2006 CHEVROLET COBALT oil

Engine Coolant Heater
Your vehicle may be equipped with an engine coolant
heater.
In very cold weather, 0°F (−18°C) or colder, the engine
coolant heater can help. You will get easier starting
and better fuel economy during engine warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant
heater is not required. Your vehicle may also have
an internal thermostat in the plug end of the cord. This
will prevent operation of the engine coolant heater
when the temperature is at or above 0°F (−18°C) as
noted on the cord.
To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. For
the 2.2L and 2.4L engines, the electrical cord is
located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle
between the strut and the air cleaner/lter.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
{CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the
wrong kind of extension cord could overheat
and cause a re. You could be seriously
injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded
three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will
not reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you do not, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
a GM dealer in the area where you will be parking
your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
2-22

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-6
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Turn and Lane-Change Signals........................3-8
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer..................3-8
Flash-to-Pass.................................................3-8
Windshield Wipers..........................................3-9
Windshield Washer.......................................3-10
Cruise Control..............................................3-10
Headlamps..................................................3-13
Wiper Activated Headlamps............................3-14
Headlamps on Reminder................................3-14
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).......................3-14
Fog Lamps..................................................3-15
Instrument Panel Brightness...........................3-15
Dome Lamp.................................................3-15
Entry/Exit Lighting.........................................3-16
Mirror Reading Lamps...................................3-16
Battery Run-Down Protection..........................3-16
Accessory Power Outlet(s).............................3-16
Ashtray(s) and Cigarette Lighter......................3-17Climate Controls............................................3-17
Climate Control System.................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-20
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-20
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators............3-22
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-23
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-24
Tachometer.................................................3-24
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-24
Passenger Safety Belt Reminder Light.............3-25
Airbag Readiness Light..................................3-25
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator...................3-26
Charging System Light..................................3-28
Up-Shift Light...............................................3-29
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-29
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-30
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light.........3-31
Engine Coolant Temperature Warning Light......3-32
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-32
Oil Pressure Light.........................................3-35
Security Light...............................................3-36
Fog Lamp Light............................................3-36
Highbeam On Light.......................................3-36
Fuel Gage...................................................3-36
Boost Gage.................................................3-37
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen if
you have recently replaced your battery or if your battery
has run down. The diagnostic system is designed to
evaluate critical emission control systems during normal
driving. This may take several days of routine driving. If
you have done this and your vehicle still does not pass
the inspection for lack of OBD system readiness, your
GM dealer can prepare the vehicle for inspection.
Oil Pressure Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light
will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
when you are driving. This
indicates that your engine
is not receiving enough oil.
The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it xed immediately.The oil light could also come on in three other situations:
When the ignition is on but the engine is not
running, the light will come on as a test to show
you it is working, but the light will go out when you
turn the ignition to START. If it does not come
on with the ignition on, you may have a problem
with the fuse or bulb. Have it xed right away.
If you are idling at a stop sign, the light may blink
on and then off.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for
a moment. This is normal.
{CAUTION:
Do not keep driving if the oil pressure is low.
If you do, your engine can become so hot that
it catches re. You or others could be burned.
Check your oil as soon as possible and have
your vehicle serviced.
Notice:Lack of proper engine oil maintenance may
damage the engine. The repairs would not be covered
by your warranty. Always follow the maintenance
schedule in this manual for changing engine oil.
3-35

OIL LIFE
Press the information button until OIL LIFE is displayed.
The engine oil life system shows an estimate of the
oil’s remaining useful life. It will show 100% when the
system is reset after an oil change. It will alert you
to change your oil on a schedule consistent with your
driving conditions.
In addition to the engine oil life system monitoring the
oil life, additional maintenance is recommended in
the Maintenance Schedule in this manual. SeeEngine
Oil on page 5-15andScheduled Maintenance on
page 6-4.
Always reset the engine oil life system after an oil
change. See “How to Reset the Engine Oil Life System”
underEngine Oil Life System on page 5-20and
“OIL–LIFE RESET” underDIC Vehicle Personalization
on page 3-43.
COOLANT
Press the information button until COOLANT is
displayed. This mode shows the temperature of the
engine coolant in either degrees Fahrenheit (°F)
or degrees Celsius (°C).
DIC Warnings and Messages
These messages will appear if there is a problem
detected in one of your vehicle’s systems.
Any message will clear when the vehicle’s condition is
no longer present. The warning message will come back
on the next time the vehicle is turned off and back on
if the condition is still present. With most messages,
a warning chime will sound when the message is
displayed. You can also acknowledge and clear some
warning messages from the DIC display by pressing
either the reset or information buttons. Your vehicle may
have other warning messages.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS OFF
This message is displayed if the automatic headlamp
system is disabled with the headlamp switch.
AUTO (Automatic) LIGHTS ON
This message is displayed if the automatic headlamp
system is enabled with the headlamp switch.
BRAKE FLUID
This message will display if the ignition is on to inform
the driver that the brake uid level is low. Have the
brake system serviced by your GM dealer as soon as
possible.
3-40

