2005 CHEVROLET COBALT fuel

If the Light is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed
Avoiding hard accelerations
Avoiding steep uphill grades
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible
If the light stops ashing and remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to ash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart
the engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If
the Light Is On Steady” following. If the light is still
ashing, follow the previous steps, and see your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. SeeFilling the Tank on page 5-8. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap hasbeen left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing
fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly installed
should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel. See
Gasoline Octane on page 5-5. Poor fuel quality will
cause your engine not to run as efficiently as designed.
You may notice this as stalling after start-up, stalling
when you put the vehicle into gear, misring, hesitation
on acceleration, or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the
light to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least
one full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
your dealer can check the vehicle. Your dealer has
the proper test equipment and diagnostic tools to x any
mechanical or electrical problems that may have
developed.
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Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:
At the service station, the gas pump shuts off
before the gage reads full.
It takes a little more or less fuel to ll up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to
ll the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
For your fuel tank capacity, seeCapacities and
Specications on page 5-97.
Boost Gage
If your vehicle is equipped with this gage, it is located
near the driver’s side of the instrument panel cluster.
This gage indicates vacuum during light to moderate
throttle and boost under heavier throttle.
The gage displays the air pressure level going into the
engine’s combustion chamber.
The gage is automatically centered at zero every time
the ignition is turned to RUN. Actual vacuum or boost is
displayed from this zero point. Changes in ambient
pressure, such as driving in mountains and changing
weather, will slightly change the zero reading.
United StatesCanada
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TRIP A or TRIP B
Press the information button until TRIP A or TRIP B is
displayed. These modes show the current distance
traveled since the last reset for each trip odometer in
either miles (mi) or kilometers (km). Both odometers can
be used at the same time.
Each trip odometer can be reset to zero separately by
pressing and holding the reset button for a few seconds
while the desired trip odometer is displayed.
FUEL RANGE
Press the information button until FUEL RANGE is
displayed. This mode shows the remaining distance you
can drive without refueling in either miles (mi) or
kilometers (km). It is based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining in the tank.
The fuel economy data used to determine fuel range is
an average of recent driving conditions. As your
driving conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
The FUEL RANGE mode cannot be reset.
ECON (Economy)
Press the information button until ECON is displayed.
This mode shows how many miles per gallon (mpg)
or liters per 100 kilometers (L/100 km) your vehicle is
getting based on current and past driving conditions.
Press and hold the reset button while ECON is displayed
to reset the average fuel economy. Average fuel
economy will then be calculated starting from that point.
If the average fuel economy is not reset, it will be
continually updated each time you drive.
AV (Average) SPEED
Press the information button until AV SPEED is
displayed. This mode shows the vehicle’s average
speed in miles per hour (mph) or kilometers per
hour (km/h).
Press and hold the reset button while AV SPEED is
displayed to reset the average vehicle speed.
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LOW FUEL
This message is displayed when your vehicle is low on
fuel. You should rell the tank as soon as possible.
SeeFuel Gage on page 3-34,Filling the Tank on
page 5-8, andFuel on page 5-5for more information.
LOW TRACTION
This message is displayed when the enhanced traction
system is actively limiting wheel spin. Slippery road
conditions may exist if this message is displayed,
so adjust your driving accordingly. SeeEnhanced
Traction System (ETS) on page 4-8for more
information.
PARKING BRAKE
This message is displayed if the parking brake is left
engaged. SeeParking Brake on page 2-26.
POWER STEERING
This message is displayed if a problem has been
detected with the electric power steering. Have your
vehicle serviced by your GM dealer immediately.
SERVICE AIR BAG
This message is displayed when there is a problem with
the airbag system. Let only a qualied technician
work on your vehicle. Have your vehicle serviced by
your GM dealer immediately.
TRUNK AJAR
This message is displayed when the trunk lid of your
vehicle is not closed completely. You should make sure
that the trunk lid is closed completely. SeeTrunk on
page 2-10.
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DIC Vehicle Personalization
Your vehicle has personalization capabilities that allow
you to program certain features to a preferred setting.
All of the features listed may not be available on
your vehicle. Only the features available will be
displayed on your DIC.
The default settings for the features were set when your
vehicle left the factory, but may have been changed
from their default state since then.
To change feature settings, use the following procedure:
Entering Personalization Menu
1. Turn the ignition on while the vehicle is stopped.
2. Press the information and reset buttons at the same
time to enter the personalization menu.
3. Press the information button to scroll through the
available personalization menu modes.
Press the reset button to scroll through the available
settings for each mode.
If you do not make a selection within ten seconds,
the display will go back to the previous information
displayed.
Personalization Menu Modes
OIL-LIFE RESET
When this feature is displayed, you can reset the engine
oil life system. To reset the system to 100%, press
and hold the reset button for at least one second. An
ACKNOWLEDGED display message will appear
for three seconds or until the next button is pressed.
This will tell you the system has been reset. SeeEngine
Oil Life System on page 5-19and “OIL LIFE” under
DIC Operation and Displays on page 3-35for more
information.
UNITS
This feature allows you to select the units of
measurement in which the DIC will display the vehicle
information. When UNITS appears on the display, press
the reset button to scroll through the available settings:
ENGLISH (default in United States):All information
will be displayed in English units. For example, distance
will be shown in miles (mi) and fuel economy in miles
per gallon (mpg).
METRIC (default in Canada):All information will be
displayed in metric units. For example, distance will be
shown in kilometers (km) and fuel economy in liters
per 100 kilometers (L/100 km).
Choose one of the available settings and press the
information button to select it and move on to the next
feature.
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Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance.
Expect to move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted. Reduce your speed
according to your speedometer, not to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance at higher
speeds, you may tend to think you are going slower
than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you are ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you are not fresh — such as after
a day’s work — do not plan to make too many miles that
rst part of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing
and shoes you can easily drive in.Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it is ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course, you
will nd experienced and able service experts in GM
dealerships all across North America. They will be ready
and willing to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid:Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades:Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps:Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires:They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts:What is the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a
short time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps:Do you have up-to-date maps?
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine
again and repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it as little as
possible. Preserve the fuel as long as you can. To help
keep warm, you can get out of the vehicle and do
some fairly vigorous exercises every half hour or so until
help comes.
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will
need to spin the wheels, but you do not want to
spin your wheels too fast. The method known as rocking
can help you get out when you are stuck, but you
must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transaxle or other parts of the
vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment re or other damage.
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transaxle back
and forth, you can destroy your transaxle. See
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out on page 4-30.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
seeTire Chains on page 5-68.
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Certication Label
A vehicle specic Certication label, found on the rear
edge of the driver’s door, tells you the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight of
the vehicle, all occupants, fuel, and cargo. Never exceed
the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And, if you do have a heavy load, you should spread
it out.
{CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), or either
the maximum front or rear Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR). If you do, parts on your
vehicle can break, and it can change the way
your vehicle handles. These could cause you
to lose control and crash. Also, overloading
can shorten the life of your vehicle.
If you put things inside your vehicle — like suitcases,
tools, packages, or anything else — they will go as fast
as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop or turn
quickly, or if there is a crash, they will keep going.
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