astrocrep

I typed up this letter to give to the Tech at the dealership. Hes a good guy so hopfully hell help me out.

2005 Chevy Cobalt SS/SC Issues

• OBD2 Scan Port is lose, and hanging down under the steering wheel.

• The Sunroof “Soft Touch” button works intermittently. By soft-touch I mean when you apply gentle pressure to the open button and it causes the sunroof to lift the back end of the window, but not actually slide back. This issue is usually remedied by restarting the car.

• I get a lot of wind noise from the sunroof when it is closed and the sun shade is open, it is quiet lout when driving down the highway.

• The shifter knob has fallen off 5 times, my current remedy is just to press it back on, but that doesn’t seem to be a solution.

• The shift pattern on top of the shift is coming off.

• Intermittent clutch issues – For the most part, the clutch grabs perfectly, from a dead stop, or when driving. However, during a strong first to second gear shift, after the second gear is engaged and the clutch is 100% up, the tachometer flies up to redline and the car acts like its in neutral. Once the RPMs drop back down to 3000rpms, the clutch will re-engage, and act normal. I’ve read about other people having the same issue and the dealer has replaced the clutch master cylinder as a fix.

• When looking at the front left side of the bottom of the driver side seat, the leather “seat cover” appears to be pulling up.

• Also when you slide the seat all the way forward and then back, there appears to be a loose piece of plastic under the driver side seat.

• After an oil change, I fill the car up with the 5 quarts of oil, and the dipstick barely registers that there is oil in it.

• I receive an intermittent check engine light, I was able to retrieve the code and it was p1071. I believe there is a Computer Re-flash for this issue

• I also experience an intermittent rough idle, when coming to a stop (or even sometimes when I start my car) and the car is in neutral, the tachometer will drop down to almost 600rpms and then shoot back up to about 1200rpms and then back down to about 600rpms. It will do this about 3 or 4 times before settling out. When this happens when the air conditioner is on the tachometer drops even lower and I have to tap the gas to prevent it from stalling. I also believe that there is a Re-flash for this too.

• Lastly is a handful of break issues. First, applying the breaks above 60 causes the steering wheel (and break pedal) to shimmy and vibrate. Next, during normal braking, if I hit a bump or pothole or something and it causes the car to bounce, it makes the brakes give out. It is almost like the ABS kicks in but never reapplies the breaks. I have to reapply pressure on the brake pedal to make the car slow down again. Finally, about once a week, my ABS and Parking brake come on together, totally random. I could be driving down rt 78 or sitting in traffic. The 9 out of 10 times the lights go off after the car has been restarted.



Please post feedback.
Also, does anyone else experince anything like what I bolded about the brakes?

Thanks,
Rich

cawpin

Looks like a good place to start. You need to check spelling in a few places (quiet vs. quite dealing with the sun roof) but it looks good. Also, the clutch issue....It is a slave cylinder, not a master cylinder I believe.

Breaks instead of Brakes.

I would be getting a free rental while they figure out the problems. Brake problems are a safety issue; make sure they know this.

Good luck.

astrocrep

Lol, Im a tool.

Thanks,
Rich

suburbanrobot

wow, you got problems w/ your car, that sucks.... document everything in case you need to lemon law!
I have an SC and don't really have ANY problems.

BTW,IMO...you should only brake over large bumps & potholes if necessary! it causes the car to hit harder over the bump or pothole and in racing or in conjunction w/ cornering can really unsettle the car. try intermittent braking between the potholes.

rnjmur

Some of your "problems" I can answer. The SS/SC takes 6 quarts of oil not 5. The owners manual says it is 5 for the 2.2 and 2.0 but it is incorrect. If you look at a 2006 manual you will see they changed it to show the 2.0 takes 6 quarts. If you are driving around with 5 quarts in your car, put another quart it ASAP.

The P1071 is fixed with a flash. The rough - bucking idle is also fixed with a flash.

The shimmying when braking is because your rotors are warped.

When you hit bumps in the road it is normal for the ABS to engage when braking though it really isn't good for the brakes. It sounds, however, like your ABS is not engaging and disengaging correctly. If the "clutch master cylinder" was changed out this could have caused a problem, as the clutch "shares" fluid with the brake master cylinder and does not have its own master cylinder. They could have replaced the slave cylinder though, which is completly a completely different component as cawpin stated.

The only way to fix the shifter knob from falling off, is to replace the entire shifter assembly. This will also fix the shift pattern falling off, as they broke the tabs that hold it on so you have to replace the knob which is included with the assembly.

Cobalt443

I too experience the same problems while braking over bumps and such but was also told it is normal.

SS33

As was stated the LSJ takes between 6 and 6.5 quarts of oil,, depending on who you ask.

The rest of the issues I think are somewhat common unfortunately

Good luck with the dealer

cawpin

Oops, I didn't see that you wwere braking when going over the potholes. Yeah, that could cause the ABS to kick in, as others have said, but it shouldn't cause the car to stop slowing.

astrocrep

Cool thanks...

Yeah when I saw there was nothing on the stick I added more so I am running with about 6qts of oil...

So is the proper term the "Slave Cylinder" I have never had it replaced...

BUT I have have my brakes and rotors replaced under warrenty before... at about 12k miles... I currently have about 28k miles

Thanks for the help people, keep it coming!

-Rich

NLCobaltSS

I definitely have the issue with the wind noise on the highway when the sunroof is closed but the sun shade is open, i usually just have to close the sunshade for it to go away. Can the dealer fix this someway?

astrocrep

I have complained about it once before and they said the glass was mis-aligned and re-aligned it, but it didn't help...

I guess Ill just make them do it again.

-Rich

chevytech

there is a bulletin for the shift knob although i do not have the number handy its just to secure it with a self tapping screw. because all the newer balts have a screw under the shift patter cover plate.

as for the plastic noise while moving the seat back and fourth avoid looking like an ass and see if there is some sort of foriegn plastic object under it. i.e. not a piece from the car itself. because although it is not likely that the dealer will charge you (depends on service writer and tech) they can charge as this is a non warranty issue, but only if the object is foreign. other wise your in the clear.

as far as the abs problem when the abs activates on an uneven road surface the car is not going to stop as well as if all 4 tires are in even contact with the road. the same is true for non abs events while braking. i would have to say this is more than likely a normal condition but the only way for me to know is to drive the car.

astrocrep

Its a plastic bar, and its attached to the seat, it swivels forward and back. When I slide the chair all the way forward, I can feel it slide out in the front, as soon as I move it back, it goes back under...

Very wierd.

Thanks for the info.

-Rich