CHANGE OIL SOON
This message is displayed when the life of the engine
oil has expired and it should be changed.
When you acknowledge the CHANGE OIL SOON
message by clearing it from the display, you still must
reset the engine oil life system separately. See
“OIL-LIFE RESET” underDIC Vehicle Personalization
on page 3-43,Engine Oil Life System on page 5-20,
andScheduled Maintenance on page 6-4for more
information.
CHECK GAS CAP
This message is displayed if the gas cap has not been
fully tightened. You should recheck your gas cap to
ensure that it is on properly. A few driving trips with
the cap properly installed should turn the display off.
CRUISE ENGAGED
This message is displayed when the cruise control
system is active. SeeCruise Control on page 3-10
for more information.
DOOR AJAR
This message is displayed if one or more of the
vehicle’s doors are not closed properly. When this
message appears, you should make sure that the
door is closed completely.
ENGINE DISABLED
This message is displayed if the starting of the engine is
disabled. Have your vehicle serviced by your GM dealer
immediately.
ENG (Engine) PWR (Power) REDUCED
This message informs you that the vehicle has reduced
engine power to avoid damaging the engine. Reduced
engine power can affect the vehicle’s ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there is no reduction in
performance, proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the next time the vehicle is
driven. The vehicle may be driven at a reduced speed
while this message is on, but acceleration and speed may
be reduced. Anytime this message stays on, the vehicle
should be taken to your GM dealer for service as soon as
possible.
ICE POSSIBLE
This message appears when the outside air temperature
is cold enough to create icy road conditions.
KEY FOB BATT (Battery) LOW
This message is displayed if the remote keyless entry
transmitter battery is low. See “Battery Replacement”
underRemote Keyless Entry System Operation on
page 2-4.
3-41

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 and hold the information and reset buttons at
the same time for one second, then release to enter
the personalization menu.
If the vehicle speed is greater than 2 mph (3 km/h),
only the UNITS menu will be accessible.
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
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
and hold the reset button for at least one second 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.
OIL-LIFE RESET
When this feature is displayed, you can reset the engine
oil life system. To reset the system, seeEngine Oil
Life System on page 5-20. See “OIL LIFE” underDIC
Operation and Displays on page 3-38for more
information.
3-43

The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single
CDs without an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the
smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due
to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of
the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R
has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping,
difficulty in nding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom
surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged,
such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not
play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, seeCare
of Your CDs on page 3-72for more information.
If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the
CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer
and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of
the recorded CD with a marking pen instead.
Notice:If you add any label to a CD, insert more
than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play
scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the
CD player. When using the CD player, use only CDs
in good condition without any label, load one CD at a
time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free
of foreign materials, liquids, and debris.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.1r(Reverse):Press and hold this pushbutton to
reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to play the
passage. The elapsed time of the track will appear on
the display.
2
[(Fast Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton
to advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound
at a reduced volume. Release this pushbutton to
play the passage. The elapsed time of the track will
appear on the display.
5
y(Random):Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
RANDOM ON will appear on the display.
Turn the ADJ knob, while in random, to take you to the
previous or next track in sequential order.
Press RDM again to turn off random play, RANDOM
OFF will appear on the display.
6
N(Repeat):Press this pushbutton once to hear a
track over again. REPEAT ON and the repeat symbol
will appear on the display. The current track will continue
to repeat.
Turn the ADJ knob, while in repeat, to take you to the
previous or next track.
Press RPT again to turn off repeat play, REPEAT OFF
will appear on the display.
3-55

Playing a CD
Insert a CD partway into the slot, label side up. The
player will pull it in and the CD should begin playing.
If you want to insert a CD with the ignition off, rst press
the eject button or the DISP knob.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear on the display.
If the ignition or radio is turned off with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When the ignition
or radio is turned on the CD will start playing, where it
stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
The CD player can play the smaller 3 inch (8 cm) single
CDs without an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the
smaller CDs are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R, the sound quality may be reduced due
to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality of
the music that has been recorded, and the way the CD-R
has been handled. There may be an increase in skipping,
difficulty in nding tracks, and/or difficulty in loading and
ejecting. If these problems occur, check the bottom
surface of the CD. If the surface of the CD is damaged,
such as cracked, broken, or scratched, the CD will not
play properly. If the surface of the CD is soiled, seeCare
of Your CDs on page 3-72for more information.If there is no apparent damage, try a known good CD.
Do not add any label to a CD, it could get caught in the
CD player. If a CD is recorded on a personal computer
and a description label is needed, try labeling the top of
the recorded CD with a marking pen instead.
Notice:If you add any label to a CD, insert more
than one CD into the slot at a time, or attempt to play
scratched or damaged CDs, you could damage the
CD player. When using the CD player, use only CDs
in good condition without any label, load one CD at a
time, and keep the CD player and the loading slot free
of foreign materials, liquids, and debris.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
later in this section.
1
r(Reverse):Press and hold this pushbutton to
reverse quickly within a track. The sound will be muted.
Release this pushbutton to play the passage. The
elapsed time of the track will appear on the display.
2
[(Fast Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton
to advance quickly within a track. The sound will be
muted. Release this pushbutton to play the passage.
The elapsed time of the track will appear on the display.
3-64