Chevrolet sonic 2016 User manual

1
www.chevrolet.com
2016 Sonic
Getting to Know Your
Review this Quick Reference Guide for an overview of some important
features in your Chevrolet Sonic. More detailed information can be
found in your Owner Manual. Some optional equipment described
in this guide may not be included in your vehicle. For easy reference,
keep this guide with your Owner Manual in your glove box.

2
Turn Signal Lever/
Driver Information
Center Controls
Windshield
Wipers
Lever Rear Wiper
Control
F
Exterior Lamp
Control Tilt/Telescopic
Steering
Wheel Lever
Instrument
Panel Illumination
Control
Trip
Odometer
Reset Stem*
Cruise Control
F
/
Forward Collision
Alert
F
/Lane Departure
Warning
F
Buttons
Hood
Release
Lever
Audio Steering
Wheel Controls
Driver
Information
Center
Instrument Panel
Low Fuel
Door Ajar
Traction Control Off
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Brake System
Cruise Control Set
StabiliTrak Active
StabiliTrak Off
!
Speed Sensitive Power
Steering
Low Tire Pressure
Reduced Engine Power
CODE
Code Set
Symbols

3
Power Door
Locks Button Infotainment
System Hazard Warning Flashers Button
Forward Collision
Alert
F
/Lane
Departure Warning
F
Indicators
Climate
Controls
Driver’s Heated
Seat Button
F
Refer to your Owner Manual
to learn about the information
being relayed by the lights,
gauges and indicators on the
instrument cluster.
See In Brief in your Owner Manual.
Passenger’s
Heated Seat
Button
F
*To reset the trip odometer that
is currently displayed, press
and hold the reset stem on the
tachometer.
2
Passenger Safety
Belt Reminder
Check Engine
Oil Pressure
F Optional equipment
Charging System
Safety Belt Reminder
Airbag Readiness
Antilock Brake System

4
Unlock
Press to unlock the
driver’s door. Press
again to unlock all
doors and liftgate
(if equipped).
Lock
Press to lock all
doors and liftgate
(if equipped). The
driver’s door will
not lock when open
if the Unlocked Door
Anti Lock Out setting
is turned on.
Trunk
(Sedan model only)
Press and hold to unlock
the trunk.
Note: To change the remote lock and unlock
settings, go to the Lock and Unlock menus in the
Vehicle Settings.
Vehicle Locator/Panic Alarm
Press and release to locate your vehicle.
The turn signal lamps will ash and the
horn will sound.
Press and hold for three seconds to
activate the alarm. The turn signal lamps
will ash and the horn will sound until the
button is pressed again or the ignition is
turned on.
Remote Vehicle StartF
Press and release the Lock button and
then press and hold the button until
the turn signal lamps ash to start the
engine from outside the vehicle. After
entering the vehicle, turn the ignition to
the On position before driving.
• During a remote start, the engine will
run for 10 minutes.
• Press and hold the button until
the parking lamps turn off to cancel a
remote start.
Remote Keyless Entry Transmitter
Door Locks and Rear Door Child Safety Locks
See Keys, Doors and Windows in your Owner Manual.
F Optional equipment
Press the power door Unlock/ Lock buttons located on the center of the
instrument panel or the driver’s door to lock or unlock all doors and liftgate (if
equipped). To unlock the doors and liftgate (if equipped) with the engine running,
rst place the shift lever in Park (automatic transmission) or apply the parking brake
and shift into Neutral (manual transmission).
Press the driver’s door lock knob to lock all doors and liftgate (if equipped).
To prevent a rear door from opening from the inside, use the key to turn the safety
lock, located on the inside edge of the rear doors, to the horizontal position.
See Keys, Doors and Windows in your Owner Manual.

