sensor CHEVROLET SONIC 2013 2.G Owners Manual

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Seats and Restraints 3-21
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe frontal
or near frontal crashes to help
reduce the potential for severe
injuries, mainly to the driver's or
front outboard passenger's head
and chest. However, they are only
designed to inflate if the impact
exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how
severe a crash is likely to be in time
for the airbags to inflate and help
restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, andwhether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Thresholds can also vary with
specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Frontal knee airbags, if equipped,
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe frontal or near frontal
impacts that exceed a
predetermined deployment
threshold.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has seat-mounted side
impact airbags for the driver and
front passenger. The vehicle may
have seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the second row outboard
passengers. The vehicle has
roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System
on page 3‑17. Seat-mounted side
impact airbags, if equipped, and
roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, these
roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate during a rollover or in a
severe frontal impact. Seat-mounted
side impact airbags, if equipped,
and roof-rail airbags will inflate if the
crash severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate in rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag,

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
3-24 Seats and Restraints
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that
an airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator
will light on the instrument panel
when the vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the
symbol for on and off, will be visible
during the system check. check.
If you use remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle, you may not see
the system check. When the system
check is complete, either the word
ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or
off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5‑11.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag under certain conditions. No
other airbag is affected by the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat. The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
and knee airbag should be allowed
to inflate or not.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct
child restraint for their weight
and size.
We recommend that children be
secured in a rear seat, including: an
infant or a child riding in a
rear-facing child restraint; a child
riding in a forward-facing child seat;
an older child riding in a booster
seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information on page 13‑11.
{WARNING
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly. The
operation of the airbag system can
also be affected by changing or
moving any parts of the front seats,
safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel,
instrument panel, roof-rail airbag
modules, ceiling headliner or pillar
garnish trim, front sensors, side
impact sensors, or airbag wiring. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly

Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Instruments and Controls 5-11
Airbag Readiness Light
This light shows if there is an
electrical problem with the airbag
system. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners
(if equipped), the airbag modules,
the wiring, and the crash sensing
and diagnostic module. For more
information on the airbag system,
seeAirbag System on page 3‑17.
The airbag readiness light comes on
for several seconds when the
vehicle is started. If the light does
not come on then, have it fixed
immediately.
{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.
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑24 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 and knee airbag.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
5-24 Instruments and Controls
To reset the average fuel economy,
press and hold the SET/CLR button
while the average fuel economy is
displayed.
Fuel Range
Metric Shown, English Similar
This displays the approximate
distance the vehicle can be driven
without refueling. The fuel range
estimate is based on an average of
the vehicle's fuel economy over
recent driving history and the
amount of fuel remaining in the
fuel tank. Units
This menu is not available while the
vehicle is moving. Press SET/CLR
while the unit display is active and
move
w xto change units when
UNIT SET is displayed. Press SET/
CLR to confirm the setting. You will
have to select 1, 2, or 3 for the unit
display. 1 is Imperial units, 2 is US
units, and 3 is metric units. This will
change the displays on the cluster
and DIC to the type of
measurements you select.
Language
This menu is not available while the
vehicle is moving. Press SET/CLR
while the language display is active
and move
w xto change the
language of the displays when
LANG SET is displayed. You will
have to select 1 or 2 for the
language display. 1 is Alphabet and
2 is Arabic Numeral. Press SET/
CLR to confirm the setting. Tire Learn
This menu is not available while the
vehicle is moving. This display
allows for matching of the TPMS
sensors. See
Tire Pressure Monitor
System on page 10‑48 andTire
Pressure Monitor Operation on
page 10‑49.
Remaining Oil Life
This menu is not available while the
vehicle is moving. This display
shows an estimate of the oil's
remaining useful life. If 99
:% is
displayed, that means 99% of the
current oil life remains.
When the remaining oil life is low,
the Code 82 message will appear
on the display. The oil should be
changed as soon as possible. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9. In addition
to the engine oil life system
monitoring the oil life, additional
maintenance is recommended in the
Maintenance Schedule. See
Maintenance Schedule on
page 11‑2.

