oil change CHEVROLET CRUZE 2012 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
%:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/Stabilitrak®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-21
Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays the CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON DIC message or
Code 82 DIC message when it is
necessary to change the engine oil
and filter.
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 break="2"
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 the
SET button while the Oil Life display
is active.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Using the DIC MENU button andthumbwheel, scroll until you
reach REMAINING OIL LIFE on
the DIC (oil can symbol with
% sign for Canada). 2. Press the SET button to reset
the oil life at 100%. When
prompted, use the thumbwheel
to highlight YES or NO. Press
the SET/CLEAR button to
confirm.
Be careful not to reset the oil life
display accidentally at any time
other than after the oil is changed.
It cannot be reset accurately.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12.
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
.When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly
inflated.
.Combine several trips into a
single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
5-26 Instruments and Controls
Timer
This display can be used as a timer.
To start the timer, press SET/CLR
while Timer is displayed. The
display will show the amount of time
that has passed since the timer was
last reset, not including time the
ignition is off. Time will continue to
be counted as long as the ignition is
on, even if another display is being
shown on the DIC. The timer will
record up to 99 hours, 59 minutes,
and 59 seconds (99:59:59) after
which the display will return to zero.
To stop the timer, press SET/CLR
briefly while Timer is displayed. To
reset the timer to zero, press and
hold SET/CLR.
Digital Speed
The speedometer shows how fast
the vehicle is moving in either
kilometers per hour (km/h) or miles
per hour (mph). The speedometer
cannot be reset.Navigation
This display is used for the OnStar
or navigation system Turn-by-Turn
guidance. See the OnStar Owner's
Guide or the navigation manual,
if the vehicle has navigation, for
more information.
Vehicle Information Menu
Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until Vehicle Information menu
is displayed. Use
w xto scroll
through the menu items. Not all
items are available on every vehicle.
The following is a list of all possible
menu items:
.Units
.Tire Pressure
.Remaining Oil Life
.Coolant Temperature
.Battery Voltage
.Blank Display Units
Move
w xto change between
Metric or US when the Unit display
is active. Press SET/CLR to confirm
the setting. On some models, you
will have to select 1, 2, or 3 for the
Unit display. 1 is Imperial units, 2 is
US units, and 3 is metric units. This
will change the displays on the
cluster and DIC to the type of
measurements you select.
Tire Pressure
The display may show a vehicle
with the approximate pressures of
all four tires. Tire pressure is
displayed in either kilopascal (kPa)
or in pounds per square inch (psi).
On some models, this display only
allows for matching of the TPMS
sensors. In this case, the display
will show TIRE LEARN. See Tire
Pressure Monitor System on
page 10‑50 andTire Pressure
Monitor Operation on page 10‑52 for
more information.

