brake CHEVROLET BLAZER 1994 2.G Owner's Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and warning lights work together to let you
know when there’s
a problem with your vehicle.
When
one of the warning lights comes on and stays on when you are
driving, or when
one of the gages shows there may be a problem, check the
section that tells you what to do about it. Please follow the manual’s advice.
Waiting
to do repairs can be costly - and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages. They’re a big help.
Brake System Warning Light
Standard Cluster Digital Cluster
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two parts. If one part
isn’t working,
the other part can still work and stop you. For good braking,
though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on as you start the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
If
the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal may
go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle’’
in the Index.)
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The brake system warning light will also come on when you set your
parking brake, and it will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake
is fully released, it means you have a
brake problem.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
Standard Cluster Digital Cluster
ANTI -
LOCK
With anti-lock, this light will go on when you start your engine and may
stay on for several seconds. That’s normal.
If the light doesn’t come on,
have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on, or comes
on when you’re driving, your vehicle needs
service.
If the regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you still have
brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake system
warning light
is also on, you don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a
problem with your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light’’
earlier in this
part.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Daytime Running Lights (DRL) Indicator Light
(Canada OnIy)
SHIFT Indicator Light
This green DRL
indicator light is
on
the instrument cluster.
The DRL indicator
light is on whenever
the ignition is on and
the headlight switch
and parking brake. are
off. For more details
about
DRL, see
“Lights” in this
section.
This amber
SHIFT
indicator light is on
the instrument cluster
of vehicles with manual transmissions.
The
SHIFT indicator
light will help you get
the best fuel economy.
See “Shift Indicator
Light” in this section.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device
in your vehicle: Buckle up.
(See “Safety Belts”
in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means “always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they
are common. Allow enough following distance. It’s the best defensive
driving maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never know when the
vehicle
in front of you is going to brake or turn suddenly.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national tragedy.
It’s the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands
of victims every year. Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone needs
to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that almost half of all motor vehicle-related deaths
involve alcohol
- a driver, a passenger or someone else, such as a
pedestrian, had been drinking. In most cases, these deaths are
the result of
someone who was drinking and driving. About 20,000 motor
vehicle-related deaths occur each year because
of alcohol, and thousands of
people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is
too much if a person plans to drive? Ideally, no
one should drink alcohol and then drive. But
if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can be a lot less than many might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here
is some general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of someone who
is drinking depends
upon four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the drinker to consume the alcohol.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where you want it to go.
They
are the brakes, the steering and the accelerator. All three systems have
to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you’re driving
on snow or ice, it’s easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and road can provide. That means you
can lose control of your vehicle.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal. That’s perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and do it. That’s reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But that’s only an average. It
might be less with one driver and as long as two
or three seconds or more
with another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination, and eyesight
all play
a part. So do alcohol, drugs and frustration. But even in 3/4 of a
second, a vehicle moving
at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m). That
could be a lot of distance
in an emergency, so keeping enough space
between your vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the
road (whether it’s pavement
or gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry,
icy); tire tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in spurts - heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with
traffic. This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard
stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you do a lot of heavy
braking. If
you keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better
braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If
you do, the pedal may get harder to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But you will
use it when you brake. Once the power assist is used up, it may take longer
to stop and the brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic braking system that can help you
keep it under control. When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away,
you may hear
a momentary motor or clicking noise. This is the ABS system
testing
itself.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say the road is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly
an animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam
on the brakes. Here’s what happens with ABS.
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one of the wheels is
about to stop rolling, the computer will separately work the brakes at each
front wheel and at the rear wheels. The anti-lock system can change the
brake pressure faster than any driver could. The computer
is programmed to
make the most of available tire and road conditions. You can steer around
the obstacle while braking hard.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time
you need to get your foot up
to the brake pedal. If you get too close to the vehicle
in front of you, you
won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead
to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
To Use Four-wheel Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for
you. You may feel the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some
noise, but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to. With anti-lock, you
can steer and brake at
the same time. In many emergencies, steering can
help you more than even the very best braking.
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Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead
that might indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your
pass.
A broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid line
on your
side
of the lane or a double solid line, even if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass while you’re
awaiting an opportunity. For one thing, following too closely reduces
your area
of vision, especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead suddenly
slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable distance.
When
it looks like a chance to pass is coming up, start to accelerate but
stay
in the right lane and don’t get too close. Time your move so you
will be increasing speed as the time comes to move into the other lane.
If the way is clear to pass,
you will have a “running start” that more
than makes up for
the distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if something happens to cause you to cancel your pass, you need only
slow down and drop back again and wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait your turn. But
take care that someone isn’t trying to pass you as
you pull out to pass
the slow vehicle. Remember
to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors
, glance over your shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of the right lane to pass. When
you
are far enough ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your inside
mirror, activate your right lane change signal and move back
into the
right lane. (Remember that your right outside mirror is convex. The
vehicle
you just passed may seem to be farther away from you than it
really is.)
Try
not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a
slowly moving vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing,
it may be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the following driver to get
ahead
of you. Perhaps you can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what happens when the three
control systems (brakes, steering and acceleration) don’t have enough
friction where the tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an
escape route or area of less danger.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Off-Road Driving with Your Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive,
you shouldn’t drive off-road
unless you’re on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have some definite hazards.
The greatest
of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very
important that you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For example, be sure to have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Be sure you read all the
information about your four-wheel drive vehicle
in this manual. Is there
enough fuel? Is the spare tire
fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where
they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where
you’ll be driving? If you don’t know, you should check with law
enforcement people
in the area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and forward of your
rear axle. Put heavier items as far forward as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t toss things around.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine -
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Q: What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about to stall, and I
A: If this happens, there are some things you should do, and there are
some things
you must not do. First, here’s what you should do:
can’t make it up the hill?
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards.
Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down
the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and
the parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission
to “P” (Park) (or, shift to “N” (Neutral) if your vehicle has
a manual transmission) and restart the engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and slowly back down the
hill as straight as
possible in reverse.
wheel at the 12 o’clock position. This way, you’ll be able to tell if your
wheels are straight and maneuver as you back down. It’s best that
you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather than in the left or
right direction. Turning the wheel too far
to the left or right will
increase the possibility of a rollover.
Here
are some things you must not do if you stall, or are about to stall,
when going up a
hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into “N” (Neutral) (or
depressing the clutch, if
you have a manual transmission) to “rev-up”
the engine and regain forward momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of
control
.
e As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand on the steering
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release
the parking brake, and slowly back straight
down.
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