traction control CHEVROLET SONIC 2017 2.G Owners Manual

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
4 Introduction
3:Headlamp High/Low-BeamChanger
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control/StabiliTrak®
a:Under Pressure
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 9Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Liftgate (Hatchback) . . . . . . . . . . . 10Trunk Release (Sedan) . . . . . . . . 10Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Passenger Sensing System . . . 13Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 18Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20Bluetooth®..................... 20Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 20Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Lane DepartureWarning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 22Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 23Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 24Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Roadside AssistanceProgram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
In Brief 23
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability
Control
The Traction Control System (TCS)limits wheel spin. The system is onwhen the vehicle is started.
The StabiliTrak system assists withdirectional control of the vehicle indifficult driving conditions. Thesystem is on when the vehicle isstarted.
.To t u r n o f f t r a c t i o n c o n t r o l , p r e s s
and releasegon the center
console. The traction off lighti
illuminates.
.Press and releasegagain to
turn traction control back on.
.To t u r n o f f b o t h t r a c t i o n c o n t r o land StabiliTrak, press and holdguntil the traction off lighti
and the StabiliTrak OFF lightg
illuminate.
.Pressgagain to turn on both
systems.
SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0197.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a TirePressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The low tire pressure warning lightalerts to a significant loss inpressure of one of the vehicle'stires. If the warning light comes on,stop as soon as possible and inflatethe tires to the recommendedpressure shown on the Tire andLoading Information label. SeeVehicle Load Limits0178.Thewarning light will remain on until thetire pressure is corrected.
The low tire pressure warning lightmay come on in cool weather whenthe vehicle is first started, and thenturn off as the vehicle is driven. Thismay be an early indicator that thetire pressures are getting low andthe tires need to be inflated to theproper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normalmonthly tire maintenance. Maintainthe correct tire pressures.
SeeTire Pressure MonitorSystem0257.
Fuel
Regular Fuel
Use only unleaded gasoline rated87 octane or higher in your vehicle.Do not use gasoline with an octanerating lower as it may result invehicle damage and lower fueleconomy. SeeFuel0207.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
100 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 101Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 101Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 102Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 102Rear Window Wiper/Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Ta c h o m e t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 9Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 110Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 110Passenger Airbag StatusIndicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 112Malfunction Indicator Lamp(Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 112Service Vehicle Soon Light . . . 114Owner Manual Indicator . . . . . . 114Brake System WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Antilock Brake System (ABS)Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Operate Pedal Light . . . . . . . . . . 115Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Power Steering WarningLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Lane Departure Warning(LDW) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Forward Collision Alert (FCA)Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . . 116Ultrasonic Parking SensorLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117StabiliTrak®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 117Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Engine Coolant TemperatureWarning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 118Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . . 118Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 119Immobilizer Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Reduced Engine PowerLight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 120Front Fog Lamp Light . . . . . . . . . 120Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 120Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 120Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121Trunk Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Information Displays
Driver InformationCenter (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 127Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 127

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Instruments and Controls 117
SeeParking Assist0203.
Traction Off Light
This light comes on briefly whilestarting the engine. If it does not,have the vehicle serviced by yourdealer. If the system is workingnormally, the indicator light thenturns off.
The traction off light comes on whenthe Traction Control System (TCS)has been turned off by pressing andreleasing the TCS/StabiliTrakbutton.
This light and the StabiliTrak OFFlight come on when StabiliTrak isturned off.
If the TCS is off, wheel spin is notlimited. Adjust driving accordingly.
SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0197.
StabiliTrak®OFF Light
This light comes on briefly whilestarting the engine. If it does not,have the vehicle serviced by yourdealer.
This light comes on when theStabiliTrak system is turned off.If StabiliTrak is off, the TractionControl System (TCS) is also off.
If StabiliTrak and TCS are off, thesystem does not assist in controllingthe vehicle. Turn on the TCS andthe StabiliTrak systems, and thewarning light turns off.
SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0197.
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light
The StabiliTrak or Traction ControlSystem (TCS) indicator/warninglight comes on briefly when theengine is started.
If the light does not come on, havethe vehicle serviced by your dealer.If the system is working normally,the indicator light turns off.
If the light is on and not flashing, theTCS, and potentially the StabiliTraksystem have been disabled.
If the indicator/warning light is onand flashing, the TCS and/or theStabiliTrak system is activelyworking.
SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0197.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/19/16
Infotainment System 141
Infotainment
System
Introduction
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141Theft-Deterrent Feature . . . . . . 142Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Radio
AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Radio Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148Multi-Band Antenna . . . . . . . . . . 148
Audio Players
Avoiding Untrusted MediaDevices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149USB Port . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Auxiliary Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Phone
Bluetooth (Overview) . . . . . . . . . 155Bluetooth (InfotainmentControls) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Apple CarPlay andAndroid Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161Hands-Free Phone . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Trademarks and License
Agreements
Trademarks and LicenseAgreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Introduction
Infotainment
Read the following pages tobecome familiar with the features.
{Warning
Ta k i n g y o u r e y e s o f f t h e r o a d f o r
too long or too often while using
any infotainment feature can
cause a crash. You or others
could be injured or killed. Do not
give extended attention to
infotainment tasks while driving.
Limit your glances at the vehicle
displays and focus your attention
on driving. Use voice commands
whenever possible.
The infotainment system has built-infeatures intended to help avoiddistraction by disabling somefunctions when driving. Thesefunctions may gray out when theyare unavailable. Many infotainment

