CHEVROLET COLORADO 2007 1.G Owners Manual

Radio Display Message Condition Action Required
No Info Song/Program Title
not availableNo song title information is available at this time on this
channel. The system is working properly.
No Info Category Name
not availableNo category information is available at this time on this
channel. The system is working properly.
No Info No Text/Informational
message availableNo text or informational messages are available at this
time on this channel. The system is working properly.
Not Found No channel available for
the chosen categoryThere are no channels available for the selected category.
The system is working properly.
XM Lock Theft lock active The XM™ receiver in your vehicle could have previously
been in another vehicle. For security purposes, XM™
receivers cannot be swapped between vehicles. If this
message is received after having your vehicle serviced,
check with your dealer/retailer.
Radio ID Radio ID label
(channel 0)If tuned to channel 0, this message alternates with the
XM™ Radio eight digit radio ID label. This label is needed
to activate the service.
Unknown Radio ID not known
(should only be if
hardware failure)If this message is received when tuned to channel 0, there
could be a receiver fault. Consult with your dealer/retailer.
Check XM Hardware failure If this message does not clear within a short period of
time, the receiver could have a fault. Consult with your
dealer/retailer.
241

Theft-Deterrent Feature
Non-RDS Radios
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage
theft of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works
automatically by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN). If the radio
is moved to a different vehicle, it does not
operate and LOC displays.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio does
not operate if stolen.
RDS Radios
THEFTLOCK®is designed to discourage theft
of your vehicle’s radio. The feature works
automatically by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identication Number (VIN). If the radio
is moved to a different vehicle, it does not
operate and LOCKED displays.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the
blinking red light indicates that THEFTLOCK
®
is armed.
With THEFTLOCK
®activated, the radio does
not operate if stolen.
Radio Reception
You may experience frequency interference and
static during normal radio reception if items
such as cellphone chargers, vehicle convenience
accessories, and external electronic devices
are plugged into the accessory power outlet.
If there is interference or static, unplug the item
from the accessory power outlet.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than
for FM, especially at night. The longer range
can cause station frequencies to interfere with
each other. For better radio reception, most
AM radio stations will boost the power levels
during the day, and then reduce these levels
during the night. Static can also occur when
things like storms and power lines interfere with
radio reception. When this happens, try reducing
the treble on your radio.
242

FM Stereo
FM stereo will give the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM
signals, causing the sound to fade in and out.
XM™ Satellite Radio Service
XM™ Satellite Radio Service gives digital radio
reception from coast-to-coast in the 48 contiguous
United States, and in Canada. Just as with FM,
tall buildings or hills can interfere with satellite
radio signals, causing the sound to fade in and
out. In addition, traveling or standing under
heavy foliage, bridges, garages, or tunnels
may cause loss of the XM™ signal for a period
of time. The radio may display No Signl to
indicate interference.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original
cases or other protective cases and away from
direct sunlight and dust. The CD player scans
the bottom surface of the disc. If the surface of
a CD is damaged, such as cracked, broken,
or scratched, the CD does not play properly or
not at all. If the surface of a CD is soiled, take
a soft, lint free cloth or dampen a clean, soft cloth
in a mild, neutral detergent solution mixed with
water, and clean it. Make sure the wiping process
starts from the center to the edge.
Do not touch the bottom side of a CD while
handling it; this could damage the surface.
Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges or
the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of the CD Player
Do not use CD lens cleaners for CD players
because the lens of the CD optics can become
contaminated by lubricants.
243

Fixed Mast Antenna
The xed mast antenna can withstand most car
washes without being damaged. If the mast should
ever become slightly bent, straighten it out by
hand. If the mast is badly bent, replace it.
Check occasionally to make sure the mast is
still tightened to the fender. If tightening is
required, tighten by hand, then with a wrench
one quarter turn.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System
The XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on
the roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear
of snow and ice build up for clear radio reception.
A vehicle with a sunroof might not get the best
performance from the XM™ system if the sunroof
is open.
Loading items onto the roof of your vehicle can
interfere with the performance of the XM™ system.
Make sure the XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is
not obstructed.
Chime Level Adjustment
The radio is used to adjust the vehicle’s chime
level. To change the volume level of the chime,
press and hold pushbutton 6 with the ignition
on and the radio power off. The volume level
will change from the normal level to loud,
and LOUD will appear on the radio display.
To change back to the default or normal setting,
press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The volume
level will change from the loud level to normal,
and NORMAL will appear on the radio display.
Each time the chime volume is changed,
three chimes will sound to indicate the new
volume selected. Removing the radio and
not replacing it with a factory radio or chime
module will disable vehicle chimes.
244

