
Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-33
Automatic Transmission
Shift Lock Control
Function Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this
inspection, the vehicle could
move suddenly. If the vehicle
moves, you or others could be
injured.
1. Before starting this check, be sure there is enough room
around the vehicle. It should be
parked on a level surface.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. See Parking Brake on
page 9‑44.
Be ready to apply the regular
brake immediately if the vehicle
begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the ignition on, but do not start the
engine. Without applying the
regular brake, try to move the shift lever out of P (Park) with
normal effort. If the shift lever
moves out of P (Park), contact
your dealer for service.
Ignition Transmission
Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking
brake set, try to turn the ignition to
LOCK/OFF in each shift lever
position.
.For automatic transmission
vehicles, the ignition should turn
to LOCK/OFF only when the
shift lever is in P (Park).
.For manual transmission
vehicles, the ignition should turn
to LOCK/OFF only when you
press the key release button.
On all vehicles, the ignition key
should come out only in LOCK/OFF.
Contact your dealer if service is
required.
Park Brake and P (Park)
Mechanism Check
{WARNING
When you are doing this check,
the vehicle could begin to move.
You or others could be injured
and property could be damaged.
Make sure there is room in front
of the vehicle in case it begins to
roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle
begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the
vehicle facing downhill. Keeping
your foot on the regular brake, set
the parking brake.
.To check the parking brake's
holding ability: With the engine
running and the transmission in
N (Neutral), slowly remove foot
pressure from the regular brake
pedal. Do this until the vehicle is
held by the parking brake only.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
10-36 Vehicle Care
Bulb Replacement
For the proper type of replacement
bulbs, seeReplacement Bulbs on
page 10‑39.
For any bulb‐changing procedure
not listed in this section, contact
your dealer.
Halogen Bulbs
{WARNING
Halogen bulbs have pressurized
gas inside and can burst if you
drop or scratch the bulb. You or
others could be injured. Be sure
to read and follow the instructions
on the bulb package.
Headlamps
A. Low-Beam Headlamp/Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
B. High-Beam Headlamp
To replace one of these bulbs:
1. Open the hood. See Hood on
page 10‑5.
2. Reach in and access the bulb sockets from inside the engine
compartment.
3. Turn the bulb socketcounterclockwise to remove it
from the headlamp assembly
and pull it straight out.
4. Unplug the electrical connector from the old bulb by releasing
the clips on the bulb socket.
5. Pull the old bulb straight out.
6. Push the new bulb straight in until it clicks to secure it.
7. Plug in the electrical connector to the new bulb socket.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
10-46 Vehicle Care
5.3L
Fuses Usage A Trailer Park Lamp
B Communication
Interface Module Fuses Usage
C Supplemental
Inflatable Restraint
System, Sensing
and Diagnostic
Module
D Trailer Auxiliary
Maxi-Fuse
Wheels and Tires
Tires
This new vehicle comes with
high-quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. If you
ever have questions about your
tire warranty and where to
obtain service, see the vehicle
Warranty booklet for details. For
additional information refer to
the tire manufacturer.
{WARNING
.Poorly maintained and
improperly used tires are
dangerous.
.Overloading the tires can
cause overheating as a result
of too much flexing. You
could have a blowout and a
serious accident. See
Vehicle
Load Limits on page 9‑20.
(Continued)

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-47
WARNING (Continued)
.Under inflated tires pose the
same danger as overloaded
tires. The resulting crash
could cause serious injury.
Check all tires frequently to
maintain the recommended
pressure. Tire pressure
should be checked when the
tires are cold.
.Over inflated tires are more
likely to be cut, punctured,
or broken by a sudden
impact—such as when you
hit a pothole. Keep tires at
the recommended pressure.
.Worn or old tires can cause a
crash. If the tread is badly
worn, replace them.
.Replace any tires that have
been damaged by impacts
with potholes, curbs, etc.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
.Improperly repaired tires can
cause a crash. Only the
dealer or an authorized tire
service center should repair,
replace, dismount, and mount
the tires.
.Do not spin the tires in
excess of 55 km/h (35 mph)
on slippery surfaces such as
snow, mud, ice, etc.
Excessive spinning may
cause the tires to explode.
Tire Sidewall Labeling
Useful information about a tire is
molded into its sidewall. The
examples below show a typical
passenger vehicle tire and a
compact spare tire sidewall.
Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire Example
(A) Tire Size:The tire size is a
combination of letters and
numbers used to define a
particular tire's width, height,
aspect ratio, construction type,
and service description. See the
“Tire Size” illustration later in this
section for more detail.