5
Seats
A. Seat Fore/Aft Adjustment
Lift the handle under the front of the
seat near the center console to slide
the seat forward or rearward.
B. Seat Height Adjustment
Ratchet the middle lever up or down
repeatedly to raise or lower the seat.
C. Seatback Recline Adjustment
Lift the rear lever to recline or raise
the seatback.
Manual Driver’s Seat
1. Make sure the safety belt is in the
retainer hook.
2. Pull the lever on top of the seatback
(D). When the red marking is visible,
the seatback is unlatched.
3. Fold down the seatback.
Folding Rear Seats
See Seats and Restraints in your Owner Manual.
Tilt/Telescopic Steering Wheel
With the vehicle parked, push down the lever on the left side of the steering column to
adjust the steering wheel. The steering wheel can then be moved up or down and in or
out. Pull up the lever to lock the steering wheel in place.
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.
A
B
D
C

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Windshield Wipers and Washer
Move the lever up or down to operate the
windshield wipers.
Lighting
Wipers and Washers
Off/On
AUTO Automatic Headlamp System
Automatically activates the Daytime
Running Lamps (DRLs) or the headlamps
and other exterior lamps depending on
outside light conditions.
Parking Lamps
Headlamps
Fog LampsF
Press to turn the fog lamps and parking
lamps on or off.
Automatic Headlamp System
Instrument Panel Brightness
Rotate and hold the thumbwheel to adjust
the instrument panel lighting.
See Lighting in your Owner Manual.
Instrument Panel Lighting
HI High Speed
LO Low Speed
INT Intermittent
Rotate the band to adjust the delay
between wipes. The wipers activate more
often as the band is rotated upward.
OFF
1x Single Wipe
Washer Fluid
Pull the lever toward you to spray washer
uid on the windshield.
ON Low Speed
OFF
INT Intermittent
Washer Fluid
Push the lever away from you to spray
washer uid on the rear window.
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.
Rear Wiper and Washer
(5-door model only)
Press the switch on the end of the lever
to operate the rear wiper.
Note: The rear wiper will automatically activate
when the vehicle is in Reverse and the windshield
wipers are turned on.
F Optional equipment

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Air Conditioning
Mode
F
Recirculation
Mode
Temperature
Control
Fan Speed
Control/Off
Rear Window/Outside
Mirror Defogger
Driver’s Heated
Seat Control
F
Air delivery modes:
Vent Mode
Bi-level Mode
Floor Mode
Defog Mode
Defrost Mode
Passenger’s Heated
Seat Control
F
Recirculation Mode
The Recirculation Mode can help quickly cool the air inside the vehicle or prevent
outside odors from entering the vehicle. It is not available while the Defog or Defrost
Mode is selected. When the Recirculation Mode is used without air conditioning, the air
humidity increases and the windows may fog.
Defog and Defrost Mode
When the Defog or Defrost Mode is selected, the air conditioning also will run when
above certain ambient temperatures to help reduce air humidity.
See Climate Controls in your Owner Manual.
Climate Controls
Climate control system with heated seats
F
shown
F Optional equipment

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See Infotainment System in your Owner Manual.
Infotainment System
Storing Favorite Stations
Radio stations from all bands (AM, FM or XM) can be stored, in any order, on up to seven
pages of favorites.
1. Tune in the desired radio station.
2. Touch the or button to display the page where the station is to be stored.
3. Touch and hold one of the ve preset screen buttons until a beep is heard.
4. Repeat the steps for each desired station.
Refer to your Owner Manual for important safety information about using the infotainment system
while driving.
picture & movie:
View a picture or
play a video
telephone:
Open the
Phone menu
audio:
AM, FM, XM
F
, USB,
Aux, Bluetooth audio
Home page
Power
VOL
Volume
smartphone link:
Access smartphone
apps
settings:
Open the
Settings menu
F Optional equipment

