
Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
2011 Chevrolet Colorado Owner ManualM
Driving and Operating. . . . . . . . 9-1
Driving Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Starting and Operating . . . . . . . 9-26
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-33
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 9-35
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 9-37
Drive Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-39
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-43
Ride Control Systems . . . . . . . . 9-46
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-56
Conversions and Add-Ons . . . 9-66 Vehicle Care
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Vehicle Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . 10-35
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Electrical System . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-40
Wheels and Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-86
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-90
Appearance Care . . . . . . . . . . . 10-95
Service and Maintenance . . . 11-1
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 11-1
Scheduled Maintenance . . . . . . 11-2
Recommended Fluids,
Lubricants, and Parts . . . . . . . 11-6
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . 11-10 Technical Data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Identification . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Vehicle Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Customer Information . . . . . . . 13-1
Customer Information . . . . . . . . 13-1
Reporting Safety Defects . . . . 13-14
Vehicle Data Recording and
Privacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i-1

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Introduction iii
The names, logos, emblems,
slogans, vehicle model names, and
vehicle body designs appearing in
this manual including, but not limited
to, GM, the GM logo, CHEVROLET,
the CHEVROLET Emblem, and
COLORADO are trademarks and/or
service marks of General Motors
LLC, its subsidiaries, affiliates,
or licensors.This manual describes features that
may or may not be on your specific
vehicle either because they are
options that you did not purchase or
due to changes subsequent to the
printing of this owner manual.
Please refer to the purchase
documentation relating to your
specific vehicle to confirm each of
the features found on your vehicle.
For vehicles first sold in Canada,
substitute the name
“General
Motors of Canada Limited” for
Chevrolet Motor Division wherever it
appears in this manual.
Keep this manual in the vehicle for
quick reference.
Canadian Vehicle Owners
Propriétaires Canadiens
A French language copy of this
manual can be obtained from your
dealer or from:
On peut obtenir un exemplaire de
ce guide en français auprès du
concessionnaire ou à l'adresse
suivante:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
1-800-551-4123
Numéro de poste 6438 de langue
française
www.helminc.com
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 20819998 A First Printing©2010 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
iv Introduction
Using this Manual
To quickly locate information about
the vehicle, use the Index in the
back of the manual. It is an
alphabetical list of what is in the
manual and the page number where
it can be found.
Danger, Warnings, and
Cautions
Warning messages found on vehicle
labels and in this manual describe
hazards and what to do to avoid or
reduce them.
Dangerindicates a hazard with a
high level of risk which will result in
serious injury or death.
Warning orCaution indicates a
hazard that could result in injury
or death.
{WARNING
These mean there is something
that could hurt you or other
people.
Notice: This means there is
something that could result in
property or vehicle damage. This
would not be covered by the
vehicle's warranty.
A circle with a slash through it is a
safety symbol which means “Do
Not,” “Do not do this,” or“Do not let
this happen.”
Symbols
The vehicle has components and
labels that use symbols instead of
text. Symbols are shown along with
the text describing the operation or
information relating to a specific
component, control, message,
gauge, or indicator.
M: This symbol is shown when
you need to see your owner manual
for additional instructions or
information.
*: This symbol is shown when
you need to see a service manual
for additional instructions or
information.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-14 In Brief
qSEEKr:Press to go to the
previous or to the next station and
stay there.
For more information about these
and other radio features, see
Introduction on page 7‑1.
Setting Preset Stations
Radio stations are stored as
presets.
For vehicles with an XM radio, a
maximum of 30 stations can be
stored as presets using the six
numbered pushbuttons.
If the radio does not have XM, up to
18 stations (six FM1, six FM2, and
six AM), can be programmed on the
six numbered buttons.
See “Setting Preset Stations” under
Operation on page 7‑3.
Setting the Clock
To set the time and date for the
radio with CD (MP3/WMA):
Press and hold the HR button until
the correct hour displays. Press and
hold the MIN button until the correct
minute displays. The time can be
set with the ignition on or off.
