ABS CHEVROLET COLORADO 2011 1.G Owners Manual

Black plate (5,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction v
Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the Index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel Controls
or OnStar®
$: Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B: Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.: Fuel Gauge
+:Fuses
3: Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j: LATCH System Child
Restraints
*: Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
d:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-1
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 5-2
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . 5-2
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Cigarette Lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Ashtrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Chime Level Adjustment . . . . . . 5-6
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8 Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 5-9
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . 5-10
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Charging System Light . . . . . . 5-12
Malfunction Indicator Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-15
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Up-Shift Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Traction Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak®Light . . . . 5-17
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 5-18
Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Information Displays
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Battery Voltage and ChargingMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-23
Brake System Messages . . . . 5-23
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . 5-24
Engine Power Messages . . . . 5-24
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . 5-25
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Ride Control System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Service Vehicle Messages . . . 5-26
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Transmission Messages . . . . . 5-26

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
5-16 Instruments and Controls
If the light comes on while driving,
pull off the road and stop. The brake
pedal might be harder to push, or it
might go closer to the floor. It can
take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for
service. SeeTowing the Vehicle on
page 10‑90.
{WARNING
The brake system might not be
working properly if the brake
system warning light is on.
Driving with the brake system
warning light on can lead to a
crash. If the light is still on after
the vehicle has been pulled off
the road and carefully stopped,
have the vehicle towed for
service.
Antilock Brake System
(ABS) Warning Light
The Antilock Brake System (ABS)
light comes on briefly when the
engine is started.
If it does not, have the vehicle
serviced by your dealer. If the
system is working normally the
indicator light then goes off.
If the ABS light stays on, turn the
ignition off. If the light comes on
while driving, stop as soon as it is
safely possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system. If the ABS light
stays on, or comes on again while
driving, the vehicle needs service.
If the regular brake system warning
light is not on, the vehicle still has
brakes, but not antilock brakes. If the regular brake system warning
light is also on, the vehicle does not
have antilock brakes and there is a
problem with the regular brakes.
See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑15.
See Brake System Messages on
page 5‑23 for all brake related DIC
messages.Up-Shift Light
The vehicle may have an up-shift
light.
When this light comes on, shift to
the next higher gear if weather,
road, and traffic conditions allow.
See Manual Transmission on
page 9‑37 for more information.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Instruments and Controls 5-23
The following are the possible
messages that can be displayed
and some information about them.
Battery Voltage and
Charging Messages
SERVICE CHARG (Charge)
SYS (System)
This message displays if there is a
problem with the battery charging
system. Under certain conditions,
the battery warning light may also
turn on in the instrument panel
cluster. SeeCharging System Light
on page 5‑12. The battery will not
be charging at an optimal rate and
the vehicle will lose the ability to
enter the fuel economy mode. The
vehicle is safe to drive, however
have the electrical system checked
by your dealer. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
Brake System Messages
ABS (Antilock Brake System)
FAULT
This message displays if there is a
problem with the Antilock Brake
System (ABS). Check the ABS as
soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer. See
Braking on page 9‑3 andAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
Press and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.
BRAKES
This message displays if there is a
problem with the brakes. Check the
brakes as soon as possible and
have your vehicle serviced by your
dealer. See Braking on page 9‑3
and Antilock Brake System (ABS)
Warning Light on page 5‑16 for
more information. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
FLUID
This message displays if the brake
fluid is low. Check the brake fluid as
soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced by your dealer. See
Braking on page 9‑3 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
PARK BRK (Brake)
This message displays when the
parking brake is set. See Parking
Brake on page 9‑44 andAntilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16 for more information.
The message clears from the
display after the parking brake is
released or by pressing and
releasing the reset stem.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-1
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . 9-16
Highway Hypnosis . . . . . . . . . . . 9-16
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 9-17
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-17
If the Vehicle is Stuck . . . . . . . . 9-19
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . 9-20
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . 9-26
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29 Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Shifting Out of Park
(Automatic
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking (Manual Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-32
Parking Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-34
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . 9-35
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . 9-37
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-46
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 9-47
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . 9-48
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Gasoline Specifications (U.S. and Canada Only) . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
California Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 9-52
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-53
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-54
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-55

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-18 Driving and Operating
Drive with caution, whatever the
condition. Accelerate gently so
traction is not lost. Accelerating too
quickly causes the wheels to spin
and makes the surface under the
tires slick, so there is even less
traction.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive
wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
TheAntilock Brake System (ABS)
on page 9‑43 improves vehicle
stability during hard stops on
slippery roads, but apply the brakes
sooner than when on dry pavement.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road and watch for
slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in
shaded areas. The surface of a
curve or an overpass can remain icy
when the surrounding roads are
clear. Avoid sudden steering
maneuvers and braking while
on ice. Turn off cruise control on slippery
surfaces.
Blizzard Conditions
Being stuck in snow can be a
serious situation. Stay with the
vehicle unless there is help nearby.
If possible, use the
Roadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑7 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑9. To get help and keep
everyone in the vehicle safe:
.Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
.Tie a red cloth to an outside
mirror.
{WARNING
Snow can trap engine exhaust
under the vehicle. This may
cause exhaust gases to get
inside. Engine exhaust contains
Carbon Monoxide (CO) which
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
cannot be seen or smelled. It can
cause unconsciousness and even
death.
If the vehicle is stuck in the snow:
.Clear away snow from around
the base of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking
the exhaust pipe.
.Check again from time to
time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
.Open a window about 5 cm
(2 in) on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the
wind to bring in fresh air.
.Fully open the air outlets on
or under the instrument
panel.(Continued)

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-43
Shifting Out of Neutral
After towing the vehicle, you will
have to shift out of N (Neutral) in
order to drive. To shift out of
N (Neutral), do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and applythe regular brake pedal.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission in P (Park). Use
1 (First) for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral), or press the clutch
pedal for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift position
(Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel
High, or Four-Wheel Low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of N (Neutral), the
indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired position.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16.
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is located
to the left of the brake pedal, near
the driver door.To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down, then push the
parking brake pedal down to its
fully-applied position.
A chime will activate and the brake
warning light, located on the
instrument panel, will flash when the
parking brake is applied and the
vehicle is moving at least 5 km/h
(3 mph) for at least three seconds.
The chime will deactivate and the
light will turn off when the parking
brake is set and the vehicle is
moving below 5 km/h (3 mph). See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑15.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the bottom edge of the lever,
located above the parking brake
pedal, with the parking brake
symbol, directly rearward to release
the parking brake.If the ignition is on when the parking
brake is released, the brake system
warning light will go off.
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on any hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑56.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-46 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
is part of StabiliTrak. TCS limits
wheel slip which is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The
system operates only if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, TCS applies the
brakes to limit wheel spin and also
reduces engine power. The system
may be heard or felt while it is
working. This is normal and does
not mean there is a problem with
the vehicle.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
TCS can operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When
this happens, the system may be
heard working or a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
Examples of these conditions
include hard acceleration in a turn,
an abrupt upshift or downshift of the
transmission or driving on rough
roads.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control automatically
disengages. The cruise control can
be re-engaged when road
conditions allow. See
Cruise Control
on page 9‑49.
The message TRACTION FAULT
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when a TCS or
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
problem has been detected and the vehicle needs service. When this
message is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See
Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑25.
The StabiliTrak/TCS light will flash
on the instrument panel cluster
when the TCS system or StabiliTrak
is both on and activated.
The StabiliTrak/TCS button is
located on the instrument panel.