
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.

Black plate (14,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
2-14 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Automatic Dimming
Rearview Mirror
The vehicle may have an automatic
dimming inside rearview mirror.
Automatic dimming reduces the
glare of lights from behind the
vehicle.
The mirror may also have OnStar
®
and/or a compass and outside
temperature display.
Control buttons for the OnStar
system are at the bottom of the
mirror. See the OnStar Owners
Guide for more information about
the services OnStar provides. See
Compass on page 5‑3for more
information about the compass
display. See “Temperature Display”
after, for more information about the
outside temperature display. AUTO/
(/O(On/Off):
Press
and hold AUTO/
(for about
three seconds or depending on the
mirror, press
Oto turn automatic
dimming on or off. The automatic
dimming feature comes on and the
indicator light illuminates each time
the vehicle is started.
Temperature Display
Y b/O(On/Off) : PressYbor
depending on the mirror, press
Oto
turn the display on or off.
To adjust between Fahrenheit and
Celsius:
1. Press and hold
Y b/Ofor a
few seconds. The current unit of
measure (C or F) flashes. 2. Press
Y
b/Oagain and
release to change the unit of
measure. Wait several seconds
and the compass/temperature
display returns with the selected
unit of measure.
It is normal under certain conditions
for the temperature update to be
delayed. If an incorrect temperature
displays for an extended period, see
your dealer.
Cleaning the Mirror
Do not spray glass cleaner directly
on the mirror. Use a soft towel
dampened with water.

Black plate (7,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-7
{WARNING
If either seatback is not locked, it
could move forward in a sudden
stop or crash. That could cause
injury to the person sitting there.
Always push and pull on the
seatbacks to be sure they are
locked.
To return the seatback to the upright
position, push the seatback all the
way back until it latches.
If the seatback was reclined before
being folded forward, it will return to
the reclined position.
Heated Front Seats
{WARNING
If you cannot feel temperature
change or pain to the skin, the
seat heater may cause burns
even at low temperatures. To
reduce the risk of burns, people
with such a condition should use
care when using the seat heater,
especially for long periods of
time. Do not place anything on
the seat that insulates against
heat, such as a blanket, cushion,
cover, or similar item. This
may cause the seat heater to
overheat. An overheated seat
heater may cause a burn or may
damage the seat.
If available, the switches are on the
outboard sides of the front seats. To
operate, the ignition must be on.
This feature will heat the cushion
and back of the seats.
.Press the top of the switch for
the high setting.
.Press the bottom of the switch
for the low setting.
.Put the switch in the center
position to turn this feature off.

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
3-36 Seats and Restraints
Infants and Young
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants
and all other children. Neither the
distance traveled nor the age and
size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety
restraints. In fact, the law in every
state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says
children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt is
wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to
tighten. Never leave children
unattended in a vehicle and
never allow children to play with
the safety belts.Airbags plus lap‐shoulder belts
offer protection for adults and older
children, but not for young children
and infants. Neither the vehicle's
safety belt system nor its airbag
system is designed for them. Every
time infants and young children ride
in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
child restraints.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a child
while riding in a vehicle. Due to
crash forces, an infant or a child
will become so heavy it is not
possible to hold it during a crash.
For example, in a crash at only
40 km/h (25 mph), a 5.5 kg (12 lb)
infant will suddenly become a
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
110 kg (240 lb) force on a
person's arms. An infant should
be secured in an appropriate
restraint.

