Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
Infotainment System 151
The infotainment system has built-in
features intended to help avoid
distraction by disabling some
functions when driving. These
functions may gray out when they
are unavailable. Many infotainment
features are also available through
the instrument cluster and steering
wheel controls.
Before driving:
.Become familiar with the
operation, faceplate buttons, and
screen buttons.
. Set up the audio by presetting
favorite stations, setting the
tone, and adjusting the
speakers.
. Set up phone numbers in
advance so they can be called
easily by pressing a single
button or by using a single voice
command if equipped with
Bluetooth phone capability.
See Defensive Driving 0194
ii.
To play the infotainment system with
the ignition off, see Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0214
ii.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
TheftLock®is designed to
discourage theft of the vehicle's
radio by learning a portion of the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
The radio does not operate if it is
stolen or moved to a different
vehicle.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
Driving and Operating 193
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 201
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 202
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 204
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 211
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Engine Coolant Heater . . . . . . . 215
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 220
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 225
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 234
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 237
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Driver Assistance Systems
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . 240
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Fuel
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
California FuelRequirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 246
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 256
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
Driving and Operating 195
{Warning
Drinking and then driving is very
dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and
judgment can be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
can have a serious—or even
fatal —collision if you drive after
drinking.
Do not drink and drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in a cab; or if you are
with a group, designate a driver
who will not drink.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating
are important factors in helping to
control a vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception
time and reaction time. Deciding to
push the brake pedal is perception
time. Actually doing it is
reaction time. Average driver reaction time is
about three-quarters of a second. In
that time, a vehicle moving at
100 km/h (60 mph) travels 20 m
(66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind
include:
.
Keep enough distance between
you and the vehicle in front
of you.
. Avoid needless heavy braking.
. Keep pace with traffic.
If the engine ever stops while the
vehicle is being driven, brake
normally but do not pump the
brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the
engine stops, there will be some
power brake assist but it will be
used when the brake is applied.
Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power
steering. It does not have power
steering fluid. Regular maintenance
is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due
to a system malfunction, the vehicle
can be steered, but may require
increased effort.
See your dealer if there is a
problem.
If the steering wheel is turned until it
reaches the end of its travel and is
held against that position for an
extended period of time, power
steering assist may be reduced.
If the steering assist is used for an
extended period of time, power
assist may be reduced.
Normal use of the power steering
assist should return when the
system cools down.
See specific vehicle steering
messages under Steering System
Messages 0134
ii. See your dealer if
there is a problem.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
212 Driving and Operating
Ignition Positions
The ignition switch has four different
positions.
To shift out of P (Park), the ignition
must be in ON/RUN or ACC/
ACCESSORY and the regular brake
pedal must be applied.
0 (STOPPING THE ENGINE/LOCK/
OFF) :When the vehicle is stopped,
turn the ignition switch to LOCK/
OFF to turn the engine off. Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) will remain
active. See Retained Accessory
Power (RAP) 0214
ii. This position locks the ignition and
steering wheel. It also locks the
transmission on automatic
transmission vehicles. The key can
be removed in LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning the
key to ACC/ACCESSORY. If this
does not work, then the vehicle
needs service.
Do not turn the engine off when the
vehicle is moving. This will cause a
loss of power assist in the brake
and steering systems and disable
the airbags.
If the vehicle must be shut off in an
emergency:
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. After shifting
to N (Neutral), continue to firmly apply the brakes and
steer the vehicle to a safe
location.
3. Come to a complete stop. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic
transmission, or Neutral with a
manual transmission. Turn the
ignition to LOCK/OFF.
4. Set the parking brake. See Parking Brake 0233
ii.
{Warning
Turning off the vehicle while
moving may cause loss of power
assist in the brake and steering
systems and disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
vehicle off in an emergency.
If the vehicle cannot be pulled over,
and must be shut off while driving,
turn the ignition to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
On vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the shift lever must be
in P (Park) to turn the ignition switch
to LOCK/OFF.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
226 Driving and Operating
Caution
Shifting to R (Reverse) while the
vehicle is moving forward could
damage the transmission. The
repairs would not be covered by
the vehicle warranty. Shift to
R (Reverse) only after the vehicle
is stopped.
Use R (Reverse), along with the
parking brake, for parking the
vehicle.
Shift Speeds
{Warning
If you skip a gear when
downshifting, you could lose
control of the vehicle. You could
injure yourself or others. Do not
shift down more than one gear at
a time when downshifting.
Shift Indicator
This light comes on when an
up-shift is recommended for best
fuel economy. The number
displayed with the arrow indicates
the recommended gear.
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive
If equipped, four-wheel drive
engages the front axle for extra
traction.
Caution
Do not drive on clean, dry
pavement in 4
mand 4n(if
equipped) for an extended period
of time. These conditions may
cause:
. Overheating.
. Oil leakage.
. Damage to internal and
external components of the
front axle.