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An auxiliary input jackF and a USB portF
are located in the instrument panel upper
storage compartment. Route the device
wires through the wire exit of the storage
compartment door.
• A portable audio device connected to
the auxiliary input jack can be con-
trolled only by using the portable device
controls. To optimize speaker volume,
fully increase the volume level of the
portable device.
• An iPod®, iPhone®, MP3 Player, a USB
ash drive or a USB mass storage device
can be connected to the USB port.
Search for music on-screen. Not all
devices may be supported.
Portable Audio Devices
Infotainment System
Note: Some supported devices can be recharged
when connected to the USB portF.
Bluetooth® System
Before using a Bluetooth-enabled device in the vehicle, it must be paired with the in-
vehicle Bluetooth system. Not all devices will support all functions. The pairing process is
disabled when the vehicle is moving. For more information, visit my.chevrolet.com/learn.
Pair a Device
1. Press the Home button.
2. Touch settings.
3. Touch connection settings.
4. Touch bluetooth settings.
5. Touch pair device.
6. Touch search bluetooth device.
7. Start the pairing process on the device.
8. Once your device appears on the screen, conrm the six-digit code on the device.
9. When complete, a prompt will request transfer of phone data.
See Infotainment System in your Owner Manual.
Previous le
Pause
Resume/Play
Next le
Music Menu
Once a device is connected to the USB port, the USB > Music menu appears. Use the
following screen buttons to operate the device:
Repeat
1 – current song
All – all songs
Off – normal playback
Random
On – shufe all songs
Off – normal playback
See Infotainment System in your Owner Manual.
F Optional equipment

10 F
Optional equipment
MyLink uses a Bluetooth or USB connection to link a compatible smartphone, cell phone,
USB ash drive or portable audio player/iPod®to the touch screen infotainment display.
It offers a variety of entertainment options and smartphone apps. For more information,
including device compatibility, visit www.chevrolet.com/mylink or call 1-855-4-SUPPORT
(1-855-478-7767). Some of the currently available apps are described below.
If equipped with OnStar 4G LTE and Wi-Fi®, up to seven devices (smartphones, tablets
and laptops) can be connected to high-speed Internet through the vehicle’s built-in Wi-Fi
hotspot.
To retrieve the SSID and password for the hotspot, press the OnStar Voice Command
button on the overhead console or rearview mirror, wait for the prompt, and then say
“Wi-Fi settings.” The information will be displayed on the screen.
For assistance, press the blue OnStar button or call 1-888-4-ONSTAR (1-888-466-7827).
Note: See onstar.com for a detailed instruction guide, vehicle availability, and system limitations.
See Infotainment System in your Owner Manual.
Chevrolet Mylink
OnStar® with 4G LTEF
PANDORA®Internet Radio
Listen to personalized radio stations based on favorite artists or genres.
Download the Pandora app to your smartphone. Restart the smartphone and sign in to
Pandora.
Create a station on your smartphone to listen to a customized song list in the vehicle.
Connect your smartphone to the system by Bluetooth or, for Apple devices,
by a USB cable.
Touch the Pandora icon on the touch screen to access Pandora. A slight delay may
occur when loading a song or changing a station.
Stitcher SmartRadio™
Stream favorite podcasts, radio shows and news to your vehicle.
Download the Stitcher app to your smartphone. Restart the smartphone and sign in
to Stitcher.
Select a category to listen to.
Touch the Stitcher icon on the touch screen to access Stitcher.
BringGo Navigation (separate purchase required)
Display and control full-function navigation and trafc features.
Download the BringGo app to your smartphone. Restart the smartphone.
Connect your smartphone to MyLink using a USB cable for an iPhone or Bluetooth for
an Android phone.
Touch the BringGo icon on the touch screen to access BringGo Navigation.
See Infotainment System in your Owner Manual.

