CHEVROLET BLAZER 1993 Owners Manual

Loading Your Vehicle
MFD BY GENERAL MOTORS CORP L-4
I
. , .. .-. .. ,. . ,FFECT
CROWN ABOVE.
1
TIRE SIZE
-EL XISPEED RIM PSVKPA (COLD)
SPA
SEE OWNERS MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
K2134
The Certificationflire label is found on the rear edge of the driver's door. The
label shows the size of your original tires and the inflation \
pressures needed
to obtain the gross weight capacity of your vehicle. This is called the GVWR
(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). The GVWR includes the weight o\
f the vehicle,
all occupants, fuel and cargo.
The Certificationnire label also tells you the maximum weights for the front
and rear axles, called Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR). To find out the
actual loads on your front and rear axles, you need to go to\
a weigh station
and weigh your vehicle. Your dealer can help you with this. Be sure to
spread out your load equally on both sides of the centerline. \
Never exceed the GVWR
for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle Weight Rating
(GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
And,
if you do have a heavy load, you should spread it out.
A
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the GVWR or the I
maximum front and rear GAWRs. If you do, parts on your vehicl\
e
can break, or
it can change the way your vehicle handles. These
could cause you
to lose control. Also, overloading can shorten the
life of your vehicle.
Using heavier suspension components
to get added durability might not
change your weight ratings. Ask your dealer to help you load your vehicle the
right way.
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Your warranty does not r-rer parts or co ~~ ronents that fail because -
If you put things inside your vehicle-like suitmes, LWWIY, pac;Kages, or
anything else-they will go as fast as the vehicle goes. If you have to stop
or turn quickly, or if there is a crash, they’ll keep going.
I
Things you put inside your vehicle can strike and injure people in a
, sudden stop or turn, or in a crash.
9 Put things in the cargo area of your vehicle. Try to spread the
Never stack heavier things, like suitcases, inside the vehicle so
weight evenly.
that some
of them are above the tops of the seats.
When you carry something inside the vehicle, secure it
whenever you can. I
I Don’t have a seat folded down unless you need to. I
Trailering Package
GROSS COMBINATION WEIGHT RATING
(GCWR)
PO340
If your vehicle comes with the Trailering Package, there is al\
so a load rating
which includes the weight of the vehicle
and the trailer it tows. This rating is
called the
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR).
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Service & Appearance Care
When you weigh your trailer, be sure to include the weight of everything you
put in it. And, remember to figure the weight of the people inside as part of
your load.
Your dealer can help you determine your
GCWR.
Add-on Equipment
When you carry removable items, like snow plow blades, you may\
need to
put a limit on how many people you carry inside your vehicle. Be sure to
weigh your vehicle before you buy and install the new equipment.
NOTICE 1
rims
We don’t make tires. Your new vehicle comes with high quality tires made by
a leading tire manufacturer. These tires are warranted by the tire
manufacturers and their warranties are delivered with every new \
vehicle.
If
your spare tire is a different brand than your road tires, you will have a tire
warranty folder from each of these manufacturers.
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Poorly maintained and improperly used tires are dangerous. Overloading your tires can cause overheating as
a result of too
much friction. You could have an air-out and a serious accident.
See “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
The resulting accident could cause serious injury. Check all tires
frequently to maintain the recommended pressure. Tire pressure
should
be checked when your tires are cold,
0 Overinflated tires are more likely to be cut, punctured, or broken
by sudden impact, such as when you hit a pothole. Keep tires
at the recommended pressure.
0 Worn, old tires can cause accidents, If your tread is badly worn,
or if your tires have been damaged, replace them.
Even if it’s legal, don’t drive over 85 mph (135 kmh) if you
have
16 inch tires.
See “Special Tire Inflation”
in this section for more information on
loading
and inflation pressures at speeds above 65 mph (105 kmh).
Underinflated tires pose the same danger as overloaded tires.
Inflation-Tire Pressure
The Certification/Tire label which is on the rear edge of the driver’s door, or
on the incomplete vehicle document in the cab, shows the correct inflation
pressures for your tires, when they’re cold. “Cold” mea\
ns your vehicle has
been sitting for at least three hours or driven no more than a mile.
You can operate some vehicles at reduced inflation pressures only when you’ll
be carrying reduced loads. On those vehicles, the minimum cold \
inflation
pressures for a typical reduced load are printed
on the “Improved Ride Tire
Pressure” label located on the driver’s door. Weigh the v\
ehicle to find the
load on each tire and see the label for the minimum cold inflation pressures
for that load.
