service CHEVROLET COLORADO 2018 Service Manual

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 271
and turn the ignition off. Check the
wiring connection to the trailer and
turn the ignition back on. If either of
these messages continues, either
the vehicle or trailer needs service.
A GM dealer may be able to
diagnose and repair problems with
the trailer. However, any diagnosis
and repair of the trailer is not
covered under the vehicle warranty.
Contact your trailer dealer for
assistance with trailer repairs and
trailer warranty information.
Trailer Sway
Control (TSC)
Vehicles with StabiliTrak have a
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) feature.
Trailer sway is unintended
side-to-side motion of a trailer while
being towed. If the vehicle is towing
a trailer and the TSC detects that
sway is increasing, the vehicle
brakes are selectively applied at
each wheel, to help reduce
excessive trailer sway. If the vehicle
is equipped with the Integrated
Trailer Brake Control (ITBC) system,and the trailer has the electric
actuated brake system, StabiliTrak
may also apply the trailer brakes.
If TSC is enabled, the Traction
Control System (TCS)/StabiliTrak
warning light will flash on the
instrument cluster. Vehicle speed
must be reduced. If trailer sway
continues, StabiliTrak can reduce
engine torque to help slow the
vehicle. See
Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0240.
{Warning
Even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC, trailer sway could result
in loss of control and the vehicle
could crash. If excessive trailer
sway is detected, slow down to a
safe speed. Check the trailer and
vehicle to help correct possible
causes. These could include an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration,
excessive vehicle-trailer speed,
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
or improperly inflated or incorrect
vehicle or trailer tires. See Towing
Equipment 0264 for trailer ratings
and hitch setup
recommendations.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 276.
Electronic Trailer Sway Control
Devices
Some trailers may come equipped
with an electronic device designed
to reduce or control trailer sway.
Aftermarket equipment
manufacturers also offer similar
devices that connect to the wiring
between the trailer and the vehicle.
These devices may interfere with
the vehicle’ s trailer brake or other
systems, including integrated
anti-sway systems, if equipped.
Messages related to trailer
connections or trailer brakes could

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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272 Driving and Operating
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The effect that these
devices may have on vehicle
handling or trailer brake
performance is unknown.
{Warning
Use of electronic trailer sway
control devices could result in
reduced trailer brake
performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and
could cause a crash. You or
others could be injured or killed.
Before using one of these
devices:. Ask the device or trailer
manufacturer if the device
has been thoroughly tested
for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of
the vehicle as well as
optional equipment installed
on the vehicle.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Before driving on the open
roads, check that the trailer
brakes are working properly.
Drive the vehicle with the
trailer attached on a level
road surface that is free of
traffic at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply
the manual trailer brake
apply lever. Also check that
the trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning
correctly.
. If the trailer brakes are not
operating properly at any
time, or if a DIC message
indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer
brakes, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of
the road when traffic
conditions allow.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector (DLC)
is used for vehicle service
and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0120.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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274 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 275
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 276
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 283
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 285
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 286
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 291
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Battery - North America . . . . . . 295
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 298
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 300
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 301
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 305
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 305
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 314
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

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Vehicle Care 275
Different Size Tires andWheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Wheel Alignment and Tire
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Wheel Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 331
Tire Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Tire Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 343
Full-Size Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . 344
Jump Starting
Jump Starting - North America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
Towing the Vehicle
Towing the Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Recreational VehicleTowing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348
Appearance Care
Exterior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Interior Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
General Information
For service and parts needs, visit
your dealer. You will receive
genuine GM parts and GM-trained
and supported service people.
Genuine GM parts have one of
these marks:
California Proposition
65 Warning
{Warning
Most motor vehicles, including
this one, as well as many of its
service parts and fluids, contain
and/or emit chemicals known to
the State of California to cause
cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and
systems, many fluids, and some
component wear by-products
contain and/or emit these
chemicals. For more information
go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/
passenger-vehicle.
See Battery - North America 0295
and Jump Starting - North America
0 345 and the back cover.

