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Sedans Chevrolet Cobalt Chevrolet Cobalt Electrical Problems
107 messages, Last post on Nov 09, 2009 at 10:35 AM
You are in the Chevrolet Cobalt Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: prnta (Dec 24, 2007 8:05 pm) I am experiencing problems with my Cobalt as well. My biggest issue is the security lock flashing on my console when I go to start it in the morning. If I wait half an hour an try again it will usually start and then there are no problems until the next time. I've had it into the dealer 3x's with this issue but it starts for them and then they can't log an error code to identify the problem. My warranty is up, I'm tired of paying the dealer for nothing and nobody can figure this out. I've read through this forum and can't find any solutions. If there is anyone that can help me I'd really appreciate it. Other than that I love this car and thankfully haven't had any of the other problems some people on here have identified. This is a great forum. Thanks for any help you can give me. |
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I have had my 06 Cobalt at the dealer 6 times in past 6 months with electrical issues from CD playing replaced twice, key stuck in ignition, but biggest safety issue was the 3 times my car died on a highway here in PA. I had all my documentation, letters to GM, owner to dealer, emails. My problems started at 17K. I was so stressed and fed up I contacted our state's Lemon Law. In PA, the Lemon Law is 1 yr/12K but since my problems were recorded at 17K, I was able to get some free help. If you have the Lemon Law available to you, I know my attorney helps NJ, MD, and PA, please try to get some help. I thought it was a total loss for me since I was ready to trade in the lemon and take another big loss. GM offered my free oil changes and tire rotations for 1 yr, BIG DEAL the car didn't run! I was so disgusted, I emailed the Lemon Law in my state and after a few weeks I did get some help.I received money for a down payment on a new vehicle and my attorney fees were paid by GM. GM did refuse to buy my lemon back of course, why should a big corporation take such a big loss. I could have lost my life. After the 3rd time my car completed died on an icy hill in Dec. I decided I couldn't drive it 50 miles a day anymore. Luckily, I proved my case and GM settled. I hope that everyone with 05 and 06 Cobalts can keep calling GM 866.697.7482 or www.gm.com. These cars should have been recalled. GM settled 3 weeks after my Lemon Law claim. Obviously, GM knew there is a problem. I appreciate all the feedback on this website also. The service manager was so rotten to me, I wouldn't buy a piece of gum from him. I always told the company line, "We never have trouble with cobalts", I guess my cobalt broke the mold here in Pittsburgh. I enjoyed the car, even purchased the extended warranty but the car never made it past 21K with me. Pretty pathetic for GM. Never again......
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Replying to: charly2 (Feb 22, 2008 8:19 pm) i have a 2005 cobalt and i may have the same problem . . . . recently (2 months ago) i noticed that oen of my headlights didnt work when i unlocked it with my remote. so i figured i need a new bulb . . then it came back on so i forgot about it. NOW when i hit my unlock on the remote BOTh low beams come on . .like theyre supposed to . . but when i put my key int he on position and go to start my car they both go off. High beams both work . . . but not the low beams . . . i can go up and hit the driverside headlamp and it will comeon but it wont work for the other low beam. it happens more consistantly now than before so .. . im also curious how to fix it because i dont think a bulb replacement will do since they both work . . . if you hear anything let me know  joseph |
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Replying to: cmtracy (Mar 15, 2008 2:21 pm) any help you can provide joseph |
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I had an 06 before it was recently totaled. I use to chat with the srvice manager while waiting for my car. He use to tell me that I was a lucky one that my Cobalt had so few issues. He said it wasn't till the 07's did GM get the bugs out of the car. I heard many with electrical problems , even my cobalt had to have the radio changed due to a short. If you do research on the net for TSB's ( technical service bullitens) you'll read alot of issues GM knows about on the 05-06 Cobalts. Never buy a new design car the first 2 years of production.