Black plate (54,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
10-54 Vehicle Care
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type
gauge to check tire pressure.
You cannot tell if your tires are
properly inflated simply by
looking at them. Radial tires may
look properly inflated even when
they are underinflated. Check
the tire's inflation pressure when
the tires are cold. Cold means
your vehicle has been sitting for
at least three hours or driven no
more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the
tire valve stem. Press the tire
gauge firmly onto the valve to
get a pressure measurement.
If the cold tire inflation pressure
matches the recommended
pressure on the Tire and
Loading Information label, no
further adjustment is necessary.
If the inflation pressure is low,
add air until you reach the
recommended amount.If you overfill the tire, release air
by pushing on the metal stem in
the center of the tire valve.
Recheck the tire pressure with
the tire gauge.
Be sure to put the valve caps
back on the valve stems. They
help prevent leaks by keeping
out dirt and moisture.
Tire Pressure for
High-Speed Operation
{WARNING
Driving at high speeds, 160 km/h
(100 mph) or higher, puts an
additional strain on tires.
Sustained high-speed driving
causes excessive heat build up
and can cause sudden tire failure.
You could have a crash and you
or others could be killed. Some
high-speed rated tires require
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
inflation pressure adjustment for
high speed operation. When
speed limits and road conditions
are such that a vehicle can be
driven at high speeds, make sure
the tires are rated for high speed
operation, in excellent condition,
and set to the correct cold tire
inflation pressure for the
vehicle load.
If your vehicle has P235/50R18 size
tires, they will require inflation
pressure adjustment when driving
your vehicle at speeds of
100 mph (160 km/h) or higher. Set
the cold inflation pressure to the
maximum inflation pressure shown
on the tire sidewall, or 35 psi
(241 kPa), whichever is lower. See
the example following. When you
end this high-speed driving, return
the tires to the cold tire inflation
pressure shown on the Tire and

Black plate (56,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
10-56 Vehicle Care
pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation
of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent
the TPMS from functioning properly.
Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle to
ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function
properly.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
Operation on page 10‑56 for
additional information.
Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) and
Industry Canada
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑17 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-210/220/310.
Tire Pressure Monitor
Operation
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS is designed to warn the
driver when a low tire pressure
condition exists. TPMS sensors are
mounted onto each tire and wheel
assembly on your vehicle, excluding
the spare tire. The TPMS sensors
monitor the air pressure in your
vehicle's tires and transmit the tire
pressure readings to a receiver
located in the vehicle.
When a low tire pressure condition
is detected, the TPMS illuminates
the low tire pressure warning light
located on the instrument panel
cluster. If the warning light comes on, stop
as soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the tire loading
information label. See
Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑20.
At the same time, a Driver
Information Center (DIC) message
is displayed on the DIC display
screen. The low tire pressure
warning light and the DIC warning
message come on at each ignition
cycle until the tires are inflated to
the correct inflation pressure. For
additional information and details
about the DIC operation and
displays see Driver Information
Center (DIC) on page 5‑19 andTire
Messages on page 5‑26.
The low tire pressure warning light
may come on in cool weather when
the vehicle is first started, and then
turn off as you start to drive. This
could be an early indicator that the
air pressure in the tire(s) are getting
low and need to be inflated to the
proper pressure.

