2019 CHEVROLET COLORADO tow

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
Lighting 141
To use it, pull the turn signal lever
toward you, then release it.
If the headlamps are in the
automatic position or on low beam,
the high-beam headlamps will turn
on. They will stay on as long as you
hold the lever toward you. The
high-beam indicator on the
instrument cluster will come on.
Release the lever to return to
normal operation.
Daytime Running
Lamps (DRL)
DRL can make it easier for others to
see the front of the vehicle during
the day. Fully functional DRL are
required on all vehicles first sold in
Canada.
The DRL system comes on when
the following conditions are met:
.The ignition is on.
. The exterior lamp control is
in AUTO.
. The parking brake is released or
the vehicle is not in P (Park). .
The light sensor determines it is
daytime.
When the DRL system is on, only
the DRL are on. The taillamps,
sidemarker lamps, instrument panel
lights, and other lamps will not
be on.
When it begins to get dark, the
automatic headlamp system
switches from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL, turn the exterior
lamp control to
Oand then release.
For vehicles first sold in Canada, off
will only work when the vehicle is
parked.
Automatic Headlamp
System
When the exterior lamp control is
set to AUTO and it is dark enough
outside, the headlamps come on
automatically.
There is a light sensor on top of the
instrument panel. Do not cover the
sensor, otherwise the headlamps
will come on when they are not
needed.
The system may also turn on the
headlamps when driving through a
parking garage or tunnel.
If the vehicle is started in a dark
garage, the automatic headlamp
system comes on immediately. If it
is light outside when the vehicle
leaves the garage, there is a slight
delay before the automatic
headlamp system changes to the
DRL. During that delay, the
instrument cluster may not be as
bright as usual. Make sure the
instrument panel brightness control

