2008 CHEVROLET COLORADO four wheel drive

Seats and Restraint Systems........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-9
Safety Belts
.............................................1-12
Child Restraints
.......................................1-33
Airbag System
.........................................1-60
Restraint System Check
............................1-76
Features and Controls..................................... 2-1
Keys
........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
.................................................2-12
Theft-Deterrent Systems
............................2-15
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
...........2-19
Mirrors
....................................................2-39
OnStar
®System
......................................2-47
Storage Areas
.........................................2-50
Sunroof
..................................................2-52
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-22
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-37
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-45Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-41
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-48
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-49
Front Axle
...............................................5-50
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-51
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-51
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-57
Tires
......................................................5-59
Appearance Care
...................................5-105
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-114
Electrical System
....................................5-114
Capacities and Specications
...................5-119
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-15
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-17
Index................................................................ 1
2008 Chevrolet Colorado Owner ManualM

Keys...............................................................2-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System................2-4
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation...................................................2-5
Doors and Locks.............................................2-7
Door Locks....................................................2-7
Power Door Locks..........................................2-8
Programmable Automatic Door Locks................2-8
Rear Door Security Locks
(Crew Cab) ................................................2-9
Lockout Protection..........................................2-9
Rear Doors (Extended Cab).............................2-9
Tailgate.......................................................2-10
Windows........................................................2-12
Manual Windows..........................................2-12
Power Windows............................................2-13
Sliding Rear Window.....................................2-14
Sun Visors...................................................2-15Theft-Deterrent Systems..................................2-15
Content Theft-Deterrent.................................2-15
Passlock
®(U. S. Only)..................................2-16
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer.............2-17
PASS-Key®III+ Electronic Immobilizer
Operation (Canada Only)............................2-17
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle................2-19
New Vehicle Break-In....................................2-19
Ignition Positions..........................................2-19
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)...................2-21
Starting the Engine.......................................2-21
Engine Coolant Heater..................................2-23
Automatic Transmission Operation...................2-24
Manual Transmission Operation......................2-26
Four-Wheel Drive..........................................2-28
Parking Brake..............................................2-32
Shifting Into Park (Automatic Transmission)......2-34
Shifting Out of Park (Automatic Transmission).....2-36
Section 2 Features and Controls
2-1

Starting and Operating Your
Vehicle
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice:Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the rst 500 miles (805 km).
Do not drive at any one constant speed, fast or
slow, for the rst 500 miles (805 km). Do not
make full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
Avoid making hard stops for the rst 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time the new brake
linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops
with new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake linings.
Do not tow a trailer during break-in. SeeTowing
a Trailer on page 4-48for the trailer towing
capabilities of your vehicle and more
information.
Following break-in, engine speed and load can be
gradually increased.
Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition
switch, you can turn to four
different positions.
To shift out of PARK (P), the ignition must be in ON/RUN
and the regular brake pedal must be applied.
Notice:Using a tool to force the key from the
ignition switch could cause damage or break the key.
Use the correct key and turn the key only with your
hand. Make sure the key is all the way in. If none of
this works, then your vehicle needs service.
(A) LOCK/OFF:This position locks the ignition. It also
locks the transmission on automatic transmission
vehicles. It locks the steering wheel on manual
transmission vehicles when the key is removed. It is a
theft-deterrent feature. You will only be able to remove
your key when the ignition is turned to LOCK/OFF.
2-19

THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH (3, 4 and 5):Shift into
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND (2). Slowly let up on the clutch pedal
as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL:Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE (R):To back up, press the clutch pedal. After
the vehicle stops, shift into REVERSE (R). Slowly let up
on the clutch pedal as you press the accelerator pedal. If
it is hard to shift, let the shift lever return to NEUTRAL
and release the clutch pedal. Then press the clutch again
and shift into REVERSE (R). Do not attempt to shift into
the fth gear position prior to shifting into REVERSE (R).
Your transmission has a lock out feature which prevents
a fth gear to reverse gear shift.
Notice:Shifting to R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
moving forward could damage the transmission.
The repairs would not be covered by the vehicle
warranty. Shift to R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
Use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake, for
parking your vehicle.Up-Shift Light
This light will show you
when to shift to the next
higher gear for best
fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear if weather, road and traffic conditions permit.
For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and shift
when the light comes on.
While you accelerate, it is normal for the light to go on
and off if you quickly change the position of the
accelerator. Ignore the shift light when you downshift.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and has a manual
transmission, disregard the shift light when the transfer
case is in four-wheel low.
For more information, seeUp-Shift Light on page 3-29.
2-27

Shift Speeds
{CAUTION:
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Do not shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
Four-Wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you can send your
engine’s driving power to all four wheels for extra
traction. To get the best performance out of four-wheel
drive, you must be familiar with its operation. Read
the part that follows before using four-wheel drive. You
should use two-wheel-drive high for most normal
driving conditions.Notice:Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive for an extended period of time can
cause premature wear on your vehicle’s powertrain.
Do not drive on clean, dry pavement in Four-Wheel
Drive for extended periods of time.
Notice:If your vehicle has four-wheel drive and the
compact spare tire is installed on your vehicle, do
not drive in four-wheel drive until you can have your
at tire repaired and/or replaced. You could
damage your vehicle, and the repair costs would
not be covered by your warranty. Never use
four-wheel drive when the compact spare tire is
installed on your vehicle.
The transfer case buttons are located to the right of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel.
2-28

