2012 CHEVROLET COLORADO power steering

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
10-24 Vehicle Care
Engine Fan
This vehicle has a clutched engine
cooling fan. When the clutch is
engaged, the fan spins faster to
provide more air to cool the engine.
In most everyday driving conditions,
the clutch is not engaged. This
improves fuel economy and reduces
fan noise. Under heavy vehicle
loading, trailer towing and/or high
outside temperatures, the fan speed
increases when the clutch engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan
noise. This is normal and should not
be mistaken as the transmission
slipping or making extra shifts.
It is merely the cooling system
functioning properly. The fan will
slow down when additional cooling
is not required and the clutch
disengages.
This fan noise may also be heard
when the engine is started. It will go
away as the fan clutch disengages.
Power Steering Fluid
The power steering fluid reservoir is
located near the front of the engine
compartment, behind the radiator.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview
on page 10‑6 for reservoir location.
When to Check Power Steering
Fluid
It is not necessary to regularly
check power steering fluid unless
there is a leak suspected in the
system or an unusual noise is
heard. A fluid loss in this system
could indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.
How to Check Power Steering
Fluid
1. Turn the key off and let the
engine compartment cool down.
2. Wipe the cap and the top of the reservoir clean.
3. Unscrew the cap and wipe the dipstick with a clean rag.
4. Replace the cap and completely tighten it.
5. Then remove the cap again and look at the fluid level on the
dipstick.
The level should be between the
ADD and FULL marks. If necessary,
add only enough fluid to bring the
level up to the proper range.

Black plate (49,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-49
Tire Designations
Tire Size
The following is an example
of a typical passenger vehicle
tire size.
(A) Passenger (P‐Metric) Tire:
The United States version of a
metric tire sizing system. The
letter P as the first character in
the tire size means a passenger
vehicle tire engineered to
standards set by the U.S. Tire
and Rim Association.
(B) Tire Width
:The three‐digit
number indicates the tire section
width in millimeters from
sidewall to sidewall. (C) Aspect Ratio
:A two‐digit
number that indicates the tire
height‐to‐width measurements.
For example, if the tire size
aspect ratio is 60, as shown in
item C of the illustration, it would
mean that the tire's sidewall is
60 percent as high as it is wide.
(D) Construction Code
:A
letter code is used to indicate
the type of ply construction in
the tire. The letter R means
radial ply construction; the
letter D means diagonal or
bias ply construction; and the
letter B means belted‐bias ply
construction.
(E) Rim Diameter
:Diameter of
the wheel in inches.
(F) Service Description
:These
characters represent the load
index and speed rating of the
tire. The load index represents
the load carrying capacity a tire is certified to carry. The speed
rating is the maximum speed a
tire is certified to carry a load.
Tire Terminology and
Definitions
Air Pressure:The amount
of air inside the tire pressing
outward on each square inch
of the tire. Air pressure is
expressed in kPa (kilopascal)
or psi (pounds per square inch).
Accessory Weight
:The
combined weight of optional
accessories. Some examples
of optional accessories are
automatic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, and air
conditioning.
Aspect Ratio
:The relationship
of a tire's height to its width.

Black plate (97,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-97
Steering, Suspension, and
Chassis Components
Visually inspect front and rear
suspension and steering system for
damaged, loose, or missing parts
or signs of wear. Inspect power
steering lines and hoses for proper
hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing, etc. Visually check constant
velocity joints, rubber boots, and
axle seals for leaks.
Body Component Lubrication
Lubricate all key lock cylinders,
hood hinges, liftgate hinges, and
steel fuel door hinge unless the
components are plastic. Applying
silicone grease on weatherstrips
with a clean cloth will make them
last longer, seal better, and not stick
or squeak.
Underbody Maintenance
Use plain water to flush dirt and
debris from the vehicle's underbody.
Your dealer or an underbody carwashing system can do this. If not
removed, rust and corrosion can
develop.
Sheet Metal Damage
If the vehicle is damaged and
requires sheet metal repair or
replacement, make sure the body
repair shop applies anti-corrosion
material to parts repaired or
replaced to restore corrosion
protection.
Original manufacturer replacement
parts will provide the corrosion
protection while maintaining the
vehicle warranty.
Finish Damage
Quickly repair minor chips and
scratches with touch-up materials
available from your dealer to avoid
corrosion. Larger areas of finish
damage can be corrected in your
dealer's body and paint shop.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Airborne pollutants can fall upon
and attack painted vehicle surfaces
causing blotchy, ring-shaped
discolorations, and small, irregular
dark spots etched into the paint
surface.
Interior Care
To prevent dirt particle abrasions,
regularly clean the vehicle's interior.
Immediately remove any soils. Note
that newspapers or dark garments
that can transfer color to home
furnishings can also permanently
transfer color to the vehicle's
interior.
Use a soft bristle brush to remove
dust from knobs and crevices on
the instrument cluster. Using a mild
soap solution, immediately remove
hand lotions, sunscreen, and insect
repellant from all interior surfaces or
permanent damage may result.

