instrument panel CHEVROLET SONIC 2012 2.G Owner's Manual

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
5-10 Instruments and Controls
An arrow on the fuel gauge
indicates on which side of the
vehicle the fuel door is located.
Here are four things that some
owners ask about. None of these
show a problem with the fuel gauge:
.At the service station, the gas
pump shuts off before the gauge
reads full.
.It takes a little more or less
fuel to fill up than the gauge
indicated. For example, the
gauge may have indicated the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than
half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.
.The indicator moves a little when
turning a corner or speeding up.
.The gauge goes back to empty
when the ignition is turned off.
Safety Belt Reminders
Driver Safety Belt Reminder
Light
There is a driver safety belt
reminder light on the instrument
panel cluster.
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind the driver to fasten
their safety belt. Then the light stays
on solid until the belt is buckled.
This cycle may continue several
times if the driver remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the driver safety belt is buckled,
neither the light nor the chime
comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
When the vehicle is started, this
light flashes and a chime may come
on to remind front passengers to
fasten their safety belt. Then the
light stays on solid until the belt is
buckled.
For more information see
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑12.
This cycle continues several times if
the front passenger remains or
becomes unbuckled while the
vehicle is moving.
If the front passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-11
The front passenger safety belt
reminder light and chime may turn
on if an object is put on the seat
such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other
electronic device. To turn off the
reminder light and/or chime, remove
the object from the seat or buckle
the safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells if there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnostic
module. For more information on the
airbag system, seeAirbag System
on page 3‑19.
This light comes on when the
vehicle is started, and it will flash for
a few seconds. When the light goes
out this indicates the system is
functioning properly.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
or comes on while driving, the
airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced
right away.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light stays
on after the vehicle is started or
comes on while driving, it means
the airbag system might not be
working properly. The airbags in
the vehicle might not inflate in a
crash, or they could even inflate
without a crash. To help avoid
injury, have the vehicle serviced
right away.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
5-12 Instruments and Controls
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 3‑26 for
important safety information. The
instrument panel has a passenger
airbag status indicator.
United States
Canada
When the vehicle is started, the
passenger airbag status indicator
will light ON and OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, for several seconds as a system check. If you use
remote start, if equipped, to start the
vehicle, you may not see the system
check. Then, after several seconds,
the status indicator will light either
ON or OFF, or the on or off symbol
to let you know the status of the
front outboard passenger frontal
airbag.
If the word ON or the on symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag is
allowed to inflate.
If the word OFF or the off symbol is
lit on the passenger airbag status
indicator, it means that the
passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag.
If, after several seconds, both status
indicator lights remain on, or if there
are no lights at all, there may be a
problem with the lights or the
passenger sensing system. See
your dealer for service.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, it means
that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help
avoid injury to yourself or others,
have the vehicle serviced right
away. See
Airbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑11 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.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
5-14 Instruments and Controls
could damage the emission control
system on the vehicle. Diagnosis
and service might be required.
To prevent more serious damage to
the vehicle:
.Reduce vehicle speed.
.Avoid hard accelerations.
.Avoid steep uphill grades.
If the light continues to flash, stop
and park the vehicle. Turn the
vehicle off, wait at least 10 seconds,
and restart the engine. If the light is
still flashing, follow the previous
steps and see your dealer for
service as soon as possible.
Light On Steady: An emission
control system malfunction has
been detected on the vehicle.
Diagnosis and service might be
required.
The following may correct an
emission system malfunction:
.Check that the fuel cap is fully
installed. See Filling the Tank on
page 9‑37. The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or
improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap allows fuel to
evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap
properly installed should turn the
light off.
.Check that good quality fuel is
used. Poor fuel quality causes
the engine not to run as
efficiently as designed and may
cause stalling after start-up,
stalling when the vehicle is
changed into gear, misfiring,
hesitation on acceleration,
or stumbling on acceleration.
These conditions might go away
once the engine is warmed up.
If one or more of these conditions
occurs, change the fuel brand used.
It will require at least one full tank of
the proper fuel to turn the light off.
See Recommended Fuel on
page 9‑35. If none of the above have made the
light turn off, your dealer can check
the vehicle. The dealer has the
proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any
mechanical or electrical problems
that might have developed.Emissions Inspection and
Maintenance Programs
Some local governments may have
programs to inspect the on-vehicle
emission control equipment. For the
inspection, the emission system test
equipment is connected to the
vehicle’s Data Link
Connector (DLC).
The DLC is under the instrument
panel to the left of the steering
wheel. See your dealer if assistance
is needed.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-23
Information Displays
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC displays information about
your vehicle. It also displays
warning messages if a system
problem is detected. SeeVehicle
Messages on page 5‑26 for more
information. All messages appear in
the DIC display located in the center
of the instrument panel cluster.
DIC Operation and Displays
The DIC has different displays
which can be accessed by using the
DIC buttons on the turn signal lever
on the left side of the steering
wheel. The DIC displays trip, fuel,
and warning messages if a system
problem is detected. DIC Buttons
A.
SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed.
B.
w x(Thumbwheel): Use to
scroll through the menus.
C. MENU: Press to display the DIC
menu. This button is also used
to return to or exit the last
screen displayed on the DIC.
DIC Menu Items
Press MENU on the turn signal
lever until the DIC menu displays.
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:
.Trip
.Average Speed
.Fuel Range
.Average Fuel Economy
.Timer
.Remaining Oil Life
.Units
.Language
.Tire Learn
Trip
This displays the current distance
traveled, in either kilometers (km) or
miles (mi), from the last reset for the
trip odometer. The trip odometer can
be reset to zero by pressing and
holding the SET/CLR button while
the trip odometer display is
showing.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-3
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-6
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamps control is located
on the instrument panel to the
outboard side of the steering
column.
It controls the following systems:
.Headlamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Fog Lamps The exterior lamps control has four
positions:
O(Off):
Briefly turn to this position
to turn the automatic light control off
or on again.
AUTO (Automatic): Turns the
headlamps on automatically at
normal brightness, together with the
following:
.Parking Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Sidemarker Lamps
;(Parking Lamps): Turns the
parking lamps on together with the
following:
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Sidemarker Lamps

