Reset a Frozen Infotainment Screen

Last updated: June 12, 2026

If the colour screen in your Chevrolet Cruze (J300, 2009–2014) has frozen on the Chevrolet logo, gone black, or stopped answering taps, you can force the radio to restart yourself in about a minute. First, work out which display your Cruze actually has, because the J300 was sold with two very different head units during its run.

Which screen is in your Cruze

• 2009–2012 (pre-facelift): most cars came with the basic button-and-knob radio and a small monochrome or segmented display. There is no touchscreen to “freeze” here — if your radio locks up, the fix is the fuse-pull or battery method below.
• 2013–2014 (facelift): the Cruze gained the 7-inch MyLink touchscreen (standard on most trims, optional on the entry LS/1LT). This is the unit that genuinely freezes and that the button reboot is for.

A frozen MyLink is nearly always a software lock-up inside the radio module — the car drives normally while the screen sticks. The reboot uses the hard buttons on the unit, not a touch menu.

Soft reset (reboot) the MyLink screen

Park the Cruze and keep the ignition in the ON/accessory position so the radio stays powered.

1. Locate the Power/Volume knob on the left of the MyLink unit (or, on cars set up that way, the Home and Seek-forward >> buttons).
2. Press and hold the Power/Volume knob for about 10–15 seconds — on some 7-inch MyLink units you instead press and hold Home + Seek-forward together for ~10 seconds.
3. Keep holding until the screen goes black and the Chevrolet logo reappears.
4. Release; let it reload for up to a minute before expecting touch and audio to respond.

Safe — it loses no data

This reboot does not erase your radio presets, paired phones, or MyLink settings. It only reloads the software, exactly like restarting a phone. Repeat it as often as you need.

If it stays frozen

• Hold longer. If 10 seconds did nothing, retry and hold for a full 20–30 seconds.
• Cycle the ignition fully. Switch off, open the door, lock the car and walk away for a couple of minutes so the radio powers right down, then restart.
• Pull the radio fuse (reliable last resort). With everything off, remove the radio/infotainment fuse from the fuse box (engine-bay box or the panel at the left end of the dash — check the lid diagram for “RADIO” or “INFO”). Wait 30–60 seconds and refit it to force a hard power-down.
• Disconnect the battery briefly. If you cannot find the fuse, disconnecting the negative terminal for a minute achieves the same hard reset.

Factory reset (erases data)

Only do this if a normal reboot will not cure a recurring glitch, or you are selling the car. On the MyLink touchscreen go into Settings and choose the Restore / Return to factory settings option. This wipes paired phones, presets, favourites and personal settings back to factory defaults — note your settings down first.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my Cruze has MyLink or just the basic radio?

MyLink is the 7-inch colour touchscreen fitted to 2013–2014 facelift cars. If your Cruze has a small monochrome display and physical preset buttons, it is the older non-touch radio and there is nothing to “reboot” by button — use the fuse or battery method instead.

Will the reboot delete my presets and Bluetooth pairings?

No. Only the factory reset in Settings clears them. The button reboot keeps everything.

My MyLink screen is completely black — is the unit dead?

Usually not. Try the button hold first; if nothing happens, pull and refit the radio fuse or briefly disconnect the battery. A screen that still will not wake after that may have a backlight or module fault needing a workshop.

Is it safe to drive with the screen frozen?

Yes. The radio is separate from the engine and brakes — you only lose audio, phone and any media functions. Reboot when safely parked.

The screen rebooted but a warning light stayed on — why?

A frozen screen and a dash warning light are unrelated. If a light remains after the reboot, the car may have stored a fault code — look it up on autodtcs.com.

If a warning light or fault message stays on the dash after the reset, the car may have stored a diagnostic trouble code — you can decode it on autodtcs.com.