2018 CHEVROLET COLORADO Brakes

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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272 Driving and Operating
appear on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). The effect that these
devices may have on vehicle
handling or trailer brake
performance is unknown.
{Warning
Use of electronic trailer sway
control devices could result in
reduced trailer brake
performance, loss of trailer
brakes, or other malfunctions, and
could cause a crash. You or
others could be injured or killed.
Before using one of these
devices:. Ask the device or trailer
manufacturer if the device
has been thoroughly tested
for compatibility with the
make, model, and year of
the vehicle as well as
optional equipment installed
on the vehicle.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Before driving on the open
roads, check that the trailer
brakes are working properly.
Drive the vehicle with the
trailer attached on a level
road surface that is free of
traffic at about 32-40 km/h
(20-25 mph) and fully apply
the manual trailer brake
apply lever. Also check that
the trailer brake lamps and
other lamps are functioning
correctly.
. If the trailer brakes are not
operating properly at any
time, or if a DIC message
indicates problems with the
trailer connections or trailer
brakes, carefully pull the
vehicle over to the side of
the road when traffic
conditions allow.
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) 0120.
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.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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274 Vehicle Care
Vehicle Care
General Information
General Information . . . . . . . . . . 275
California Proposition65 Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
California Perchlorate Materials Requirements . . . . . 276
Accessories and Modifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your OwnService Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Engine Compartment Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . 283
Automatic Transmission Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Manual Transmission Fluid . . . 285
Hydraulic Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter . . . . . . 286
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Engine Overheating . . . . . . . . . . 291
Engine Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Washer Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Battery - North America . . . . . . 295
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 296
Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . 298
Automatic Transmission Shift
Lock Control Function
Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Ignition Transmission Lock Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Park Brake and P (Park) Mechanism Check . . . . . . . . . . 300
Wiper Blade Replacement . . . . 300
Windshield Replacement . . . . . 301
Gas Strut(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Headlamp Aiming
Headlamp Aiming . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Bulb Replacement
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Headlamps, Front Turn Signal, Sidemarker, and Parking
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Taillamps, Turn Signal, Stoplamps, and Back-Up
Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303 Center High-Mounted
Stoplamp (CHMSL) and
Cargo Lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Electrical System
Electrical System Overload . . . 305
Fuses and Circuit Breakers . . . 305
Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
Wheels and Tires
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
All-Season Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
Winter Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
All-Terrain Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314
Tire Sidewall Labeling . . . . . . . . 314
Tire Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
Tire Terminology andDefinitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
Tire Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Tire Pressure Monitor System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321
Tire Pressure Monitor Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Tire Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Tire Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
When It Is Time for New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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276 Vehicle Care
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.Damage to suspension components
caused by modifying vehicle height
outside of factory settings will not be
covered by the vehicle warranty.
Damage to vehicle components
resulting from modifications or the
installation or use of non-GM
certified parts, including control
module or software modifications, is
not covered under the terms of the
vehicle warranty and may affect
remaining warranty coverage for
affected parts.
GM Accessories are designed to
complement and function with other
systems on the vehicle. See your
dealer to accessorize the vehicle
using genuine GM Accessories
installed by a dealer technician.
Also, see
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 071.
Vehicle Checks
Doing Your Own
Service Work
{Warning
It can be dangerous to work on
your vehicle if you do not have
the proper knowledge, service
manual, tools, or parts. Always
follow owner ’s manual procedures
and consult the service manual
for your vehicle before doing any
service work.
If doing some of your own service
work, use the proper service
manual. It tells you much more
about how to service the vehicle
than this manual can. To order the
proper service manual, see Service
Publications Ordering Information
0 391.
This vehicle has an airbag system.
Before attempting to do your own
service work, see Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 070.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 293
system, the fans may change to
high speed and an increase in fan
noise may be heard. This is normal
and indicates that the cooling
system is functioning properly. The
fans will change to low speed when
additional cooling is no longer
required.