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-27
Remaining Oil Life
This display shows an estimate of
the oil's remaining useful life.
If REMAINING OIL LIFE 99% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains. This display
may be shown as
:%.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message, or Code 82, will appear
on the display. See Engine Oil
Messages on page 5‑30 and
“Vehicle Messages (Canadian Base
Level)” following. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9. In addition
to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule in this
manual. See Maintenance Schedule
on page 11‑3 for more information. 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 the
SET/CLR button while the Oil Life
display is active. See
Engine Oil
Life System on page 10‑12.
Coolant Temperature
This display, available on some
vehicles, shows the temperature of
the engine cooling system fluid in
either degrees Celsius (°C) or
degrees Fahrenheit (°F).
Battery Voltage
This display, available on some
vehicles, shows the current battery
voltage. If the voltage is in the
normal range, the value will display.
For example, the display may read
Battery Voltage 15.0 Volts. The vehicle's charging system
regulates voltage based on the state
of the battery. The battery voltage
can fluctuate while viewing this
information on the DIC. This is
normal. See
Charging System Light
on page 5‑13 for more information.
If there is a problem with the battery
charging system, the DIC will
display a message. See Battery
Voltage and Charging Messages on
page 5‑28.
Blank Display
This display shows no information.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
5-28 Instruments and Controls
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages
(Canada Base Level)
DIC messages display when the
status of the vehicle has changed
and action may be needed to
correct the condition. Multiple
messages appear one after another.
Press any of the DIC buttons on the
turn signal lever to acknowledge
and clear them from the display.
More urgent messages cannot be
cleared from the DIC display.
All messages should be taken
seriously. Clearing messages will
not correct the problem.
On the Canadian base level cluster,
vehicle messages appear as code
numbers.
25:Left front turn indicator failure
26: Left rear turn indicator failure
27: Right front turn indicator failure
28: Right rear turn indicator failure 35:
Replace battery in radio remote
control
53: Tighten gas cap
68: Service power steering
75: Service air conditioner
82: Change engine oil soon
84: Engine power is reduced
95: Service airbag
Vehicle Messages
(Canada Uplevel and
United States)
DIC messages display when the
status of the vehicle has changed
and action may be needed to
correct the condition. Multiple
messages appear one after another.
Press any of the DIC buttons on the
turn signal lever to acknowledge
and clear them from the display.
More urgent messages cannot be
cleared from the DIC display. All messages should be taken
seriously. Clearing messages will
not correct the problem.
On the Canadian uplevel cluster
and on vehicles sold in the United
States, vehicle messages are
displayed as text. The messages
and information about them follow.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE
This message displays when the
vehicle has detected that the battery
voltage is dropping beyond a
reasonable point. The battery saver
system starts reducing certain
features of the vehicle that you may
be able to notice. At the point that
features are disabled, this message
is displayed. It means that the
vehicle is trying to save the charge
in the battery. Turn off unnecessary
accessories to allow the battery to
recharge.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
5-30 Instruments and Controls
Engine Cooling System
Messages
A/C OFF DUE TO HIGH
ENGINE TEMP
This message displays when the
engine coolant becomes hotter than
the normal operating temperature.
To avoid added strain on a hot
engine, the air conditioning
compressor automatically turns off.
When the coolant temperature
returns to normal, the air
conditioning compressor turns back
on. You can continue to drive the
vehicle.
If this message continues to appear,
have the system repaired by your
dealer as soon as possible to avoid
damage to the engine.
ENGINE OVERHEATED—
IDLE ENGINE
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is too
hot. Stop and allow the vehicle to
idle until it cools down.
ENGINE OVERHEATED —
STOP ENGINE
This message displays and a
continuous chime sounds if the
engine cooling system reaches
unsafe temperatures for operation.
Stop and turn off the vehicle as
soon as it is safe to do so to avoid
severe damage. This message
clears when the engine has cooled
to a safe operating temperature.
HIGH COOLANT
TEMPERATURE
This message displays if the coolant
temperature is hot. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑19.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When you change the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System on
page 10‑12 andDriver Information Center (DIC) on page 5‑23
for
information on how to reset the
system. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information.
OIL PRESSURE LOW —STOP
ENGINE
This message displays if low oil
pressure levels occur. Stop the
vehicle as soon as safely possible
and do not operate it until the cause
of the low oil pressure has been
corrected. Check the oil as soon as
possible and have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer.
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no
reduction in performance, proceed
to your destination.

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
9-20 Driving and Operating
ON/RUN/START (Green LED
Light):This mode is for driving and
starting. With the ignition off, and
the brake pedal applied, pressing
the button 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 on
page 9‑20 for more information. The
ignition will then remain in ON/RUN.
Service Only 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 the button for
more than five seconds will place
the vehicle in Service Only 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 will not start in
Service Only Mode. Push the button
again to turn the vehicle off.
Starting the Engine
Place the transmission in the
proper gear.
Notice:
The engine is designed to
work with the electronics in the
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates.
Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your
dealer. If you do not, the engine
might not perform properly. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). The engine will not start
in any other position. To restart the
vehicle when it is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only. Notice:
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.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal down to the
floor and start the engine. The
vehicle will not start if the clutch
pedal is not all the way down.
Starting Procedure (Key Access)
1. 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.
The vehicle has a
Computer-Controlled Cranking
System. This feature assists in
starting the engine and protects

