tow CHEVROLET SONIC 2018 User Guide

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
98 Seats and Restraints
6. To tighten the belt, push downon the child restraint, pull the
shoulder portion of the belt to
tighten the lap portion of the
belt, and feed the shoulder belt
back into the retractor. When
installing a forward-facing child
restraint, it may be helpful to
use your knee to push down on
the child restraint as you
tighten the belt.
Try to pull the belt out of the
retractor to make sure the
retractor is locked. If the
retractor is not locked, repeat
Steps 5 and 6. 7. Before placing a child in the
child restraint, make sure it is
securely held in place. To
check, grasp the child restraint
at the seat belt path and
attempt to move it side to side
and back and forth. When the
child restraint is properly
installed, there should be no
more than 2.5 cm (1 in) of
movement.
If the airbags are off, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator will come on and
stay on when the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see “If the
On Indicator Is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing
System 073.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle seat belt and
let it return to the stowed position.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Instruments and Controls 105
If the ignition is turned off while the
wipers are performing wipes due to
windshield washing, the wipers
continue to run until they reach the
base of the windshield.
nL: Pull the windshield wiper
lever toward you to spray windshield
washer fluid and activate the wipers.
The wipers will continue until the
lever is released or the maximum
wash time is reached. When the
windshield wiper lever is released,
additional wipes may occur
depending on how long the
windshield washer had been
activated. See Washer Fluid0233
for information on filling the
windshield washer fluid reservoir.
{Warning
In freezing weather, do not use
the washer until the windshield is
warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the
windshield, blocking your vision. Clear snow and ice from the wiper
blades before using them. If frozen
to the windshield, carefully loosen or
thaw them. Damaged wiper blades
should be replaced. See
Wiper
Blade Replacement 0237.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the
wiper motor. A circuit breaker will
stop the motor until it cools down.
Rear Window Wiper/
Washer
If equipped with the rear wiper/
washer, the controls are on the end
of the windshield wiper lever.
ON : Press the upper portion of the
button for continuous rear window
wipes. OFF :
The rear wiper turns off when
the button is returned to the middle
position.
INT : Press the lower portion of the
button for a delay between wipes.
a: Push the windshield wiper lever
forward to spray washer fluid on the
rear window. The lever returns to its
starting position when released.
Rear Wiper Arm Assembly
Protection
When using an automatic car wash,
move the rear wiper control to OFF
to disable the rear wiper. In some
vehicles, if the transmission is in
N (Neutral) and the vehicle speed is
very slow, the rear wiper will
automatically park under the rear
spoiler.
The wiper operations return to
normal when the transmission is no
longer in N (Neutral) or the vehicle
speed has increased.
Auto Wipe in Reverse Gear
If the rear wiper control is off, the
rear wiper will automatically operate
continuously when the shift lever is

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
116 Instruments and Controls
Warning (Continued)
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
MetricEnglish
This light should come on briefly
when the engine is started. If it does
not come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you 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
0 280.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
This light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally, the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes.
If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light
0 115.
Operate Pedal Light
This light comes on when the clutch
or brake pedal needs to be applied
to start the vehicle.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Lighting 133
;:Turns on the parking lamps
including all lamps except the
headlamps.
5: Turns the headlamps on
together with the parking lamps and
instrument panel lights. A warning
chime sounds if the driver door is
opened when the ignition switch is
off and the headlamps are on.
#: If equipped with fog lamps,
press to turn the lamps on or off.
See Fog Lamps 0135.
When the lights are on,
;will be
lit. See Lamps On Reminder 0122.
Headlamp High/
Low-Beam Changer
3: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)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of your vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system makes the
low-beam headlamps come on at a
reduced brightness when the
following conditions are met:
.
The ignition is on.
. 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
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

