2007 CHEVROLET COBALT stop start

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

It is always wise to go slower and be cautious if rain
starts to fall while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your reexes are tuned for
driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see.
Even if your windshield wiper blades are in good
shape, a heavy rain can make it harder to see
road signs and traffic signals, pavement markings,
the edge of the road, and even people walking.
It is wise to keep your windshield wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield washer
uid reservoir lled with washer uid. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show signs
of streaking or missing areas on the windshield, or
when strips of rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They
may not work as well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one side. You could
lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car wash, apply the brake pedal
lightly until the brakes work normally.
Driving too fast through large water puddles or
even going through some car washes can cause
problems, too. The water may affect your brakes.
Try to avoid puddles. But if you cannot, try to
slow down before you hit them.
245

Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly
over your shoulder to make sure there is not
another vehicle in your blind spot.
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.
250

Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal asher and/or extra wiring.
Check with your dealer. The arrows on your
instrument panel will ash whenever you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the
trailer lamps will also ash, telling other drivers
you are about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the
bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may
think drivers behind you are seeing your signal
when they are not. It is important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are
still working.
Driving on Grades
Notice:Do not tow on steep continuous
grades exceeding 6 miles (9.6 km). Extended,
higher than normal engine and transmission
temperatures may result and damage your
vehicle. Frequent stops are very important to
allow the engine and transmission to cool.Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbefore
you start down a long or steep downgrade. If you
do not shift down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get hot and
no longer work well.
Pay attention to the engine coolant gage. If the
indicator is in the red area, turn off the air
conditioning to reduce engine load. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 309.
When towing under severe conditions such as hot
ambient temperatures or steep grades, your
vehicle may experience more transaxle shifting.
A COOLING MODE ON message may also appear
in the DIC. This alerts the driver that the shifting
mode is in progress and is aiding engine cooling.
SeeDIC Warnings and Messages on page 184
for more information.
274

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal
down while you:
Start your engine.
Shift into a gear.
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the
chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you are pulling a trailer. SeeScheduled
Maintenance on page 396for more on this.
Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are transaxle uid (do not overll),
engine oil, drive belt, cooling system and brake
system.
Each of these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you nd them quickly. If you
are trailering, it is a good idea to review this
information before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and
bolts are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat
during severe operating conditions. SeeEngine
Overheating on page 309.
276

Service........................................................ 280
Accessories and Modications................... 280
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 281
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 281
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle.......................................... 282
Fuel............................................................. 282
Gasoline Octane........................................ 283
Gasoline Specications.............................. 283
California Fuel........................................... 283
Additives................................................... 284
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 284
Filling the Tank......................................... 285
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 287
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 288
Hood Release........................................... 289
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 290
Engine Oil................................................. 293
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 298
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 300
Automatic Transaxle Fluid......................... 301
Manual Transaxle Fluid............................. 301Hydraulic Clutch........................................ 302
Engine Coolant.......................................... 302
Coolant Surge Tank Pressure Cap............ 309
Engine Overheating................................... 309
Cooling System......................................... 311
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 317
Brakes...................................................... 318
Battery...................................................... 321
Jump Starting............................................ 322
Headlamp Aiming........................................ 328
Bulb Replacement....................................... 331
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 331
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal,
Sidemarker, and Parking Lamps............. 331
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) ... 333
Taillamps and Turn Signal
Lamps (Coupe)...................................... 334
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps and
Back-up Lamps (Sedan)......................... 334
Back-Up Lamps (Coupe)........................... 335
License Plate Lamp................................... 336
Replacement Bulbs................................... 337
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
277

While refueling, hang the tethered fuel cap from
the hook on the fuel door.
{CAUTION:
Fuel can spray out on you if you open the
fuel cap too quickly. If you spill fuel and
then something ignites it, you could be
badly burned. This spray can happen if
your tank is nearly full, and is more likely
in hot weather. Open the fuel cap slowly
and wait for any hiss noise to stop. Then
unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll
the tank and wait a few seconds after you have
nished pumping before removing the nozzle.
Clean fuel from painted surfaces as soon
as possible. SeeWashing Your Vehicle on
page 377.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise
until it clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed.
The diagnostic system can determine if the
fuel cap has been left off or improperly installed.This would allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 174.
The CHECK GAS CAP message will be displayed
on the Driver Information Center (DIC) if the fuel
cap is not properly installed. SeeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 184for more information.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling,
do not remove the nozzle. Shut off the
ow of fuel by shutting off the pump or by
notifying the station attendant. Leave the
area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure
to get the right type. Your dealer/retailer
can get one for you. If you get the wrong type,
it may not t properly. This may cause your
malfunction indicator lamp to light and
may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 174.
286

{CAUTION:
You can be burned if you spill coolant
on hot engine parts. Coolant contains
ethylene glycol, and it will burn if the
engine parts are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
1. You can remove the ll neck pressure cap
when the intercooler system, including the
upper intercooler hose, is no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise
about one-quarter of a turn. If you hear a
hiss, wait for that to stop. This will allow any
remaining pressure to be vented.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap slowly,
and remove it.3. Add the proper DEX-COOL
®coolant mixture
to the ll neck, until there is coolant visible in
the horizontal tube section of the ll neck.
4. With the ll neck pressure cap off, start the
engine and let it run for at least 30 seconds.
Watch out for the engine cooling fan. Turn the
engine off. By this time, the coolant level inside
the ll neck may be lower. If the level drops so
that coolant is no longer visible in the horizontal
tube section of the ll neck, add more of the
DEX-COOL
®coolant mixture to the ll neck
until the level is again visible in the horizontal
tube section.
5. Replace the intercooler system pressure cap.
Be sure the pressure cap is hand-tight and
fully seated.
If the coolant is not at the proper level when
the system cools down again, see your dealer.
308