
lower, and the vehicle may not
run smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs that might not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Caution
Modifications to the engine,
transmission, exhaust, intake,
or fuel system, or the use of
replacement tires that do not
meet the original tire
specifications, can cause this light
to come on. This could lead to
(Continued)
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
124 Lighting
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps turn on briefly at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when
K
is pressed on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. When a
door is opened, the interior lamps
come on if the dome lamp control is
in the Door position. They stay on
for about 20 seconds. When all of
the doors have been closed or the
ignition is turned on, they gradually
fade out.
This feature can be changed. See
“Vehicle Locator Lights”under
Vehicle Personalization 0115.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the key is
removed from the ignition. The
exterior lamps and dome lamp
remain on for a set amount of time,
then automatically turn off. If equipped with Keyless Access,
the exterior lamps automatically turn
on when a door is opened after the
ignition is turned off. The dome
lamps also come on after the
ignition is turned off. See
Ignition
Positions (Keyless Access) 0170 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 172.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0115.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
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Infotainment System 133
channel as a favorite. Touch a
saved favorite to recall a favorite
station or channel.
Favorites can also be stored by
touching
Hin a station or channel
list. This will highlight indicating that
it is now stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites displayed is
automatically adjusted by default,
but can be manually adjusted in
Settings in the System tab under
Favorites and then Set Number of
Audio Favorites. It can also be
adjusted in Settings in the Apps tab
under Audio and then Set Number
of Audio Favorites.
Satellite Radio
If equipped, vehicles with a valid
SiriusXM satellite radio subscription
can receive SXM programming.
SiriusXM satellite radio has a wide
variety of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
In the U.S., see www.siriusxm.com or call 1-888-601-6296. In Canada,
see www.siriusxm.ca or call
1-877-438-9677.
When SXM is active, the channel
name, number, song title, and artist
display on the screen.
Radio Reception
Unplug electronic devices from the
accessory power outlets if there is
interference or static in the radio.
FM
FM signals only reach about 16 to
65 km (10 to 40 mi). Although the
radio has a built-in electronic circuit
that automatically works to reduce
interference, some static can occur,
especially around tall buildings or
hills, causing the sound to fade in
and out.
AM
The range for most AM stations is
greater than for FM, especially at
night. The longer range can cause
station frequencies to interfere with
each other. Static can also occur
when things like storms and powerlines interfere with radio reception.
When this happens, try reducing the
treble on the radio.
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Service
If equipped, SiriusXM Satellite
Radio Service provides digital radio
reception. Tall buildings or hills can
interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and
out. In addition, traveling or standing
under heavy foliage, bridges,
garages, or tunnels may cause loss
of the SiriusXM signal for a period
of time.
Cell Phone Usage
Cell phone usage, such as making
or receiving phone calls, charging,
or just having the phone on may
cause static interference in the
radio. Unplug the phone or turn it off
if this happens.
Backglass Antenna
The AM-FM antenna is integrated
with the rear window defogger in the
rear window. Do not scratch the
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134 Infotainment System
inside surface or damage the lines
in the glass. If the inside surface is
damaged, it could interfere with
radio reception. For proper radio
reception, the antenna connector
needs to be properly attached to the
post on the glass.
If attaching a cell phone antenna to
the glass, attach it between the grid
lines.
Caution
Using a razor blade or sharp
object to clear the inside rear
window can damage the rear
window antenna and/or the rear
window defogger. Repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Do not clear the inside
rear window with sharp objects.
Caution
Do not apply aftermarket glass
tinting with metallic film. The
metallic film in some tinting
materials will interfere with or
distort the incoming radio
reception. Any damage caused to
the backglass antenna due to
metallic tinting materials will not
be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
Multi-Band Antenna
The roof antenna is for OnStar,
SiriusXM Satellite Radio (U.S. and
Canada only), and GPS (Global
Positioning System). Keep clear of
obstructions for clear reception.
If the vehicle has a sunroof, and it is
open, reception can also be
affected.
Audio Players
Avoiding Untrusted Media
Devices
When using media devices such as
CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, SD
cards, USB devices, and mobile
devices, consider the source.
Untrusted media devices could
contain files that affect system
operation or performance. Avoid use
if the content or origin cannot be
trusted.
USB Port
Audio stored on a USB device may
be listened to.
This vehicle has two USB ports in
the center stack. These ports are for
data and charging.
Caution
To avoid vehicle damage, unplug
all accessories and disconnect all
accessory cables from the vehicle(Continued)
Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
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178 Driving and Operating
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
brake pedal down. Then see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pressing the
button on the shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock
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 control. The shift lock control is
designed to:
.
Prevent ignition key removal,
if equipped, 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 control 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 0260. To shift out of P (Park):
1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition on.
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 you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
The doors may lock when shifting
from P (Park). See Automatic Door
Locks 023.
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318 Index
AudioBluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Automatic Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . .211
Automatic Transmission Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Auxiliary Jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Avoiding Untrusted Media Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
B
Backglass Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
BatteryExterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Battery - North America . . . . 220, 260
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . . . 222
Bluetooth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140, 141
Bluetooth Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Brake
System Warning Light . . . . . . . . 102
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . 170
Bulb Replacement Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Headlamps and Front Turn
Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . . . 227
Taillamps, Turn Signal,
Stoplamps, and Back-up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
California Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 California
Proposition
65 Warning . . . . . . . . . .203, 220, 260,
Back Cover
Camera Rear Vision (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . 2
Capacities and
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Carbon Monoxide Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Caution, Danger, and Warning . . . . 2
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . . 100
Check Engine Light (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Ignition Transmission Lock . . . 221
Child Restraints Infants and Young Children . . . . . 66
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
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322 Index
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . . . 235
LampsCourtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . 120
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119
Exterior Lighting BatterySaver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Malfunction Indicator
(Check Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Lane Departure Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
LATCH System
Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Lighting Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Lighting (cont'd)
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 102
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Check Engine (Malfunction
Indicator) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 106
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 106
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 120
Hood Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lane Departure Warning . . . . . . 104
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Operate Pedal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Reduced Engine Power . . . . . . 107
Seat Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Service Vehicle Soon . . . . . . . . . 102
StabiliTrak OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Lights (cont'd)
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Ultrasonic Parking Sensor . . . . 104
Warning, Power Steering . . . . . 103
Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . . 107
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
M
MaintenanceRecords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Maintenance and Care Additional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . 278