To synchronize the time with an
FM station broadcasting Radio Data
System (RDS) information, press
and hold the HR and MIN buttons at
the same time until RDS TIME
displays. To accept this time, press
and hold the HR and MIN buttons,
at the same time, for another
2 seconds. If the time is not
available from the station, NO
UPDAT (update) displays.
RDS time is broadcast once a
minute. After tuning to an RDS
broadcast station, it could take a
few minutes for the time to update.
For detailed instructions on setting
the clock for your specific audio
system, see Clock on page 5‑4.
Satellite Radio
XM is a satellite radio service that is
based in the 48 contiguous United
States and 10 Canadian provinces.
XM satellite radio has a wide variety
of programming and
commercial-free music, coast to
coast, and in digital-quality sound.
A fee is required to receive the
XM service.
For more information, refer to:
.www.xmradio.com or call
1-800-929-2100 (U.S.)
.www.xmradio.ca or call
1-877-438-9677 (Canada)
See “XM Satellite Radio Service”
under Satellite Radio on page 7‑11.

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
1-18 In Brief
For more information seeRoadside
Assistance Program (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑7 orRoadside
Assistance Program (Mexico) on
page 13‑9.
Roadside Assistance and OnStar
(U.S. and Canada)
If you have a current OnStar
subscription, press the
Qbutton
and the current GPS location will
be sent to an OnStar advisor who
will assess your problem, contact
Roadside Assistance, and relay
your exact location to get the help
you need.
Online Owner Center (U.S. and
Canada)
The Online Owner Center is a
complimentary service that includes
online service reminders, vehicle
maintenance tips, online owner
manual, special privileges,
and more.
Sign up today at:
www.chevyownercenter.com
(U.S.) or www.gm.ca (Canada).
OnStar®
For vehicles with an active OnStar
subscription, OnStar uses several
innovative technologies and live
Advisors to provide a wide range
of safety, security, navigation,
diagnostics, and calling services.
Automatic Crash Response
In a crash, built‐in sensors can
automatically alert an OnStar
Advisor who is immediately
connected to the vehicle to see
if you need help.
How OnStar Service Works
Q:Push this blue button to
connect to a specially trained
OnStar Advisor to verify your
account information and to answer
questions.
]: Push this red emergency
button to get priority help from
specially trained OnStar Emergency
Advisors.
X: Push this button for hands‐free,
voice‐activated calling and to give
voice commands for Hands‐Free
Calling and Turn‐by‐Turn
Navigation.
Automatic Crash Response,
Emergency Services, Crisis Assist,
Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle
Diagnostics, Remote Door Unlock,
Roadside Assistance, Turn‐by‐Turn
Navigation, and Hands‐Free Calling
are available on most vehicles. Not
all OnStar services are available on
all vehicles. For more information,
see the OnStar Owner's Guide; visit
www.onstar.com (U.S.) or
www.onstar.ca (Canada); contact
OnStar at 1-888-4-ONSTAR
(1‐888‐466‐7827) or TTY
1‐877‐248‐2080; or push
Qto
speak with an OnStar Advisor
24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
In Brief 1-19
For a full description of OnStar
services and system limitations, see
the OnStar Owner's Guide in the
glove box.
OnStar service is subject to the
OnStar Terms and Conditions
included in the OnStar Glove
Box Kit.
OnStar service requires wireless
communication networks and the
Global Positioning System (GPS)
satellite network. Not all OnStar
services are available everywhere
or on all vehicles at all times.
OnStar service can’t work unless
your vehicle is in a place where
OnStar has an agreement with a
wireless service provider for service
in that area, and the wireless
service provider has coverage,
network capacity, reception, and
technology compatible with OnStar's
service. Service involving location
information about your vehicle can’t
work unless GPS signals are
available, unobstructed, and
compatible with the OnStarhardware. The vehicle has to have a
working electrical system and
adequate battery power for the
OnStar equipment to operate.
