Chevrolet 2005 Colorado User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-3
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts ............................................. 1-11
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-32
Airbag System ......................................... 1-62
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-75
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-7
Windows ................................................. 2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-14
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-16
Mirrors .................................................... 2-35
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-39
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-41
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators ........ 3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-36
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-42
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-48
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-44
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-44
Front Axle ............................................... 5-45
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-46
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-50
Tires ...................................................... 5-52
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-88
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-97
Electrical System ...................................... 5-98
Capacities and Specifications ................... 5-103
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance and Information .............. 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information ........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ........................... 7-10
Index ................................................................ 1
2005 Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual M

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, and the
name COLORADO are registered trademarks of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles
first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division
whenever it appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle, so it will be there if it
is needed while you are on the road. If the vehicle
is sold, leave this manual in the vehicle.
Canadian Owners
A French language copy of this manual can be obtained
from your dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read the owner manual from beginning to
end when they first receive their new vehicle. If this
is done, it can help you learn about the features
and controls for the vehicle. Pictures and words work
together in the owner manual to explain things.
Index
A good place to quickly locate information about the
vehicle is the Index in the back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the manual and the
page number where it can be found.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 05COLORADO B First Edition
©
2004 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
There are a number of safety cautions in this book. We
use a box and the word CAUTION to tell about things
that could hurt you if you were to ignore the warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you do not,
you or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Do Not,”
“Do Not do this” or
“Do Not let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this manual you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice tells about something that can damage the
vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be covered
by your vehicle’s warranty, and it could be costly. But
the notice will tell what to do to help avoid the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors or
in different words.
There are also warning labels on the vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
The vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or information
relating to a specific component, control, message,
gage, or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage, or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
iv

These are some examples of symbols that may be found on the vehicle:
v

✍NOTES
vi

Front Seats ......................................................1-3
Manual Seats ................................................1-3
Power Seats ..................................................1-4
Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-4
Heated Seats .................................................1-5
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-6
Head Restraints .............................................1-7
Seatback Latches ...........................................1-8
Rear Seats .......................................................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab) ......................1-8
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab) ...............1-10
Safety Belts ...................................................1-11
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone ................1-11
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-16
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-17
Driver Position ..............................................1-17
Shoulder Belt Height Adjustment .....................1-23
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-24
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-24
Center Front Passenger Position .....................1-25
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-26
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for
Children and Small Adults ..........................1-29
Safety Belt Pretensioners ...............................1-31
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-31
Child Restraints .............................................1-32
Older Children ..............................................1-32
Infants and Young Children ............................1-35
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-38
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-40
Top Strap ....................................................1-42
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-44
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System (Crew Cab) ...................1-48
Securing a Child Restraint
Designed for the LATCH System
(Extended Cab with Rear Seats) ..................1-48
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System (Regular/ Extended
Cab - No Rear Seats) ................................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Seat Position ............................................1-51
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center
Front Seat Position ....................................1-53
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-1

Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position (Models without an
Airbag Off Switch) .....................................1-54
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position (Models with an
Airbag Off Switch) .....................................1-56
Airbag System ...............................................1-62
Where Are the Airbags? ................................1-64
When Should an Airbag Inflate? .....................1-67
What Makes an Airbag Inflate? .......................1-68
How Does an Airbag Restrain? .......................1-68
What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? .....1-69
Airbag Off Switch ..........................................1-71
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle ...........1-74
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle ....................................................1-74
Restraint System Check ..................................1-75
Checking the Restraint Systems ......................1-75
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash ............................................1-75
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
1-2

Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
when you do not want to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only when the vehicle is not moving. Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release
the bar. Try to move the seat with your body to make
sure the seat is locked into place.
1-3

Power Seats
If your vehicle has this feature, there is a control on the
outboard side of the front seat(s).
Horizontal Control: Raise or lower the front of the seat
by raising or lowering the front of the control.
Raise or lower the rear of the seat by raising or lowering
the rear of the control.
Raise or lower the entire seat by raising or lowering the
whole control.
Move the seat forward or rearward by moving the whole
control toward the front or the rear of the vehicle.
Vertical Control: This control reclines the seatbacks.
See Reclining Seatbacks on page 1-6 for more
information.
Manual Lumbar
If your vehicle has this
feature, there is a knob
located on the outboard
side of the driver’s seat.
Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase lumbar
support and clockwise to decrease lumbar support.
1-4