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Driving and Operating 171
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 173Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 174Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 175Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 176Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 178Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 181Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182Ignition Positions (KeylessAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 185Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Shifting Into Park (AutomaticTransmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187Shifting out of Park (AutomaticTransmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Parking over ThingsThat Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 191Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 193
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 197
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/ElectronicStability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 201Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204Lane DepartureWarning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 208Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . 211
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
172 Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many formsand can take your focus from thetask of driving. Exercise goodjudgment and do not let otheractivities divert your attention awayfrom the road. Many localgovernments have enacted lawsregarding driver distraction. Becomefamiliar with the local laws inyour area.
To a v o i d d i s t r a c t e d d r i v i n g , k e e pyour eyes on the road, keep yourhands on the steering wheel, andfocus your attention on driving.
.Do not use a phone indemanding driving situations.Use a hands-free method toplace or receive necessaryphone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read,take notes, or look upinformation on phones or otherelectronic devices.
.Designate a front seatpassenger to handle potentialdistractions.
.Become familiar with vehiclefeatures before driving, such asprogramming favorite radiostations and adjusting climatecontrol and seat settings.Program all trip information intoany navigation device prior todriving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parkedto retrieve items that have fallento the floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tendto children.
.Keep pets in an appropriatecarrier or restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversationswhile driving, whether with apassenger or on a cell phone.
{Warning
Ta k i n g y o u r e y e s o f f t h e r o a d t o o
long or too often could cause a
crash resulting in injury or death.
Focus your attention on driving.
Refer to the Infotainment section formore information on using thatsystem, including pairing and usingacellphone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means“alwaysexpect the unexpected.”The firststep in driving defensively is to wearthe safety belt. SeeSafetyBelts059.
.Assume that other road users(pedestrians, bicyclists, andother drivers) are going to becareless and make mistakes.Anticipate what they might doand be ready.
.Allow enough following distancebetween you and the driver infront of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Drunk Driving
Death and injury associated withdrinking and driving is a globaltragedy.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
Driving and Operating 175
The vehicle may straighten out.Be ready for a second skid if itoccurs.
.Slow down and adjust yourdriving according to weatherconditions. Stopping distancecan be longer and vehiclecontrol can be affected whentraction is reduced by water,snow, ice, gravel, or othermaterial on the road. Learn torecognize warning clues—suchas enough water, ice, or packedsnow on the road to make amirrored surface—and slowdown when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering,acceleration, or braking,including reducing vehicle speedby shifting to a lower gear. Anysudden changes could causethe tires to slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes helpavoid only the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reducevehicle traction and affect yourability to stop and accelerate.
Always drive slower in these typesof driving conditions and avoiddriving through large puddles anddeep-standing or flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes.
They might not work as well in a
quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large
puddle of water or a car/vehicle
wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates
strong forces. Driving through
flowing water could cause the
vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not
ignore police warnings and be
very cautious about trying to drive
through flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Watercan build up under the vehicle'stires so they actually ride on thewater. This can happen if the road iswet enough and you are going fastenough. When the vehicle ishydroplaning, it has little or nocontact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule abouthydroplaning. The best advice is toslow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wetweather driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wipingequipment in good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluidreservoir filled.
.Have good tires with propertread depth. SeeTires0248.
.Turn off cruise control.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-10122660) -2017 - crc - 5/13/16
176 Driving and Operating
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or throughmountains is different than drivingon flat or rolling terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and ingood shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes,tires, cooling system, andtransmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when goingdown steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the
vehicle on a long downhill slope
can cause brake overheating, can
reduce brake performance, and
could result in a loss of braking.
Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the
brakes on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral)
or with the ignition off is
dangerous. This can cause
overheating of the brakes and
loss of steering. Always have the
engine running and the vehicle
in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep thevehicle in its own lane. Do notswing wide or cross thecenter line.
.Be alert on top of hills;something could be in your lane(e.g., stalled car, accident).
.Pay attention to special roadsigns (e.g., falling rocks area,winding roads, long grades,passing or no-passing zones)and take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires andthe road creates less traction orgrip, so drive carefully. Wet ice canoccur at about 0 °C (32 °F) whenfreezing rain begins to fall. Avoiddriving on wet ice or in freezing rainuntil roads can be treated.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Acceleratingtoo quickly causes the wheels tospin and makes the surfaceunder the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. SeeTr a c t i o n C o n t r o l / E l e c t r o n i cStability Control0197.
.The Antilock Brake System(ABS) improves vehicle stabilityduring hard stops, but thebrakes should be applied soonerthan when on dry pavement.SeeAntilock Brake System(ABS)0195.
.Allow greater following distanceand watch for slippery spots. Icypatches can occur on otherwise