Black plate (57,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Vehicle Care 10-57
A Tire and Loading Information
label, attached to your vehicle,
shows the size of your vehicle's
original equipment tires and the
correct inflation pressure for your
vehicle's tires when they are cold.
SeeVehicle Load Limits on
page 9‑20, for an example of the
Tire and Loading Information label
and its location on your vehicle.
Also see Tire Pressure on
page 10‑53.
Your vehicle's TPMS can warn you
about a low tire pressure condition
but it does not replace normal tire
maintenance. See Tire Inspection
on page 10‑59, Tire Rotation on
page 10‑60 andTires on
page 10‑46.
Notice: Tire sealant materials are
not all the same. A non-approved
tire sealant could damage the Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS)
sensors. TPMS sensor damage
caused by using an incorrect tire
sealant is not covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use only the GM approved tire sealant
available through your dealer or
included in the vehicle.
TPMS Malfunction Light and
Message
The TPMS will not function properly
if one or more of the TPMS sensors
are missing or inoperable. When the
system detects a malfunction, the
low tire warning light flashes for
about one minute and then stays on
for the remainder of the ignition
cycle. A DIC warning message is
also displayed. The low tire warning
light and DIC warning message
come on at each ignition cycle until
the problem is corrected. Some of
the conditions that can cause the
malfunction light and DIC message
to come on are:
.One of the road tires has been
replaced with the spare tire. The
spare tire does not have a
TPMS sensor. The TPMS
malfunction light and DIC
message should go off once you
re‐install the road tire containing
the TPMS sensor.
.The TPMS sensor matching
process was started but not
completed or not completed
successfully after rotating the
vehicle's tires. The DIC message
and TPMS malfunction light
should go off once the TPMS
sensor matching process is
performed successfully. See
“TPMS Sensor Matching
Process”
later in this section.
.One or more TPMS sensors are
missing or damaged. The DIC
message and the TPMS
malfunction light should go off
when the TPMS sensors are
installed and the sensor
matching process is performed
successfully. See your dealer for
service.
.Replacement tires or wheels do
not match your vehicle's original
equipment tires or wheels. Tires
and wheels other than those

Black plate (58,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
10-58 Vehicle Care
recommended for your vehicle
could prevent the TPMS from
functioning properly. SeeBuying
New Tires on page 10‑62.
.Operating electronic devices or
being near facilities using radio
wave frequencies similar to the
TPMS could cause the TPMS
sensors to malfunction.
If the TPMS is not functioning it
cannot detect or signal a low tire
condition. See your dealer for
service if the TPMS malfunction
light and DIC message comes on
and stays on.
TPMS Sensor Matching
Process
Each TPMS sensor has a unique
identification code. Any time you
replace one or more of the TPMS
sensors or rotate your vehicle's
tires, the identification codes need
to be matched to the new tire/wheel
position. The sensors are matched
to the tire/wheel positions in the
following order: driver side front tire,
passenger side front tire, passenger side rear tire, and driver side rear
tire using a TPMS diagnostic tool.
See your dealer for service.
The TPMS sensors can also be
matched to each tire/wheel position
by increasing or decreasing the
tire's air pressure. If increasing the
tire's air pressure, do not exceed
the maximum inflation pressure
indicated on the tire's sidewall. To
let air-pressure out of a tire you can
use the pointed end of the valve
cap, a pencil-style air pressure
gauge, or a key.
You have one minute to match the
first tire/wheel position, and
five minutes overall, to match all
four tire/wheel positions. If it takes
longer than one minute, to match
the first tire and wheel, or more than
five minutes to match all four tire
and wheel positions, the matching
process stops and you need to
start over.
The TPMS sensor matching
procedure is outlined below:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition switch to ON/
RUN with the engine off.
3. Turn the exterior lamp switch from AUTO to OFF four times
within three seconds. A double
horn chirp will sound and the
TPMS low tire warning light
starts flashing. The double horn
chirp and flashing TPMS
warning light indicates the TPMS
matching process has started.
The TPMS warning light should
continue flashing throughout the
matching procedure. The LOW
TIRE message displays on the
Driver Information Center (DIC).
4. Start with the driver side front tire.
5. Remove the valve cap from the valve cap stem. Activate the
TPMS sensor by increasing or
decreasing the tire's air pressure
for 10 seconds, then stop and