key CHEVROLET SONIC 2018 Service Manual

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Instruments and Controls 131
.Remote Lock Feedback
. Remote Door Unlock
. Remote Start Auto Heat Seats
. Passive Door Unlock
. Passive Door Lock
. Remote Left in Vehicle Alert
Remote Unlock Light Feedback
When on, the exterior lamps will
flash when unlocking the vehicle
with the RKE transmitter
Touch Off or Flash Lights.
Remote Lock Feedback
This allows selection of what type of
feedback is given when locking the
vehicle with the RKE transmitter.
Touch Off, Lights and Horn, Lights
Only, or Horn Only.
Remote Door Unlock
This allows selection of which doors
will unlock when pressing
Kon the
RKE transmitter.
Touch All Doors or Driver Door. Remote Start Auto Heat Seats
If equipped and turned on, this
feature will turn the heated seats on
when using remote start on
cold days.
See
Heated Front Seats 058 and
Remote Vehicle Start 037.
Touch Off or On.
Passive Door Unlock
This allows the selection of what
doors will unlock when using the
button on the driver door to unlock
the vehicle.
Touch All Doors or Driver Door.
Passive Door Lock
This feature specifies if the vehicle
will automatically lock, or lock and
alert you after all the doors are
closed, and you walk away from the
vehicle with RKE transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access)
0 29 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) 031. Touch Off, On with Horn
Chirp, or On.
Remote Left in Vehicle Alert
This feature sounds an alert when
the RKE transmitter is left in the
vehicle. This menu also enables
Remote No Longer in Vehicle Alert.
Touch Off or On.
Valet Mode
This will lock the infotainment
system and steering wheel controls.
It may also limit access to vehicle
storage locations, if equipped.
To enable valet mode:
1. Enter a four-digit code on the keypad.
2. Touch Enter to go to the confirmation screen.
3. Re-enter the four-digit code.
Touch Lock or Unlock to lock or
unlock the system. Touch Back to
go back to the previous menu.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Lighting 137
Lighting Features
Entry Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps turn on briefly at night, or in
areas with limited lighting, when
K
is pressed on the Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) transmitter. When a
door is opened, the interior lamps
come on if the dome lamp control is
in the Door position. They stay on
for about 20 seconds. When all of
the doors have been closed or the
ignition is turned on, they gradually
fade out.
This feature can be changed. See
“Vehicle Locator Lights”under
Vehicle Personalization 0129.
Exit Lighting
Some exterior lamps and interior
lamps come on at night, or in areas
with limited lighting, when the key is
removed from the ignition. The
exterior lamps and dome lamp
remain on for a set amount of time,
then automatically turn off. If equipped with Keyless Access,
the exterior lamps automatically turn
on when a door is opened after the
ignition is turned off. The dome
lamps also come on after the
ignition is turned off.
See
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 181 orIgnition Positions (Keyless
Access) 0183.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0129.
Battery Load
Management
The vehicle has Electric Power
Management (EPM) that estimates
the battery's temperature and state
of charge. It then adjusts the voltage
for best performance and extended
life of the battery.
When the battery's state of charge
is low, the voltage is raised slightly
to quickly bring the charge back up.
When the state of charge is high,
the voltage is lowered slightly to prevent overcharging. If the vehicle
has a voltmeter gauge or a voltage
display on the Driver Information
Center (DIC), you may see the
voltage move up or down. This is
normal. If there is a problem, an
alert will be displayed.
The battery can be discharged at
idle if the electrical loads are very
high. This is true for all vehicles.
This is because the generator
(alternator) may not be spinning fast
enough at idle to produce all the
power needed for very high
electrical loads.
A high electrical load occurs when
several of the following are on, such
as: headlamps, high beams, fog
lamps, rear window defogger,
climate control fan at high speed,
heated seats, engine cooling fans,
trailer loads, and loads plugged into
accessory power outlets.
EPM works to prevent excessive
discharge of the battery. It does this
by balancing the generator's output
and the vehicle's electrical needs.
It can increase engine idle speed to
generate more power, whenever

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Infotainment System 145
Direct Tune
Access Direct Tune by touching the
Tune screen icon on the AM, FM,
or SXM screen to bring up the
keypad. Navigate up and down
through all frequencies using
©or¨.
Directly enter a station using the
keypad. When a new station is
entered, the information about that
station displays on the right side.
This information will update with
each new valid frequency tuned to.
The keypad will gray out entries that
do not contribute to a valid
frequency and will automatically
place a decimal point within the
frequency number, as needed. Touch (X) to delete one character at
a time. Touch and hold (X) to delete
all numbers.
A valid AM-FM station will
automatically tune to the new
frequency but not close the direct
tune display. When listening to
SXM, touch Go after entering the
channel. Touch
Sorzto exit.
The tune arrows on the right side of
the direct tune display tune through
the complete station list one station
step at a time per touch. A touch
and hold advances through stations
quickly.
FM and SXM Categories
From the FM or SXM screen, touch
Categories at the top of the Browse
menu to access the categories list.
The list contains names associated
with the FM or SXM channels.
Touch a category name to display a
list of channels for that category.
Selecting a station from the list
tunes the radio to that channel.
Storing Radio Station
Favorites
Favorites are displayed in the area
at the top of the screen.
AM, FM and SXM Radio
Stations : Touch and hold a favorite
icon to save the current station as a
favorite. Touch a favorite icon to
recall a favorite station.
Favorites can also be saved by
touching
Hin a station or channel
list. This will highlight indicating that
it is now stored as a favorite.
The number of favorites displayed is
automatically adjusted by default,
but can be manually adjusted in
Settings in the System tab under
Favorites and then Set Number of