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-45
California Fuel
Requirements
If the vehicle is certified to meet
California Emissions Standards, it is
designed to operate on fuels that
meet California specifications. See
the underhood emission control
label. If this fuel is not available in
states adopting California Emissions
Standards, the vehicle will operate
satisfactorily on fuels meeting
federal specifications, but emission
control system performance might
be affected. The malfunction
indicator lamp could turn on and the
vehicle might fail a smog‐check test.
SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑13. If this occurs, return to
your authorized dealer for diagnosis.
If it is determined that the condition
is caused by the type of fuel used,
repairs might not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Fuels in Foreign
Countries
Never use leaded gasoline or any
other fuel not recommended in the
previous text on fuel. Costly repairs
caused by use of improper fuel
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil
company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
Fuel Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines
in the United States are now
required to contain additives that
help prevent engine and fuel system
deposits from forming, allowing the
emission control system to work
properly. In most cases, nothing
should have to be added to the fuel.
However, some gasolines contain
only the minimum amount of
additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations. To help keep fuel
injectors and intake valves clean
and avoid problems due to dirty
injectors or valves, look for gasoline
that is advertised as TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline. Look for the
TOP TIER label on the fuel pump to
ensure gasoline meets enhanced
detergency standards developed by
the auto companies. A list of
marketers providing TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline can be found at
www.toptiergas.com.
For customers who do not use TOP
TIER Detergent Gasoline regularly,
one bottle of GM Fuel System
Treatment PLUS, added to the fuel
tank at every engine oil change, can
help clean deposits from fuel
injectors and intake valves. GM Fuel
System Treatment PLUS is the only
gasoline additive recommended by
General Motors. It is available at
your dealer.

Black plate (51,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-51
Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns
while trailering could cause the
trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very
sharp turns while trailering.
When turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so
the trailer will not strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees,
or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a
Trailer
The arrows on the instrument panel
flash whenever signaling a turn or
lane change. Properly hooked up,
the trailer lamps also flash, telling
other drivers the vehicle is turning,
changing lanes, or stopping. When towing a trailer, the arrows on
the instrument panel flash for turns
even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. For this reason you may
think other drivers are seeing the
signal when they are not. It is
important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still
working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before starting down a long or
steep downgrade. If the
transmission is not shifted down, the
brakes might have to be used so
much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
Vehicles with an automatic
transmission can tow in
D (Drive) but M (Manual Mode)
is recommended. Shift the
transmission to a lower gear if the
transmission shifts too often under
heavy loads and/or hilly conditions.For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is better not to
use the highest gear.
When towing at high altitude on
steep uphill grades, consider the
following: Engine coolant will boil at
a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If the engine is turned off
immediately after towing at high
altitude on steep uphill grades, the
vehicle may show signs similar to
engine overheating. To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked,
preferably on level ground, with the
automatic transmission in P (Park)
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. For vehicles with manual
transmissions, let the engine run
while parked, preferably on level
ground, with the transmission out of
gear and the parking brake applied,
for a few minutes before turning the
engine off. If the overheat warning
comes on, see
Engine Overheating
on page 10‑19.

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Cruze Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-9
A.Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on
page 10‑14.
B. Engine Oil Dipstick. See “Checking Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑9.
C. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System on
page 10‑16.
D. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See “When
to Add Engine Oil” under
Engine Oil on page 10‑9.
E. Remote Negative (-) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑80.
F. Brake/Clutch Fluid Reservoir. See “Brake Fluid” underBrakes
on page 10‑22 andHydraulic
Clutch on page 10‑14. G.
Battery on page 10‑25 (Under
Cover).
H. Engine Coolant Surge Tank and Pressure Cap. See Cooling
System on page 10‑16.
I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See Jump Starting on
page 10‑80.
J. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block on page 10‑36.
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See “Adding Washer
Fluid” under Washer Fluid on
page 10‑22.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:
.Always 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 on page 10‑12.
.Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.