Recommended Transfer Case Settings
Driving ConditionsTransfer Case Settings
2m4m4nN
Normal YES
Severe YES
Extreme YES
Vehicle in Tow* YES
*SeeRecreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-41or
Towing Your Vehicle on page 4-41for further
information.
Use these buttons to shift into and out of four-wheel
drive. You can choose from the following:
2
m(Two-Wheel High):This setting is for driving in
most street and highway situations. Your front axle is not
engaged in two-wheel drive.
{CAUTION:
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in PARK (P), or if you have a
manual transmission, even if you are in gear.
You or someone else could be seriously injured.
Be sure to set the parking brake before placing
the transfer case in NEUTRAL. SeeParking
Brake on page 2-32.
N (NEUTRAL):Shift the vehicle’s transfer case to
NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle.
4
m(Four-Wheel High):This setting engages your
front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use four-wheel high
when you need extra traction, such as on snowy or
icy roads, or in most off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low):This setting also engages your
front axle to give you extra traction. It sends the maximum
power to all four wheels. You might choose four-wheel
low if you were driving off-road in sand, mud, or deep
snow and while climbing or descending steep hills.
2-29

Indicator lights in the buttons show you which setting you
are in. The indicator lights will come on briey when you
turn on the ignition and one will stay on the selected
setting. If the lights do not come on, you should take your
vehicle in for service. An indicator light will ash while
shifting. It will stay on when the shift is completed.
If for some reason the transfer case does not shift, it will
return to the last chosen setting.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel High
Press and release the Four-Wheel High button. This
can be done at any speed, and the front axle will lock
automatically.
Shifting from Four-Wheel High to
Two-Wheel High
Press and release the Two-Wheel High button. This can
be done at any speed, and the front axle will unlock
automatically.
It is normal to hear and feel your vehicle’s transfer case
shift into Four-Wheel High. If you shift with the vehicle
stopped, the indicator light may still ash slowly. It
may be necessary to shift the transmission momentarily
into REVERSE (R) and DRIVE (D), for an automatic
transmission, or REVERSE (R) and FIRST (1) for
a manual transmission to have the light stop ashing.
Shifting from Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High to Four-Wheel Low
To shift from Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High to
Four-Wheel Low, the vehicle must be stopped or moving
less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) for an automatic transmission or the clutch
pedal pressed for a manual transmission. The preferred
method for shifting into Four-Wheel Low is to have your
vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel Low button. You
must wait for the Four-Wheel Low indicator light to stop
ashing and stay on before shifting the transmission
into gear or releasing the clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel Low button is pressed when your
vehicle is in gear and/or moving faster than 3 mph
(5 km/h), the four-wheel low indicator light will ash for
30 seconds and not complete the shift.
2-30

Shifting from Four-Wheel Low to
Two-Wheel High or Four-Wheel High
To shift from Four-Wheel Low to Two-Wheel High or
Four-Wheel High, your vehicle must be stopped or
moving less than 3 mph (5 km/h) with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N) for an automatic transmission or the clutch
pedal pressed for a manual transmission. The preferred
method for shifting out of four-wheel low is to have your
vehicle moving 1 to 2 mph (1.6 to 3.2 km/h).
Press and release the Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel
High button. You must wait for the Four-Wheel High
or Two-Wheel High indicator light to stop ashing and
stay on before shifting the transmission into gear or
releasing the clutch pedal.
If the Four-Wheel High or Two-Wheel High button is
pressed when your vehicle is in gear and/or moving
faster than 3 mph (5km/h), the Four-Wheel High or
Two Wheel High indicator light will ash for 30 seconds
but not complete the shift.
Shifting to NEUTRAL
Use NEUTRAL when you plan to tow your vehicle. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing on page 4-41for towing
instructions. To shift the transfer case into NEUTRAL do
the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Start the vehicle.3. Press the regular brake pedal and shift the
transmission in NEUTRAL (N), or press in the clutch
for vehicles with a manual transmission.
4. Shift the transfer case to Two-Wheel High.
5. Press and hold the Two-Wheel High and
Four-Wheel Low buttons at the same time for
10 seconds. The NEUTRAL (N) light will come on
when the transfer case shift to NEUTRAL (N)
is complete.
6. Press and hold the regular brake pedal and shift the
transmission to REVERSE (R) for one second, then
shift the transmission to DRIVE (D) for one second,
or FIRST (1) for vehicles with manual transmissions,
and let out the clutch to insure the transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. If the vehicle is not in NEUTRAL, repeat
this procedure starting at Step 3.
7. Turn the engine off by turning the key to ACC.
8. Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or
FIRST (1) for vehicles that have a manual
transmission.
9. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
2-31