The electric engine cooling fans
may run after the engine has been
turned. off. This is normal and no
service is required.
Washer Fluid
What to Use
When windshield washer fluid needs
to be added, be sure to read the
manufacturer's instructions before
use. Use a fluid that has sufficient
protection against freezing in an
area where the temperature may fall
below freezing.
Adding Washer Fluid
Open the cap with the washer
symbol on it. Add washer fluid until
the tank is full. SeeEngine
Compartment Overview 0278 for
reservoir location.
Caution
. Do not use washer fluid that
contains any type of water
repellent coating. This can
cause the wiper blades to
chatter or skip.
. Do not use engine coolant
(antifreeze) in the
windshield washer. It can
damage the windshield
washer system and paint.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Do not mix water with
ready-to-use washer fluid.
Water can cause the
solution to freeze and
damage the washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system.
. When using concentrated
washer fluid, follow the
manufacturer instructions for
adding water.
. Fill the washer fluid tank
only three-quarters full when
it is very cold. This allows
for fluid expansion if
freezing occurs, which could
damage the tank if it is
completely full.
Brakes
Disc brake pads have built-in wear
indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed.
The sound can come and go or be

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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294 Vehicle Care
heard all the time the vehicle is
moving, except when applying the
brake pedal firmly.
{Warning
The brake wear warning sound
means that soon the brakes will
not work well. That could lead to
a crash. When the brake wear
warning sound is heard, have the
vehicle serviced.
Caution
Continuing to drive with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates
can cause a brake squeal when the
brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean
something is wrong with the brakes.
Properly torqued wheel nuts are
necessary to help prevent brake
pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect brake pads for wear and
evenly tighten wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to torque
specifications in
Capacities and
Specifications 0379.
Brake linings should always be
replaced as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal
does not return to normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign
that brake service may be required.
Replacing Brake System Parts
Always replace brake system parts
with new, approved replacement
parts. If this is not done, the brakes
may not work properly. The braking
performance expected can change
in many other ways if the wrong
replacement brake parts are
installed or parts are improperly
installed.
Brake Fluid
The brake/clutch master cylinder
reservoir is filled with GM approved
DOT 3 brake fluid as indicated on
the reservoir cap. See Engine
Compartment Overview 0278 for
the location of the reservoir.
Checking Brake Fluid
Place the vehicle in P (Park) or
Neutral with the parking brake
applied if equipped with a manual
transmission. On a level surface,
the brake fluid level should be
between the minimum and
maximum marks on the brake fluid
reservoir.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 295
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in the reservoir may
go down:
.Normal brake lining wear. When
new linings are installed, the
fluid level goes back up.
. A fluid leak in the brake/clutch
hydraulic system. Have the
brake/clutch hydraulic system
fixed. With a leak, the brakes will
not work well.
Always clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap and the area around
the cap before removing it.
Do not top off the brake/clutch fluid.
Adding fluid does not correct a leak.
If fluid is added when the linings are
worn, there will be too much fluid
when new brake linings are
installed. Add or remove fluid, as
necessary, only when work is done
on the brake/clutch hydraulic
system.{Warning
If too much brake fluid is added, it
can spill on the engine and burn,
if the engine is hot enough. You
or others could be burned, and
the vehicle could be damaged.
Add brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake/clutch
hydraulic system.
When the brake/clutch fluid falls to a
low level, the brake warning light
comes on. See Brake System
Warning Light 0122.
Brake fluid absorbs water over time
which degrades the effectiveness of
the brake fluid. Replace brake fluid
at the specified intervals to prevent
increased stopping distance. See
Maintenance Schedule 0365.
What to Add
Use only GM approved DOT 3
brake fluid from a clean, sealed
container. See Recommended
Fluids and Lubricants 0374.
{Warning
The wrong or contaminated brake
fluid could result in damage to the
brake system. This could result in
the loss of braking leading to a
possible injury. Always use the
proper GM approved brake fluid.