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Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation or overinflation is all right. It’-
9. If your tires don’t have enough air (underinflation) you can get
Too much flexing
Too much heat
tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economy.
I If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
nth
or more. Also, check the
tire pressure of the spare tire.
How to Check: Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire pressure.
Simply looking at the tires will not tell you the pressure, e\
specially if you
have radial tires-which may look properly inflated even
if they’re
underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to put them back on. The\
y help
prevent leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Special Tire Inflation
If you have 16 inch tires on your vehicle, and:
- You’ll be driving for very long at speeds of 66 mph (105 km/h) to 75
mph
(120 km/h) where legal, inflate tires 10 psi (70 kPa) more than
the recommended
cold inflation pressure,
- You’ll be driving for very long at speeds of 76 mph (120 kmih) to 85
mph (135 km/h) where legal, cold inflation pressure should be
increased
by 10 psi (70 kPa) and you must also reduce axle load
capacity by
10%. Do not drive over 85 mph (135 kmlh) even if
it’s legal.
- Inflation pressures should never exceed 10 psi (70 kPa) above the
inflation specified for the maximum
load of the tire.
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K2474
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Service & Appearance Care
Tire lnspecfion and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have them inspected and rotated at the
mileages recommended in the Maintenance Schedule. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services” in the Index.
FRT FRT
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K2655
Use this rotation pattern,
If your vehicle has front tires with different load ratings or tr\
ead designs (such
as all season vs. on/off road) than the rear tires, don’t rotate \
your tires front
to rear,
After the tires have been rotated, adjust the front and rear \
inflation pressure
as shown on the CertificationRire label. Make certain that all \
wheel nuts are
properly tightened.
See “Wheel Nut Torque” in the Index.
1 CAUTION
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the parts to which it is fastened, can
make the wheel nuts become loose after a time. The wheel could
come
off and cause an accident. When you change a wheel, remove
any rust or dirt from places where the wheel attaches
to the vehicle.
In an emergency, you can use a cloth or paper towel to
do this; but
be sure to use a scraper or wire brush later, if you need to, to get
I
I all the rust or dirt off. (See ‘Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index.) I
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When It’s Time for New Tires
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
K1656
One way to tell when it’s time for new tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your tires have only
2/32 inch (1,6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if:
You can see the indicators at three places around the tire.
You can see cord or fabric showing through the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep enough to show
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
cord
or fabric.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the damage,
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need, look at the Certificationnire
label. The tires installed on your vehicle when it was new ha\
d a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec) number on each t\
ire’s sidewall.
When you get new tires, get ones with that same TPC Spec num\
ber. That
way, your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating, traction, ride and other thin\
gs during normal service
on your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC number
will be followed by a “MS” (for mud and snow).
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Service & Appearance Care
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a TPC Spec number,
make sure they are the same size, load range, speed rating an\
d construction
type (bias, bias-belted or radial) as your original tires.
I CAUTION
A
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mix
tires
of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires) the
vehicle may not handle properly, and you could have a crash. Be
sure
to use the same size and type tires on all wheels.
I
Uniform Tire Quarity Grading
The following information relates to the system developed by the United
States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which grade\
s tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This applies o\
nly to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear \
rate of the
tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test
course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and a half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance
of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to var\
iations
in
driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and
climate.
Traction-A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowesr are: A, 8, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A
tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does not include cornering \
(turning) traction.
Temperature-A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation
of heat and its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laborat\
ory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate
and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead to sudden tire
failure. The grade
C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle \
Safety
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Standard No. 109. Grades B and A represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory
test wheel than the minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla\
tion, or
excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can cause heat buildup
and possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or optional equipment on \
General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have been approved for use on General
Motors vehicles.
All passenger type (P Metric) tires must conform to Federal
safety requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned and balanced carefully \
at the
factory to give you the longest tire life and best overall performance.
In
most cases, you will not need to have your wheels aligned again.
However,
if you notice unusual tire wear or your vehicle pulling one way or
the other, the alignment may need to be reset.
If you notice your vehicle
vibrating when driving on a smooth road, your wheels may need to be
rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep
coming loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts should be\
replaced.
If
the wheel leaks air out, replace it (except some aluminum whe\
els, which can be repaired). See your GM truck dealer
if any of these conditions exist. Your
dealer will know what kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load carrying capacity, di\
ameter,
width, offset, and be mounted the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts,
replace them only with
new GM original equipment parts. This way, you will
be sure you have the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel nuts\

for your
vehicle.
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