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Infotainment System 157
The Contacts menu accesses the
phone book stored in the cell phone.
The Recents menu accesses the
recent call list(s) from your cell
phone.
To make a call using the
Contacts menu:1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Contacts.
3. The Contacts list can be searched by using the first
character. Touch A-Z on the
infotainment display to scroll
through the list of names.
Select the name to call.
4. Select the desired contact number to call.
To make a call using the Recent
Calls menu: 1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Recents.
3. Select the name or number to call.Making a Call Using the
Keypad
To make a call by dialing the
numbers:
1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Keypad and enter a phone number.
3. Touch
#to start dialing the
number.
Searching Contacts Using the
Keypad
To search for contacts using the
keypad:
1. Touch the Phone icon on the Home Page.
2. Touch Keypad and enter partial phone numbers or contact
names using the digits on the
keypad to search.
Results will show on the right
side of the screen. Select one
to place a call.
Accepting or Declining a Call
When an incoming call is received,
the infotainment system mutes and
a ring tone is heard in the vehicle.
Accepting a Call
There are three ways to accept
a call:
.Press
gon the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch Answer on the
infotainment display.
. Select Answer on the instrument
cluster using the select control.
Declining a Call
There are three ways to decline
a call:
. Press
ion the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch Ignore on the infotainment
display.
. Select Ignore on the instrument
cluster using the select control.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
158 Infotainment System
Call Waiting
Call waiting must be supported on
the Bluetooth phone and enabled by
the wireless service carrier to work.
Accepting a Call
There are three ways to accept a
call-waiting call:
.Press
gon the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch Switch on the
infotainment display.
. Select Switch on the instrument
cluster using the select control.
Declining a Call
There are three ways to decline a
call-waiting call:
. Press
ion the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch Ignore on the infotainment
display.
. Select Ignore on the instrument
cluster using the select control. Switching Between Calls (Call
Waiting Calls Only)
To switch between calls, press the
Phone icon on the Home Page to
display Call View. While in Call
View, press the call information of
the call on hold to change calls.
Three-Way Calling
Three-way calling must be
supported on the Bluetooth phone
and enabled by the wireless service
carrier to work.
To start a three-way call while in a
current call:
1. In the Call View, select Add Call to add another call.
2. Initiate the second call by selecting from Recents,
Contacts, or Keypad.
3. When the second call is active, press the merge icon to
conference the three-way call
together.
Ending a Call
.Pression the steering wheel
controls.
. Touch
bnext to a call to end
only that call.
. Select End on the instrument
cluster using the select control.
Dual Tone Multi-Frequency
(DTMF) Tones
The in-vehicle Bluetooth system can
send numbers during a call. This is
used when calling a menu-driven
phone system. Use the Keypad to
enter the number.
Apple CarPlay and
Android Auto
If equipped, Android Auto and/or
Apple CarPlay capability may be
available through a compatible
smartphone. If available, the
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
icons will appear on the Home Page
of the infotainment display.

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 181
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)
Caution (Continued)
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
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.
0 (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 ignition and
transmission. The steering wheel
may also lock, if equipped.
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

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
182 Driving and Operating
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 0196.
{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.
Caution
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.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This is the
position in which things like the
radio and the windshield wipers can
be operated when the engine is off.
2 (ON/RUN) : This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument cluster warning and
indicator lights. This position can
also be used for service and
diagnostics, and to verify the proper
operation of the malfunction
indicator lamp as may be required
for emission inspection purposes.
The switch stays in this position
when the engine is running. If you leave the key in the ACC/
ACCESSORY or ON/RUN position
with the engine off, the battery could
be drained. You may not be able to
start the vehicle if the battery is
allowed to drain for an extended
period of time.
3 (START) :
This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
switch returns to ON/RUN for
driving.
A warning tone will sound when the
driver door is opened, the ignition is
in ACC/ACCESSORY or LOCK/
OFF, and the key is in the ignition.
If the ignition becomes difficult to
turn, see Keys026.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Driving and Operating 183
Ignition Positions
(Keyless Access)
The vehicle may be equipped with
an electronic keyless ignition with
pushbutton start.
The transmitter must be in the
vehicle for the system to operate.
If the pushbutton start is not
working, the vehicle may be near a
strong radio antenna signal causing
interference to the Keyless Access
system.
SeeRemote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access) 0
29 orRemote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation (Keyless
Access) 031.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be turned on or in ACC/
ACCESSORY, and the brake pedal
must be applied.
Stopping the Engine/OFF (No
Indicator Lights) : When the
vehicle is stopped, press ENGINE
START/STOP once to turn the
engine off.
If the vehicle is in P (Park), the
ignition will turn off, and Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0187.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and the Driver
Information Center (DIC) will display
the message SHIFT TO PARK.
When the vehicle is shifted into
P (Park), the ignition system will
switch to OFF. 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 off.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0196.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-11373973) -
2018 - crc - 10/9/17
Driving and Operating 185
Caution
If you add electrical parts or
accessories, you could change
the way the engine operates. Any
resulting damage would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
SeeAdd-On Electrical Equipment
0 213.
Manual Transmission
The shift lever should be in Neutral
and the parking brake engaged.
Hold the clutch pedal to the floor
and start the engine.
Starting Procedure
Key Access
1. With your foot off the accelerator 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.
Keyless Access 1. With the Keyless Access system, the RKE transmitter
must be in the vehicle. Press
ENGINE START/STOP with the
brake pedal applied. When the
engine begins cranking, let go
of the button.
The idle speed will go down as
the engine gets warm. Do not
race the engine immediately
after starting it.