Page 17 of 394
Black plate (11,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-11
To adjust:
1. Hold the steering wheel and pullthe 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.
For more information see:
.“Dome Lamp Override”
under
Dome Lamps on page 6‑6.
.Instrument Panel Illumination
Control on page 6‑6.
.Exit Lighting on page 6‑7.
Page 18 of 394
Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-12 In Brief
Exterior Lighting
O:Turns off all exterior lamps
including the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL).
AUTO: Automatic operation of the
headlamps and other exterior lamps
at normal brightness.
;: Manual operation of the
parking lamps and other exterior
lamps.
5: Manual operation of the
headlamps and other exterior
lamps. For more information, see:
.Exterior Lamp Controls on
page 6‑1.
.Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
on page 6‑2.
.Automatic Headlamp System on
page 6‑3.
.Fog Lamps on page 6‑5.
.Exterior Cargo Lamps on
page 6‑5.
Windshield Wiper/Washer
8:
For a single wipe, move the
band to
8and then release it.
For several wipes, hold the band
on
8longer.
Page 19 of 394
Black plate (13,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-13
N:For adjustable interval wipes,
turn the band up for more frequent
wipes or down for less frequent
wipes.
6 :For slow wipes, turn the
band to the first solid position past
the delay settings.
1 :For fast wipes, turn the band
to the second solid position past the
delay settings.
9: Use to turn the wipers off.
Windshield Washer: Push the
paddle on top of the turn signal/lane
change lever to spray washer fluid
on the windshield.
See Windshield Wiper/Washer on
page 5‑2.Climate Controls
A. Temperature Control
B. Fan Control
C. Air Delivery Mode Control D. Air Conditioning
E. Air Recirculation
See
Climate Control Systems on
page 8‑1.
Page 20 of 394

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-14 In Brief
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.
{WARNING
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause the vehicle
to roll even if the transmission is
in P (Park). You or someone else
could be seriously injured. Be
sure to set the parking brake
before placing the transfer case in
N (Neutral). See Parking Brake on
page 9‑41. N (Neutral):
Use the N (Neutral)
position only when towing the
vehicle. See Recreational Vehicle
Towing on page 10‑89.
4
m(Four-Wheel High): Use when
extra traction is needed in most
off-road situations.
4
n(Four-Wheel Low): Use this
position to deliver extra torque
to all four wheels. Used for extreme
off‐road conditions. See Four-Wheel
Drive on page 9‑36.
Page 21 of 394
Black plate (15,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-15
Vehicle Features
Radio(s)
Radio with CD (MP3/WMA)
PWR: Press to turn the system on
and off.
qVOLr: Turn to increase or
decrease the volume. BAND:
Press to switch between
FM1, FM2, AM, or XM1, or XM2
(if equipped). The selection
displays.
qTUNEr: Turn to select radio
stations.
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
Infotainment 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.
Page 22 of 394

Black plate (16,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-16 In Brief
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 MN 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 MN buttons
at the same time until RDS TIME
displays. To accept this time, press
and hold the HR and MN buttons,
at the same time, for another
two 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
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 Satellite Radio on page 7‑11.
Cruise Control
The cruise controls are located at
the end of the multifunction lever.
9:Turns the system off.
R: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.
For more information, see Cruise
Control on page 9‑46.
Page 23 of 394

Black plate (17,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-17
Driver Information
Center (DIC)
The DIC is located on the
instrument panel cluster. It displays
the status of many vehicle systems
and enables some features to be
personalized.
Use the trip reset stem located on
the instrument panel cluster to scroll
through the available functions.
For more information, seeDriver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑19.
Vehicle Personalization
Some vehicle features can be
personalized through the DIC.
These features include:
.Language: English, Spanish,
or French
.Automatic Door Locks
.RKE Feedback For more information, see
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on
page 5‑19.
Power Outlets
The accessory power outlets can be
used to plug in electrical equipment,
such as a cell phone or MP3 player.
The vehicle may have an accessory
power outlet located below the
climate control system and on the
rear of the center console.
See Power Outlets on page 5‑5.
Performance and
Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS)
The traction control system limits
wheel spin. The system turns on
automatically every time the vehicle
is started.
.To turn off traction control, press
and release the TCS/StabiliTrak
button on the instrument panel.
gilluminates and the appropriate
DIC message is displayed. See
Ride Control System Messages
on page 5‑25.
.Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button again to turn
on traction control.
For more information, see Traction
Control System (TCS) on
page 9‑42.
Page 24 of 394

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
1-18 In Brief
StabiliTrak®System
The StabiliTrak system assists with
directional control of the vehicle in
difficult driving conditions. The
system turns on automatically every
time the vehicle is started.
.To turn off both traction control
and StabiliTrak, press and hold
the TCS/StabiliTrak button
until
gilluminates and the
appropriate DIC message is
displayed. See Ride Control
System Messages on page 5‑25.
.Press and release the TCS/
StabiliTrak button again to turn
on both systems.
For more information, see
StabiliTrak
®System on page 9‑44.
Tire Pressure Monitor
This vehicle may have a Tire
Pressure Monitor System (TPMS).
The TPMS warning light alerts you
to a significant loss in pressure of
one of the vehicle's tires. If the
warning light comes on, stop as
soon as possible and inflate the
tires to the recommended pressure
shown on the Tire and Loading
Information label. See Vehicle Load
Limits on page 9‑16. The warning
light will remain on until the tire
pressure is corrected.
During cooler conditions, the low tire
pressure warning light may appear
when the vehicle is first started and
then turn off. This may be an early indicator that the tire pressures are
getting low and the tires need to be
inflated to the proper pressure.
The TPMS does not replace normal
monthly tire maintenance. It is the
driver
’s responsibility to maintain
correct tire pressures.
See Tire Pressure Monitor System
on page 10‑54.Engine Oil Life System
The engine oil life system calculates
engine oil life based on vehicle use
and displays a DIC message when
it is necessary to change the engine
oil and filter.
Resetting the Oil Life System
1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN,
with the engine off.
2. Press and release the stem in the lower center of the
instrument cluster until the OIL
LIFE message is displayed.