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
Driving and Operating 155
Driving and
Operating
Driving Information
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Drunk Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . 164
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . 165
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . 167
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Truck-Camper LoadingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . 174
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Retained AccessoryPower (RAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parking (Manual
Transmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Parking over Things
That Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Running the Vehicle WhileParked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . 183
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Manual Transmission
Manual Transmission . . . . . . . . . 188
Drive Systems
Four-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Brakes
Antilock BrakeSystem (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . 199
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Hill Descent Control (HDC) . . . 202
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . 203
Limited-Slip Differential . . . . . . . 204
Locking Rear Axle . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Locking Front Axle . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . 209
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . 210
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . 216
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . 217
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Filling a Portable FuelContainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
156 Driving and Operating
Trailer Towing
General TowingInformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . 235
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Driving Information
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms
and can take your focus from the
task of driving. Exercise good
judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away
from the road. Many local
governments have enacted laws
regarding driver distraction. Become
familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep
your eyes on the road, keep your
hands on the steering wheel, and
focus your attention on driving.
. Do not use a phone in
demanding driving situations.
Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary
phone calls.
. Watch the road. Do not read,
take notes, or look up
information on phones or other
electronic devices. .
Designate a front seat
passenger to handle potential
distractions.
. Become familiar with vehicle
features before driving, such as
programming favorite radio
stations and adjusting climate
control and seat settings.
Program all trip information into
any navigation device prior to
driving.
. Wait until the vehicle is parked
to retrieve items that have fallen
to the floor.
. Stop or park the vehicle to tend
to children.
. Keep pets in an appropriate
carrier or restraint.
. Avoid stressful conversations
while driving, whether with a
passenger or on a cell phone.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
Driving and Operating 167
If the Vehicle Is Stuck
Slowly and cautiously spin the
wheels to free the vehicle when
stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.
See“Rocking the Vehicle to Get It
Out” later in this section.
If equipped, the front and rear axles
may be locked to improve traction.
See Locking Front Axle 0205 and
Locking Rear Axle 0204.
The Traction Control System (TCS)
can often help to free a stuck
vehicle. See Traction Control/
Electronic Stability Control 0199.
If TCS cannot free the vehicle, see
“Rocking the Vehicle to Get it Out”
following.
{Warning
If the vehicle's tires spin at high
speed, they can explode, and you
or others could be injured. The
vehicle can overheat, causing an
engine compartment fire or other
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
damage. Spin the wheels as little
as possible and avoid going
above 56 km/h (35 mph).
For information about using tire
chains on the vehicle, see Tire
Chains 0297.
Rocking the Vehicle to Get
It Out
Turn the steering wheel left and
right to clear the area around the
front wheels. For four-wheel-drive
vehicles, shift into Four-Wheel Drive
High. Turn the TCS off. Shift back
and forth between R (Reverse) and
a forward gear, spinning the wheels
as little as possible. To prevent
transmission wear, wait until the
wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Slowly spinning the wheels in
the forward and reverse directions
causes a rocking motion that could
free the vehicle. If that does not get
the vehicle out after a few tries, it
might need to be towed out. See Towing the Vehicle
0314. Recovery
hooks can be used, if the vehicle
has them.
Recovery Hooks
{Warning
Never pull on recovery hooks
from the side. The hooks could
break and you and others could
be injured. When using recovery
hooks, always pull the vehicle
from the front.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
168 Driving and Operating
Caution
Never use recovery hooks to tow
the vehicle. The vehicle could be
damaged, and the repairs would
not be covered by the vehicle
warranty.
There are recovery hooks at the
front of the vehicle. Use them if the
vehicle is stuck off-road and needs
to be pulled some place to continue
driving.
Vehicle Load Limits
It is very important to know how
much weight the vehicle can
carry. This weight is called the
vehicle capacity weight and
includes the weight of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options. Two labels on the vehicle may
show how much weight it was
designed to carry: the Tire and
Loading Information label and
the Certification/Tire label.
{Warning
Do not load the vehicle any
heavier than the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating
(GVWR), or either the
maximum front or rear Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
This can cause systems to
break and change the way the
vehicle handles. This could
cause loss of control and a
crash. Overloading can also
reduce stopping distance,
damage the tires, and shorten
the life of the vehicle.
Tire and Loading Information
Label
Label Example
A vehicle-specific Tire and
Loading Information label is
attached to the B-pillar or on the
forward edge of the rear door.
The Tire and Loading
Information label shows the
number of occupant seating
positions (1), and the maximum
vehicle capacity weight (2) in
kilograms and pounds.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
Driving and Operating 169
The Tire and Loading
Information label also shows the
size of the original equipment
tires (3) and the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures (4).
For more information on tires
and inflation seeTires0278
and Tire Pressure 0285.
There is also important loading
information on the vehicle
Certification/Tire label. It may
show the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating (GVWR) and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
the front and rear axles. See
“Certification/Tire Label” later in
this section.
“Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit–
1.
Locate the statement "The
combined weight of
occupants and cargo should
never exceed XXX kg or
XXX lbs." on your vehicle’s
placard.
2.Determine the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers that will be
riding in your vehicle.
3.Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and
passengers from XXX kg or
XXX lbs.
4.The resulting figure equals
the available amount of
cargo and luggage load
capacity. For example, if the
"XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be
five 150 lb passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400-750 (5 x 150) =
650 lbs.)
5.Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6.If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your
trailer will be transferred to
your vehicle. Consult this
manual to determine how
this reduces the available
cargo and luggage load
capacity of your vehicle.”
See Trailer Towing 0224 for
important information on towing
a trailer, towing safety rules, and
trailering tips.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
174 Driving and Operating
Starting and
Operating
New Vehicle Break-In
Caution
The vehicle does not need an
elaborate break-in. But it will
perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:. Keep the vehicle speed at
88 km/h (55 mph) or less for
the first 805 km (500 mi).
. Do not drive at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
for the first 805 km (500 mi).
Do not make full-throttle
starts. Avoid downshifting to
brake or slow the vehicle.
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
.Avoid making hard stops for
the first 322 km (200 mi) or
so. During this time the new
brake linings are not yet
broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier
replacement. Follow this
breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake
linings.
. Do not tow a trailer during
break-in. See Trailer Towing
0 224 for the trailer towing
capabilities of the vehicle
and more information.
Following break-in, engine speed
and load can be gradually
increased.
Ignition Positions
0. Stopping the Engine/LOCK/OFF
1. ACC/ACCESSORY
2. ON/RUN
3. START
The ignition switch has four
positions.
To shift out of P (Park) with an
automatic transmission, the ignition
must be in ON/RUN and the brake
pedal must be applied.

Chevrolet Colorado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
12460274) - 2019 - CRC - 10/1/18
Driving and Operating 175
0 (Stopping the Engine/LOCK/
OFF) :This position turns off the
vehicle. It also locks the ignition, the
transmission on an automatic
transmission vehicle, and the
steering column, if equipped with a
locking steering column.
To turn off the vehicle:
1. Make sure that the vehicle is stopped.
2. Shift to P (Park) with an automatic transmission,
or Neutral with a manual
transmission. 3. Continue to hold the brake
pedal, then set the parking
brake. See Parking Brake
0 198.
4. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column (1),
then turn the key to
LOCK/OFF (2).
5. Remove the key.
6. Release the brake pedal.
See your dealer if the key can be
removed in any other position.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
will remain active. See Retained
Accessory Power (RAP) 0179.
A warning chime will sound when
the driver door is opened and the
key is in the ignition.
If equipped with a locking steering
column, the steering can bind with
the front wheels turned off center,
which may prevent key rotation out
of LOCK/OFF. 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.
{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, turn off the vehicle
only in an emergency.
In an emergency, if the vehicle
cannot be pulled over and must be
turned off while driving: 1. Push the key all the way in toward the steering column,
then turn the key to ACC/
ACCESSORY.
2. Brake using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the
brakes repeatedly. This may
deplete power assist, requiring
increased brake pedal force.
3. Shift the vehicle to N (Neutral). This can be done while the
vehicle is moving. Continue
braking and steer the vehicle to
a safe location.
4. Come to a complete stop.