2008 CHEVROLET COLORADO brake

Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle traction
and affect your ability to stop and accelerate. Always
drive slower in these types of driving conditions
and avoid driving through large puddles and
deep-standing or owing water.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They might not
work as well in a quick stop and could cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply the brake
pedal until the brakes work normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through owing water could
cause your vehicle to be carried away. If this
happens, you and other vehicle occupants
could drown. Do not ignore police warnings
and be very cautious about trying to drive
through owing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build up under
your vehicle’s tires so they actually ride on the
water. This can happen if the road is wet enough and
you are going fast enough. When your vehicle is
hydroplaning, it has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather driving tips
include:
Allow extra following distance.
Pass with caution.
Keep windshield wiping equipment in good shape.
Keep the windshield washer uid reservoir lled.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-59.
4-25

Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains is different
than driving on at or rolling terrain. Tips for driving
in these conditions include:
Keep your vehicle serviced and in good shape.
Check all uid levels and brakes, tires, cooling
system, and transmission.
Going down steep or long hills, shift to a
lower gear.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, the brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down
to let the engine assist the brakes on a steep
downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. The brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down and they
could get so hot that they would not work well.
You would then have poor braking or even
none going down a hill. You could crash.
Always have the engine running and your
vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
Stay in your own lane. Do not swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
Top of hills: Be alert — something could be in your
lane (stalled car, accident).
Pay attention to special road signs (falling rocks
area, winding roads, long grades, passing or
no-passing zones) and take appropriate action.
SeeOff-Road Driving on page 4-11for information
about driving off-road.
4-27

Accelerate gently. 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.
The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves your
vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Even though you have ABS, begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry pavement.
SeeAntilock Brake System (ABS) on page 4-4.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ne until
you hit a spot that is covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches can appear in
shaded areas where the sun cannot reach, such as
around clumps of trees, behind buildings, or under
bridges. Sometimes the surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the surrounding roads
are clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you,
brake before you are on it. Try not to brake while you
are actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
Turn on the hazard warning ashers.
Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you do not have blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags,
rags, oor mats — anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
4-29

Two-Wheel Drive Vehicles with Manual
Transmissions
Use the following procedure to tow manual transmission
vehicles with all four wheels on the ground:
1. Drive the vehicle to be towed into position behind
the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-32Parking Brake for more information.3. Put the manual transmission in FIRST (1).
4. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the tow
vehicle.
5. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Release the
parking brake only after the vehicle being towed is
rmly attached to the tow vehicle.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK/OFF.
If the tow vehicle will not be started or driven for
six weeks or more, remove the battery cable
from the negative terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent your battery from draining while towing.
4-42

Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to tow your vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground:
1. Drive the vehicle to be towed into position behind
the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-32for more information.
3. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
4. Securely attach the vehicle being towed to the
tow vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle’s transfer
case into NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to
roll even if the transmission is in PARK (P) for
an automatic transmission, or if your vehicle
is in gear, for a manual transmission. You or
others could be injured. Make sure the parking
brake is rmly set before you shift the transfer
case to NEUTRAL.
5. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28for more
information.
6. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is rmly attached to the tow vehicle.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
If the tow vehicle will not be started or driven for
six weeks or more, remove the battery cable
from the negative terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent your battery from draining while towing.
After towing see “Shifting Out of NEUTRAL” under
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28.
4-43

Dolly Towing
Front Towing (Front Wheels Off the
Ground)
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Notice:If you tow a two-wheel-drive vehicle with
the rear wheels on the ground, the transmission
could be damaged. The repairs would not be
covered by your warranty. Never tow your vehicle
with the rear wheels on the ground.
Two-wheel-drive vehicles should not be towed with
the rear wheels on the ground. Two-wheel-drive
transmissions have no provisions for internal lubrication
while being towed. To dolly tow a two-wheel-drive
vehicle, you must tow the vehicle with the rear wheels
on the dolly. See “Rear Towing (Rear Wheels Off
the Ground)” later in this section for more information.
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to dolly tow your vehicle
from the front:
1. Drive the vehicle onto the dolly.
2. Firmly set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-32for more information.
3. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
4. Follow the dolly manufacturer’s instructions to attach
and secure the vehicle being towed to the dolly and
then the loaded dolly to the tow vehicle.
4-44

{CAUTION:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle’s transfer
case into NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to
roll even if the transmission is in PARK (P) for
an automatic transmission, or if your vehicle is
in gear, for a manual transmission. You or
others could be injured. Make sure the parking
brake is rmly set before you shift the transfer
case to NEUTRAL.
5. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28for more
information.
6. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is rmly attached to the tow vehicle.
7. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
If the tow vehicle will not be started or driven for
six weeks or more, remove the battery cable
from the negative terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent your battery from draining while towing.
After towing see “Shifting Out of NEUTRAL” under
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-28.
Rear Towing (Rear Wheels Off the Ground)
Two-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to tow your vehicle from
the rear:
1. Drive the vehicle onto the dolly.
2. Firmly set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake
on page 2-32for more information.
3. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
4-45

4. Follow the dolly manufacturer’s instructions to
attach and secure the vehicle being towed to
the dolly and then the loaded dolly to the tow
vehicle. Make sure the wheels are straight before
towing.
For manual transmission vehicles, make sure the
wheels are straight before proceeding to the
next steps. On automatic transmission vehicles,
use an adequate clamping device to ensure that the
front wheels are locked into the straight position.
5. Release the parking brake only after the vehicle
being towed is rmly attached to the tow vehicle.
6. Turn the ignition to LOCK.
If the tow vehicle will not be started or driven for
six weeks or more, remove the battery cable
from the negative terminal (post) of the battery to
prevent your battery from draining while towing.Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicles
Use the following procedure to tow your vehicle from
the rear:
1. Drive the vehicle onto the dolly.
2. Firmly set the parking brake. SeeParking Brake on
page 2-32for more information.
3. Put an automatic transmission in PARK (P) or a
manual transmission in FIRST (1).
4-46