winter tires CHEVROLET SONIC 2012 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (9,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
Driving and Operating 9-9
.Pay attention to special road
signs (falling rocks area, winding
roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Drive carefully when there is snow
or ice between the tires and the
road, creating less traction or grip.
Wet ice can occur at about 0°C
(32°F) when freezing rain begins to
fall, resulting in even less traction.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in
freezing rain until roads can be
treated with salt or sand.
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
The
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑27 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the Roadside
Assistance Program on page 13‑5.
To get help and keep everyone in
the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
carbon monoxide (CO) which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
(Continued)

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
10-54 Vehicle Care
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. SeeVehicle Load Limits
on page 9‑11 for the label
location and more information
about the Tire and Loading
Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, and electronic stability
control, the performance of these
systems can also be affected.
{WARNING
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires on
page 10‑52 andAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑3 for
additional information.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires
by treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter-type snow
tires, space-saver, or temporary

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
i-2 INDEX
B
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-74
Load Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Power Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Blade Replacement, Wiper . . . 10-27
Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . 7-19, 7-21, 7-24
Brake System Warning Light . . . 5-16
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Antilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-23
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Break-In, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32 Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
Headlamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29 Bulb Replacement (cont'd)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-29
License Plate Lamps . . . . . . . 10-31
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and
Back-up Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
C
Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
California
Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . 9-35
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Canadian Vehicle Owners . . . . . . . . iii
Capacities and Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2 Carbon Monoxide
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-22
Liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Trunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Cautions, Danger, and Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Central Locking System . . . . . . . . 2-7
Chains, Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-57
Charging System Light . . . . . . . . 5-12
Check Engine Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
IgnitionTransmission Lock . . . . . . . . 10-26

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2012
i-12 INDEX
Vehicle CareStoring the Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . 10-67
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-45
Vehicle Identification Service Parts IdentificationLabel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Ventilation, Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16W
Warning Brake System Light . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Warning Lights, Gauges, and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii Cautions and Danger . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
Hazard Flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-21
Wheels Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56 When It Is Time for New
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Where to Put the Restraint . . . . 3-39
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14 Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Windshield
Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 10-27
Wipers
Rear Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4