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
170 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 174
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 175
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 176
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 181
Ignition Positions (KeyAccess) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Shifting out of Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Extended Parking (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 191
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 194
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 197
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 203
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 210
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Driving and Operating 177
If stuck too severely for the traction
system to free the vehicle, turn the
traction system off and use the
rocking method. SeeTraction
Control/Electronic Stability Control
0 198.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
it Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. Turn off any traction
system. Shift back and forth
between R (Reverse) and a low
forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator
pedal while shifting, and press
lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
Slowly spinning the wheels in the
forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. If the
vehicle does need to be towed out,
see
Towing the Vehicle 0280.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it may
properly carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
178 Driving and Operating
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the vehicle's center
pillar (B-pillar). The Tire and
Loading Information label shows
the number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
tire size of the originalequipment tires (3) and the
recommended cold tire inflation
pressures (4). For more
information on tires and inflation
see
Tires 0251 andTire
Pressure 0258.
There is also important loading
information on the Certification
label. It may show the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and
rear axle. See “Certification
Label” later in this section.
“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Driving and Operating 179
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
This vehicle is neither designed
nor intended to tow a trailer.
Example 1
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 1 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 2 = 136 kg (300 lbs).
3.Available Occupant and
Cargo Weight = 317 kg
(700 lbs).
Example 2
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 2 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 68 kg (150 lbs)
× 5 = 340 kg (750 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight
= 113 kg (250 lbs).
Example 3
1.Vehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
2.Subtract Occupant
Weight @ 91 kg
(200 lbs) × 5 = 453 kg
(1,000 lbs).
3.Available Cargo Weight
= 0 kg (0 lbs).
Refer to the vehicle's Tire and
Loading Information label for
specific information about the
vehicle's capacity weight and
seating positions. The combined

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
188 Driving and Operating
Shifting Into Park
(Automatic Transmission)
1. Hold the brake pedal down andset the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0196.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by pressing the button
on the shift lever and pushing
the lever all the way toward the
front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
4. If equipped, remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave the vehicle with the
ignition key in your hand, the
vehicle is in P (Park).
Leaving the Vehicle with the
Engine Running (Automatic
Transmission)
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the
vehicle with the engine running.
It could overheat and catch fire.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
It is dangerous to get out of the
vehicle if the shift lever is not fully
in P (Park) with the parking brake
firmly set. The vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the
engine is running. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured. To be sure the
vehicle will not move, even when
you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and
move the shift lever to P (Park).
SeeShifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) 0188.
If you have to leave the vehicle with
the engine running, be sure the
vehicle is in P (Park) and the
parking brake is firmly set before
you leave it. After you have moved
the shift lever into P (Park), hold the
brake pedal down. Then see if you
can move the shift lever away from
P (Park) without first pressing the button on the shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever was not
fully locked into P (Park).
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
do not shift the transmission into
P (Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on
the parking pawl in the
transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of P (Park).
This is called
“torque lock.”
To prevent torque lock, set the
parking brake and then shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave
the driver seat. To find out how, see
“Shifting Into Park” previously in this
section.
When you are ready to drive, move
the shift lever out of P (Park) before
you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push
yours a little uphill to take some of
the pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so you can pull
the shift lever out of P (Park).

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Driving and Operating 189
Shifting out of Park
(Automatic Transmission)
This vehicle is equipped with a shift
lock control. The shift lock control is
designed to:
.Prevent ignition key removal,
if equipped, unless the shift lever
is in P (Park) with the shift lever
button fully released.
. Prevent movement of the shift
lever out of P (Park) unless the
ignition is on and the brake
pedal is applied.
The shift lock control is always
functional except in the case of an
uncharged or low voltage (less than
9-volt) battery.
If the vehicle has an uncharged
battery or a battery with low voltage,
try charging or jump starting the
battery. See Jump Starting - North
America 0277.
To shift out of P (Park): 1. Apply the brake pedal.
2. Turn the ignition on.
3. Press the shift lever button. 4. Move the shift lever to the
desired position.
If still unable to shift out of P (Park): 1. Fully release the shift lever button.
2. Hold the brake pedal down and press the shift lever button
again.
3. Move the shift lever to the desired position.
If you still cannot move the shift
lever from P (Park), consult your
dealer or a professional towing
service.
The doors may lock when shifting
from P (Park). See Automatic Door
Locks 040.
Parking
If the vehicle has a manual
transmission, before getting out of
the vehicle, move the shift lever into
R (Reverse) if parking on a downhill
slope. On a level surface or an
uphill slope, use 1 (First) gear.
Firmly apply the parking brake. See
Parking Brake 0196. Turn the wheels toward the curb for a
downhill slope, or away from the
curb for an uphill slope. Once the
shift lever has been placed into gear
with the clutch pedal pressed in,
turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF, and
release the clutch.
Parking over Things
That Burn
{Warning
Things that can burn could touch
hot exhaust parts under the
vehicle and ignite. Do not park
over papers, leaves, dry grass,
or other things that can burn.
Extended Parking
(Keyless Access)
It is best not to park with the vehicle
running. If the vehicle is left running,
be sure it will not move and there is
adequate ventilation.
See
Shifting Into Park (Automatic
Transmission) 0188 andEngine
Exhaust 0190.