2006 CHEVROLET COBALT Owners Manual

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, some audio controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel. They include the
following:
xSEEKw:Press the up or the down arrow to go to
the next or to the previous radio station and stay there.
The radio will only seek stations with a strong signal that
are in the selected band.
When a CD is playing, press the up or the down arrow to
go to the next or previous track.
BAND:Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2,
AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if equipped).1–6 (Preset Pushbuttons):Press this button to play
stations that are programmed on the radio preset
pushbuttons. The radio will only seek preset stations
with a strong signal that are in the selected band.
xuw(Volume):Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease the volume.
0(Mute):Press this button to silence the system.
Press this button again, or any other radio button, to turn
the sound on.
Mute is unavailable when OnStar™ (if equipped) is
active.
SRCE (Source):Press this button to switch between
listening to the radio and a CD. The inactive CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and static
during normal radio reception if items such as cellphone
chargers, vehicle convenience accessories, and external
electronic devices are plugged into the accessory power
outlet. If there is interference or static, unplug the item
from the accessory power outlet.
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AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range can cause station
frequencies to interfere with each other. For better radio
reception, most AM radio stations will boost the power
levels during the day, and then reduce these levels during
the night. Static can also occur when things like storms
and power lines interfere with radio reception. When this
happens, try reducing the treble on your radio.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals will
reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio reception
from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous United States,
and in Canada (if available). Just as with FM, tall
buildings or hills can interfere with satellite radio signals,
causing the sound to fade in and out. In addition,
traveling or standing under heavy foliage, bridges,
garages, or tunnels may cause loss of XM signal for a
period of time. The radio may display NO XM SIGNAL
to indicate interference.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust. The CD player scans the bottom surface of the
disc. If the surface of a CD is damaged, such as cracked,
broken, or scratched, the CD will not play properly or not
at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take a soft, lint free
cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral
detergent solution mixed with water, and clean it. Make
sure the wiping process starts from the center to
the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while handling it;
this could damage the surface. Pick up CDs by grasping
the outer edges or the edge of the hole and the
outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CD players is not
advised, due to the risk of contaminating the internal
lens of the CD optics with lubricants.
3-72

Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged. If the mast should ever become
slightly bent, straighten it out by hand. If the mast is badly
bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is still
tightened to the fender. If tightening is required, tighten
by hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and
ice build up for clear radio reception.
If your vehicle has a sunroof, the performance of the
XM™ system may be affected if the sunroof is open.
Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can interfere
with the performance of the XM™ system. Make sure
the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is not obstructed.
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✍NOTES
3-74

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-3
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-6
Braking.........................................................4-6
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).........................4-7
Braking in Emergencies...................................4-9
Enhanced Traction System (ETS).....................4-9
Limited-Slip Differential..................................4-11
Steering......................................................4-11
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-13
Passing.......................................................4-14
Loss of Control.............................................4-15
Racing or Other Competitive Driving................4-17
Driving at Night............................................4-17
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-18City Driving..................................................4-20
Freeway Driving...........................................4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-22
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-23
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-24
Winter Driving..............................................4-26
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow.....................................4-30
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out.................4-31
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-31
Towing..........................................................4-36
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-36
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-36
Towing a Trailer (Automatic Transaxle)............4-39
Towing a Trailer (Manual Transaxle)................4-46
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive
defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page 1-12.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “Be ready for
anything.” On city streets, rural roads, or
expressways, it means “Always expect the
unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians or other
drivers are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might do and
be ready. Rear-end collisions are about the
most preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything that
distracts from the driving task makes proper
defensive driving more difficult and can even
cause a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a
passenger to help do these things, or pull off
the road in a safe place to do them. These
simple defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
4-2

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It is the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving. In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population — choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it is
against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There
are good medical, psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway safety
problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then
drive. But what if people do? How much is “too much” if
someone plans to drive? It is a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
4-3

According to the American Medical Association, a
180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka.
It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to 0.12 percent.A person who consumes food just before or during
drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher BAC
level than a man of her same body weight will when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout Canada,
sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent. In some other
countries, the limit is even lower. For example, it is
0.05 percent in both France and Germany. The BAC
limit for all commercial drivers in the United States is
0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have seen, it
depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks, and how
quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night.
All drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent. Statistics show that the chance of being
in a collision increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level
of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision.
4-4