2011 CHEVROLET COLORADO Owners Manual

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-43
Shifting Out of Neutral
After towing the vehicle, you will
have to shift out of N (Neutral) in
order to drive. To shift out of
N (Neutral), do the following:
1. Set the parking brake and applythe regular brake pedal.
2. Start a vehicle with an automatic transmission in P (Park). Use
1 (First) for vehicles with a
manual transmission.
3. Shift the transmission to N (Neutral), or press the clutch
pedal for vehicles with a manual
transmission.
4. Press the button for the desired transfer case shift position
(Two-Wheel High, Four-Wheel
High, or Four-Wheel Low).
5. After the transfer case has shifted out of N (Neutral), the
indicator light will go out.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission to the desired position.Brakes
Antilock Brake
System (ABS)
This vehicle has the Antilock Brake
System (ABS), an advanced
electronic braking system that helps
prevent a braking skid.
When the engine is started and the
vehicle begins to drive away, ABS
checks itself. A momentary motor or
clicking noise might be heard while
this test is going on, and it might
even be noticed that the brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.If there is a problem with ABS, this
warning light stays on. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) Warning Light
on page 5‑16.
If driving safely on a wet road and it
becomes necessary to slam on the
brakes and continue braking to
avoid a sudden obstacle, a
computer senses that the wheels
are slowing down. If one of the
wheels is about to stop rolling, the
computer will separately work the
brakes at each wheel.
ABS can change the brake pressure
to each wheel, as required, faster
than any driver could. This can help
the driver steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.

Black plate (44,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-44 Driving and Operating
As the brakes are applied, the
computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls
braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: ABS does not change
the time needed to get a foot up to
the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too
close to the vehicle in front of you,
there will not be enough time to
apply the brakes if that vehicle
suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even with ABS.
Using ABS
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold
the brake pedal down firmly and let
ABS work. You might hear the ABS
pump or motor operating and feel
the brake pedal pulsate, but this is
normal.
Braking in Emergencies
ABS allows the driver to steer and
brake at the same time. In many
emergencies, steering can help
more than even the very best
braking.
Parking Brake
The parking brake pedal is located
to the left of the brake pedal, near
the driver door.To set the parking brake, hold the
brake pedal down, then push the
parking brake pedal down to its
fully-applied position.
A chime will activate and the brake
warning light, located on the
instrument panel, will flash when the
parking brake is applied and the
vehicle is moving at least 5 km/h
(3 mph) for at least three seconds.
The chime will deactivate and the
light will turn off when the parking
brake is set and the vehicle is
moving below 5 km/h (3 mph). See
Brake System Warning Light on
page 5‑15.

Black plate (45,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-45
To release the parking brake, hold
the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the bottom edge of the lever,
located above the parking brake
pedal, with the parking brake
symbol, directly rearward to release
the parking brake.If the ignition is on when the parking
brake is released, the brake system
warning light will go off.
Notice:
Driving with the parking
brake on can overheat the brake
system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system
parts. Make sure that the parking
brake is fully released and the
brake warning light is off before
driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are
parking on any hill, see Driving
Characteristics and Towing Tips on
page 9‑56.
Brake Assist
This vehicle has a brake assist
feature designed to assist the driver
in stopping or decreasing vehicle
speed in emergency driving
conditions. This feature uses the
stability system hydraulic brake
control module to supplement the
power brake system under
conditions where the driver has
quickly and forcefully applied the
brake pedal in an attempt to quickly
stop or slow down the vehicle. The
stability system hydraulic brake
control module increases brake
pressure at each corner of the
vehicle until the ABS activates.
Minor brake pedal pulsation or
pedal movement during this time
is normal and the driver should
continue to apply the brake pedal
as the driving situation dictates.
The brake assist feature will
automatically disengage when the
brake pedal is released or brake
pedal pressure is quickly
decreased.

