2008 CHEVROLET COLORADO window

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

Child Restraint Systems
A rear-facing infant
seat (A) provides restraint
with the seating surface
against the back of
the infant.
The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a
crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the
restraint.
A forward-facing child
seat (B) provides restraint
for the child’s body with the
harness.A booster seat (C-D) is a child restraint designed to
improve the t of the vehicle’s safety belt system.
A booster seat can also help a child to see out the
window.
1-40

{CAUTION:
Frontal airbags are designed to deploy in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They are not designed to inate in
rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to inate in
moderate to severe crashes where something
hits the side of your vehicle. They are not
designed to inate in frontal, in rollover, or in
rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{CAUTION:
Airbags inate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or
very close to, any airbag when it inates can
be seriously injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the airbag, as you
would be if you were sitting on the edge of
your seat or leaning forward. Safety belts help
keep you in position before and during a
crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of the
vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door or side windows in seating positions
with roof-rail airbags.
1-61

If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inate properly or
it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear. Do
not put anything between an occupant and an
airbag, and do not attach or put anything on
the steering wheel hub or on or near any other
airbag covering.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle
with roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie
down through any door or window opening. If
you do, the path of an inating roof-rail airbag
will be blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
1-64

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inator, the
airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with roof-rail
airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows that have occupant
seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Roof-rail airbags
distribute the force of the impact more evenly over
the occupant’s upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-65for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
1-67

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal airbags inate, they quickly deate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbags inated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inated for some time after they deploy.
Some components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules,
seeWhat Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-67.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be dust in
the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma
or other breathing trouble. To avoid this,
everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon
as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing
problems but cannot get out of the vehicle
after an airbag inates, then get fresh air by
opening a window or a door. If you experience
breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical
attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors (if equipped with power door locks),
turn the interior lamps on, ash the hazard warning
ashers, and turn off the radio when the airbag inates.
You can lock the doors again by using the door lock.
The interior lamps and hazard warning ashers will
deactivate after approximately 15 minutes.
1-68

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

Keys
{CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition
key is dangerous for many reasons, children or
others could be badly injured or even killed.
They could operate the power windows or other
controls or even make the vehicle move. The
windows will function with the keys in the
ignition and they could be seriously injured or
killed if caught in the path of a closing window.
Do not leave the keys in a vehicle with children.
The key can be used for the ignition, all door locks, and
the tailgate.
The key has a bar-coded key tag that the dealer/retailer
or qualied locksmith can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not in your vehicle.
Notice:If you ever lock your keys in your vehicle,
you may have to damage the vehicle to get in. Be
sure you have spare keys.
If you are locked out of your vehicle, call the Roadside
Assistance Center. SeeRoadside Assistance Program
on page 7-8.
2-3