Heated Seats
If your vehicle has this
feature, the controls are
located on the outboard
side of the front seats.
This feature will quickly heat the lower cushion and
lower back of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats
for added comfort.
Press the lower part of the switch to turn the heater on
at low heat. Press the upper part of the switch to
turn the heater on at high heat. Put the switch in the
center position to turn the heater off.
The ignition must be on for the heated seat feature to
work. The passenger’s safety belt must be engaged for
the heated seat feature to work on the passenger’s seat.
1-5

Reclining Seatbacks
Your vehicle may have reclining seatbacks.
To manually recline your seatback, lift the lever on the
outboard side of the seat.
Release the lever to lock the seatback where you want
it. Pull up on the lever and without pushing on the
seatback, the seat will go to an upright position.
If you have power seats, you can use the vertical power
seat control shown previously. Move the seatback
forward or rearward by moving the control toward the
front or rear of the vehicle.
Do not have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is moving.
1-6

{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position when your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts cannot do their
job when you are reclined like this.
The shoulder belt cannot do its job because it
will not be against your body. Instead, it will be
in front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receiving neck or other injuries.
The lap belt cannot do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces would be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
well back in the seat and wear your safety belt
properly.
Head Restraints
If your vehicle is equipped with adjustable head
restraints, move the head restraint so that the top of
the restraint is closest to the top of your head. This
position reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
Push up on the head restraint to raise it. To lower
the head restraint, press the button located on top of
the seatback and push down on the head restraint.
1-7

Seatback Latches
Your vehicle may be equipped with front seatbacks that
fold forward to let people get into the rear seat or to
access the storage area behind the seat.
To fold the front seatback
forward, push the lever on
the side of the seat
rearward and pull the
seatback forward.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That
could cause injury to the person sitting there.
Always press rearward on the seatback to
be sure it is locked.
To return the seatback to the upright position, push the
seatback all the way back until the latch catches. If
the seatback was reclined before being folded forward,
it will return to the reclined position.
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab)
If your vehicle is a crew cab, the rear seatback can be
folded forward. Before you can fold the rear seatback,
you need to unlatch the center safety belt buckle.
Use the following steps to lower one or both of the rear
seatbacks:
1. Insert a tool with a small tip into the slot to unlatch
the center position safety belt buckle. Then move
the belt to the side so it is not in the way.
1-8

2. Grasp the loop located
on the side of the
seatback you want to
fold and pull until
you hear a click.
3. Fold the seatback down.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to fold down the other
seatback.
{CAUTION:
If the seatback is not locked, it could move
forward in a sudden stop or crash. That
could cause injury to the person sitting there.
Always press rearward on the seatback to be
sure it is locked.
{CAUTION:
A safety belt that is improperly routed, not
properly attached, or twisted will not provide
the protection needed in a crash. The person
wearing the belt could be seriously injured.
After raising the rear seatback, always check
to be sure that the safety belts are properly
routed and attached, and are not twisted.
To return the seatback to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Lift the seatback up and push it back into place.
2. Reconnect the center safety belt latch plate to the
buckle.
3. Make sure the seatback is locked into place by
pushing and pulling on it.
4. Repeat Steps 1 and 3 for the other seatback.
When the seatback is not in use, it should be kept in
the upright, locked position.
1-9

Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab)
If your vehicle has an
extended cab, there may
be a forward folding seat
in the rear area.
To fold the rear seat down, pull down on the bottom of
the seat until the seat is in place.
To store the seat, do the following:
1. To ensure that the safety belt buckle does not
move when not in use, secure it to the inboard
side of the seat by the hook and loop fastener (A).
2. Push the entire seat up until it is flush with the
trim panel.
The rear seat storage compartments must be in the
rearward position before folding the seat down.
1-10

Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Do not let anyone ride where he or she can not
wear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you are not wearing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much worse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Always fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allow people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped with seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up.
See Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-24.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here is why: They work.
You never know if you will be in a crash. If you do have
a crash, you do not know if it will be a bad one.
1-11

A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person would not
survive. But most crashes are in between. In many of
them, people who buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could have been badly
hurt or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up
does matter...a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it is just a seat
on wheels.
1-12

Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
does not stop.
1-13

The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel...
1-14