Black plate (46,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-46 Driving and Operating
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The Traction Control System (TCS)
is part of StabiliTrak. TCS limits
wheel slip which is especially useful
in slippery road conditions. The
system operates only if it senses
that any of the wheels are spinning
or beginning to lose traction. When
this happens, TCS applies the
brakes to limit wheel spin and also
reduces engine power. The system
may be heard or felt while it is
working. This is normal and does
not mean there is a problem with
the vehicle.
Notice:If the wheel(s) of one axle
is allowed to spin excessively
while the StabiliTrak
®, ABS, brake
warning lights, and any relevant
DIC messages are displayed, the
transfer case could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered
by the vehicle warranty. Reduce
engine power and do not spin the wheel(s) excessively while these
lights and messages are
displayed.
TCS can operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When
this happens, the system may be
heard working or a reduction in
acceleration may be noticed. This
is normal and does not mean there
is a problem with the vehicle.
Examples of these conditions
include hard acceleration in a turn,
an abrupt upshift or downshift of the
transmission or driving on rough
roads.
If cruise control is being used when
TCS begins to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control automatically
disengages. The cruise control can
be re-engaged when road
conditions allow. See
Cruise Control
on page 9‑49.
The message TRACTION FAULT
appears in the Driver Information
Center (DIC) when a TCS or
Antilock Brake System (ABS)
problem has been detected and the vehicle needs service. When this
message is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly. See
Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑25.
The StabiliTrak/TCS light will flash
on the instrument panel cluster
when the TCS system or StabiliTrak
is both on and activated.
The StabiliTrak/TCS button is
located on the instrument panel.

Black plate (47,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-47
To turn off TCS, press and release
the StabiliTrak/TCS button. The
StabiliTrak/TCS light comes on in
the instrument panel cluster, and
TRAC OFF comes on the DIC. To
turn TCS back on, press and
release the StabiliTrak/TCS button.
Adding non-dealer/non-retailer
accessories can affect the vehicle's
performance. SeeAccessories and
Modifications on page 10‑4.
StabiliTrak®System
The vehicle has an electronic
stability control system called
StabiliTrak. It is an advanced
computer controlled system that
assists the driver with directional
control of the vehicle in difficult
driving conditions.
StabiliTrak activates when the
computer senses a discrepancy
between the intended path and the
direction the vehicle is actually
traveling. StabiliTrak selectively
applies braking pressure at any one of the vehicle's brakes to assist the
driver with keeping the vehicle on
the intended path.
When the vehicle is started and
begins to move, the system
performs several diagnostic checks
to insure there are no problems.
The system may be heard or felt
while it is working. This is normal
and does not mean there is a
problem with the vehicle. The
system should initialize before the
vehicle reaches 32 km/h (20 mph).
In some cases, it may take
approximately two miles of driving
before the system initializes.
If cruise control is being used when
StabiliTrak activates, the cruise
control automatically disengages.
The cruise control can be
re-engaged when road conditions
allow. See
Cruise Control on
page 9‑49. If there is a problem detected with
StabiliTrak, a SERVICE STAB SYS
message displays on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
Ride
Control System Messages on
page 5‑25 for more information.
When this message is displayed,
the system is not working. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
StabiliTrak and Traction Control
(TCS) come on automatically
whenever the vehicle is started and
the systems are reset with each
ignition cycle. However, when the
transfer case is placed in
Four-Wheel-Low mode, StabiliTrak
is automatically disabled. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 10‑30
for more information. It is
recommended to leave the system
on for normal driving conditions, but
it may be necessary to turn the TCS
portion of the system off if the
vehicle is stuck in sand, mud, ice,
or snow, and it is necessary to
“rock” the vehicle to attempt to free
it. If traction control is turned off,
only the brake-traction control

