2020 Chevrolet Colorado Owners Manual - Ride Control Systems

Ride Control Systems

The vehicle has a Traction Control System (TCS) and StabiliTrak/ Electronic Stability Control (ESC), an electronic stability control system. These systems help limit wheel spin and assist the driver in maintaining control, especially on slippery road conditions.

TCS activates if it senses that any of the drive wheels are spinning or beginning to lose traction. When this happens, TCS applies the brakes to the spinning wheels and reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.

StabiliTrak/ESC activates when the vehicle senses a difference between the intended path and the direction the vehicle is actually traveling.

StabiliTrak/ESC selectively applies braking pressure to any one of the

vehicle wheel brakes to assist the driver in keeping the vehicle on the intended path.

If cruise control is being used and TCS or StabiliTrak/ESC begins to limit wheel spin, cruise control will disengage. Cruise control may be turned back on when road conditions allow.

Both systems come on automatically when the vehicle is started and begins to move. The systems may be heard or felt while they are operating or while performing diagnostic checks. This is normal and does not mean there is a problem with the vehicle.

It is recommended to leave both systems on for normal driving conditions, but it may be necessary to turn TCS off if the vehicle gets stuck in sand, mud, ice, or snow.

See If the Vehicle Is Stuck 0 152 and“Turning the Systems Off and On” later in this section.

When the transfer case (if equipped) is in 4 n, the stability system is automatically disabled, and

comes on in the instrument cluster. Both TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC are automatically disabled.

The indicator light for both systems is in the instrument cluster. This light will:

Flash when TCS is limiting wheel spin.

Flash when StabiliTrak/ESC is activated.

Turn on and stay on when either system is not working.

If either system fails to turn on or to activate, a message displays in the Driver Information Center (DIC), and d comes on and stays on to indicate that the system is inactive and is not assisting the driver in maintaining control. The vehicle is safe to drive, but driving should be adjusted accordingly.

If d comes on and stays on:

Stop the vehicle.

Turn the engine off and wait 15 seconds.

Start the engine.

Drive the vehicle. If d comes on and stays on, the vehicle may need more time to diagnose the problem. If the condition persists, see your dealer.

The button for TCS and StabiliTrak/ ESC is on the center stack.

To turn off only TCS, press and release . The Traction Off light i displays in the instrument cluster. To turn TCS on again, press and release . The Traction Off light i in the instrument cluster will turn off.

If TCS is limiting wheel spin when is pressed, the system will not turn off until the wheels stop spinning.

To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak/ ESC, press and hold until the Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/

ESC Off light come on and stay on in the instrument cluster. To turn

TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC on again, press and release . The Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/ESC Off

light in the instrument cluster turn off.

StabiliTrak/ESC will automatically turn on if the vehicle exceeds

56 km/h (35 mph). TCS will remain off until is pressed or until the ignition is turned off and then

back on.

Adding accessories can affect the vehicle performance. See Accessories and Modifications

0 224.

The button for TCS and StabiliTrak/ ESC is on the center stack.

To turn off only TCS, press and release . The Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/ESC Off light display in the instrument cluster. To turn TCS on again, press and release . The Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/ESC Off light in the instrument cluster will turn off.

If TCS is limiting wheel spin when is pressed, the system will not turn off until the wheels stop spinning.

To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak/ ESC, press and hold until the Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/ ESC Off light come on and stay on in the instrument cluster. To turn TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC on again,

press and release . The Traction Off light i and StabiliTrak/ESC Off light in the instrument cluster turn off.

StabiliTrak/ESC will automatically turn on if the vehicle exceeds

56 km/h (35 mph). TCS will remain off until is pressed or until the ignition is turned off and then

back on.

Adding accessories can affect the vehicle performance. See Accessories and Modifications

0 224.

The TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC calibrations are different while in Off-Road Mode. They provide optimum performance in an off-road environment.

Pressing and releasing while in Off-Road Mode disables TCS and changes the StabiliTrak/ESC calibration to allow a greater difference between vehicle path and intended path. This reduces the amount of correction StabiliTrak/ ESC will provide in the event the vehicle is not traveling on the intended path.

To turn off both TCS and StabiliTrak/ ESC, press and hold until a StabiliTrak/ESC off message displays in the instrument cluster. To turn TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC on

again, press and release . i and in the instrument cluster will

turn off.

StabiliTrak/ESC will not automatically turn on while in Off-Road Mode. TCS and

StabiliTrak/ESC will remain off in Off-Road Mode until is pressed or the ignition is turned off and then back on.

If equipped, HDC can be used when driving downhill. It sets and maintains vehicle speed while descending a very steep incline in a forward or reverse gear.

The HDC switch is on the center stack, below the climate controls.

Press 5 to enable or disable HDC. Vehicle speed must be below

60 km/h (37 mph).

