Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-12
Child Restraints
.......................................1-32
Airbag System
.........................................1-53
Restraint System Check
............................1-68
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-17
Mirrors
....................................................2-33
OnStar
®System
......................................2-35
Storage Areas
.........................................2-37
Sunroof
..................................................2-38
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-17
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-38
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-48Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-36
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-46
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-55
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
.....................................5-88
Vehicle Identi cation
.................................5-96
Electrical System
......................................5-97
Capacities and Speci cations
...................5-107
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information.............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-13
Index................................................................ 1
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner ManualM
Front Seats......................................................1-2
Manual Seats................................................1-2
Driver Seat Height Adjuster..............................1-3
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-3
Heated Seats.................................................1-4
Reclining Seatbacks........................................1-4
Head Restraints.............................................1-7
Easy Entry Seat (Coupe).................................1-8
Rear Seats.....................................................1-10
Split Folding Rear Seat.................................1-10
Safety Belts...................................................1-12
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-12
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts......1-16
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-17
Driver Position..............................................1-18
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment.....................1-24
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-25
Right Front Passenger Position.......................1-25
Rear Seat Passengers..................................1-25
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides....................1-28
Safety Belt Pretensioners...............................1-31
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-31Child Restraints.............................................1-32
Older Children..............................................1-32
Infants and Young Children............................1-34
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-38
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-42
Lower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH).................................1-43
Securing a Child Restraint in
a Rear Seat Position.................................1-48
Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position......................1-50
Airbag System...............................................1-53
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-56
When Should an Airbag In ate?.....................1-59
What Makes an Airbag In ate?.......................1-60
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-60
What Will You See After an Airbag In ates?.....1-61
Passenger Sensing System............................1-62
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-66
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle.............................1-67
Restraint System Check..................................1-68
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-68
Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash . . .1-68
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1
Q:If I am a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should I wear safety belts?
A:You may be an excellent driver, but if you are in an
accident — even one that is not your fault — you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver does not protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km)
of home. And the greatest number of serious
injuries and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph (65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, seeOlder Children on page 1-32
orInfants and Young Children on page 1-34. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you will want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We will start with the driver position.
1-17
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant
women. Like all occupants, they are more likely to be
seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt, and
the lap portion should be worn as low as possible,
below the rounding, throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is to protect the
mother. When a safety belt is worn properly, it is more
likely that the fetus will not be hurt in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key to making
safety belts effective is wearing them properly.
Right Front Passenger Position
To learn how to wear the right front passenger’s safety
belt properly, seeDriver Position on page 1-18.
The right front passenger’s safety belt works the same
way as the driver’s safety belt — except for one thing.
If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all the
way, you will engage the child restraint locking feature
which may turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag.
If this happens, just let the belt go back all the way and
start again.
Rear Seat Passengers
It is very important for rear seat passengers to buckle
up! Accident statistics show that unbelted people in
the rear seat are hurt more often in crashes than those
who are wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who are not safety belted can be
thrown out of the vehicle in a crash. And they can strike
others in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
1-25
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners for the driver
and right front passenger. Although you cannot see
them, they are located on the retractor part of the safety
belts. They help the safety belts reduce a person’s
forward movement in a moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal crash.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a
crash, you will need to get new ones, and probably other
new parts for your safety belt system. SeeReplacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash on page 1-68.
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long enough, your dealer will
order you an extender. It is free. When you go in to order
it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so the extender
will be long enough for you. To help avoid personal injury,
do not let someone else use it, and use it only for the seat
it is made to t. The extender has been designed for
adults. Never use it for securing child seats. To wear it,
just attach it to the regular safety belt. For more
information, see the instruction sheet that comes with the
extender.
1-31
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster seats should
wear the vehicle’s safety belts.
Q:What is the proper way to wear safety belts?
A:An older child should wear a lap-shoulder belt and
get the additional restraint a shoulder belt can
provide. The shoulder belt should not cross the face
or neck. The lap belt should t snugly below the hips,
just touching the top of the thighs. It should never be
worn over the abdomen, which could cause severe
or even fatal internal injuries in a crash.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat.
In a crash, children who are not buckled up can strike
other people who are buckled up, or can be thrown
out of the vehicle. Older children need to use safety
belts properly.
1-32
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same belt.
The belt can not properly spread the impact
forces. In a crash, the two children can be
crushed together and seriously injured. A belt
must be used by only one person at a time.
Q:What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is so small that the shoulder belt
is very close to the child’s face or neck?
A:If the child is sitting in a seat next to a window, move
the child toward the center of the vehicle. Also see
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides on page 1-28.
If the child is sitting in the center rear seat passenger
position, move the child toward the safety belt
buckle. In either case, be sure that the shoulder belt
still is on the child’s shoulder, so that in a crash the
child’s upper body would have the restraint the
belts provide.
1-33
{CAUTION:
Never do this.
Here a child is sitting in a seat that has a
lap-shoulder belt, but the shoulder part is
behind the child. If the child wears the belt in
this way, in a crash the child might slide under
the belt. The belt’s force would then be applied
right on the child’s abdomen. That could cause
serious or fatal injuries.Wherever the child sits, the lap portion of the belt
should be worn low and snug on the hips, just touching
the child’s thighs. This applies belt force to the child’s
pelvic bones in a crash.
Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if
a shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to tighten. Never
leave children unattended in a vehicle and never
allow children to play with the safety belts.
1-34