Black plate (48,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-48 Driving and Operating
portion of traction control will work.
The engine speed management will
be disabled. In this mode, engine
power is not reduced automatically
and the drive wheels can spin more
freely. This can cause the
brake-traction control to activate
constantly. SeeIf the Vehicle is
Stuck on page 9‑19.
The StabiliTrak/TCS light will flash
on the instrument panel cluster
when the TCS system or StabiliTrak
is both on and activated.
The StabiliTrak/TCS button is
located on the instrument panel.
To turn off TCS, press and release
the StabiliTrak/TCS button. The
StabiliTrak/TCS light comes on in
the instrument panel cluster, and
TRAC OFF comes on the DIC. To
turn TCS back on, press and
release the StabiliTrak/TCS button.
To turn off TCS and StabiliTrak,
press and hold the StabiliTrak/TCS
button until the TRAC OFF and
STAB SYS OFF messages come on
the DIC and the StabiliTrak/TCS
light comes on the instrument panel.
To turn TCS and StabiliTrak back
on, press and release the
StabiliTrak/TCS button. When the TCS or StabiliTrak system
is turned off, the StabiliTrak/TCS
light and the appropriate TRAC OFF
or STAB SYS OFF message will be
displayed on the DIC. The vehicle
will still have brake-traction control
when TCS or StabiliTrak is off, but
will not be able to use the engine
speed management system. The
StabiliTrak/TCS light flashes when
either system is actively working.
See
Traction Control System (TCS)
on page 9‑46 for more information.
Limited-Slip Rear Axle
Vehicles with a limited-slip rear axle
can give more traction on snow,
mud, ice, sand or gravel. It works
like a standard axle most of the
time, but when traction is low, this
feature allows the drive wheel with
the most traction to move the
vehicle.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Driving and Operating 9-49
Cruise Control
With cruise control, a speed of
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more can
be maintained without keeping your
foot on the accelerator. Cruise
control does not work at speeds
below about 40 km/h (25 mph).
If the brakes are applied, the cruise
control shuts off.
{WARNING
Cruise control can be dangerous
where you cannot drive safely at
a steady speed. So, do not use
the cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous
on slippery roads. On such roads,
fast changes in tire traction can
cause excessive wheel slip, and
you could lose control. Do not use
cruise control on slippery roads.If the vehicle's StabiliTrak
®/Traction
Control System (TCS) begins to limit
wheel spin while the cruise control
is on, the cruise control
automatically disengages. See
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑47 or
Traction Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑46. When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, the
cruise control can be turned
back on.
These controls are located at the
end of the multifunction lever.
9(Off): Turns the system off.
R(On):Turns the system on.
+ (Resume/Accelerate): Use to
make the vehicle accelerate or
resume a previously set speed.
r T(Set): Press the button at
the end of the lever to set the
speed.
Setting Cruise Control
If the cruise button is on when not in
use, it could get bumped and go into
cruise when not desired. Keep the
cruise control switch off when cruise
is not being used.
1. Move the cruise control lever
to
R.
2. Get up to the speed desired.
3. Press
r Tat the end of the
lever and release it.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.

Black plate (50,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
9-50 Driving and Operating
This light on the instrument panel
cluster comes on while the cruise
control is on.
Resuming a Set Speed
If the cruise control is set at a
desired speed and then the brakes
are applied, the cruise control is
disengaged without erasing the set
speed from memory.
Once the vehicle speed reaches
about 40 km/h (25 mph) or more,
move the cruise control lever briefly
from
RtoS. The vehicle returns to
the previous set speed and stays
there.
If the lever is held at resume/
accelerate the vehicle keeps going
faster until the lever is released or the brake is applied. Do not hold the
lever at resume/accelerate, unless
you want the vehicle to go faster.
Increasing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Use the accelerator pedal to get
to the higher speed. Press
r
T
at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the
accelerator pedal. If the
accelerator pedal is held longer
than 60 seconds, cruise control
will turn off.
.Move the cruise lever fromRto
S. Hold it until the desired
speed is reached, and then
release the lever.
.To increase the vehicle speed in
small amounts, move the lever
briefly to
S. Reducing Speed While Using
Cruise Control
If the cruise control system is
already activated,
.Press and holdr Tuntil the
lower speed desired is reached,
then release it.
.To slow down in small amounts,
briefly press
r T.
Passing Another Vehicle While
Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to
increase the vehicle speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, the
vehicle will slow down to the
previous set cruise control speed.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well the cruise control works
on hills depends upon the vehicle
speed, load, and the steepness of
the hills. When going up steep hills,
you might have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain the
vehicle speed. When going
downhill, you might have to brake or