Caution
If brake fluid is spilled on the
vehicle's painted surfaces, the
paint finish can be damaged.
Immediately wash off any painted
surface.
Battery - North America
For diesel engine vehicles, see
“Battery” in the Duramax diesel
supplement.
The original equipment battery is
maintenance free. Do not remove
the cap and do not add fluid.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Vehicle Care 329
Spec rated tires are installed.
SeeTire Pressure Monitor
System 0321.
The Tire and Loading
Information label indicates the
original equipment tires on the
vehicle. See Vehicle Load Limits
0 210 for the label location and
more information about the Tire
and Loading Information label.
Different Size Tires and
Wheels
If wheels or tires are installed that
are a different size than the original
equipment wheels and tires, vehicle
performance, including its braking,
ride and handling characteristics,
stability, and resistance to rollover
may be affected. If the vehicle has
electronic systems such as antilock
brakes, rollover airbags, traction
control, electronic stability control,
or All-Wheel Drive, the performance
of these systems can also be
affected.
{Warning
If different sized wheels are used,
there may not be an acceptable
level of performance and safety if
tires not recommended for those
wheels are selected. This
increases the chance of a crash
and serious injury. Only use GM
specific wheel and tire systems
developed for the vehicle, and
have them properly installed by a
GM certified technician.
See Buying New Tires 0327 and
Accessories and Modifications
0 276.
Uniform Tire Quality
Grading
The following information relates
to the system developed by the
United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), which grades tires by
treadwear, traction, and
temperature performance. This applies only to vehicles sold in
the United States. The grades
are molded on the sidewalls of
most passenger car tires. The
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
(UTQG) system does not apply
to deep tread, winter tires,
compact spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters of
10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or to some limited-production
tires.
While the tires available on
General Motors passenger cars
and light trucks may vary with
respect to these grades, they
must also conform to federal
safety requirements and
additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC)
standards.
Quality grades can be found
where applicable on the tire
sidewall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width. For
example:

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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332 Vehicle Care
Tire Chains
{Warning
If the vehicle has 255/65R17 AT,
265/60R18, 265/65R17 or 265/
70R16 size tires, do not use tire
chains. They can damage the
vehicle because there is not
enough clearance. Tire chains
used on a vehicle without the
proper amount of clearance can
cause damage to the brakes,
suspension, or other vehicle
parts. The area damaged by the
tire chains could cause you to
lose control of the vehicle and
you or others may be injured in a
crash.
Use another type of traction
device only if its manufacturer
recommends it for use on the
vehicle and tire size combination
and road conditions. Follow that
manufacturer's instructions. To
help avoid damage to the vehicle,(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
drive slowly, readjust, or remove
the device if it is contacting the
vehicle, and do not spin the
vehicle's wheels.
If you do find traction devices that
will fit, install them on the rear
tires.
Caution
If the vehicle has a tire size other
than 255/65R17 AT, 265/60R18,
265/65R17 or 265/70R16, use tire
chains only where legal and only
when you must. Use chains that
are the proper size for the tires.
Install them on the tires of the
rear axle. Do not use chains on
the tires of the front axle. Tighten
them as tightly as possible with
the ends securely fastened. Drive
slowly and follow the chain
manufacturer's instructions. If you(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
can hear the chains contacting
the vehicle, stop and retighten
them. If the contact continues,
slow down until it stops. Driving
too fast or spinning the wheels
with chains on will damage the
vehicle.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It is unusual for a tire to blowout
while driving, especially if the tires
are maintained properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it is much more likely to
leak out slowly. But if there ever is a
blowout, here are a few tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire
creates a drag that pulls the vehicle
toward that side. Take your foot off
the accelerator pedal and grip the
steering wheel firmly. Steer to
maintain lane position, and then
gently brake to a stop, well off the
road, if possible.