key CHEVROLET SONIC 2020 Service Manual

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
124 Lighting
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 0115.
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 (Keyless Access) 0170 or
Ignition Positions (Key Access)
0 172.
The exterior lamps turn off
immediately by turning the exterior
lamps control off.
This feature can be changed. See
Vehicle Personalization 0115.
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-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
132 Infotainment System
If equipped, touch Update Station
List to update the active stations in
your area.
Direct Tune
Access Direct Tune by touching the
Tune icon on the AM, FM, or SXM
screen to bring up the keypad.
Navigate up and down through all
frequencies using
7or6. Directly
enter a station or channel using the
keypad. When a new station or
channel is entered, the information
about that station or channel
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.
Touch (X) to delete one character at
a time. Touch and hold (X) to delete
all numbers.
A valid AM or FM station will
automatically tune to the new
frequency but will not close the
direct tune display. When listening
to SXM, touch Go after entering the
channel. Touch
Sorzto exit out of
Direct Tune.
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 display, touch
Categories at the top of the Browse
menu to access the categories list.
The list contains names associated
with the FM stations or SXM
channels. Touch a category name to
display a list of stations or 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 display.
AM, FM, and SXM Radio
Stations : Touch and hold a preset
to store the current station or

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
144 Infotainment System
Switching to Handset or
Handsfree Mode
To switch between handset or
handsfree mode:
.While the active call is
hands-free, touch the Handset
option to switch to the
handset mode.
The mute icon will not be
available nor functional while
Handset mode is active.
. While the active call is on the
handset, touch the Handset
option to switch to the
hands-free mode.
Making a Call Using Contacts
and Recent Calls
Calls can be made through the
Bluetooth system using personal
cell phone contact information for all
phones that support the Phone
Book feature. Become familiar with
the phone settings and operation.
Verify the cell phone supports this
feature.
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
#on the infotainment
display 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 display. Select one
to place a call.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Infotainment System 145
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 two ways to accept a call:
.Press
b/gon the steering
wheel controls.
. Touch Answer on the
infotainment display.
Declining a Call
There are two ways to decline
a call:
. Press
$/ion the steering
wheel controls.
. Touch Ignore on the infotainment
display.
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 two ways to accept a
call-waiting call:
.
Press
b/gon the steering
wheel controls.
. Touch Switch on the
infotainment display.
Declining a Call
There are two ways to decline a
call-waiting call:
. Press
$/ion the steering
wheel controls.
. Touch Ignore on the infotainment
display.
Switching Between Calls (Call
Waiting Calls Only)
To switch between calls, press the
Phone icon on the Home Page to
display Call View. While in Call
View, touch the call information of
the call on hold to change calls.
Three-Way Calling
Three-way calling must be
supported on the Bluetooth phone
and enabled by the wireless service
carrier to work.
To start a three-way call while in a
current call: 1. In the Call View, touch Add Call to add another call.
2. Initiate the second call by selecting from Recents,
Contacts, or Keypad.
3. When the second call is active, touch the merge icon to
conference the three-way call
together.
Ending a Call
.Press$/ion the steering
wheel controls.
. Touch
#on the infotainment
display, next to a call to end only
that call.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
146 Infotainment System
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.
To use Android Auto and/or Apple
CarPlay:1. Download the Android Auto app to your smartphone from
the Google Play store. There is
no app required for Apple
CarPlay. 2. Connect your Android
smartphone or Apple iPhone
by using the compatible phone
USB cable and plugging into a
USB data port. For best
performance, use the device’ s
factory-provided USB cable.
Aftermarket or third-party
cables may not work.
3. When the phone is first connected to activate Apple
CarPlay or Android Auto, the
message “Device Projection
Privacy Consent” will appear.
. Touch Continue to launch
Apple CarPlay or
Android Auto.
. Touch Disable to remove
Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto capability from the
vehicle Settings menu.
Other functions may
still work. The Android Auto and Apple
CarPlay icons on the Home Page
will illuminate depending on the
smartphone. Android Auto and/or
Apple CarPlay may automatically
launch upon USB connection. If not,
touch the Android Auto or Apple
CarPlay icon on the Home Page to
launch.
Press
{on the center stack to
return to the Home Page.
For further information on how to set
up Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
in the vehicle, see my.chevrolet.com
or see Customer Assistance Offices
0 296.
Android Auto is provided by
Google and is subject to Google’ s
terms and privacy policy. Apple
CarPlay is provided by Apple and is
subject to Apple’ s terms and privacy
policy. Data plan rates apply.
For Android Auto support see
https://support.google.com/
androidauto. For Apple CarPlay

