climate control CHEVROLET SONIC 2020 User Guide

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
154 Climate Controls
A:Turn clockwise or
counterclockwise to increase or
decrease the fan speed. Turning the
fan control to 0 turns the fan off. The
fan must be turned on to run the air
conditioning compressor.
Air Delivery Mode Control : Turn
clockwise or counterclockwise to
change the current airflow mode.
Select from the following air delivery
modes:
Y: Air is directed to the instrument
panel outlets.
\: Air is divided between the
instrument panel and floor outlets.
[: Air is directed to the floor
outlets, with some air directed to the
rear outlets.
W: This mode clears the windows
of fog or moisture. Air is directed to
the floor, windshield, and side
window outlets.
1: This mode clears the
windshield of fog or frost more
quickly. Air is directed to the
windshield and side window outlets. Do not drive the vehicle until all
windows are clear.
In defrost or defog mode, excessive
air conditioning use can cause the
windows to fog. If this happens,
change the air delivery mode to
Y
and reduce the fan speed.
#:
If equipped with air
conditioning, follow these steps to
use the system. Turn
Ato the
desired speed. The air conditioning
does not operate when the fan
control knob is in the off position.
Press
#to turn the air conditioning
on and off. When
#is pressed, an
indicator light comes on to show
that the air conditioning is on.
For quick cool down on hot days:
1. Open the windows to let hot air escape.
2. Press
M.
3. Press
#.
4. Select the coolest temperature.
5. Select the highest
Aspeed. Using these settings together for
long periods of time may cause the
air inside the vehicle to become too
dry. To prevent this from happening,
after the air in the vehicle has
cooled, turn the recirculation
mode off.
M:
This mode recirculates and
helps to quickly cool the air inside
the vehicle. It can be used to reduce
the entry of outside air and odors.
Press
Mto turn the recirculation
mode on. An indicator light comes
on to show that the recirculation is
on. Press
Magain to return to
outside air mode.
Using the recirculation mode for
extended periods may cause the
windows to fog. If this happens,
select the defrost mode.
Max
#is available when the air
conditioning is selected and the
temperature is set to the coolest
setting while the outside air
temperature is warm. When Max
#
is activated, the air inside the
vehicle is automatically recirculated,