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Replying to: gerald41 (Mar 17, 2008 8:33 am) yeah when i bought it . . it was totally an impulse buy . . it was actually a mistake but whatever. I havent had trouble with it at all really . . . i had to replace the MAP sensor and TPS sensor . .. but then found out those warnings were probably being set off by carbon build up in the throttle body . . but still i have 2 new parts on it lol. other than that i really havent had any trouble with it . . just recently with the headlights . . and it has 108k miles so ive been pretty fortunate also . . . no other problems . .. the E brake light and highbeam display has come up once or twice but not for awhile. yeah in hindsight i wouldnt have bought a new car at all . . . i LOVED My cavalier 1999 . . . i had NO trouble with it i sold it with 205k miles and got 3000 for it ha well thanks again Joseph |
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| my check engine light came on again. i went to the dealer , they said that there is a service bullitin for the fuel injectors on the 07 chevy cobalt. i own a 07 chevy cobalt LS. my car has had a history of injector problems. my car has 17,000 miles on it. i hope this helps anyone with the same problem... | |
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| I have an 06 cobalt, the car is my baby. I have done a few modifications to it, and it seems just when i am pleased with the car, it dissapoints me again. It has 70 000 km on it, the car has been in and out of the shop since the first 10 000kms. Such problems as steering columns, 02 sensors, tie rods, warped rotors, engine lights, overheating, 2x wheel bearings...etc etc....I still love my car....but it is more of a love/hate relationship. The car is not under warrenty anymore...which does scare me. Recently I realized my tail light was out. So i went to the store and bought new bulbs. easy fix right??....The bulbs didnt cure the problem and i realized that the bulbs were fine. Checked the fuses....alll fine...Soooo my brake light works, signal works, hazards work.....but no running light...??? Nothing is an easy fix with this car...After exchanging words with the not so pleasent sevice rep i have decided to bring it into an independant shop where i will pay minimum 100 dollars, if not way more to fix a TAIL LIGHT!!???...Like WTF?...SO I am just curious if anyone else has had a similar problem or even any advise/ideas of what i could check? It would be greatly appretiated! | |
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It's been a couple years since I got my 2005 cobalt, but the issues are the same: I have a 2005 Cobalt - bought new with a 10yr/100k warrantee. Issues: * High Beam and EBrake indicators coming on and off very sporadically. * CD player giving ERROR or LOCKED message until I restart car. *** My key keeps getting stuck in the ignition. while the car is off, I have to shift it into Reverse then back into park to hear the 'click' releasing my key. ~ I found the TSB for almost all these issues but won't pay for subscription so can't see details. My dealership's kinda dickin me around & wants to charge me $100 to tell me what is/isn't wrong when I've already had it seen by a mechanic. * Who else has these issues and how are you handling it? Anyone give me more info on how to use/read the TSBs?
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Replying to: leannemarie (Jun 17, 2008 7:51 am) Date: June 27, 2006 TECHNICAL Subject: Various Concerns With Shifter and/or Ignition Key (Replace Shifter Assembly/Shifter Components or Ignition Lock Cylinder) Models: 2005-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada Only) 2007 Pontiac G5 with Automatic Transmission 4T45-E (RPO MN5) Supercede: This bulletin is being revised to add models and model years. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 06-07-30-004B (Section 07 - Transmission/Transaxle). Condition Some customers may comment on any of the following concerns: ^ The shifter is hard to move or binds. ^ They cannot remove the ignition key. ^ It takes high effort to rotate the key. Cause 1 The shifter button may be sticking in the handle. Cause 2 The pin that activates the micro-switch may have moved out of position (refer to illustration above). This causes the micro-switch to fail to engage when the vehicle is placed in Park. If this condition is present, the customer will not be able to remove the key from the ignition. The illustration above shows the switch in a correct position. Cause 3 Metal flashing left in the cylinder may cause a high effort to rotate the key. Cause 4 The slider may be binding in the guides. This may cause the shifter to become difficult to operate. Correction 1 Verify that the shifter button is inoperative by evaluating if the park pawl pin on the shifter assembly moves when activating the button. If the parking pawl does not move when the button is activated, the shifter handle will have to be replaced. Refer to Floor Shifter Control Knob Replacement in SI. Correction 2 Important: A change has been made to the shifter assembly for service. The replacement shifter assembly will read PRNDIL (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Intermediate and Low). Verify that the micro switch is out of position. Replace the shifter assembly. Refer to Floor Shifter Control Replacement in SI. Correction 3 Important: Refer to instruction sheet that is supplied with the lock cylinder kit. BO 47869 is an essential staking tool and must be used for the repair. Replace the ignition lock cylinder. Refer to Ignition Lock Cylinder Replacement in SI. Correction 4 Replace the slide indicator and guides in the shifter following the procedure below: 1. Apply the parking brake. 