. Premature wear on the
vehicle’s powertrain.
Driving on clean, dry pavement in
four-wheel drive may:
. Cause a vibration to be felt in
the steering system.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
230 Driving and Operating
Automatic Transfer Case
Use the transfer case knob next to
the steering wheel to shift into and
out of four-wheel drive.
Indicator lights display which setting
the transfer case is in. N (Neutral) is
indicated on the knob. The indicator
lights will display briefly when the
ignition is turned on and one will
stay on. If the lights display
momentarily when the ignition is in
ON/RUN, but none stay on, the
knob may have been turned while
the vehicle was off. To see the
indicator, turn the knob to another
position so that it matches theactual transfer case setting. If no
lights display, take the vehicle to
your dealer for service. An indicator
light flashes while shifting the
transfer case and remains
illuminated when the shift is
complete.
If the transfer case cannot make a
requested shift, it will return to the
last chosen setting. Turn the knob
back to the previous transfer case
setting to see the indicator.
The settings are:
N (Neutral) :
Use only when the
vehicle needs to be towed. See
Recreational Vehicle Towing 0330
iior Towing the Vehicle 0329ii.
2
m(Two-Wheel Drive High) : Use
for driving on most streets and
highways. The front axle is not
engaged. This setting provides the
best fuel economy.
AUTO (Automatic Four-Wheel
Drive) : Use when road surface
traction conditions are variable.
When driving in AUTO, the front
axle is engaged, and the vehicle's
power is sent to the front and rear wheels automatically based on
driving conditions. This setting
provides slightly lower fuel economy
than 2
m.
Do not use AUTO mode,
if equipped, to park on a steep
grade with poor traction such as ice,
snow, mud, or gravel. In AUTO
mode only the rear wheels will hold
the vehicle from sliding when
parked. If parking on a steep grade,
use 4
mto keep all four wheels
engaged.
4
m(Four-Wheel Drive High) : This
setting engages the front axle. Use
this position when extra traction is
needed, such as when driving on
snowy or icy roads, or when
off-roading.
4
n(Four-Wheel Drive Low) : This
setting engages the front axle and
delivers extra torque. Choose 4
n
when driving off-road in deep sand,
deep mud, or deep snow, and while
climbing or descending steep hills.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
Vehicle Care 291
Mini Fuses(2 pin) Usage
F56 Washer Pump
F57 Not Used
F58 Not Used
F60 Mirrors Defogger
F61 Not Used
F62 Canister Vent Solenoid
F63 Not Used
F64 Trailer Reverse Lamp
F65 Left Trailer Stop/ Turn Lamps
F66 Right Trailer Stop/ Turn Lamps
F67 Electric Power Steering
F68 Not Used
F69 Battery Regulated Voltage Control
F70 Not Used
F71 Not Used J-Case
Fuses (Low Profile) Usage
F06 Wipers
F12 Starter
F21 Front Blower
F22 Antilock Brake System Valves
F24 Trailer
F25 Transfer Case Electronic Control
F26 Antilock Brake System Pump
F27 Trailer Brake Control Module
F28 Rear Window Defogger
F41 Not Used
F42 Not Used
F43 Cooling Fan
F44 Not Used
F45 Brake Vacuum Pump J-Case
Fuses (Low Profile) Usage
F59 Not Used
Midi Fuses Usage F72 Not Used
F73 Not Used
F74 Generator
F75 Not Used
Micro
Relays Usage
K01 Air Conditioning Compressor Clutch
K02 Starter
K03 Not Used
K04 Wipers Speed
K05 Wipers Control
K06 Cargo Lamp
K08 Not Used
K09 Not Used
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
294 Vehicle Care
MicroFuse
(2 Pin) Usage
F17 Body Control Module 4
F19 Not Used
F20 Amplifier (if equipped)
F21 Not Used
F22 Not Used
F24 Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
Ignition
F25 Body Control Module 7
F26 Not Used
F27 Not Used
F29 Miscellaneous Ignition
F31 Front Camera
F32 Steering Wheel Controls Backlighting
F34 Not Used
F35 Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low Micro
Fuse
(2 Pin) Usage
F36 Discrete Logic Ignition Sensor
F38 Not Used
Micro Fuse
(3 Pin) Usage
F13 OnStar/Heating, Ventilation, and Air
Conditioning
F18 Airbag
F23 Data Link Connector/USDB
F28 Instrument Panel/ Sensing and
Diagnostic Module
Ignition
F33 Not Used Micro
J-Case Fuse Usage
F02 Not Used
F03 Not Used
F06 Not Used
F07 Not Used
F39 Auxiliary Power Outlet 2
F41 Auxiliary Power Outlet 1/Lighter
F42 Left Power Window
F43 Driver Power Seat
F45 Right Power Window
F46 Passenger Power Seat
J-Case Fuse Usage
F30 Not Used
F40 Auxiliary Power Outlet
F44 Auxiliary Power Outlet