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California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non-dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 071.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 391.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 070.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 277
Keep a record with all parts receipts
and list the mileage and the date of
any service work performed. See
Maintenance Records0377.
Caution
Even small amounts of
contamination can cause damage
to vehicle systems. Do not allow
contaminants to contact the fluids,
reservoir caps, or dipsticks.
Hood
To open the hood:
1. Pull the hood release lever with
this symbol on it. It is inside the
vehicle to the lower left of the
steering wheel.
2. Go to the front of the vehicle tofind the secondary hood
release handle. The handle is
under the front edge of the
hood near the center. Push the
handle to the right and at the
same time raise the hood.
To close the hood: 1. Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler caps are
properly installed.
2. Lower the hood to 20 cm (8 in) above the vehicle and release
it so it fully latches. Check to
make sure the hood is firmly closed by lifting up on the front
edge of the hood. Repeat the
process if necessary.

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282 Vehicle Care
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.
. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
paper towel or cloth, then push it
back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and
check the level.
When to Add Engine Oil
2.5L L4 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick and
the engine has been off for at least
15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of the
recommended oil and then recheck
the level. See “Selecting the Right
Engine Oil” later in this section for
an explanation of what kind of oil to
use. For engine oil crankcase
capacity, see Capacities and
Specifications 0379.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 278 for the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0374.

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284 Vehicle Care
include engine revolutions, engine
temperature, and miles driven.
Based on driving conditions, the
mileage at which an oil change is
indicated can vary considerably. For
the oil life system to work properly,
the system must be reset every time
the oil is changed.
On some vehicles, when the system
has calculated that oil life has been
diminished, a CHANGE ENGINE
OIL SOON message comes on to
indicate that an oil change is
necessary. Change the oil as soon
as possible within the next 1 000 km
(600 mi). It is possible that, if driving
under the best conditions, the oil life
system might indicate that an oil
change is not necessary for up to a
year. The engine oil and filter must
be changed at least once a year
and, at this time, the system must
be reset. For vehicles without the
CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message, an oil change is needed
when the OIL LIFE REMAINING
percentage is near 0%. Your dealer
has trained service people who will
perform this work and reset the
system. It is also important to checkthe oil regularly over the course of
an oil drain interval and keep it at
the proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. Always reset the
engine oil life to 100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself. To
reset the engine oil life system:
1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC.
See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level) 0129 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0131. If the vehicle
does not have DIC buttons, the
vehicle must be in P (Park) to
access this display. 2. Press and hold
Von the DIC,
or SET/CLR on the turn signal
lever if the vehicle does not
have DIC buttons, for several
seconds. The oil life will
change to 100%.
The oil life system can also be reset
as follows: 1. Display OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC.
See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level) 0129 or
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0131.
2. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds.
If the display shows 100%, the
system is reset.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message and it
comes back on when the vehicle is
started and/or the OIL LIFE
REMAINING is near 0%, the engine
oil life system has not been reset.
Repeat the procedure.

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Vehicle Care 285
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, this should be
done at your dealer. Contact your
dealer for additional information or
the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, seeService
Publications Ordering Information
0 391.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Maintenance
Schedule 0365, and be sure to use
the fluid listed in Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0374.
Manual Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Manual
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
manual transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0374 for the
proper fluid to use.
Hydraulic Clutch
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is not necessary to
regularly check brake/clutch fluid
unless there is a leak suspected.
Adding fluid will not correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could
indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.
When to Check and What
to Use
The brake/hydraulic clutch fluid
reservoir cap has this symbol on it.
The common brake/clutch fluid
reservoir is filled with DOT 3 brake
fluid as indicated on the reservoir
cap. See Engine Compartment
Overview 0278 for reservoir
location.
How to Check and Add Fluid
Visually check the brake/clutch fluid
reservoir to make sure the fluid level
is at the MIN (minimum) line on the
front of the reservoir. The brake/
hydraulic clutch fluid system should
be closed and sealed.

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What to Use
{Warning
Plain water, or other liquids such
as alcohol, can boil before the
proper coolant mixture will. With
plain water or the wrong mixture,
the engine could get too hot but
there would not be an overheat
warning. The engine could catch
fire and you or others could be
burned.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F) outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F) engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts. .
Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.Caution
Do not use anything other than a
mix of DEX-COOL coolant that
meets GM Standard
GMW3420 and clean, drinkable
water. Anything else can cause
damage to the engine cooling
system and the vehicle, which
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring
it on the ground, or into sewers,
streams or, bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the mark
pointed to, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.