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Climate Controls 155
which helps to quickly cool the
vehicle. The recirculation indicator
will not be lit.
To allow outside air to enter in these
conditions, press the recirculation
button twice. The recirculation
indicator will not be lit.
MorL:If equipped, press to heat
the driver or passenger seat. See
Heated Front Seats 041.
Rear Window and Outside
Mirror Defogger
1:Press to turn the rear window
and outside mirror defogger on or
off. An indicator light comes on to
show that the feature is on.
The rear window defogger can
be turned off by pressing
1again
or by turning the ignition off or to
ACC/ACCESSORY. If equipped with heated outside
mirrors, they turn on with the rear
window defogger and help to clear
fog or frost from the surface of the
mirror. See
Heated Mirrors 031.
Caution
Using a razor blade or sharp
object on the inside rear window
can damage the antenna or
defogger. Repairs would not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Do not stick anything to the rear
window.
Air Vents
Use the air vents located in the
center and on the side of the
instrument panel to direct the
airflow. Move the slats on the center
air vents to direct airflow.
Turn the knobs on the side air vents
counterclockwise or clockwise to
open or close off the airflow.
Operation Tips
.
Clear away any ice, snow,
or leaves from the air inlets at
the base of the windshield that
may block the flow of air into the
vehicle.
. Clear snow off the hood to
improve visibility and help
decrease moisture drawn into
the vehicle.
. Use of non-GM approved hood
deflectors may adversely affect
the performance of the system.
. Keep the path under the front
seats clear of objects to help
circulate the air inside the
vehicle more effectively.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
156 Climate Controls
Maintenance
Air Intake
Clear away any ice, snow, or leaves
from the air intake at the base of the
windshield that can block the flow of
air into the vehicle.
Passenger Compartment
Air Filter
The filter removes dust, pollen, and
other airborne irritants from outside
air that is pulled into the vehicle.
The filter should be replaced as part
of routine scheduled maintenance.
SeeMaintenance Schedule 0278.
To find out what type of filter to use,
see Maintenance Replacement
Parts 0288.1. Open the glove box completely
and disconnect the damper on
the outboard side.
2. Push in both sides of the glove box and pull to remove.3. Install the new air filter.
4. Reinstall the air filter cover andglove box in reverse order.
See your dealer if additional
assistance is needed.
Service
All vehicles have a label underhood
that identifies the refrigerant used in
the vehicle. The refrigerant system
should only be serviced by trained
and certified technicians. The air
conditioning evaporator should
never be repaired or replaced by
one from a salvage vehicle.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Climate Controls 157
It should only be replaced by a new
evaporator to ensure proper and
safe operation.
During service, all refrigerants
should be reclaimed with proper
equipment. Venting refrigerants
directly to the atmosphere is harmful
to the environment and may also
create unsafe conditions based on
inhalation, combustion, frostbite,
or other health-based concerns.
The air conditioning system requires
periodic maintenance. See
Maintenance Schedule0278.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 159
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel
mileage. Here are some driving tips
to get the best fuel economy
possible:
.Set the climate controls to the
desired temperature after the
engine is started, or turn them
off when not required.
. Avoid fast starts and accelerate
smoothly.
. Brake gradually and avoid
abrupt stops.
. Avoid idling the engine for long
periods of time.
. When road and weather
conditions are appropriate, use
the cruise control.
. Always follow posted speed
limits or drive more slowly when
conditions require.
. Keep the vehicle tires properly
inflated. .
Combine several trips into a
single trip.
. Replace the vehicle's tires with
the same TPC Spec number
molded into the tire's sidewall
near the size.
. Follow the recommended
scheduled maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving. .
Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices.
. Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 165
Assistance. SeeRoadside
Assistance Program 0298. 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
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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.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 0179.
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
0 185.
{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).

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
250 Vehicle Care
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This
applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature A
All Passenger Car Tires Must
Conform to Federal Safety
Requirements In Addition To
These Grades.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the
wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a
specified government test
course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and
one-half (1½) times as well on
the government course as a tire
graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and may
depart significantly from thenorm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and
differences in road
characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from
highest to lowest, are AA, A, B,
and C. Those grades represent
the tire's ability to stop on wet
pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on
specified government test
surfaces of asphalt and
concrete. A tire marked C may
have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on
straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include
acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Index 319
Child Restraints (cont'd)Securing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80, 82
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Cleaning Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . . 153 Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Cluster, Instrument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . 301
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Load . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Compartments Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Connected Services Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Connections Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 315
Control
Traction and ElectronicStability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Convex Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Coolant
Engine TemperatureWarning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Courtesy Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Cover
Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Customer Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 297 Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Text Telephone (TTY)
Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Customer Information Publications OrderingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
D
Damage Repair, Collision . . . . . . . 301
Danger, Warning, and Caution . . . . 2 Data Collection
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Data Recorders, Event . . . . . . . . . 306
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Diagnostics Connected Services . . . . . . . . . . 316
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Door Ajar Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Delayed Locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Drive Belt Routing, Engine . . . . . . 293
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . 190
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Driving Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . 159
Defensive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Drunk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . 163
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . . 165
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Index 325
Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Safety System Check . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . . . 300
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Extender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
How to Wear Seat BeltsProperly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Replacing after a Crash . . . . . . . . 51
Use During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . 50
Seats Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Heated Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Power Adjustment, Front . . . . . . . 39
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Securing Child Restraints . . . . 80, 82
Security
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Vehicle Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Accessories andModifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Service (cont'd)
Climate Control System . . . . . . . 153
Doing Your Own Work . . . . . . . . 204
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 289
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 300
Vehicle Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Shift Lock Control Function
Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Special Application Services . . . . 283
Specifications and Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 StabiliTrak
OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Start Assist, Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Power, Warning Lights . . . . . . . . 103
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Storage Load Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Storage Areas
Cargo Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . . 86
Struts Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3