2007 CHEVROLET COBALT Owners Manual

Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways,
parkways, expressways, turnpikes, or
superhighways — are the safest of all roads.
But they have their own special rules.The most important advice on freeway driving is:
Keep up with traffic and keep to the right.
Drive at the same speed most of the other drivers
are driving. Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks
a smooth traffic ow. Treat the left lane on
a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads
to the freeway. If you have a clear view of the
freeway as you drive along the entrance ramp, you
should begin to check traffic. Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the ow. Try to
merge into the gap at close to the prevailing
speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often
as necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the
traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed
to the posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it
is slower. Stay in the right lane unless you want
to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors.
Then use your turn signal.
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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.
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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?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as highway
hypnosis? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the
wheel? Call it highway hypnosis, lack of
awareness, or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road
with the same scenery, along with the hum of the
tires on the road, the drone of the engine, and the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Do not let it happen to you! If it does,
your vehicle can leave the road in less than a
second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis?
First, be aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated,
with a comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead
and to the sides. Check your rearview mirrors
and your instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest,
service, or parking area and take a nap, get
some exercise, or both. For safety, treat
drowsiness on the highway as an emergency.
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Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different
from driving in at or rolling terrain.If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that
can make your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check
all uid levels and also the brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transaxle. These parts
can work hard on mountain roads.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could
get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You could
crash. Shift down to let the engine assist
the brakes on a steep downhill slope.
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{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. The brakes
will have to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get so hot that they
would not work well. You would then have
poor braking or even none going down a
hill. You could crash. Always have the
engine running and your vehicle in gear
when you go downhill.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to know is this: let your engine
do some of the slowing down. Shift to a lower
gear when you go down a steep or long hill.
Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift
down to a lower gear. The lower gears help
cool your engine and transaxle, and you
can climb the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains. Do not
swing wide or cut across the center of
the road. Drive at speeds that let you stay in
your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert.
There could be something in your lane,
like a stalled car or an accident.
You may see highway signs on mountains
that warn of special problems. Examples are
long grades, passing or no-passing zones,
a falling rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
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Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency
supplies in your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 338.Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom,
a supply of windshield washer uid, a rag,
some winter outer clothing, a small shovel,
a ashlight, a red cloth, and a couple of reective
warning triangles. And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small bag of
sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap
bags to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where the tires
meet the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between the tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery
situation. You will have a lot less traction, or grip,
and will need to be very careful.
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What is the worst time for this? Wet ice. Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on.
But wet ice can be even more trouble because it
may offer the least traction of all. You can get
wet ice when it is about freezing, 32°F (0°C), and
freezing rain begins to fall. Try to avoid driving
on wet ice until salt and sand crews can get there.
Whatever the condition — smooth ice, packed,
blowing, or loose snow — drive with caution.If you have the Enhanced Traction System (ETS),
keep the transaxle shift lever in DRIVE (D) so
the system will be able to improve your ability to
accelerate when driving on a slippery road.
Even though your vehicle has this system, you will
want to slow down and adjust your driving to
the road conditions. Under certain conditions,
you may want to turn the traction system off,
such as when driving through deep snow and
loose gravel, to help maintain vehicle motion at
lower speeds. SeeEnhanced Traction System
(ETS) on page 234.
If your vehicle does not have ETS, accelerate
gently. Try not to break the fragile traction. If you
accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin
and polish the surface under the tires even more.
Unless your vehicle has the Anti-Lock Brake
System (ABS), you will want to brake very gently,
too. If your vehicle does have ABS, see
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) on page 231.
This system improves your vehicle’s stability
when you make a hard stop on a slippery road.
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Whether your vehicle has ABS or not, you will
want to begin stopping sooner than you would on
dry pavement. Without ABS, if you feel your
vehicle begin to slide, let up on the brakes a little.
Push the brake pedal down steadily to get the
most traction you can.
Remember, unless your vehicle has ABS, if you
brake so hard that the wheels stop rolling, you will
just slide. Brake so the wheels always keep
rolling and you can still steer.
Whatever your vehicle’s braking system, allow
greater following distance on any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be
ne until you hit a spot that is covered with ice.
On an otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun cannot
reach, such as around clumps of trees, behind
buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the
surface of a curve or an overpass may remain
icy when the surrounding roads are clear. If you
see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before
you are on it. Try not to brake while you are
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in
a serious situation. You should probably stay
with your vehicle unless you know for sure that you
are near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to do to summon
help and keep yourself and your passengers safe:
Turn on your hazard ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police
that you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket
around you. If you do not have blankets
or extra clothing, make body insulators
from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
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