2. Remove the upper console trim. Refer to Trim Plate Replacement-Console Front in SI. 3. Remove shifter knob. Refer to Floor Shifter Control Knob Replacement in SI. 4. Remove the indicator plate. Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to release the locking tabs. 5. Remove the shifter indicator lens. 6. Pull up on the indicator and remove it from the assembly. 7. Remove the two front rails by unsnapping the front and lifting up, and then back, to remove the rails from the shifter assembly. 8. Install the new guides. Place the hook end into the assembly and push down. It will snap into place. 9. Install the new slide indicator. With the transmission in neutral, place the slide over the shifter and into the guides. Move the slide indicator down the guides in the front and rear. Important: Replace the shifter indicator lens if damage is present due to the slider binding or if it becomes damaged during disassembly. 10. Install the shift indicator lens. 11. Install the shift indicator plate. 12. Install the shifter knob. Refer to Floor Shifter Control Knob Replacement in SI. 13. Install the upper console trim. Refer to Trim Plate Replacement-Console Front in SI. ===================================================== ============================================================ Bulletin No.: 05-08-44-010B Date: November 09, 2005 TECHNICAL Subject: Radio Displays Locked Message Intermittently (Reprogram Radio) Models: 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt 2005 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada Only) with Radio (RPO U1C) Supercede: This bulletin is being revised to provide additional corrective action information. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 05-08-44-010A (Section 08 - Body and Accessories). Condition Some customers may comment of the following radio concerns: - Inoperative or "dead" CD mechanism - CD loads but won't play - CD spins but no audio is heard - Radio clock displays 12:00 while CD plays - Radio VF display does not dim when the vehicle dimmer control is decremented - Radio VF display momentarily flickers - Radio VF becomes inoperative - Radio displays ERR - Radio displays LOC, disabling the radio If the customer turns the vehicle "off" and then back to "on" the radio message may clear itself and the radio functions normally. This condition may be intermittent. Cause Due to a software issue, the radio may not be able to verify the vehicle VIN number and then goes into LOC mode. Correction DO NOT REPLACE THE BCM OR RADIO. Important: Programming will cause the radio to lose station pre-sets. Note the station presets to they can be reset after programming. A radio software update (calibration P/N 1327) has been released to address the conditions listed above. The software is available on TIS software update version 11.0 dated 10/30/05, or later. Note: Using the software update on a radio other than the part numbers listed below may cause the radio to go "dead" and require replacement. The software update ONLY applies to the following U1C radio part numbers: 15278465, 15235437, and 22712714. Radios which have been programmed with the new software will have a PROM ID of 052F. Important: Verify the PROM ID prior to programming. Use the following steps to verify the PROM ID using the Tech 2(R). 1. Enter "Diagnostics". 2. Select Model Year = "2005". 3. Select Vehicle Type = "Passenger Car". 4. Select Make = "Chevrolet". 5. Select Product Line = "A". 6. Select F6: Body and Accessories. 7. Select "Entertainment". 8. Select F4: Module ID Information. 9. Select F1: Radio. 10. If the PROM ID = 052F, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PROGRAM THE RADIO. THIS MAY CAUSE THE RADIO TO GO "DEAD". If the PROM ID is anything other than 052F, proceed with programming using the steps listed below. Reprogram the radio using the Tech 2(R). If using Tech 2(R) software version 25.010 or later, programming can be done using the "remote" method. If using an earlier version of Tech 2(R) software, programming must be done following these steps for "pass-thru" programming: 1. Enter SPS Programming. 2. Select Pass-Thru Programming. 3. Build the vehicle (i.e. year, make and model). 4. Verify the VIN. 5. Select the RAD (Radio) module for programming. 6. Select "Base Radio" (RPO U1C). 7. After programming is complete, the screen will instruct you to turn the ignition off for 30 seconds. 8. Reset the clock and station presets. Warranty Information
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