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F Optional equipment
Next/Previous
Rotate the thumbwheel up or down to
go to the next or previous favorite radio
station or track.
Push to Talk
Press to answer an incoming call or
interact with the BluetoothFor OnStar
®
system.
End Call/Mute
Press to end or reject a call.
Press to mute the vehicle speakers.
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.
Audio Steering Wheel Controls
Volume
Press +or –to adjust the volume.
SRC Source
Press to select an audio source.
Setting Cruise Control
1. Press the On/Off button. The
Cruise Control symbol will illuminate in
white on the instrument cluster.
2. When traveling at the desired speed,
rotate the thumbwheel down to the
SET/– position to set the speed.
The symbol will illuminate in green
on the instrument cluster.
Note: Cruise control does not operate at speeds
below 25 mph. The automatic transmissionF
may downshift to maintain the set speed when
traveling down a steep grade.
Cruise ControlF
Adjusting Cruise Control
RES/+ Resume/Accelerate
Rotate the thumbwheel up to resume a set speed.
When the system is active, rotate the thumbwheel up to increase speed.
SET/– Set/Coast
When the system is active, rotate the thumbwheel down to decrease speed.
Cancel
Press to cancel the cruise control but retain the set speed in memory.
Pressing the brake pedal or clutch pedal (manual transmission only) also will cancel the
cruise control.
The cruise control set speed is erased when cruise control or the vehicle ignition is
turned off.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.

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The Driver Information Center (DIC) on the instrument cluster displays a variety of vehicle
system information and warning messages.
Driver Information Center
DIC Controls
A. MENU
Press to display the Fuel menu (may
include average speed, fuel range,
average fuel economy and timer) or the
Vehicle Information menu (may include
remaining oil life, units, language and
tire learn).
B.
Rotate the switch to scroll through the
items of each menu.
C. SET/CLR
Press the button on the end of the lever
to set a menu item or clear a message.
Press and hold the button to reset a
menu item.
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.
Code Set Indicator
The
CODE
Code Set indicator displays with a number on the Driver Information Center
when the status of the vehicle has changed and action may be needed to correct the
condition. Following are the vehicle messages indicated by each code number:
25 Left Front Turn Signal Failure
26 Left Rear Turn Signal Failure
27 Right Front Turn Signal Failure
28 Right Rear Turn Signal Failure
49 Lane Departure Warning Unavailable
52 Change Timing Belt
77 Service Front Camera System
84 Engine Power is Reduced
89 Service Vehicle Soon
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.
C B A

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The traction control system limits wheelspin and the StabiliTrak stability control system
assists with directional control of the vehicle in difcult driving conditions. Both systems
turn on automatically every time the vehicle is started.
Traction Control and StabiliTrak® Systems
Turning Off Traction Control
Traction control should be turned off if the
vehicle is stuck and rocking the vehicle is
required.
Press the StabiliTrak/Traction
Control button. The Traction Control
Off light will illuminate in the instru-
ment cluster. Press the button again to
turn on the system.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.
When the vehicle is in Reverse, a view of the area behind the vehicle appears on the
infotainment screen.
To change the rear camera display options, select settings on the infotainment home
page, and then select Vehicle Settings > Rear Camera Option.
Note: Clean the camera, located above the license plate, with water and a soft cloth.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.
Rear Vision Camera
Some vehicle features can be customized using the audio controls and menus. Vehicle
Settings may include Comfort & Convenience; Lighting; Power Door Locks; Lock, Unlock
Settings; Rear Camera Option; and Vehicle Factory Settings.
Vehicle Personalization
1. Press the Home button.
2. Touch settings.
3. Touch the desired screen menu to
access the various menus and settings.
4. Touch the Back screen button in
the upper-left corner to move back
within a menu.
See Instruments and Controls in your Owner Manual.

