Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
9159327) - 2016 - crc - 8/28/15
Driving and Operating 257
{Warning
Even if the vehicle is equipped
with TSC, trailer sway could result
in loss of control and the vehicle
could crash. If excessive trailer
sway is detected, slow down to a
safe speed. Check the trailer and
vehicle to help correct possible
causes. These could include an
improperly or overloaded trailer,
unrestrained cargo, improper
trailer hitch configuration,
excessive vehicle-trailer speed,
or improperly inflated or incorrect
vehicle or trailer tires. SeeTowing
Equipment 0254
iifor trailer
ratings and hitch setup
recommendations.
Adding non-dealer accessories can
affect the vehicle performance. See
Accessories and Modifications
0 259
ii.
Conversions and
Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment
{Warning
The Data Link Connector
(DLC) is used for vehicle service
and Emission Inspection/
Maintenance testing. See
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light) 0115
ii.
A device connected to the DLC —
such as an aftermarket fleet or
driver-behavior tracking device —
may interfere with vehicle
systems. This could affect vehicle
operation and cause a crash.
Such devices may also access
information stored in the vehicle’s
systems.
Caution
Some electrical equipment can
damage the vehicle or cause
components to not work and
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always check
with your dealer before adding
electrical equipment.
Add-on equipment can drain the
vehicle's 12-volt battery, even if the
vehicle is not operating.
The vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to add anything
electrical to the vehicle, see
Servicing the Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle 066
iiand Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
0 67
ii.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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258 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 259
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 259
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 267
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 269
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 269
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Engine Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 274
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Battery - North America . . . . . . 279
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 281
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 282
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 283
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Center High-Mounted Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Replacement Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 287
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Engine Compartment Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Instrument Panel Fuse
Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 297
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Tire Pressure Monitor
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Different Size Tires and Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311
Uniform Tire Quality Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 265
1. Coolant Surge Tank andPressure Cap. See Engine
Coolant 0272
ii.
2. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
0269
ii.
3. Engine Cooling Fan (Out of View). See Cooling System
0 271
ii.
4. Engine Oil Fill Cap. See Engine Oil 0265
ii.
5. Engine Oil Dipstick. See Engine Oil 0265
ii.
6. Engine Compartment Fuse
Block 0288
ii.
7. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See Brake Fluid 0278
ii.
8. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See Washer Fluid
0 276
ii.
9. Battery - North America 0279
ii.
If the vehicle has a diesel engine,
see the Duramax diesel
supplement.
Engine Oil
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Engine Oil” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
To ensure proper engine
performance and long life, careful
attention must be paid to engine oil.
Following these simple, but
important steps will help protect
your investment:
. Use engine oil approved to the
proper specification and of the
proper viscosity grade. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil”
in this section.
. Check the engine oil level
regularly and maintain the
proper oil level. See “Checking
Engine Oil” and“When to Add
Engine Oil” in this section.
. Change the engine oil at the
appropriate time. See Engine Oil
Life System 0267
ii.
. Always dispose of engine oil
properly. See “What to Do with
Used Oil” in this section.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check the engine
oil level at each fuel fill. In order to
get an accurate reading, the vehicle
must be on level ground. The
engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow
loop. See Engine Compartment
Overview 0262
iifor the location of
the engine oil dipstick.
Obtaining an accurate oil level
reading is essential:
1. If the engine has been running recently, turn off the engine and
allow several minutes for the oil
to drain back into the oil pan.
Checking the oil level too soon
after engine shutoff will not
provide an accurate oil level
reading.
2. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all
the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and
check the level.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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266 Vehicle Care
When to Add Engine Oil
2.5L L4 Engine
3.6L V6 Engine
If the oil is below the cross-hatched
area at the tip of the dipstick, add
1 L (1 qt) of the recommended oil
and then recheck the level. See
“Selecting the Right Engine Oil” in
this section for an explanation of
what kind of oil to use. For engine
oil crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Specifications
0 358
ii.
