n8dogg

Document ID# 1538347
2006 Chevrolet Cobalt

Manual Transaxle

Before leaving your vehicle, fully press the clutch pedal in, move the shift lever into REVERSE (R), and firmly apply the parking brake. Once the shift lever has been placed in REVERSE (R) with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the ignition key to LOCK, remove the key and release the clutch. See Manual Transaxle Operation .


Ther you go, Reverse is the gear to leave it in.

sensesfail99

I thought it didnt really matter which gear you left it in as long as it was left in a gear...

sealy

no matter what gear you put it in...it shouldn't move.

ehh but thanks for the info, i never read my manual.

Tomtwtwtw

Doesn't really matter how many manuals, website, or opinions you get - the simple fact is that the shorter the gear you put it in, the more rolling resistance you get. On the vast majority of cars, including every Cobalt *except* the ss/sc, that's reverse. (hence why the above reference says reverse) On the ss/sc, it happens to be first. The different between the two is negligable, though. As long as you put it in one or the other, you'll be fine.

bigrroberto

I've always left mine in N... Is there a specific reason for having to leave it in gear? You'll have to excuse my ignorance this is my first standard and no one ever showed me how lol

sealy

if your ebrake fails, so does your car if it is on a slight slope...there goes your cobalt!

bigrroberto

haha ok thanks! That's what I'll be doing from now on!

sealy

actually someone had a great (sad) story about how they parked their car outside while they ran in to get something at a store...the guy came out and his car was nowhere to be found. he then realized that it had rolled backwards into a ditch right behind the parking space. this occured becuase his ebrake didnt hold/failed.

he had pictures of it all on a thread awhile back.

Smarty Art

Leaving it in N is the worst by far. If the ebrake fails then your car is going to roll away.
I put mine in R if my car is parked going down a hill and in First if I'm parked going up a hill, and I turn my steering wheel so if both fail my car goes into a bank or house instead down the hill at 60 mph.

Tomtwtwtw

Your car will roll forward just as easily as backward if you have it reverse, and vice versa when it's in 1st. But good to point out turning the wheel...definitely important to do that if you're parrallel parking on a hill.