tires CHEVROLET COBALT 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Tires
..................................................... 338
Appearance Care
.................................. 373
Vehicle Identication
............................. 382
Electrical System
.................................. 383
Capacities and Specications
................ 390
Maintenance Schedule
............................... 393
Maintenance Schedule
.......................... 394Customer Assistance Information
............. 413
Customer Assistance and Information
... 414
Reporting Safety Defects
...................... 429
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
..... 432
Index
........................................................... 435
2

DRIVE (D):This position is for normal driving with
the automatic transaxle. It provides the best fuel
economy for your vehicle. If you need more power
for passing, and you are:
Going less than about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (55 km/h), push
your accelerator all the way down.
Downshifting the transaxle in slippery road
conditions could result in skidding, see “Skidding”
underLoss of Control on page 241.
INTERMEDIATE (I):This position is also used for
normal driving. However, it reduces vehicle speed
without using your brakes for slight downgrades
where the vehicle would otherwise accelerate due
to steepness of grade. If constant upshifting or
downshifting occurs while driving up steep hills, this
position can be used to prevent repetitive types of
shifts. You might choose INTERMEDIATE (I)
instead of DRIVE (D) when driving on hilly, winding
roads and when towing a trailer, so that there is less
shifting between gears.LOW (L):This position reduces vehicle speed
more than INTERMEDIATE (I) without actually
using your brakes. You can use it on very steep
hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever
is put in LOW (L), the transaxle will not shift into
LOW (L) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the
vehicle in one place on a hill using only the
accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle.
If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When
stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking
brake to hold the vehicle in place.
120

Notice:If you keep driving your vehicle with
this light on, after awhile, the emission controls
might not work as well, your vehicle’s fuel
economy might not be as good, and the engine
might not run as smoothly. This could lead
to costly repairs that might not be covered by
your warranty.
Notice:Modications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake, or fuel system
of your vehicle or the replacement of the
original tires with other than those of the same
Tire Performance Criteria (TPC) can affect
your vehicle’s emission controls and may
cause this light to come on. Modications to
these systems could lead to costly repairs
not covered by your warranty. This may also
result in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. SeeAccessories
and Modifications on page 280.This light should come on, as a check to show
you it is working, when the ignition is on and
the engine is not running. If the light does
not come on, have it repaired. This light will also
come on during a malfunction in one of two ways:
Light Flashing— A misre condition has
been detected. A misre increases vehicle
emissions and may damage the emission
control system on your vehicle. Diagnosis
and service may be required.
Light On Steady— An emission control
system malfunction has been detected on
your vehicle. Diagnosis and service may be
required.
175

Control of a Vehicle
The following three systems help to control your
vehicle while driving — brakes, steering, and
accelerator. At times, as when driving on snow
or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control
systems than the tires and road can provide.
Meaning, you can lose control of your vehicle.
SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS) on
page 234.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer accessories can
affect your vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories
and Modications on page 280.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 171.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of a
second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an
emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it is
pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
230

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.
236

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.
237

Check your vehicle’s mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane change signal
before moving out of the right lane to pass.
When you are far enough ahead of the passed
vehicle to see its front in your vehicle’s inside
mirror, activate the right lane change signal and
move back into the right lane. Remember that
an outside convex mirror makes the vehicle you
just passed seem farther away from you than it
really is.
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing
the next vehicle.
Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too
rapidly. Even though the brake lamps are not
ashing, it might be slowing down or starting
to turn.
If you are being passed, make it easy for
the following driver to get ahead of you.
Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems — brakes,
steering, and acceleration — do not have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the
driver has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to
steer and constantly seek an escape route or
area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not overdriving those conditions. But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your
vehicle’s three control systems. In the braking skid,
the wheels are not rolling. In the steering or
cornering skid, too much speed or steering in a
curve causes tires to slip and lose cornering force.
And in the acceleration skid, too much throttle
causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
241

If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS),
remember: It helps to avoid only the acceleration
skid. SeeEnhanced Traction System (ETS)
on page 234. If you do not have the Enhanced
Traction System, or if the system is off, then
an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly
enough, your vehicle may straighten out. Always be
ready for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow,
ice, gravel, or other material is on the road.
For safety, you will want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is important
to slow down on slippery surfaces because
stopping distance will be longer and vehicle control
more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering,
acceleration, or braking, including reducing
vehicle speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.You may not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize
warning clues — such as enough water, ice, or
packed snow on the road to make a mirrored
surface — and slow down when you have
any doubt.
If you have the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS),
remember: It helps avoid only the braking skid.
If you do not have ABS, then in a braking
skid, where the wheels are no longer rolling,
release enough pressure on the brakes to get the
wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when
you have to stop suddenly. As long as the
wheels are rolling, you will have steering control.
Racing or Other Competitive Driving
See your warranty book before using your vehicle
for racing or other competitive driving. After
reviewing your warranty book, please see the
GM Performance Parts website or catalog
and contact the race sanctioning bodies, for
example Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) or
Grand American, for parts and equipment required
for racing or other competitive driving.
242

Keep the windshield and all the glass on your
vehicle clean — inside and out. Glare at night is
made much worse by dirt on the glass. Even
the inside of the glass can build up a lm caused
by dust. Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
ash more than clean glass would, making the
pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that the headlamps light up far less of
a roadway when you are in a turn or curve.
Keep your eyes moving; that way, it is easier to
pick out dimly lighted objects. Just as the
headlamps should be checked regularly for proper
aim, so should your eyes be examined regularly.
Some drivers suffer from night blindness — the
inability to see in dim light — and are not even
aware of it.Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can mean driving trouble.
On a wet road, you cannot stop, accelerate, or turn
as well because your tire-to-road traction is not as
good as on dry roads. And, if your tires do not have
much tread left, you will get even less traction.
244

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can
build up under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water. This can happen if the road is wet
enough and you are going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little or no contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if
your tires do not have much tread or if the pressure
in one or more is low. It can happen if a lot of water
is standing on the road. If you can see reections
from trees, telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops dimple the water’s surface, there could be
hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds.
There just is not a hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow down
when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through
deep puddles or standing water, water can
come in through the engine’s air intake
and badly damage the engine. Never drive
through water that is slightly lower than the
underbody of your vehicle. If you cannot
avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
246