CHEVROLET COBALT 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts — heavy acceleration followed by
heavy braking — rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. The brakes may not have
time to cool between hard stops. The brakes
will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your vehicle’s engine ever stops while you are
driving, brake normally but do not pump the
brakes. If you do, the pedal may get harder to
push down. If the engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power assist is used
up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 280.Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle might have the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced electronic braking
system that will help prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has ABS,
this warning light on the
instrument panel will
come on briey
when you start your
vehicle.
When you start the engine, or when you begin to
drive away, ABS will check itself. You might
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you might even
notice that the brake pedal moves or pulses a
little. This is normal.
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Let us say the road is wet and you are driving
safely. Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of
you. You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here is what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down.
If one of the wheels is about to stop rolling,
the computer will separately work the brakes at
each wheel.ABS can change the brake pressure faster than
any driver could. The computer is programmed
to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the
obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, the computer keeps receiving
updates on wheel speed and controls braking
pressure accordingly.
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Remember: ABS does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or
always decrease stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you, you will not have
time to apply the brakes if that vehicle suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave enough room up
ahead to stop, even though you have ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake
pedal down rmly and let anti-lock work for you.
You might feel a slight brake pedal pulsation
or notice some noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a
situation that requires hard braking.
If you have ABS, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However, if you do not have ABS,
your rst reaction — to hit the brake pedal
hard and hold it down — might be the wrong
thing to do. Your wheels can stop rolling.Once they do, the vehicle cannot respond to your
steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped
rolling. That could be off the road, into the very
thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you do not have ABS, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can do this
by pushing on the brake pedal with steadily
increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to
squeeze the brakes hard without locking the
wheels. If you hear or feel the wheels sliding,
ease off the brake pedal. This will help you retain
steering control. If you do have ABS, it is different.
SeeAnti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 231.
In many emergencies, steering can help you
more than even the very best braking.
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Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Your vehicle may have an Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) that limits wheel spin. This is
especially useful in slippery road conditions.
The system operates only if it senses that one or
both of the front wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system
reduces engine power and may also upshift the
transaxle to limit wheel spin. You may feel or hear
the system working, but this is normal.
A LOW TRACTION message will appear on the
Driver Information Center (DIC) when the traction
control system is actively limiting wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this message
is displayed, so adjust your driving accordingly.If your vehicle is in cruise control when the
Enhanced Traction System begins to limit wheel
spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to
safely use it again, you may re-engage the cruise
control. SeeCruise Control on page 149.
When the system is on,
this warning light will
come on to let you know
there’s a problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on when
you’re driving, there may be a problem with
your Enhanced Traction System and your vehicle
may need service. When this warning light is
on, the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.
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The Enhanced Traction System warning light may
come on for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by moving the shift
lever to LOW (L), the warning light will come
on and stay on. To turn the system back
on, move the shift lever back to a position
other than LOW (L). The warning light should
go off.
The warning light will come on when you set
your parking brake with the engine running,
and it will stay on if your parking brake
does not release fully. If the transaxle shift
lever is in any position other than LOW (L) and
the warning light stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means there is
a problem with the system.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine related problem, the system will turn
off and the warning light will come on.If the Enhanced Traction System warning light
comes on and stays on for an extended period of
time when the transaxle shift lever is in any
position other than LOW (L), your vehicle needs
service.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 280for more information.
Limited-Slip Differential
Your vehicle may have this feature. A limited-slip
transaxle can give you additional traction on snow,
mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works like a standard
transaxle most of the time, but when one of the
front wheels loses traction, this feature will allow the
wheel with traction to move the vehicle.
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Steering
Electric Power Steering
If the engine stalls while you are driving, the
power steering assist system will continue
to operate until you are able to stop your vehicle.
If you lose power steering assist because the
electric power steering system is not functioning,
you can steer, but it will take more effort.
If you turn the steering wheel in either direction
several times until it stops, or hold the steering
wheel in the stopped position for an extended
amount of time, you may notice a reduced amount
of power steering assist. The normal amount of
power steering assist should return shortly after a
few normal steering movements.
The electric power steering system does not
require regular maintenance. If you suspect
steering system problems and/or the POWER
STEERING message comes on, contact your
dealer/retailer for service repairs. SeeDIC
Warnings and Messages on page 184.
Steering Tips
It is important to take curves at a reasonable
speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned
on the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is
subject to the same laws of physics when driving
on curves. The traction of the tires against the
road surface makes it possible for the vehicle to
change its path when you turn the front wheels.
If there is no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If you have
ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on
the condition of the tires and the road surface,
the angle at which the curve is banked, and your
speed. While you are in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
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Suppose you are steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both
control systems — steering and braking — have
to do their work where the tires meet the road.
Unless you have four-wheel anti-lock brakes,
adding the hard braking can demand too much of
those places. You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you are steering
through a sharp curve and you suddenly
accelerate. Those two control systems — steering
and acceleration — can overwhelm those
places where the tires meet the road and make
you lose control. SeeEnhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 234.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up
on the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the
vehicle the way you want it to go, and slow down.Speed limit signs near curves warn that you
should adjust your speed. Of course, the posted
speeds are based on good weather and road
conditions. Under less favorable conditions you will
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach
a curve, do it before you enter the curve, while
the front wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive”
through the curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady
speed. Wait to accelerate until you are out of
the curve, and then accelerate gently into
the straightaway.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modications on page 280.
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Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more
effective than braking. For example, you come
over a hill and nd a truck stopped in your lane, or
a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked cars and
stops right in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking — if you can stop in time.
But sometimes you cannot; there is not room.
That is the time for evasive action — steering
around the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply the brakes — but, unless
you have anti-lock brakes, not enough to lock the
wheels. SeeBraking on page 230. It is better
to remove as much speed as you can from
a possible collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right depending on the
space available.An emergency like this requires close attention
and a quick decision. If you are holding the
steering wheel at the recommended 9 and
3 o’clock positions, you can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing either
hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you
have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are
always possible is a good reason to practice
defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts
properly.
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Off-Road Recovery
You may nd that your vehicle’s right wheels have
dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder
while you are driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off
the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the
way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge
of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel
up to one-quarter turn until the right front tire
contacts the pavement edge. Then turn the steering
wheel to go straight down the roadway.
Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then
goes back into the right lane again. A simple
maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a
two-lane highway is a potentially dangerous move,
since the passing vehicle occupies the same
lane as oncoming traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in judgment, or a brief
surrender to frustration or anger can suddenly
put the passing driver face to face with the worst
of all traffic accidents — the head-on collision.
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So here are some tips for passing:
Drive ahead. Look down the road, to the
sides, and to crossroads for situations
that might affect your passing patterns. If you
have any doubt whatsoever about making
a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings,
and lines. If you can see a sign up ahead
that might indicate a turn or an intersection,
delay your pass. A broken center line
usually indicates it is all right to pass, providing
the road ahead is clear. Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want
to pass while you are awaiting an opportunity.
For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area of vision, especially if you are
following a larger vehicle. Also, you will not
have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming
up, start to accelerate but stay in the right
lane and do not get too close. Time your move
so you will be increasing speed as the time
comes to move into the other lane. If the way
is clear to pass, you will have a running
start that more than makes up for the distance
you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel
your pass, you need only slow down and drop
back again and wait for another opportunity.
If other vehicles are lined up to pass a slow
vehicle, wait your turn. But take care that
someone is not trying to pass you as you pull
out to pass the slow vehicle. Remember to
glance over your shoulder and check the
blind spot.
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