Black plate (4,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
5-4 Instruments and Controls
The compass can be calibrated by
driving the vehicle in circles at
8 km/h (5 mph) or less until the
display reads a direction.
Compass Variance
The mirror is set to zone eight.
If you do not live in zone eight or
drive out of the area, the compass
variance needs to be changed to
the appropriate zone.
To adjust for compass variance:
1. Find the current location andvariance zone number on the
following zone map.
2. Press and holdYb/Ountil Z
and/or a zone number displays.
3. Press
Y b/Orepeatedly until
the new zone number displays.
After you stop pressing the
button, the display shows a
compass direction within a
few seconds.
Clock
AM-FM Radio
Press and hold HR until the correct
hour displays. Press and hold MN
until the correct minute displays.
There is an initial two-second delay
before the clock goes into time-set
mode. To display the time with the
ignition off, press RCL, HR, or MN.
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.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
5-6 Instruments and Controls
Ashtrays
The vehicle may have a removable
ashtray and cigarette lighter.
The ashtray is located in the center
console area. The ashtray can be
removed for cleaning. When the
ashtray is removed, this area can
also be used as a cupholder.
Notice:If papers, pins, or other
flammable items are put in the
ashtray, hot cigarettes or other
smoking materials could ignite
them and possibly damage the
vehicle. Never put flammable
items in the ashtray.
Warning Lights,
Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning lights and gauges can
signal that something is wrong
before it becomes serious enough
to cause an expensive repair or
replacement. Paying attention to the
warning lights and gauges could
prevent injury.
Warning lights come on when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Some warning lights come
on briefly when the engine is started
to indicate they are working.
Gauges can indicate when there
could be a problem with a vehicle
function. Often gauges and warning
lights work together to indicate a
problem with the vehicle.
When one of the warning lights
comes on and stays on while
driving, or when one of the gauges
shows there may be a problem,
check the section that explains what to do. Follow this manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
and even dangerous.Chime Level Adjustment
The radio is used to adjust the
vehicle's chime level. To change the
volume level of the chime, press
and hold pushbutton 6 with the
ignition on and the radio power off.
The volume level will change from
the normal level to loud, and LOUD
will appear on the radio display.
To change back to the default or
normal setting, press and hold
pushbutton 6 again. The volume
level will change from the loud level
to normal, and NORMAL will appear
on the radio display. Each time the
chime volume is changed, three
chimes will sound to indicate the
new volume selected. Removing
the radio and not replacing it with a
factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
5-24 Instruments and Controls
ENG (Engine) HOT
This message displays when the
engine coolant temperature is
hot. Check the engine coolant
temperature gauge. SeeEngine
Coolant Temperature Gauge on
page 5‑9. Have your vehicle
serviced by your dealer as soon
as possible if you suspect the
engine is overheating. See Engine
Overheating on page 10‑22 for more
information.
Engine Oil Messages
CHANGE OIL
This message displays when the oil
needs to be changed. Check the oil
in your vehicle as soon as possible
and have your vehicle serviced by
your dealer. See Engine Oil on
page 10‑9 andMaintenance
Schedule on page 11‑3 for more
information. Press and release the
reset stem to acknowledge the
message and clear it from the
display.
OIL
This message displays when the oil
pressure is low. See Engine Oil
Pressure Light on page 5‑18 and
Engine Oil on page 10‑9 for more
information.
Engine Power Messages
REDUCED POWER
This message displays when the
vehicle's engine power is reduced.
Reduced engine power can affect
the vehicle's ability to accelerate.
If this message is on, but there
is no reduction in performance,
proceed to your destination. The
performance may be reduced the
next time the vehicle is driven. The
vehicle may be driven at a reduced
speed while this message is on,
but acceleration and speed may be
reduced. Anytime this message
stays on, the vehicle should be
taken to your dealer for service as soon as possible. Press and release
the reset stem to acknowledge
the message and clear it from the
display.
Fuel System Messages
FUEL CAP
This message displays if the
vehicle's fuel cap is either off or
loose. Pull over as soon as possible
and check to see if the fuel cap is
secure. You may also see the check
engine light on the instrument panel
cluster. If the check engine light
does come on when the fuel cap
was loose, it may take a few driving
trips before the light turns off. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 5‑13
for more information
if the light still remains on. Press
and release the reset stem to
acknowledge the message and
clear it from the display.

Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Lighting 6-1
Lighting
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls . . . . . . . . 6-1
Exterior Lamps OffReminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Automatic Headlamp System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . 6-4
Turn and Lane-Change Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
Fog Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Cargo Lamps . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Interior Lighting
Instrument Panel Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Dome Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lighting Features
Exit Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Battery Load Management . . . . 6-7
Battery Power Protection . . . . . . 6-7
Exterior Lighting
Exterior Lamp Controls
The exterior lamp control is located
on the instrument panel on the left
side of the steering wheel.
O(Exterior Lamps): Turn the
knob, located to the right of this
symbol, to choose one of the four
exterior lamp positions.
O(Off): Turns off all exterior lamps
including the Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL). AUTO:
Turns the headlamps on
automatically at normal brightness,
together with the following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.Parking Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
See Automatic Headlamp System
on page 6‑3 for more information.
;(Parking Lamps): Turns on
the parking lamps, together with the
following:
.Sidemarker Lamps
.Taillamps
.License Plate Lamps
.Instrument Panel Lights
2(Headlamps): Turns on the
headlamps, together with the
previously listed lamps and lights.