belt CHEVROLET SONIC 2012 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2012 Chevrolet Sonic Owner ManualM
In Brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Performance and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Keys, Doors, and Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Vehicle Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17 Seats and Restraints
. . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Luggage/Load Locations . . . . . . . 4-1
Additional Storage Features . . . 4-2
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 5-27 Lighting
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
iv Introduction
WarningorCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury or
death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.
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
!: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
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . 1-15
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-18
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-19
Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-19
Hood Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-7
Power (RAP) is active. See
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
on page 9‑19.
SeePower Windows on page 2‑15.
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Pull the handle at the front of
the 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.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑4
for more information.
Seat Height Adjuster
If available, move the lever up or
down to manually raise or lower
the seat.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑4
for more information.
Reclining Seatbacks
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 (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
1-8 In Brief
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.
See Reclining Seatbacks on
page 3‑5 for more information.
Second Row Seats
The rear seatbacks can be folded
down to increase cargo space.
For detailed instructions see Rear
Seats on page 3‑8.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
For more information see Head
Restraints on page 3‑2 andSeat
Adjustment on page 3‑4.
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑10.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑11.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑12.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑41.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
2-6 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Conditions in Which Remote Start
Will Not Work
The remote vehicle start feature will
not operate if:
.The key is in the ignition.
.The hood is not closed.
.The hazard warning flashers
are on.
.The malfunction indicator lamp
is on.
.The engine coolant temperature
is too high.
.The oil pressure is low.
.Two remote vehicle starts, or a
single remote start with an
extension, have already
been used.
.The vehicle is not in P (Park).
Door Locks
{WARNING
Unlocked doors can be
dangerous.
.Passengers, especially
children, can easily open the
doors and fall out of a moving
vehicle. When a door is
locked, the handle will not
open it. The chance of being
thrown out of the vehicle in a
crash is increased if the
doors are not locked. So, all
passengers should wear
safety belts properly and the
doors should be locked
whenever the vehicle is
driven.
.Young children who get into
unlocked vehicles may be
unable to get out. A child can
be overcome by extreme heat
and can suffer permanent(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
injuries or even death from
heat stroke. Always lock the
vehicle whenever leaving it.
.Outsiders can easily enter
through an unlocked door
when you slow down or stop
the vehicle. Locking the doors
can help prevent this from
happening.
To lock or unlock the doors from
outside the vehicle:
.Use the key in the driver door to
lock all doors or unlock the
driver door only.
.PressQorKon the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation on
page 2‑3.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-1
Seats and
Restraints
Head Restraints
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Heated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Rear Seats
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
Safety Belts
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Safety Belt Extender . . . . . . . . . 3-17 Safety System Check . . . . . . . . 3-17
Safety Belt Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Replacing Safety Belt System
Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Airbag System
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-19
Where Are the Airbags? . . . . . 3-21
When Should an AirbagInflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-23
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
How Does an Airbag Restrain? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates? . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-24
Passenger Sensing
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-30
Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle . . . 3-31
Airbag System Check . . . . . . . . 3-32
Replacing Airbag System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-32
Child Restraints
Older Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Infants and YoungChildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-35
Child Restraint Systems . . . . . 3-37
Where to Put the Restraint . . . 3-39
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-41
Replacing LATCH System Parts After a Crash . . . . . . . . . 3-46
Securing Child Restraints (Rear Seat Position) . . . . . . . . 3-47
Securing Child Restraints (Right Front Seat
Position) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-49

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.

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
3-8 Seats and Restraints
Rear Seats
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Fold a seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with
the safety belts still fastened may
cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the
safety belts and return them to
their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat. To fold the seatback down:
1. Make sure the safety belt is in
the retainer hook.
Sedan Shown, Hatchback Similar
2. Reach under the belt and pull the lever on top of the seatback
to unlock the seatback.
A tab near the seatback lever
raises when the seatback is
unlocked.
3. Fold the seatback down.
Repeat Steps 1 through 3 for
the other seatback, if desired.