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
158 Driving and Operating
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better FuelEconomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 163
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 163
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 165
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 170
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Extended Parking (Keyless Access) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 180
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 184
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 190
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 191
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 198
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 198
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Trailer Towing
General Towing
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On ElectricalEquipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
170 Driving and Operating
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
(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. See
Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation (Keyless Access) 010 or
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation (Key Access)
0 16.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be turned on or in Service
Mode, 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) 0177.
If the vehicle is not in P (Park), the
ignition will return to ACC/
ACCESSORY and the Driver

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
172 Driving and Operating
will not start in Service Mode. Press
ENGINE START/STOP again to turn
the vehicle off.
Ignition Positions (Key
Access)
0. Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF
1. ACC/ACCESSORY
2. ON/RUN
3. START
The ignition switch has four
positions.To shift out of P (Park) with an
automatic transmission, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN and the brake
pedal must be applied.
0 (Stopping the Engine/LOCK/
OFF) :
This position turns off the
vehicle. It also locks the ignition, the
transmission on an automatic
transmission vehicle, and the
steering column, if equipped with a
locking steering column.
To turn off the vehicle:
1. Make sure that the vehicle is stopped.
2. Shift to P (Park). 3. Continue to hold the brake
pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Parking Brake
0 184.
4. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column (1),
then turn the key to
LOCK/OFF (2).
5. Remove the key.
6. Release the brake pedal.
See your dealer if the key can be
removed in any other position.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0177.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
If equipped with a locking steering
column, the steering can bind with
the front wheels turned off center,
which may prevent key rotation out
of LOCK/OFF. If this happens, move
the steering wheel from right to left
while turning the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY. If this does not work,
then the vehicle needs service.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
Driving and Operating 173
{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, turn off the vehicle
only in an emergency.
In an emergency, if the vehicle
cannot be pulled over and must be
turned off while driving: 1. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2. Brake using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
3. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. Continue
braking and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
4. Come to a complete stop. 5. Shift to P (Park).
6. Push the key all the way in
toward the steering column (1),
then turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF (2).
7. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0184.
8. Remove the key.
9. Release the brake pedal.
Caution
Use the correct key, make sure it
is all the way in —or pushed all
the way in toward the steering
column when turning off the
vehicle —and turn it only with
your hand.
1 (ACC/ACCESSORY) : This
position allows features such as the
infotainment system to operate
while the vehicle is off. It also
unlocks the steering column,
if equipped with a locking steering
column. Use this position if the vehicle must be pushed or towed.
See
Retained Accessory Power
(RAP) 0177.
From ON/RUN, push the key all the
way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
If the key is left in ACC/
ACCESSORY with the engine off,
the battery could drain and the
vehicle may not start.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
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. The
transmission is also unlocked in this
position on automatic transmission
vehicles.

Chevrolet Sonic Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-13566834) -
2020 - CRC - 10/4/19
174 Driving and Operating
If the key is left in ON/RUN with the
engine off, the battery could drain
and the vehicle may not start.
3 (START) :This is the position that
starts the engine. When the engine
starts, release the key. The ignition
returns to ON/RUN for driving.
Starting the Engine
Automatic Transmission
Move the shift lever to P (Park) or
N (Neutral). To restart the engine
when the vehicle is already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Caution
Do not try to shift to P (Park) if the
vehicle is moving. If you do, you
could damage the transmission.
Shift to P (Park) only when the
vehicle is stopped.
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.
See Add-On Electrical Equipment
0 201.
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
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
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.