Chevrolet COLORADO 2011 User manual

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual M
In Brief ........................ 1-1
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Vehicle Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Performance and
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Keys, Doors and Windows . . . 2-1
Keys and Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
Doors..........................2-7
Vehicle Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9
Exterior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12
Interior Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
Seats and Restraints . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-9
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-12
Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-26
Child Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-39
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . 4-1
Instruments and Controls . . . . 5-1
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Information Displays . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-22
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Lighting Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Audio Players . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14
Phone........................7-20
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-1
Climate Control Systems . . . . . . 8-1
Air Vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual M
Driving and Operating . . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-35
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-46
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-66
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-6
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-14
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Index ..................... i-1

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem, and
COLORADO are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.
This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.
Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name “General
Motors of Canada Limited”for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20819998 A First Printing ©2010 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use 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.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Danger indicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning or Caution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury
or death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,”or “Do not let
this happen.”
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,
gauge, or indicator.
M:This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*:This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

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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

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
vi Introduction
2NOTES

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Tailgate ....................... 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-7
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Sensing System for Passenger
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-11
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
StabiliTrak
®
System . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-16
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-17
Driving for Better Fuel
Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Roadside Assistance
Program .................... 1-17
OnStar
®
..................... 1-18

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-2 In Brief
Instrument Panel
Manual Transmission shown, Automatic Transmission similar

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-3
A. Air Vents on page 8‑3.
B. Turn and Lane‐Change Lever.
See Turn and Lane-Change
Signals on page 6‑4.
Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.
C. Instrument Cluster on page 5‑7.
D. Hazard Warning Flashers on
page 6‑3.
E. Passenger Side Airbag. See
Airbag System on page 3‑26.
F. Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
Fog Lamps on page 6‑4
(If Equipped).
Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑4.
G. Parking Brake on page 9‑44.
H. Data Link Connector (DLC).
See Malfunction Indicator Lamp
on page 5‑12.
I. Horn on page 5‑2.
J. StabiliTrak
®
System on
page 9‑47.
Four-Wheel Drive on
page 10‑30.
K. AM-FM Radio on page 7‑7.
L. Cigarette Lighter (If Equipped).
See Ashtrays on page 5‑6and
Cigarette Lighter on page 5‑5.
M. Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
N. Power Outlets on page 5‑5.
O. Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑11.
P. Glove Box on page 4‑1.
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner manual.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-4 In Brief
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The RKE transmitter is used to lock
and unlock the doors from up to 9 m
(30 ft) away from the vehicle.
Press UNLOCK to unlock the doors
and press LOCK to lock them.
Press Lto sound the horn and to
flash the exterior lamps for
30 seconds.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized. See Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑19.
See Keys on page 2‑2and Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation on page 2‑3.
Door Locks
Manual Door Locks
Lock or unlock the door from the
outside with the key in the driver or
front passenger door or press the
LOCK or UNLOCK button on the
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) transmitter.
Lock the door from the inside by
moving the manual lever on the
door forward or rearward.
Power Door Locks
Press L or U on the switch on the
armrest to lock or unlock the doors.
For more information see:
.Door Locks on page 2‑4.
.Power Door Locks on page 2‑5.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-5
Tailgate
Open the tailgate by pulling up on
the outside handle while pulling the
tailgate down.
On vehicles with a locking tailgate,
use the ignition key to unlock it.
For more information see Tailgate
on page 2‑7.
Windows
Manual Windows
Use the window crank to open and
close each window.
Power Windows
Press or pull up on the front of the
switch to open or close the window.
For more information see:
.Manual Windows on page 2‑16.
.Power Windows on page 2‑16.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-6 In Brief
Seat Adjustment
Manual Seats
To adjust a manual seat:
1. Lift the bar under the front of the
seat cushion to unlock the seat.
2. Slide the seat to the desired
position and release the bar.
3. Try to move the seat back and
forth to make sure it is locked in
place.
See Seat Adjustment on page 3‑3
for more information.
Power Seats
If available, the power seat controls
are on the outboard sides of the
front seats.
To adjust the seat:
.Move the seat forward or
rearward by sliding the
horizontal control forward or
rearward.
.Raise or lower the front or rear
part of the seat cushion by
moving the front or rear of the
horizontal control up or down.
.Raise or lower the entire seat by
moving the entire horizontal
control up or down.
.Raise or recline the seatback by
moving the vertical control.
See Power Seat Adjustment on
page 3‑4and Reclining Seatbacks
on page 3‑5for more information.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-7
Power Lumbar
If available, press and hold the front
or rear of the control on the
outboard side of the seat to
increase or decrease lumbar
support. Release the control when
the level of support is reached.
See Lumbar Adjustment on
page 3‑4for more information.
Heated Seats
If available, the switches are on the
outboard sides of the front seats. To
operate, the ignition must be on.
.Press the top of the switch for
the high setting.
.Press the bottom of the switch
for the low setting.
.Put the switch in the center
position to turn this feature off.
See Heated Front Seats on
page 3‑8for more information.
Head Restraint
Adjustment
Do not drive until the head restraints
for all occupants are installed and
adjusted properly.
To achieve a comfortable seating
position, change the seatback
recline angle as little as necessary
while keeping the seat and the head
restraint height in the proper
position.
For more information see Head
Restraints on page 3‑2and Seat
Adjustment on page 3‑3.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-8 In Brief
Safety Belts
Refer to the following sections for
important information on how to use
safety belts properly.
.Safety Belts on page 3‑12.
.How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly on page 3‑15.
.Lap-Shoulder Belt on page 3‑19.
.Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) on
page 3‑47.
Sensing System for
Passenger Airbag
The passenger sensing system,
if equipped, will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. The driver
airbags are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has one of the
passenger airbag status indicators
pictured in the following illustrations,
then the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle is
started.
United States
Canada and Mexico
See Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑32 for important information.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-9
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with power outside mirrors
have controls located on the
driver door.
1. Move the selector switch to the
L (left) or R (right) to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press one of the four arrows
located on the control pad to
move the mirror to the desired
direction.
3. Return the selector switch to the
center position once the mirrors
are adjusted.
See Power Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Vehicles with manual outside
mirrors can be adjusted by pressing
the mirror up and down and left and
right so that you can see a clear
view behind you.
Manually fold the mirrors inward to
prevent damage when going
through an automatic car wash. To
fold, push the mirror toward the
vehicle. Push the mirror outward, to
return to its original position.
See Manual Mirrors on page 2‑13.
Interior Mirror
On vehicles with a manual inside
rearview mirror, the mirror can be
adjusted by holding it in the center
to move it for a clear view behind
you. To avoid glare from the
headlamps behind you, push the tab
forward for daytime use and pull it
for nighttime use.
See Manual Rearview Mirror on
page 2‑14.
The automatic dimming inside
rearview mirror will automatically
reduce the glare of lights from
behind the vehicle.
See Automatic Dimming Rearview
Mirror on page 2‑14.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-10 In Brief
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
The steering wheel adjustment lever
is located on the left side of the
steering wheel.
To adjust:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pull
the lever toward you.
2. Move the steering wheel up
or down.
3. Release the lever to lock the
wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamps come on when any
door is opened.
To manually turn on the dome
lamps, turn the thumbwheel, located
next to the exterior lamps control, all
the way up. The cargo lamps may
come on, if the vehicle is equipped
with Bluetooth. In this position, the
lamps remain on whether a door is
opened or closed.
Reading Lamps
Press the lens on the lamps to turn
each reading lamp on or off.
These lamps will not come on with
the dome lamps.
.See “Dome Lamp Override”in
Dome Lamps on page 6‑5.
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑5.
.Exit Lighting on page 6‑6.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-11
Exterior Lighting
O:Turns off all exterior lamps
including the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
AUTO: Automatic operation of the
headlamps and other exterior lamps
at normal brightness.
;:Manual operation of the parking
lamps and other exterior lamps.
2:Manual operation of the
headlamps and other exterior
lamps.
For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑2.
.Automatic Headlamp System on
page 6‑3.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑4.
.Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑4.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
8:Single wipe, move the band to
and then release it. Several wipes,
hold the band on longer.
N:For a delayed wiping cycle.
Turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
6:Slow wipes, turn the band
to the first solid position past the
delay settings.
1:Fast wipes, turn the band to
the second solid position past the
delay settings.
9:Turns the wipers off.
Windshield Washer: Push the
paddle on top of the multifunction
lever to spray washer fluid on the
windshield.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-12 In Brief
Climate Controls
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control
D. Air Conditioning
E. Air Recirculation
See Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
Four-Wheel Drive
Four-wheel drive sends engine
power to all four wheels for extra
traction.
The transfer case buttons are
located to the right of the steering
wheel on the instrument panel.
Use these buttons to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.
2m(Two-Wheel High): Use for
driving in most street and highway
situations.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-13
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑44.
N (Neutral): Use the N (Neutral)
position only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑90.
4m(Four-Wheel High): Use when
extra traction is needed in most
off-road situations.
4n(Four-Wheel Low): Use this
position to deliver extra torque to
all four wheels. Used for extreme
off‐road conditions. See Four-Wheel
Drive on page 9‑39.
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
Radio with CD (MP3/WMA)
PWR: Press to turn the system on
and off.
qVOL r:Turn to increase or
decrease the volume.
BAND: Press to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1 or XM2 (if
equipped). The selection displays.
qTUNE r:Turn to select radio
stations.

