
Black plate (1,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
In Brief 1-1
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . 1-3
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4
Tailgate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Heated Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 1-8
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8 Passenger Sensing System . . . 1-9
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
Steering Wheel
Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 1-12
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14
Vehicle Features
Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-15
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control
System (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
StabiliTrak
®System . . . . . . . . . 1-18
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . 1-18
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . 1-18
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-19
OnStar
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-20

Black plate (2,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
2-2 Keys, Doors, and Windows
Keys and Locks
Keys
{WARNING
Leaving children in a vehicle with
the ignition key is dangerous for
many reasons. Children or others
could be badly injured or even
killed. They could operate the
power windows or other controls
or even make the vehicle move.
The windows will function with the
keys in the ignition and children
could be seriously injured or killed
if caught in the path of a closing
window. Do not leave the keys in
a vehicle with children.
The key can be used for the ignition,
all door locks, and the tailgate.
The key has a bar-coded key tag
that the dealer or qualified locksmith
can use to make new keys. Store
this information in a safe place, not
in your vehicle.
Notice:If the keys get locked in
the vehicle, it may have to be
damaged to get them out. Always
carry a spare key.
If locked out of your vehicle, call
the Roadside Assistance Center.
See Roadside Assistance Program (U.S. and Canada) on page 13‑9
or
Roadside Assistance Program
(Mexico) on page 13‑9.
With an active OnStar subscription,
an OnStar Advisor may remotely
unlock the vehicle. See OnStar
®on
page 1‑20.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
See Radio Frequency Statement on
page 13‑21 for information
regarding Part 15 of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
rules and Industry Canada
Standards RSS-GEN/210/220/310.
If there is a decrease in the RKE
operating range:
.Check the distance. The
transmitter may be too far from
the vehicle.
.Check the location. Other
vehicles or objects may be
blocking the signal.

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Instruments and Controls 5-21
3. To view the next availablemode, press and hold the reset
stem until the mode appears.
Release the reset stem and
press and hold again to view the
next mode.
4. Once the desired mode is shown on the DIC display, briefly
press the reset stem to set your
choice. The DIC display then
clears.
The following are the available
modes:
Lock 1 (default): On vehicles with
an automatic transmission, this
mode locks all of the doors when
the vehicle is shifted out of P (Park)
and unlocks all of the doors when
the vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph) and
unlocks all of the doors when the
key is removed from the ignition. Lock 2:
On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, this mode
locks all of the doors when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park) and
unlocks the driver's door when the
vehicle is shifted into P (Park).
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph) and
unlocks the driver's door when the
key is removed from the ignition.
Lock 3: On vehicles with an
automatic transmission, this mode
locks all of the doors when the
vehicle is shifted out of P (Park).
The doors will not automatically
unlock.
On vehicles with a manual
transmission, this mode locks all of
the doors when the vehicle speed is
greater than 24 km/h (15 mph). The
doors will not automatically unlock. Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
Feedback
This feature allows you to program
the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
feedback to a preferred setting.
To set your choice for this feature:
1. With the engine off, turn the key
to LOCK/OFF. Do not remove
the key from the ignition.
2. Press and hold the lock and unlock buttons on the RKE
transmitter at the same time.
Hold both buttons until the DIC
display shows the current RKE
feedback mode.
3. To view the next available mode, press and hold the reset
stem until the mode appears.
Release the reset stem and
press and hold again to view the
next mode.
4. Once the desired mode is shown on the DIC display, briefly
press the reset stem to set your
choice. The DIC display then
clears.

Black plate (3,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
Vehicle Care 10-3
California Proposition 65
Warning
Most motor vehicles, including this
one, contain and/or emit chemicals
known to the State of California to
cause cancer and birth defects or
other reproductive harm. Engine
exhaust, many parts and systems,
many fluids, and some component
wear by-products contain and/or
emit these chemicals.
California Perchlorate
Materials Requirements
Certain types of automotive
applications, such as airbag
initiators, seat belt pretensioners,
and lithium batteries contained in
Remote Keyless Entry transmitters,
may contain perchlorate materials.
Special handling may be necessary.
For additional information, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate.
Accessories and
Modifications
Adding non‐dealer accessories or
making modifications to the vehicle
can affect vehicle performance and
safety, including such things as
airbags, braking, stability, ride and
handling, emissions systems,
aerodynamics, durability, and
electronic systems like antilock
brakes, traction control, and stability
control. These accessories or
modifications could even cause
malfunction or damage not covered
by the vehicle warranty.

Black plate (6,1)Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual - 2012
i-6 INDEX
Infants and Young Children,Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-36
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-1
Instrument Cluster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
J
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-84
K
Keyless Entry Remote (RKE) System . . . . . . . . 2-3
Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
L
Labeling, Tire Sidewall . . . . . . . . 10-46
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-25
Lamps Daytime Running (DRL) . . . . . . . 6-2
Dome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Exterior Cargo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Exterior Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1 Lamps (cont.)
Exterior Lamps Off
Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
License Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-37
Malfunction Indicator . . . . . . . . . 5-13
Lap Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-17
Lap-Shoulder Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-13
LATCH System Replacing Parts after a
Crash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-52
LATCH, Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Latches, Seatback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Light StabiliTrak
®OFF . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Lighter, Cigarette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Lighting Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Illumination Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-6
Lights Airbag Readiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10
Antilock Brake System(ABS) Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-16
Brake System Warning . . . . . . . 5-15 Lights (cont.)
Charging System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-12
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
Engine Oil Pressure . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
High-Beam On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . . 6-2
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . . 5-9
Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-18
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Traction Control System
(TCS)/StabiliTrak
®. . . . . . . . . . 5-17
Limited-Slip Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . 9-45
Locks Automatic Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Lockout Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Power Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-42
Lumbar Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4