2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Owner Manual M Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1 Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1 Front Seats ............................................... 1-2 Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2 Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8 Towing ................................................... 4-35 Safety Belts .............................................. 1-9 Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1 Child Restraints ....................................... 1-29 Service ..................................................... 5-3 Airbag System ......................................... 1-48 Fuel ......................................................... 5-5 Restraint System Check ............................ 1-57 Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10 Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1 Headlamp Aiming ..................................... 5-44 Keys ........................................................ 2-2 Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-47 Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7 Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-53 Windows ................................................. 2-11 Tires ...................................................... 5-54 Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-13 Appearance Care ..................................... 5-81 Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-16 Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-89 Mirrors .................................................... 2-31 Electrical System ...................................... 5-90 OnStar® System ...................................... 2-32 Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-97 Storage Areas ......................................... 2-33 Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1 Sunroof .................................................. 2-34 Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2 Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1 Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1 Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4 Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2 Climate Controls ...................................... 3-17 Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10 Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-21 Index ................................................................ 1 Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-35 Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-45 Canadian Owners A French language copy of this manual can be obtained from your dealer or from: Helm, Incorporated P.O. Box 07130 Detroit, MI 48207 GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem, CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the How to Use This Manual name COBALT are registered trademarks of General Many people read the owner manual from beginning to Motors Corporation. end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this This manual includes the latest information at the time it is done, it can help you learn about the features was printed. We reserve the right to make changes and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work after that time without further notice. For vehicles first together in the owner manual to explain things. sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever Index it appears in this manual. Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it is A good place to quickly locate information about the needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle is vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an sold, leave this manual in the vehicle. alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the page number where it can be found. Litho in U.S.A. Part No. 05COBALT A First Edition © 2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved. ii Safety Warnings and Symbols You will also find a circle with a slash through it in There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We this book. This safety use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things symbol means “Do Not,” that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning. “Do Not do this” or “Do Not let this happen.” {CAUTION: These mean there is something that could hurt you or other people. In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is. Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not, you or others could be hurt. iii Vehicle Damage Warnings Vehicle Symbols Also, in this manual you will find these notices: The vehicle has components and labels that use symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with Notice: These mean there is something that could the text describing the operation or information damage your vehicle. relating to a specific component, control, message, A notice tells about something that can damage the gage, or indicator. vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered If you need help figuring out a specific name of a by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But component, gage, or indicator, reference the the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage. following topics: When you read other manuals, you might see • Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1 CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different words. • Features and Controls in Section 2 There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use • Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3 the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE. • Climate Controls in Section 3 • Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3 • Audio System(s) in Section 3 • Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5 iv These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle: v ✍ NOTES vi Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems Front Seats ......................................................1-2 Infants and Young Children ............................1-32 Manual Seats ................................................1-2 Child Restraint Systems .................................1-35 Driver Seat Height Adjuster ..............................1-3 Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-38 Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-3 Top Strap ....................................................1-39 Heated Seats .................................................1-4 Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-40 Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4 Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for Head Restraints .............................................1-6 Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-41 Easy Entry Seat .............................................1-7 Securing a Child Restraint Designed for Rear Seats .......................................................1-8 the LATCH System ....................................1-43 Split Folding Rear Seat ...................................1-8 Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Seat Position ............................................1-43 Safety Belts .....................................................1-9 Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-9 Front Seat Position ....................................1-46 Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-14 How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-14 Airbag System ...............................................1-48 Driver Position ..............................................1-15 Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-50 Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-21 When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-53 Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-22 What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-54 Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-22 How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-54 Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-22 What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-55 Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-57 and Small Adults .......................................1-25 Restraint System Check ..................................1-57 Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-28 Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-57 Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-28 Replacing Restraint System Parts Child Restraints .............................................1-29 After a Crash ............................................1-58 Older Children ..............................................1-29 1-1 Front Seats {CAUTION: Manual Seats You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle is moving. The sudden movement could startle and confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Your vehicle has manual seats. Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to be sure the seat is locked in place. 1-2 Driver Seat Height Adjuster Manual Lumbar If your vehicle has this feature, the knob is located on the front of the driver seat lower cushion. Turn the knob clockwise or counterclockwise to increase The driver’s seat height adjuster