2011 CHEVROLET COLORADO steering

Black plate (5,1)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

Black plate (1,1)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

Black plate (10,1)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.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-12 In Brief
Climate Controls
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode ControlD. 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.
2
m(Two-Wheel High): Use for
driving in most street and highway
situations.

Black plate (26,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
3-26 Seats and Restraints
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
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:{WARNING
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt
—even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑29.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{WARNING
Airbags inflate with great force,
faster than the blink of an eye.
Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it
inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
(Continued)

Black plate (27,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-27
WARNING (Continued)
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.
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Airbags plus(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
lap-shoulder belts offer protection
for adults and older children, but
not for young children and infants.
Neither the vehicle's safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your
vehicle. To read how, see Older
Children on page 3‑39 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑41.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, which
shows the airbag symbol. The system checks the airbag
electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑10 for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's airbag is in the middle
of the steering wheel.

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
3-28 Seats and Restraints
The right front passenger's airbag is
in the instrument panel on the
passenger's side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
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.
{WARNING
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not inflate properly
or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury
or even death. The path of an
inflating 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
inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
3-30 Seats and Restraints
Your vehicle may or may not have
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 3‑26. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to
severe side crashes. Roof-rail
airbags will inflate if the crash
severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
inflate 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
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of
what the repair costs were. For
frontal airbags, inflation 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
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
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
seat‐mounted side impact airbags,
there are airbags modules in the
side of the front seatbacks closest
to the door. 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. See When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑29 for more information.