fuel CHEVROLET SONIC 2016 2.G User Guide

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 103
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the ignition is turned to ON.
If it does not come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn if
there is a problem.
When the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will also come
on when the parking brake is set.
The light will stay on if the parking
brake does not fully release. If it
stays on after the parking brake is
fully released, it means there is a
brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving,
carefully pull off the road and stop.
The pedal may be harder to push or
may go closer to the floor. It may
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. See Towing the Vehicle
0 289.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition
to LOCK/OFF or if the light comes
on, stop as soon as possible and
turn the ignition off. Then start the
engine again to reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle
needs service. See your dealer.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the brakes will still
work, but the antilock brakes will not
work. If the regular brake system
warning light is also on, the antilock
brakes will not work and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See Brake System Warning Light
0 102. The ABS warning light will come on
briefly when the ignition is turned to
ON/RUN. This is normal. If the light
does not come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn if there is
a problem.
Up-Shift Light
For manual transmission vehicles,
there is an up-shift light that comes
on in the lower DIC area. It shows
when to shift to the next higher gear
for best fuel economy.
See
Manual Transmission 0200.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 107
Caution (Continued)
level is within the operating range
and the oil pressure is still low,
have the vehicle serviced. Always
follow the maintenance schedule
for changing engine oil.
This light should come on briefly as
the engine is started. If it does not
come on, have the vehicle serviced
by your dealer.
If the light comes on and stays on, it
means that oil is not flowing through
the engine properly. The vehicle
could be low on oil and might have
some other system problem. See
your dealer.
Low Fuel Warning Light
This light comes on for a few
seconds when the ignition is turned
on as a check to indicate it is
working. If it does not come on,
have it fixed.
This light comes on when the
vehicle is low on fuel.
The low fuel warning light comes on
when there are approximately 6.0 L
(1.7 gal) of fuel remaining in
the tank.
To turn the light off, add fuel to the
fuel tank. SeeFilling the Tank
0 215.
Immobilizer Light
The immobilizer light should come
on briefly as the engine is started.
If it does not come on, have the
vehicle serviced by your dealer.
If the system is working normally,
the indicator light turns off.
If the light stays on and the engine
does not start, there could be a
problem with the immobilizer
system. See Immobilizer Operation
0 37.
Reduced Engine Power
Light

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 109
Door Ajar Light
This light comes on when a door is
open or not securely latched. Before
driving, check that all doors are
properly closed.
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 0111. All messages
appear in the DIC display in the
instrument 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. See Trip
Computer 0111 and Vehicle
Messages 0111. DIC Buttons
1.
SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed. This
is not used to reset the trip
odometer. To reset the trip
odometer, use the reset button
on the tachometer in the
instrument cluster.
2.
w x(Band): Turn the band
to scroll through the menu
items.
3. MENU: Press to display the
DIC menus. This button is also
used to return to or exit the last
screen displayed on the DIC.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 111
Vehicle Messages
DIC messages display when the
status of the vehicle has changed
and action may be needed to
correct the condition. Multiple
messages appear one after another.
Press any of the DIC buttons on the
turn signal lever to acknowledge
and clear them from the display.
More urgent messages cannot be
cleared from the DIC display. All
messages should be taken
seriously. Clearing messages will
not correct the problem.
Vehicle messages appear as code
numbers.
25 :Left Front Turn Signal Failure
26 : Left Rear Turn Signal Failure
27 : Right Front Turn Signal Failure
28 : Right Rear Turn Signal Failure
49 : Lane Departure Warning
Unavailable
52 : Change Timing Belt
77 : Service Front Camera System
84 : Engine Power Is Reduced 89 :
Service Vehicle SoonEngine Oil Messages
:
% CHANGE
This message displays when the
engine oil needs to be changed.
When changing the engine oil, be
sure to reset the Oil Life System.
See Engine Oil Life System 0228,
Engine Oil 0226, and Maintenance
Schedule 0302.
Tire Messages
LF XX, RF XX, LR XX,
or RR XX
A message displays when the tire
pressure is low. It shows the
location of the low tire and the
approximate pressure of the low tire.
If a tire pressure message appears,
stop as soon as you can. Inflate the
tires by adding air until the tire
pressure is equal to the values
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Tires0254,
Vehicle Load Limits 0187, and Tire
Pressure 0261.
Trip Computer
The trip computer is located in the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
It provides the driver with driving
information such as average speed,
fuel range, average fuel economy,
and a timer.
1. SET/CLR: Press to set or clear
the menu item displayed. This
is not used to reset the trip
odometer. To reset the trip
odometer, use the reset button
on the tachometer in the
instrument cluster.
2.
w x(Band): Turn the band
to scroll through the menu
items.
3. MENU: Press to display the
DIC menus. This button is also
used to return to or exit the last
screen displayed on the DIC.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
112 Instruments and Controls
To operate the trip computer, turn
band on the turn signal lever.
The following is a list of the trip
computer items”
.Average Speed
. Fuel Range
. Average Fuel Economy
. Timer
Some items can be reset by
pressing the SET/CLR button.
Average Speed
Metric
English
This display shows the average
speed. To reset the average speed
to zero, press and hold the SET/
CLR button while the average
speed 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.
Average Fuel Economy
Metric
English
This display shows the approximate
average liters per 100 kilometers (L/
100 km) or miles per gallon (mpg).