Caution
Do not add too much oil. Oil
levels above or below the
acceptable operating range
shown on the dipstick are harmful
to the engine. If you find that you
have an oil level above the
operating range, i.e., the engine
has so much oil that the oil level
gets above the cross-hatched
area that shows the proper
operating range, the engine could
be damaged. You should drain
out the excess oil or limit driving
of the vehicle and seek a service
professional to remove the
excess amount of oil.
See Engine Compartment Overview
0 262
iifor the location of the engine
oil fill cap.
Add enough oil to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when through.
Selecting the Right Engine Oil
Selecting the right engine oil
depends on both the proper oil
specification and viscosity grade.
See Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0353
ii.
Specification
Ask for and use engine oils that
meet the dexos1™ specification.
Engine oils that have been
approved by GM as meeting the
dexos1 specification are marked
with the dexos1 approved logo. See
www.gmdexos.com.
Caution
Failure to use the recommended
engine oil or equivalent can result
in engine damage not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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268 Vehicle Care
must be reset. For vehicles without
the CHANGE ENGINE OIL SOON
message, an oil change is needed
when the OIL LIFE REMAINING
percentage is near 0%. Your dealer
has trained service people who will
perform this work and reset the
system. It is also important to check
the oil regularly over the course of
an oil drain interval and keep it at
the proper level.
If the system is ever reset
accidentally, the oil must be
changed at 5 000 km (3,000 mi)
since the last oil change.
Remember to reset the oil life
system whenever the oil is changed.
How to Reset the Engine Oil
Life System
Reset the system whenever the
engine oil is changed so that the
system can calculate the next
engine oil change. Always reset the
engine oil life to 100% after every oil
change. It will not reset itself. To
reset the engine oil life system:1. Display the OIL LIFE REMAINING on the Driver
Information System (DIC). See
Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base Level) 0123
iior
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0126
ii.
2. Press and hold SET/CLR for several seconds. The oil life
will change to 100%.
The oil life system can also be reset
as follows: 1. Turn the ignition to ON/RUN with the engine off.
2. Display the OIL LIFE REMAINING on the DIC.
3. Fully press the accelerator pedal slowly three times within
five seconds. If the display
shows 100%, the system is
reset.
If the vehicle has a CHANGE
ENGINE OIL SOON message and it
comes back on when the vehicle is
started and/or the OIL LIFE
REMAINING is near 0%, the engine
oil life system has not been reset.
Repeat the procedure.
Automatic Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Automatic
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible.
There is a special procedure for
checking and changing the
transmission fluid. Because this
procedure is difficult, this should be
done at your dealer. Contact your
dealer for additional information or
the procedure can be found in the
service manual. To purchase a
service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 370
ii.
Change the fluid and filter at the
intervals listed in Maintenance
Schedule 0344
ii, and be sure to use
the fluid listed in Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0353
ii.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 269
Manual Transmission
Fluid
How to Check Manual
Transmission Fluid
It is not necessary to check the
manual transmission fluid level.
A transmission fluid leak is the only
reason for fluid loss. If a leak
occurs, take the vehicle to your
dealer and have it repaired as soon
as possible. SeeRecommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0353
iifor the
proper fluid to use.
Hydraulic Clutch
For vehicles with a manual
transmission, it is not necessary to
regularly check brake/clutch fluid
unless there is a leak suspected.
Adding fluid will not correct a leak.
A fluid loss in this system could
indicate a problem. Have the
system inspected and repaired.
When to Check and What
to Use
The brake/hydraulic clutch fluid
reservoir cap has this symbol on it.
The common brake/clutch fluid
reservoir is filled with DOT 3 brake
fluid as indicated on the reservoir
cap. See Engine Compartment
Overview 0262
iifor reservoir
location.