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Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-14 In Brief
qSEEK r:Press to go to the
previous or to the next station and
stay there.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Introduction on page 7‑1.
Setting Preset Stations
Radio stations are stored as
presets.
For vehicles with an XM radio, a
maximum of 30 stations can be
stored as presets using the six
numbered pushbuttons.
If the radio does not have XM, up to
18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and
six AM), can be programmed on the
six numbered buttons.
See “Setting Preset Stations”under
Operation on page 7‑3.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
radio with CD (MP3/WMA):
Press and hold the HR button until
the correct hour displays. Press and
hold the MIN button until the correct
minute displays. The time can be
set with the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an
FM station broadcasting Radio Data
System (RDS) information, press
and hold the HR and MIN buttons at
the same time until RDS TIME
displays. To accept this time, press
and hold the HR and MIN buttons,
at the same time, for another
2 seconds. If the time is not
available from the station, NO
UPDAT (update) displays.
RDS time is broadcast once a
minute. After tuning to an RDS
broadcast station, it could take a
few minutes for the time to update.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for your specific audio
system, see Clock on page 5‑4.
Satellite Radio
XM is a satellite radio service that is
based in the 48 contiguous United
States and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM satellite radio has a wide variety
of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
A fee is required to receive the
XM service.
For more information, refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)
See “XM Satellite Radio Service”
under Satellite Radio on page 7‑11.