warning CHEVROLET SONIC 2012 2.G User Guide

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-8 Keys, Doors, and Windows
To unlock the doors and the trunk/
tailgate:
.PressKon the center stack.
.For vehicles with an automatic
transmission, shift the
transmission into P (Park).
.For vehicle with a manual
transmission, remove the key
from the ignition.
This feature can be programmed,
see Vehicle Personalization on
page 5‑27 for more information.
Safety Locks
The rear door safety locks prevent
passengers from opening the rear
doors from inside the vehicle.
Press{to activate the safety locks
on the rear doors. A LED indicator
comes on when activated.
Press
{again to deactivate the
safety locks.
Doors
Trunk (Sedan)
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
(Continued)

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-9
WARNING (Continued)
.Adjust the Climate Control
System to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the
highest setting. See“Climate
Control Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
To open the trunk from outside of
the vehicle:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter,
then use the touch pad.
.PressVon the
RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
Emergency Trunk Release
Handle
Notice: Do not use the
emergency trunk release handle
as a tie-down or anchor point when securing items in the trunk
as it could damage the handle.
The emergency trunk release
handle is only intended to aid a
person trapped in a latched trunk,
enabling them to open the trunk
from the inside.
There is a glow-in-the-dark
emergency trunk release handle on
the underside of the trunk lid. This
handle will glow following exposure
to light. Pull the release handle
down to open the trunk from the
inside.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-10 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Liftgate (Hatchback)
{WARNING
Exhaust gases can enter the
vehicle if it is driven with the
liftgate, trunk/hatch open, or with
any objects that pass through the
seal between the body and the
trunk/hatch or liftgate. Engine
exhaust contains carbon
monoxide (CO) which cannot be
seen or smelled. It can cause
unconsciousness and even death.
If the vehicle must be driven with
the liftgate, or trunk/hatch open:
.Close all of the windows.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
.Adjust the Climate Control
System to a setting that
brings in only outside air and
set the fan speed to the(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
highest setting. See “Climate
Control Systems” in the
Index.
.If the vehicle is equipped with
a power liftgate, disable the
power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust on page 9‑22.
To lock or unlock the liftgate from
outside the vehicle, press
QorK
on the RKE transmitter. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
To lock or unlock the liftgate from
the inside, press
QorKon the
central locking switch located on the
center stack.
To open the liftgate from outside of
the vehicle:
.PressKon the RKE transmitter,
then use the touch pad.
.PressVon the
RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation on page 2‑3.
When closing the liftgate, close from
the center to ensure that it fully
latches.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-12 Keys, Doors, and Windows
The security light, located in the
instrument panel cluster, comes on
if there is a problem with arming or
disarming the theft-deterrent
system.
When trying to start the vehicle, the
security light comes on briefly when
the ignition is turned on.
If the engine does not start and the
security light stays on, there is a
problem with the system. Turn the
ignition off and try again.If the engine still does not start, and
the key appears to be undamaged
or the light continues to stay on, try
another ignition key. If the engine
does not start with the other key, the
vehicle needs service. If the vehicle
does start, the first key may be
damaged. See your dealer who can
service the theft-deterrent system
and have a new key made.
Do not leave the key or device that
disarms or deactivates the
theft-deterrent system in the vehicle.
Exterior Mirrors
Convex Mirrors
{WARNING
A convex mirror can make things,
like other vehicles, look farther
away than they really are. If you
cut too sharply into the right lane,
you could hit a vehicle on the
right. Check the inside mirror or
glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
The passenger side mirror is convex
shaped. A convex mirror's surface is
curved so more can be seen from
the driver seat.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Interior Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
Hold the inside rearview mirror in
the center to move it for a clearer
view behind your vehicle. Adjust
the mirror to avoid glare from the
headlamps behind you. Push the
tab forward for daytime use and pull
it for nighttime use.
Vehicles with OnStar
®have three
control buttons at the bottom of the
mirror. See your dealer for more
information about OnStar and how
to subscribe to it. See OnStar
Overview on page 14‑1.
Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children, helpless adults,
or pets in a vehicle with the
windows closed is dangerous.
They can be overcome by the
extreme heat and suffer
permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Never leave a
child, a helpless adult, or a pet
alone in a vehicle, especially with
the windows closed in warm or
hot weather.
The vehicle aerodynamics are
designed to improve fuel economy
performance. This may result in a
pulsing sound when either rear
window is down and the front
windows are up. To reduce the
sound, open either a front window
or the sunroof (if equipped).

Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Keys, Doors, and Windows 2-15
Manual Windows
If equipped, use the window crank
to open and close each window.
The rear windows do not open fully.
Power Windows
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the keys is dangerous for many
reasons. Children or others could
be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power
windows or other controls or even
make the vehicle move. The
windows will function and they
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave keys in a
vehicle with children.
When there are children in the
rear seat use the window lockout
button to prevent unintentional
operation of the windows.
If equipped, push the switch down
to open the window. Pull the front of
the switch up to close it.
The switches work when the vehicle
is in ON/RUN, ACC/ACCESSORY,
or when Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) is active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 9‑19.
Express Window Operation
Windows with an express-down or
express-up feature allow the window
to be lowered or raised without
holding the switch. The driver
window has express-down and
express-up. Pull a window switch up
or push it down all the way, release
it, and the window goes up or down
automatically. Stop the window by
pushing or pulling the switch in the
same direction a second time or
briefly operating the switch to the
first detent in either direction.
Safety Function
If any object is in the path of the
window when the Express-Up
feature is active, the window will
stop and auto-reverse to a preset
position. Weather conditions may
cause the window to auto-reverse.
The window switch may be held up
to the second position to close the
window. The window will return to
normal operation once the
obstruction or condition is removed.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
3-2 Seats and Restraints
Head Restraints
{WARNING
With head restraints that are not
installed and adjusted properly,
there is a greater chance that
occupants will suffer a neck/
spinal injury in a crash. Do not
drive until the head restraints for
all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
Front Seats
The front seats have adjustable
head restraints in the outboard
seating positions.
Adjust the head restraint so that the
top of the restraint is at the same
height as the top of the occupant's
head. This position reduces the
chances of a neck injury in a crash.
The height of the head restraint can
be adjusted. Pull the head restraint
up to raise it. Try to move the head
restraint to make sure that it is
locked in place.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
3-4 Seats and Restraints
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Pull the handle at the front ofthe seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired position and release the handle.
3. Try to move the seat back and forth to be sure it is locked in
place.
Seat Height Adjuster
If available, move the lever up or
down to manually raise or lower
the seat.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-5
Reclining Seatbacks
{WARNING
You can lose control of the
vehicle if you try to adjust a
manual driver seat while the
vehicle is moving. The sudden
movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a
pedal when you do not want to.
Adjust the driver seat only when
the vehicle is not moving.
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To recline a manual seatback:
1. Lift the lever.If necessary, move the safety
belt out of the way to access the
lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, and then
release the lever to lock the
seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked in place.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
3-6 Seats and Restraints
To return the seatback to the upright
position:
1. Lift the lever fully withoutapplying pressure to the
seatback, and the seatback will
return to the upright position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is locked.
{WARNING
Sitting in a reclined position when
the vehicle is in motion can be
dangerous. Even when buckled
up, the safety belts cannot do
their job when reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its
job because it will not be against
your body. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crash, you could
go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
The lap belt cannot do its job
either. In a crash, the belt could
go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at
your pelvic bones. This could
cause serious internal injuries.
For proper protection when the
vehicle is in motion, have the
seatback upright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear the
safety belt properly.
Do not have a seatback reclined if
the vehicle is moving.