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
6-2 Lighting
5(Headlamps):Turns the
headlamps on together with the
lamps listed below. A warning chime
sounds if the driver door is opened
when the ignition switch is off and
the headlamps are on.
.Parking Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
.Sidemarker Lamps
#(Front Fog Lamps): For
vehicles with fog lamps, press to
turn the lamps on or off.
See Fog Lamps on page 6‑4.
When the lights are on,
;will be
lit. See Lamps On Reminder on
page 5‑22.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3(Headlamp High/Low‐Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal/
lane change 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 panel cluster when the
high‐beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal/lane change lever all the
way toward you. Then release it.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can
make it easier for others to see the
front of your vehicle during the day.
Fully functional daytime running
lamps are required on all vehicles
first sold in Canada.
This indicator light turns on in the
instrument panel cluster when the
DRL are on.
A light sensor on top of the
instrument panel makes the DRL
work, so be sure it is not covered.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-3
The DRL system makes the
low‐beam headlamps come on
at a reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.The ignition is in the ON/
RUN mode.
.The exterior lamps 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 lamps
control to the off position and then
release. For vehicles first sold in
Canada, the DRL lamps cannot be
turned off.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When it is dark enough outside and
the exterior lamps control is in the
automatic position, the headlamps
come on automatically. See
Exterior
Lamp Controls on page 6‑1.
The vehicle has a light sensor
located 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.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press and momentarily hold this
button located on the instrument
panel above the climate control
system, to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
6-4 Lighting
This warns others that you are
having trouble. Press and
momentarily hold again to turn the
flashers off.
Turn and Lane-Change
Signals
An arrow on the instrument panel
cluster will flash in the direction of
the turn or lane change.
Move the lever all the way up or
down to signal a turn.
Raise or lower the lever until the
arrow starts to flash to signal a lane
change. The turn signal flashes
three times.The lever returns to its starting
position when it is released.
If after signaling a turn or lane
change the arrow flashes rapidly or
does not come on, a signal bulb
may be burned out. Replace any
burned out bulbs. If the bulb is not
burned out, check the fuse. See
Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑34
orBulb Replacement on
page 10‑29 for more information.
Fog Lamps
For vehicles with front fog lamps,
the button is located on the
outboard side of the instrument
panel. The ignition must be on to turn on
the fog lamps.
#(Fog Lamps):
Press to turn the
fog lamps on or off. An indicator
light on the instrument panel cluster
comes on when the fog lamps
are on.
The fog lamps come on together
with the parking lamps.
If the high‐beam headlamps are
turned on, the fog lamps will turn off.
If the high‐beam headlamps are
turned off, the fog lamps will turn
back on again.
Some localities have laws that
require the headlamps to be on
along with the fog lamps.

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel
Illumination Control
This feature controls the brightness
of the instrument panel controls and
infotainment display screen. The
thumbwheel is located to the left of
the steering column on the
instrument panel.
D(Instrument Panel
Brightness): Move the
thumbwheel up or down and hold, to
brighten or dim the instrument panel
controls and infotainment display
screen.
Courtesy Lamps
The courtesy lamps come on
automatically when any door is
opened and the dome lamp is in the
door position.
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are located
in the headliner above the rear
seats.
9(Dome Lamp Override): Press
to turn the lamps off, even when a
door is open.
H(Door): Press to turn the lamps
on automatically when a door is
opened.
R(On): Press to turn on the dome
lamps.
Reading Lamps
For vehicles with front reading
lamps, they are located in the
overhead console.
#or$: Press to turn each lamp
on or off.