power steering CHEVROLET SONIC 2013 2.G User Guide

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
9-14 Driving and Operating
Following break‐in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN and the regular
brake pedal applied.
1 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF):When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. This position locks the steering
wheel, ignition, and transmission.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady
pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), firmly apply the
brakes and steer the vehicle to a
safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF. 4. Set the parking brake. See
Parking Brake on page 9‑26.
{WARNING
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
Notice: Using a tool to force the
key to turn in the ignition could
cause damage to the switch or
break the key. Use the correct
key, make sure it is all the way in,
and turn it only with your hand.
If the key cannot be turned by
hand, see your dealer.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
10-44 Vehicle Care
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(2) Tire Width
:The three-digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall.
(3) Aspect Ratio
:A two-digit
number that indicates the tire
height-to-width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item 3 of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(4) Construction Code
:A letter
code is used to indicate the type
of ply construction in the tire.
The letter R means radial ply
construction; the letter D means
diagonal or bias ply
construction; and the letter B
means belted-bias ply
construction. (5) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(6) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire
is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount of
air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch of
the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples of
optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.
Belt
:A rubber coated layer of
cords between the plies and the
tread. Cords may be made from
steel or other reinforcing
materials.
Bead
:The tire bead contains
steel wires wrapped by steel
cords that hold the tire onto
the rim.
Bias Ply Tire
:A pneumatic tire
in which the plies are laid at
alternate angles less than
90 degrees to the centerline of
the tread.
Cold Tire Pressure
:The
amount of air pressure in a tire,
measured in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch)

Black plate (82,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
10-82 Vehicle Care
clean cloth. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants on
page 11‑12.
Tires
Use a stiff brush with tire cleaner to
clean the tires.
Notice: Using petroleum-based
tire dressing products on the
vehicle may damage the paint
finish and/or tires. When applying
a tire dressing, always wipe off
any overspray from all painted
surfaces on the vehicle.
Wheels and Trim —Aluminum
or Chrome
Use a soft, clean cloth with mild
soap and water to clean the wheels.
After rinsing thoroughly with clean
water, dry with a soft, clean towel.
A wax may then be applied.
Notice: Chrome wheels and other
chrome trim may be damaged if
the vehicle is not washed after
driving on roads that have been
sprayed with magnesium, calcium, or sodium chloride.
These chlorides are used on
roads for conditions such as ice
and dust. Always wash the
chrome with soap and water after
exposure.
Notice:
To avoid surface damage,
do not use strong soaps,
chemicals, abrasive polishes,
cleaners, brushes, or cleaners
that contain acid on aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels. Use only
approved cleaners. Also, never
drive a vehicle with aluminum or
chrome-plated wheels through an
automatic car wash that uses
silicone carbide tire cleaning
brushes. Damage could occur
and the repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Steering, Suspension, and
Chassis Components
Visually inspect the front and rear
suspension and steering system for
damaged, loose, or missing parts or
signs of wear. Inspect the power
steering for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks, chafing, etc. Visually
check constant velocity joints,
rubber boots, and axle seals for
leaks.
Body Component Lubrication
Lubricate all key lock cylinders,
hood hinges, liftgate hinges, and the
steel fuel door hinge unless the
components are plastic. Applying
silicone grease on weatherstrips
with a clean cloth will make them
last longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
Underbody Maintenance
Use plain water to flush dirt and
debris from the vehicle's underbody.
Your dealer or an underbody car
washing system can do this. If not
removed, rust and corrosion can
develop.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and
requires sheet metal repair or
replacement, make sure the body
repair shop applies anti-corrosion

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
i-6 INDEX
K
Keyless EntryRemote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-41
Lamps Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-2
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-28
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-12
On Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-11
LATCH System Replacing Parts after aCrash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-37 Liftgate
Carbon Monoxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Lighting Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-15
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Door Ajar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning . . . . . . . 5-18
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Front Fog Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Low Fuel Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19 Lights (cont'd)
Reduced Engine Power . . . . . . 5-20
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-10
Service Vehicle Soon . . . . . . . . . 5-15
StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Up-Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Warning, Power Steering . . . . . 5-16
Link Smartphone . . . . . . 7-45, 7-47, 7-48
Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Locks
Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Central Locking System . . . . . . . 2-7
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . . 5-19
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-37

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
i-8 INDEX
Perchlorate MaterialsRequirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Personalization Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . 7-26, 7-28, 7-37
Hands-Free . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-42
Pictures and Movies . . . . . . . . . . . 7-50, 7-55, 7-56
Port USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Power Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Reduced Engine Light . . . . . . . . 5-20
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-18
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Power Steering Warning Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Pregnancy, Using Safety
Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-15
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-15 Program
Courtesy Transportation . . . . . . 13-7
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-15
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-12
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
Reading Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Rear Window Washer/Wiper . . . . 5-4
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Records
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77 Reduced Engine Power
Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-20
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-5
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-29
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-14
Replacing Airbag System . . . . . . 3-29
Replacing LATCH System Parts after a Crash . . . . . . . . . . . 3-43
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts after a Crash . . . 3-16
Reporting Safety Defects Canadian Government . . . . . . 13-13
General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-13
U.S. Government . . . . . . . . . . . 13-12
Restraints
Where to Put . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-18
Roads
Driving, Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
i-10 INDEX
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . 1-4, 9-16
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 5-16
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Storage Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Areas Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storing the Tire Sealant
and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-8
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-4
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . 2-11 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Tires Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-73
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-43
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-49
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-48
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-52
Sealant andCompressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Sealant and Compressor Kit, Storing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-68
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41 Tires (cont'd)
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-44
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-56
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-58
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . 10-58
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-53
Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-41
Towing General Information . . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Recreational Vehicle . . . . . . . . 10-77
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-77
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . 9-28
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Transmission Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-21
Fluid, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Fluid, Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-13
Transportation Program, Courtesy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9