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
6-2 Lighting
#(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 5‑21.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3(Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer): Push the turn signal
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 cluster when the
high-beam headlamps are on.
Flash-to-Pass
To flash the high beams, pull the
turn signal 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 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.
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 lamp 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

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Lighting 6-3
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 lamp control
to
Oand 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 lamp 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 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.
Lights On with Wipers
If the windshield wipers are
activated in daylight with the engine
on, and the exterior lamp control is
in AUTO, the headlamps, parking
lamps, and other exterior lamps
come on. The transition time for the
lamps coming on varies based on
wiper speed. When the wipers are not operating, these lamps turn off.
Move the exterior lamp control to
P
or;to disable this feature.
Hazard Warning Flashers
|(Hazard Warning Flasher):
Press and momentarily hold this
button to make the front and rear
turn signal lamps flash on and off.
This warns others that you are
having trouble. Press and
momentarily hold again to turn the
flashers off.

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
10-48 Vehicle Care
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no
further adjustment is necessary.
If the inflation pressure is low,
add air until the recommended
pressure is reached. If the
inflation pressure is high, press
on the metal stem in the center
of the tire valve to release air.
Recheck the tire pressure with
the tire gauge.
Return the valve caps on the
valve stems to prevent leaks
and keep out dirt and moisture.Tire Pressure Monitor
System
The Tire Pressure Monitor System
(TPMS) uses radio and sensor
technology to check tire pressure
levels. The TPMS sensors monitor
the air pressure in your tires and
transmit tire pressure readings to a
receiver located in the vehicle.
Each tire, including the spare (if
provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to
the inflation pressure recommended
by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation
pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size
indicated on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)
As an added safety feature, your
vehicle has been equipped with a
tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tirepressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly
under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you
should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them
to the proper pressure. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire
causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire
tread life, and may affect the
vehicle's handling and stopping
ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a
substitute for proper tire
maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger
illumination of the TPMS low tire
pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been
equipped with a TPMS malfunction
indicator to indicate when the
system is not operating properly.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
Vehicle Care 10-49
The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure
telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as
long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is
illuminated, the system may not be
able to detect or signal low tire
pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function
properly.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑49.Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) Rules and
with Industry Canada
Standards
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑15 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
Rules and with Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and wheel
assembly, excluding the spare tire
and wheel assembly. The TPMS
sensors monitor the air pressure in
the tires and transmit the tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning light
located on the instrument cluster.
If the warning light comes on, stop
as soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑9.
The low tire pressure warning light
comes on at each ignition cycle until
the tires are inflated to the correct
inflation pressure.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as the vehicle is driven. This
could be an early indicator that the
air pressure is getting low and must
be inflated to the proper pressure.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual - 2013 - 2nd PrintReady - 10/11/12
10-50 Vehicle Care
A Tire and Loading Information label
shows the size of the original
equipment tires and the correct
inflation pressure for the tires when
they are cold. SeeVehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑9, for an example
of the Tire and Loading Information
label and its location. Also see Tire
Pressure on page 10‑47.
The TPMS can warn about a low
tire pressure condition but it does
not replace normal tire
maintenance. See Tire Inspection
on page 10‑52, Tire Rotation on
page 10‑52 andTires on
page 10‑39.
Notice: Tire sealant materials are
not all the same. A non-approved
tire sealant could damage the
TPMS sensors. TPMS sensor
damage caused by using an
incorrect tire sealant is not
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Always use only the
GM-approved tire sealant
available through your dealer or
included in the vehicle. Factory-installed Tire Inflator Kits
use a GM-approved liquid tire
sealant. Using non-approved tire
sealants could damage the TPMS
sensors. See
Tire Sealant and
Compressor Kit on page 10‑61 for
information regarding the inflator kit
materials and instructions.
TPMS Malfunction Light
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays on
for the remainder of the ignition
cycle. The malfunction light comes
on at each ignition cycle until the
problem is corrected. Some of the
conditions that can cause this to
come on are:
.One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire. The
spare tire does not have a
TPMS sensor. The malfunction
light should go off after the road
tire is replaced and the sensor matching process is performed
successfully. See "TPMS Sensor
Matching Process" later in this
section.
.The TPMS sensor matching
process was not done or not
completed successfully after
rotating the tires. The
malfunction light should go off
after successfully completing the
sensor matching process. See
"TPMS Sensor Matching
Process" later in this section.
.One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The
malfunction light should go off
when the TPMS sensors are
installed and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See your dealer for
service.
.Replacement tires or wheels do
not match the original equipment
tires or wheels. Tires and wheels
other than those recommended