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To open the fuel door, pull the center of the rear edge of the door.
Turn the ignition key to the Off position before refueling the vehicle; otherwise,
the fuel gauge may not immediately show the updated fuel level.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.
Refueling the Vehicle
Engine Oil Life System
The Oil Life System calculates oil life based on vehicle use and displays Change Engine Oil
Soon on the Driver Information Center when it’s necessary to change the engine oil and
lter. The system should be reset to 100% only following an oil change.
See Vehicle Care in your Owner Manual.
When stopped on a steep hill, the Hill Start Assist feature prevents the vehicle from roll-
ing before driving off, whether facing uphill or downhill. During the transition between
when the driver releases the brake pedal and starts to accelerate, Hill Start Assist holds
the brake pressure (for up to two seconds) to ensure the vehicle doesn’t roll.
Note: Hill Start Assist will not operate if StabiliTrak is disabled.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.
Hill Start Assist
Automatic TransmissionF
Manual Mode
Manual Mode allows the driver to shift gears manually. This feature can be used to drive
the vehicle in a sportier manner or to downshift when driving on a downhill grade to
provide engine braking.
1. Move the shift lever to the Manual (M) position.
2. Press the + plus or – minus button on the side of the shift lever to upshift or down-
shift. The current gear will be displayed on the Driver Information Center.
If vehicle speed is too high or too low for the requested gear, the shift will not occur.
When coming to a stop, the transmission will downshift automatically.
Note: On turbo engine-equipped vehicles, the transmission has a fuel-saving Neutral shift feature. It
shifts into Neutral when the vehicle comes to a stop and the brake pedal is applied. It shifts back to
Drive when the brake pedal is released.
See Driving and Operating in your Owner Manual.
F Optional equipment

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Storage Features (5-Door Model Only)
Remove the Floor Cover
1. Lift up the cover and pull it out.
2. Store the cover on the bottom of the
load compartment.
Install the Cover
1. Align the front corners of the cover
with the front slots (A) on both sides of
the load compartment.
2. Lower the cover onto the lip around the
load compartment.
Cargo Floor Load Compartment
Additional storage space is available under
the rear cargo oor cover.
Remove the Cargo Cover
1. Unhook the cords from the liftgate and
push up on the underside of the cover
at the front pins (B).
2. Slide the cover along the channels
to store it behind the rear seats.
Install the Cover
1. Install the cover onto the front pins.
2. Hook the cords to the liftgate.
Cargo Cover
Tire Pressure Monitor
The Low Tire Pressure warning light on the instrument cluster illuminates and a
message displays on the Driver Information Center when one or more of the vehicle’s
tires is signicantly underinated. The message shows the location of the low tire and the
approximate pressure. Fill the tires to the proper tire pressures, which are listed on the
Tire and Loading Information label located below the driver’s door latch.
Tire pressure is affected by cold weather and distance driven. If the low tire pressure
warning light illuminates when the vehicle is rst started in cooler temperatures and
then turns off as the vehicle is driven, check for the proper tire pressures.
Refer to your Owner Manual for additional information about normal monthly tire maintenance.
See Vehicle Care in your Owner Manual.
See Storage in your Owner Manual.
B
A

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Certain restrictions, precautions and safety procedures apply to your vehicle. Please read your Owner Manual
for complete instructions. All information contained herein is based on the latest information available at the
time of printing and is subject to change without notice. Copyright 2015 General Motors. All rights reserved.
We recommend always using ACDelco or genuine GM service parts.
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If you require roadside service and have a current OnStar subscription, press the OnStar
button and the vehicle will send your current GPS location to an OnStar Advisor who
will speak to you, assess your problem, contact Roadside Assistance and relay your exact
location so you will get the help you need.
For more information about OnStar services, press the OnStar button, refer to your
Owner Manual, call 1-888-466-7827 or visit onstar.com.
Roadside Assistance
1-800-CHEV-USA TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438
(1-800-243-8872)
As the owner of a new Chevrolet, you are automatically enrolled in the Chevrolet
Roadside Assistance program for 5 years/60,000 miles, whichever occurs rst, at no
expense to you. This value-added service is intended to provide you with peace of mind
as you drive across town or travel the open road.
Chevrolet’s Roadside Assistance toll-free number is staffed by a team of trained advisors
who are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to contact a service provider for light
services (fuel delivery, jump-starts, at tire and lock-outs) or make arrangements to tow
your vehicle to the nearest Chevrolet dealer.
OnStar®
Chevrolet Owner Center
Get to know your vehicle inside and out with the Chevrolet Owner Center. Check out
personalized information, including an online owner manual and helpful how-to videos
track your service history and warranty status, review your current OnStar Vehicle
Diagnostics report (active OnStar account required) and more. Create an account today
at my.chevrolet.com.