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Instruments and Controls 113
This number is calculated based on
the number of L/100 km (mpg)
recorded since the last time this
menu item was reset. This number
reflects only the approximate
average fuel economy that the
vehicle has right now, and will
change as driving conditions
change. To reset the average fuel
economy, press and hold the SET/
CLR button while the average fuel
economy is displayed.Timer
This display can be used as a timer.
To start/stop the timer, press SET/
CLR while the timer is displayed.
The display will show the amount of
time that has passed since the timer
was last reset, not including time the
ignition is off. The timer will record
up to 99:59 hours, after which the
display will return to zero. To reset
the timer to zero, press and hold
SET/CLR.
Vehicle
Personalization
Personalization Menu (Radio
without Touchscreen)
Use the audio system controls to
access the personalization menus
for customizing vehicle features.
The following are all possible
personalization features. Depending
on the vehicle, some may not be
available.
CONFIG (Configuration) :
Press to
access the Configuration
Settings menu.
MENU/TUNE : Turn to scroll
through the menus. Press to enter
the menus and select the menu
items.
/BACK : Press to exit or move
backward in a menu.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
180 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 184
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 185
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 186
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 190
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 198
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 200
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 203
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 208 Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 215
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
186 Driving and Operating
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.
Blizzard Conditions
Stay with the vehicle unless there is
help nearby. If possible, use
Roadside Assistance. See Roadside
Assistance Program 0322. 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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
carbon monoxide (CO), which
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in snow:
. Clear snow from the base of
the vehicle, especially any
blocking the exhaust pipe.
. Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the vehicle side
that is away from the wind,
to bring in fresh air.
. Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.
. Adjust the climate control
system to circulate the air
inside the vehicle and set
the fan speed to the highest
setting. See “Climate
Control Systems.”
For more information about CO,
see Engine Exhaust 0197. To save fuel, run the engine for
short periods to warm the vehicle
and then shut the engine off and
partially close the window. Moving
about to keep warm also helps.
If it takes time for help to arrive,
when running the engine, push the
accelerator pedal slightly so the
engine runs faster than the idle
speed. This keeps the battery
charged to restart the vehicle and to
signal for help with the headlamps.
Do this as little as possible, to
save fuel.
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. See
Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 204.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
190 Driving and Operating
weight of the driver, passengers,
and cargo should never exceed
the vehicle's capacity weight.
Certification Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Certification
label is attached to the vehicle's
center pillar (B-pillar). The label
may show the gross weight
capacity of the vehicle, called
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all
occupants, fuel, and cargo.
{Warning
Things inside the vehicle can
strike and injure people in a
sudden stop or turn, or in a
crash.
.Put things in the cargo
area of the vehicle. In the
cargo area, put them as
far forward as possible.
Try to spread the weight
evenly.
.Never stack heavier
things, like suitcases,
inside the vehicle so that
some of them are above
the tops of the seats.
.Do not leave an
unsecured child restraint
in the vehicle.
.Secure loose items in the
vehicle.
.Do not leave a seat
folded down unless
needed.
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines: . Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km (500 mi).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
. Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 mi) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
(Continued)

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada-9085902) -
2016 - CRC - 5/27/15
Driving and Operating 193
Starting Procedure
1. With your foot off theaccelerator pedal, turn the
ignition to START. When the
engine cranks, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go
down as the engine gets warm.
Caution
Holding the key in START for
longer than 15 seconds at a time
will cause the battery to be
drained much sooner. And the
excessive heat can damage the
starter motor. Wait about
15 seconds between each try to
help avoid draining the battery or
damaging the starter.
2. If the engine does not start, wait about 15 seconds and try
again. Wait about 15 seconds
between each try.
When the engine has run about
10 seconds to warm up, the
vehicle is ready to be driven.
Do not run the engine at high
speed when it is cold. If the weather is below freezing
(0 °C or 32 °F), let the engine
run for a few minutes to
warm up.
3. If the engine still will not start, or starts but then stops, it could
be flooded with too much
gasoline. Try pushing the
accelerator pedal all the way to
the floor and holding it there as
you hold the key in START for
about three seconds. If the
vehicle starts briefly but then
stops again, do the same thing,
but this time keep the pedal
down for five or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline
from the engine.
Engine Heater
The engine heater can provide
easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up in
cold weather conditions at or below
−18 °C (0 °F). Vehicles with an
engine heater should be plugged in
at least four hours before starting.
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The cord is
located in the driver side of the
engine compartment, near the
battery. It is shipped from the
factory with a tie holding it in
place. Use care in removing
the tie so that the cord is not
damaged.
Check the heater cord for
damage. If it is damaged, do
not use it. See your dealer for
a replacement. Inspect the
cord for damage yearly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.