Black plate (12,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
11-12 Service and Maintenance
Recommended Fluids, Lubricants, and Parts
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
Fluids and lubricants identified below by name, part number, or specification can be obtained from your dealer.Usage Fluid/Lubricant
Engine Oil Use only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specfication, or equivalent,
of the proper SAE viscosity grade. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is
recommended. See
Engine Oil on page 10‑9.
Engine Coolant 50/50 mixture of clean, drinkable water and use only DEX-COOL Coolant.
See
Engine Coolant on page 10‑19.
Hydraulic Brake System DOT 3 Hydraulic Brake Fluid (GM Part No. 12377967, in
Canada 89021320).
Windshield Washer Optikleen
®Washer Solvent.
Parking Brake Cable Guides Chassis Lubricant (GM Part No. 12377985, in Canada 88901242) or
lubricant meeting requirements of NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB.
Power Steering System GM Power Steering Fluid (GM Part No. 89021184, in Canada 89021186).
Automatic Transmission DEXRON
®-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Manual Transmission Manual Transmission Fluid (GM Part No. 89021806, in Canada 89021807).

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
i-4 INDEX
E
Electrical Equipment,Add-On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Electrical System Engine CompartmentFuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-39
Overload . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-38
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Check and Service Engine
Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Compartment Overview . . . . . . . 10-6
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-19
Coolant Temperature Gauge . . . 5-9
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-18
Cooling System Messages . . . 5-23
Drive Belt Routing . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-30
Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-26
Overheating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-22 Engine (cont.)
Power Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Running While Parked . . . . . . . . 9-30
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-12
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-24
Equipment, Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-62
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . 13-19
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Extender, Safety Belt . . . . . . . . . . 3-18
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps Off Reminder . . . 6-2
F
Fan
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Filter,
Engine Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . 10-17
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flashers, Hazard Warning . . . . . . 6-4 Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Floor Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10-100
Fluid Automatic Transmission . . . . 10-13
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-27
Four-Wheel DriveTransfer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-36
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Washer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-25
Fog Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . 9-36, 10-29
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Heated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-48 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-50
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-52
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-51
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . 9-49

Black plate (8,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
i-8 INDEX
P
ParkShifting into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Shifting out of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-29 Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-41
Brake and P (Park)Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . 10-32
Over Things That Burn . . . . . . . 9-29
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11
Passenger Sensing System . . . 3-26
Perchlorate Materials Requirements, California . . . . . 10-3
Phone Bluetooth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
Pickup Conversion to Chassis Cab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-63
Power Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Protection, Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Retained Accessory (RAP) . . . 9-27 Power (cont.)
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16
Pregnancy, Using Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Privacy Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . 13-20
Program Courtesy Transportation . . . . 13-13
Proposition 65 Warning, California . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
R
Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) . . . . . . . . 13-20
Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-21
Radios AM-FM Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13
Satellite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-11
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-30 Limited-Slip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-45 Rear Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
Rear Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8, 3-9
Rear Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Rear Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Rearview Mirror
Automatic Dimming . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14
Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13
Reclining Seatbacks . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Recommended
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-49
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12
Records Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-16
Recreational Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-89
Reimbursement Program, GM Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-7
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2, 2-3
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Replacement Parts
Airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-33
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-15

Black plate (10,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
i-10 INDEX
Shift Lock Control FunctionCheck, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-32
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-27
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-28
Signals, Turn and
Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-44
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 10-31
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-25
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4 Fluid, Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-24
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36 Storage
Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-15
Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-17
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv
System Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . 10-36
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . 13-6
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10, 2-12
Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4 Tires
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . 10-61
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-66
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-69
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-62
Full-Size Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-83
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . 10-67
Inflation Monitor System . . . . 10-56
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-26
Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-54
Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Pressure Monitor System . . . 10-54
Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-59
Secondary Latch System . . . 10-80
Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . . . . 10-46
Terminology and
Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-49
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-63