2009 CHEVROLET COLORADO tow

Seats and Restraint System............................. 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
..............................................1-10
Safety Belts
.............................................1-13
Child Restraints
.......................................1-35
Airbag System
.........................................1-62
Restraint System Check
............................1-77
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
......................................2-43
Storage Areas
.........................................2-46
Sunroof
..................................................2-49
Instrument Panel............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
......................................3-19
Warning Lights, Gages, and Indicators
........3-21
Driver Information Center (DIC)
..................3-35
Audio System(s)
.......................................3-43Driving Your Vehicle....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and the Vehicle
....... 4-2
Towing
...................................................4-40
Service and Appearance Care.......................... 5-1
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel
......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under the Hood
...............5-10
Rear Axle
...............................................5-46
Four-Wheel Drive
.....................................5-47
Front Axle
...............................................5-48
Headlamp Aiming
.....................................5-49
Bulb Replacement
....................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
.........5-54
Tires
......................................................5-56
Appearance Care
...................................5-101
Vehicle Identication
...............................5-109
Electrical System
....................................5-110
Capacities and Specications
...................5-117
Maintenance Schedule..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information.................... 7-1
Customer Assistance and Information
........... 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects
...........................7-14
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
...........7-16
Index................................................................ 1
2009 Chevrolet Colorado Owner ManualM

To recline the seatback:
1. Lift the recline lever.
2. Move the seatback to the desired position, then
release the lever to lock the seatback in place.
3. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
To return the seatback to an upright position:
1. Lift the lever fully without applying pressure to the
seatback and the seatback will return to the upright
position.
2. Push and pull on the seatback to make sure it is
locked.
Power Reclining Seatbacks
If the seats have power
reclining seatbacks, use
the vertical power seat
control located on
the outboard side of
the seat.
To recline the seatback, press the control toward
the rear of the vehicle.
To raise the seatback, press the control toward the
front of the vehicle.
1-6

Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab)
If the vehicle has an
extended cab, there may
be forward folding seats in
the rear area.
To fold the rear seat cushion(s) from the stored position
to the sitting position, pull the front of the seat cushion
down completely.
The rear seat storage compartments must be closed
before folding the seat down. SeeRear Storage Area on
page 2-47.To store the seat:
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts
still fastened may cause damage to the seat or the
safety belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts
and return them to their normal stowed position
before folding a rear seat.
1. Secure the safety belt buckle to the inboard side of
the seat with the hook and loop fastener (A), so that
it does not move when not in use.
2. Push the entire seat up until it is ush with the
trim panel.
1-10

Rear Seat Operation (Crew Cab)
The rear seatback(s) in the crew cab can be folded
forward.
Notice:Folding a rear seat with the safety belts still
fastened may cause damage to the seat or the safety
belts. Always unbuckle the safety belts and return
them to their normal stowed position before folding a
rear seat.
To fold the rear seatback(s) forward:
1. Disconnect the rear center safety belt latch from the
mini buckle by inserting the tip of the safety belt
tongue into the slot on the buckle. Let the belt retract.2. Pull the loop, located
on the outboard side of
the seatback, forward
until you hear a click.
3. Fold the seatback(s) forward.
1-11

5. To make the lap part tight, pull up on the
shoulder belt.
It may be necessary to pull stitching on the safety
belt through the latch plate to fully tighten the
lap belt on smaller occupants.To unlatch the belt, push the button on the buckle.
The belt should return to its stowed position. Slide
the latch plate up the safety belt webbing when
the safety belt is not in use. The latch plate should
rest on the stitching on the safety belt, near the guide
loop on the side wall.
Before a door is closed, be sure the belt is out of the
way. If a door is slammed against a safety belt, damage
can occur to both the belt and the vehicle.
1-28

{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Buckle any
unused safety belts behind the child restraint so
children cannot reach them. Pull the shoulder belt
all the way out of the retractor to set the lock, if
your vehicle has one, after the child restraint has
been installed.
Notice:Do not let the LATCH attachments rub
against the vehicle’s safety belts. This may damage
these parts. If necessary, move buckled safety
belts to avoid rubbing the LATCH attachments.
Do not fold the empty rear seat with a safety belt
buckled. This could damage the safety belt or
the seat. Unbuckle and return the safety belt to its
stowed position.
Crew Cab — Rear Seat
1. Put the child restraint on the seat.
2. If the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions
recommends that the top tether be attached,
attach the top tether to the top tether anchor (A).
Refer to the child restraint instructions and the
following steps:
2.1. Pull the seatback forward to access the top
tether anchors (A). SeeRear Seat Operation
(Extended Cab) on page 1-10orRear
Seat Operation (Crew Cab) on page 1-11.
1-51

If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when
the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and on indicator is
lit, see “If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child Restraint”
underPassenger Sensing System on page 1-70
for more information.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle
safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger
Your vehicle may also have the following airbags:
A roof-rail airbag for the driver and the passenger
seated directly behind the driver.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger and
the passenger seated directly behind the right
front passenger.All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury
from the force of an inating bag, all airbags must inate
very quickly to do their job.
1-62

Your vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 1-62. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inate in moderate to severe side crashes.
Roof-rail airbags will inate if the crash severity is above
the system’s designed threshold level. The threshold
level can vary with specic vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side of
the vehicle is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by what
the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly
the vehicle slows down. For roof-rail airbags, deployment
is determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
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 1-67for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
1-68