How to Check and Add Fluid
Visually check the brake/clutch fluid
reservoir to make sure the fluid level
is at the MIN (minimum) line on the
front of the reservoir. The brake/
hydraulic clutch fluid system should
be closed and sealed. Do not remove the cap to check the
fluid level or to top-off the fluid level.
Remove the cap only when
necessary to add the proper fluid
until the level reaches the MIN line.
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
The engine air cleaner/filter is in the
engine compartment on the
passenger side of the vehicle. See
Engine Compartment Overview
0
262
ii.
When to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
For intervals on changing and
inspecting the engine air cleaner/
filter, see Maintenance Schedule
0 344
ii.
How to Inspect the Engine Air
Cleaner/Filter
Do not start the engine or have the
engine running with the engine air
cleaner/filter housing open. Before
removing the engine air cleaner/
filter, make sure that the engine air
cleaner/filter housing and nearby
components are free of dirt and
debris. Remove the engine air
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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272 Vehicle Care
{Warning
Heater and radiator hoses, and
other engine parts, can be very
hot. Do not touch them. If you do,
you can be burned.
Do not run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
Caution
Using coolant other than
DEX-COOL®can cause
premature engine, heater core,
or radiator corrosion. In addition,
the engine coolant could require
changing sooner. Any repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Always use
DEX-COOL (silicate-free) coolant
in the vehicle.
Engine Coolant
The cooling system in the vehicle is
filled with DEX-COOL®engine
coolant mixture. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0353
iiand
Maintenance Schedule 0344ii.
The following explains the cooling
system and how to check and add
coolant when it is low. If there is a
problem with engine overheating,
see Engine Overheating 0274
ii.
What to Use
{Warning
Adding only plain water or some
other liquid to the cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water
and other liquids, can boil before
the proper coolant mixture will.
The coolant warning system is set
for the proper coolant mixture.
With plain water or the wrong
mixture, the engine could get too
hot but you would not get the
overheat warning. The engine
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/
50 mixture of clean, drinkable
water and DEX-COOL coolant.
Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and DEX-COOL
coolant. If using this mixture,
nothing else needs to be added.
This mixture:
. Gives freezing protection down
to−37 °C (−34 °F) outside
temperature.
. Gives boiling protection up to
129 °C (265 °F) engine
temperature.
. Protects against rust and
corrosion.
. Will not damage aluminum parts.
. Helps keep the proper engine
temperature.
Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S/Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 273
Caution
If improper coolant mixture,
inhibitors, or additives are used in
the vehicle cooling system, the
engine could overheat and be
damaged. Too much water in the
mixture can freeze and crack
engine cooling parts. The repairs
would not be covered by the
vehicle warranty. Use only the
proper mixture of engine coolant
for the cooling system. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants0353
ii.
Never dispose of engine coolant by
putting it in the trash, or by pouring
it on the ground, or into sewers,
streams or, bodies of water. Have
the coolant changed by an
authorized service center, familiar
with legal requirements regarding
used coolant disposal. This will help
protect the environment and your
health.
Checking Coolant
The vehicle must be on a level
surface when checking the coolant
level.
Check to see if coolant is visible in
the coolant surge tank. If the coolant
inside the coolant surge tank is
boiling, do not do anything else until
it cools down.
If coolant is visible but the coolant
level is not at or above the mark
pointed to, add a 50/50 mixture of
clean, drinkable water and
DEX-COOL coolant.
Be sure the cooling system is cool
before this is done.
If no coolant is visible in the coolant
surge tank, add coolant as follows:
How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Surge Tank
{Warning
You can be burned if you spill
coolant on hot engine parts.
Coolant contains ethylene glycol (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
and it will burn if the engine parts
are hot enough. Do not spill
coolant on a hot engine.
Caution
This vehicle has a specific
coolant fill procedure. Failure to
follow this procedure could cause
the engine to overheat and be
severely damaged.
{Warning
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out
and burn you badly. Never turn
the cap when the cooling system,
including the surge tank pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling
system and surge tank pressure
cap to cool.