OnStar service may not work if the
OnStar equipment isn’t properly
installed or you haven’t maintained
it and your vehicle is in good
working order and in compliance
with all government regulations.
If you try to add, connect, or modify
any equipment or software in your
vehicle, OnStar service may not
work. Other problems OnStar can’t
control may prevent service to you,
such as hills, tall buildings, tunnels,
weather, electrical system design
and architecture of your vehicle,
damage to important parts of your
vehicle in a crash, or wireless phone
network congestion or jamming.
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.Your Responsibility
Increase the volume of the radio if
the OnStar Advisor cannot be
heard.
If the light next to the OnStar
buttons is red, the system may not
be functioning properly. Push the
Q
button and request a vehicle
diagnostic. If the light appears clear
(no light appears), your OnStar
subscription has expired and all
services have been deactivated.
Push the
Qbutton to confirm that
the OnStar equipment is active.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
Keys, Doors and Windows 2-3
.Check the transmitter's battery.
See“Battery Replacement” later
in this section.
.If the transmitter is still not
working correctly, see your
dealer or a qualified technician
for service.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation
Vehicles with Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE), transmitter functions
work up to 9 m (30 ft) away from the
vehicle.
There are other conditions which
can affect the performance of the
transmitter. See Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System on page 2‑2.
UNLOCK: Press to unlock the
driver door and turn on the interior
lamps. The parking lamps may flash
and the horn may sound.
Press UNLOCK again within
three seconds and all of the doors
unlock.
LOCK: Press to lock all the doors.
The parking lamps may flash and
the horn may sound. If a door is open or ajar when
LOCK is pressed, the horn sounds
several times to let you know the
doors did not lock and the content
theft‐deterrent system is not armed.
Pressing LOCK again while the horn
is sounding or within three seconds
after the horn stops sounding,
the doors lock but the content
theft‐deterrent system does not arm
until the opened door is closed.
Different feedback modes can be
programmed through the Driver
Information Center (DIC). See
“Remote Keyless Entry Feedback”
under
Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 5‑19.
L(Panic): Press to make the
horn sound and the headlamps and
taillamps flash for up to 30 seconds.
To turn them off wait for 30 seconds,
or press
Lagain, or start the
vehicle.

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2011
2-10 Keys, Doors and Windows
Here is how to avoid setting off the
alarm by accident:
.If you do not want to activate the
theft-deterrent system, the
vehicle should be locked with
the door key after the doors are
closed.
.Always unlock a door with the
RKE transmitter. Unlocking a
door any other way will set off
the alarm.
If you set off the alarm by accident,
you can turn off the alarm by
pressing UNLOCK on the RKE
transmitter. The alarm will not stop if
you try to unlock a door any
other way.
Testing the Alarm
To test the alarm:
1. From inside the vehicle, activate the system by locking the doors
with the RKE transmitter.
2. Unlock the door with the manual door lock and open the door.
This should set off the alarm. 3. To turn the alarm off, press the
UNLOCK button on the RKE
transmitter or start the engine.
If the alarm does not sound when it
should but the lights flash, check to
see if the horn works. The horn fuse
may be blown. To replace the fuse,
see Fuses and Circuit Breakers on
page 10‑40.
If the alarm does not sound or the
front turn signal lamps do not flash,
see your dealer for service.
Immobilizer
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.
Immobilizer Operation
(PASS-Key III+
Canada Only)
This vehicle has a passive
theft-deterrent system.
The system is automatically armed
when the key is removed from the
ignition.
The system is automatically
disarmed when the key is turned to
ON/RUN.
You do not have to manually arm or
disarm the system.
The security light comes on if there
is a problem with arming or
disarming the theft-deterrent
system.
The key uses a transponder that
matches an immobilizer control unit
in the vehicle. Only the correct key
starts the vehicle. If the key is ever
damaged, the vehicle may not start.
When trying to start the vehicle,
if the engine does not start and the
security light comes on, there may