The HDC light displays on the instrument cluster when enabled.

HDC can maintain vehicle speeds between 4 and 30 km/h (3 and

19 mph) on an incline greater than or equal to a 10% grade. A blinking HDC light indicates that the system is actively applying the brakes to maintain vehicle speed.

When HDC is set, that is the initial set speed. It can be increased or decreased by applying the accelerator or brake pedal. Smaller HDC speed control adjustments are accomplished using the cruise up or down buttons. Each tap of the

+RES will increase the set speed by

km/h (0.5 mph), while each tap of the SET– will decrease the set speed by 0.8 km/h (0.5 mph). This adjusted speed becomes the new set speed.

HDC will remain enabled between 30 and 60 km/h (19 and 37 mph), however vehicle speed cannot be set or maintained in this range.

It will automatically disable if the vehicle speed is above 80 km/h (50 mph) or above 60 km/h

(37 mph) for at least 30 seconds. 5

must be pressed again to re-enable HDC.

When enabled, if the vehicle is at a speed above 30 km/h (19 mph) and less than 60 km/h (37 mph), a DIC message will display instructing the driver to reduce speed for HDC operation.

Cruise control will not function while HDC is enabled and vehicle speed is below 40 km/h (25 mph).

If equipped, the Off-Road Driving Mode attempts to maximize performance on terrain with limited traction. It is turned on by pressing and releasing 7 on the center of the transfer case knob next to the steering wheel. The Off-Road Mode

is accessible in all transfer case modes and is turned off automatically when the ignition is turned off.

Transfer Case Knob with Off-Road Mode

Off-Road Mode facilitates limited traction driving by:

Modifying the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal for fine linear control of torque on uneven terrain.

Modifying the transmission shift map to hold gears for longer, in order to limit slip while driving over obstacles.

Optimizing the performance of the antilock brake (ABS), Traction Control System (TCS) and StabiliTrak/Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems on slippery surfaces.

For more information, on disabling the TCS and StabiliTrak/ESC systems see Traction Control/ Electronic Stability Control 0 182.

Off-Road Mode also interacts with the axle locking system. It allows the vehicle to travel at higher speeds with a locked rear axle. See Locking Rear Axle 0 186.

If equipped, the limited-slip differential can give more traction on snow, mud, ice, sand, or gravel.

It works like a standard axle most of the time, but when traction is low, this feature allows the drive wheel with the most traction to move the vehicle. For vehicles with the limited-slip differential, driven under

severe conditions, the rear axle fluid should be changed. See Maintenance Schedule 0 315.

If equipped, the locking rear axle can give the vehicle additional traction from the rear wheels when traveling in off-road situations such as mud, snow, steep hills, and uneven terrain.

Before the front axle can be locked, the rear axle must be locked and the transfer case must be in 4 n.

To lock the rear axle:

Press the rear axle locking switch with the vehicle moving less than 40 km/h (25 mph).

Wait for the light in the switch to stop flashing and remain illuminated to show that the rear axle is locked.

The locking rear axle will be disengaged when the vehicle speed exceeds 40 km/h (25 mph). The

Off-Road Mode allows the axle lock to remain engaged at higher vehicle speeds.

After pressing the switch to unlock the axle, it may remain locked due to torque in the driveline. The axle is more easily unlocked by turning the steering wheel to the right and to the left while traveling at a low speed.

If equipped, the locking front axle can give the vehicle additional traction when traveling in off-road situations such as mud, snow, steep hills, and uneven terrain.

Before the front axle can be locked, the rear axle must be locked and the transfer case must be in 4 n.

To lock the front and rear axles:

Place the transfer case in 4 n. This is the only mode that allows the front axle to lock. See Four-Wheel Drive 0 173

for more information regarding the transfer case and

four-wheel drive low operation.

Press the rear axle locking switch with the vehicle stopped or moving less than 40 km/h (25 mph).

Wait for the light in the switch to stop flashing and remain illuminated to show that the rear axle is locked.

Press the front axle locking switch with the vehicle stopped or moving less than 40 km/h (25 mph).

Wait for the light in the switch to stop flashing and remain illuminated to show that the front axle is locked. Engagement of the front axle lock will disable the Antilock Brake System (ABS) and illuminate the ABS warning light. Hill Decent Control (HDC) will also be disabled.

The locking front axle will be disengaged when the vehicle speed exceeds 40 km/h (25 mph) or the transfer case is shifted out of 4 n.

ABS will be automatically enabled and the ABS warning light will turn off when the locking front axle is disengaged.

If HDC was enabled prior to axle lock, it will be automatically enabled when the locking front axle is disengaged.

After pressing the switch to unlock the axle, it may remain locked due to torque in the driveline. The axle is more easily unlocked by turning the steering wheel to the right and to the left while traveling at a low speed.