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle............................................ 246
Defensive Driving...................................... 246
Drunken Driving........................................ 247
Control of a Vehicle.................................. 250
Braking...................................................... 250
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS).................. 251
Braking in Emergencies............................. 253
Traction Control System (TCS).................. 253
Limited-Slip Rear Axle............................... 254
Steering.................................................... 255
Off-Road Recovery.................................... 257
Passing..................................................... 257
Loss of Control.......................................... 259
Off-Road Driving........................................ 260
Driving at Night......................................... 276
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads............ 278
City Driving............................................... 281Freeway Driving........................................ 282
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.................. 283
Highway Hypnosis..................................... 284
Hill and Mountain Roads........................... 284
Winter Driving........................................... 286
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand,
Mud, Ice, or Snow................................. 290
Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out........... 291
Recovery Hooks........................................ 292
Loading Your Vehicle................................ 293
Truck-Camper Loading Information............ 299
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab............ 299
Towing........................................................ 299
Towing Your Vehicle................................. 299
Recreational Vehicle Towing...................... 300
Towing a Trailer........................................ 306
Trailer Recommendations.......................... 320
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
245

Your Driving, the Road,
and Your Vehicle
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in
your vehicle: Buckle up. SeeSafety Belts: They
Are for Everyone on page 20.
{CAUTION:
Defensive driving really means “Be ready
for anything.” On city streets, rural roads,
or expressways, it means “Always expect
the unexpected.” Assume that pedestrians
or other drivers are going to be careless
and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might do and be ready. Rear-end
collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they are common.
Allow enough following distance.
Defensive driving requires that a driver
concentrate on the driving task. Anything
that distracts from the driving task makes
proper defensive driving more difficult
and can even cause a collision, with
resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help
do these things, or pull off the road in
a safe place to do them. These simple
defensive driving techniques could
save your life.
246

Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and
driving is a national tragedy. It is the number one
contributor to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to
drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Attentiveness
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most
cases, these deaths are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. In recent years, more
than 16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths
have been associated with the use of alcohol,
with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adults — by some estimates, nearly half
the adult population — choose never to drink
alcohol, so they never drive after drinking.For persons under 21, it is against the law in
every U.S. state to drink alcohol. There are good
medical, psychological, and developmental
reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink
alcohol and then drive. But what if people do?
How much is “too much” if someone plans
to drive? It is a lot less than many might think.
Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before
and during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol
247

According to the American Medical Association,
a 180 lb (82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up
with a BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person
would reach the same BAC by drinking three
4 ounce (120 ml) glasses of wine or three mixed
drinks if each had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of
liquors like whiskey, gin, or vodka.
It is the amount of alcohol that counts. For example,
if the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour,the person’s BAC would be close to 0.12 percent.
A person who consumes food just before or during
drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water than
men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher
BAC level than a man of her same body weight
will when each has the same number of drinks.
The law in most U.S. states, and throughout
Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower.
For example, it is 0.05 percent in both France
and Germany. The BAC limit for all commercial
drivers in the United States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over 0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we have
seen, it depends on how much alcohol is in the
drinks, and how quickly the person drinks them.
But the ability to drive is affected well below
a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research shows that
the driving skills of many people are impaired
at a BAC approaching 0.05 percent, and that
the effects are worse at night. All drivers are
impaired at BAC levels above 0.05 percent.
248

Statistics show that the chance of being in a
collision increases sharply for drivers who have a
BAC of 0.05 percent or above. A driver with a
BAC level of 0.06 percent has doubled his or her
chance of having a collision. At a BAC level of
0.10 percent, the chance of this driver having
a collision is 12 times greater; at a level of
0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the
alcohol in one drink. No amount of coffee or
number of cold showers will speed that up.
“I will be careful” is not the right answer. What if
there is an emergency, a need to take sudden
action, as when a child darts into the street? A
person with even a moderate BAC might not be
able to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There is something else about drinking and
driving that many people do not know. Medical
research shows that alcohol in a person’s system
can make crash injuries worse, especially
injuries to the brain, spinal cord, or heart.This means that when anyone who has been
drinking — driver or passenger — is in a crash,
that person’s chance of being killed or permanently
disabled is higher than if the person had not
been drinking.
{CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reexes, perceptions,
attentiveness, and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of
alcohol. You can have a serious — or even
fatal — collision if you drive after drinking.
Please do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking. Ride
home in a cab; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will not drink.
249

Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go
where you want it to go. They are the brakes, the
steering, and the accelerator. All three systems
have to do their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you are driving on snow
or ice, it is easy to ask more of those control
systems than the tires and road can provide.
That means you can lose control of your vehicle.
Adding non-GM accessories can affect your
vehicle’s performance. SeeAccessories and
Modications on page 324.
Braking
SeeBrake System Warning Light on page 189.
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.First, you have to decide to push on the brake
pedal. That is perception time. Then you have to
bring up your foot and do it. That is reaction time.
Average reaction time is about three-fourths of
a second. But that is only an average. It might
be less with one driver and as long as two or
three seconds or more with another. Age, physical
condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs, and
frustration. But even in three-fourths of a second,
a vehicle moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels
66 feet (20 m). That could be a lot of distance in
an emergency, so keeping enough space between
your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary
greatly with the surface of the road, whether it
is pavement or gravel; the condition of the road,
whether it is wet, dry, or icy; tire tread; the
condition of the brakes; the weight of the vehicle;
and the amount of brake force applied.
250