towing CHEVROLET BLAZER 1995 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your vehicle and result\

in costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
To pull a trailer
correctly, follow the advice in this part, and see your
GM dealer
for important information about towing
a trailer with your
vehicle.
Most vehicles are ready for some trailer towing. If yours was built with
trailering options, as many are, it’s ready for heavier trailers. But trailering
is different than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes
correct equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this part. In it are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many
of these are important for your safety
and that of your passengers.
So please read this section carefully before you
pull
a trailer.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
0 There are many different laws, including speed limit restrictions,
having to
do with trailering. Make sure your rig will be legal, not only
where you live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
0 Consider using a sway control if your trailer will weigh 2,000 pounds
(900 kg) or less. You should always use a sway control if your trailer
will weigh more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg). You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine e
0
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Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first 500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 kdh) and don’t make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts of your vehicle wear in
at the heavier
loads,
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use
DRIVE (D) (or,
as you need to, a lower gear) when towing
a trailer. Operating your
vehicle in DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer will minimize heat
build-up and extend the life
of your transmission. If you have a manual
transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s better not to use FIFTH
(5) gear. Just drive in FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower
gear).
Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Traikr
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example, speed, altitude,
road grades, outside temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull
a trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any special equipment
that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or advice, or you can
write
us at the address listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance
Information booklet.
In Canada, write to:
General Motors
of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8W
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight to measure
because it affects the total or gross weight of your vehicle. The gross vehicle
weight (GVW) includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you may
carry in it, and the people who will be riding in the vehicle. And if you will
tow a trailer, you must add the tongue load to the GVW because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the
Index for more information about your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to the left. To move the trailer to the
right, move your hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if possible,
have someone guide you.
Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could cause the traile\
r
to come in contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other
objects. Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra wiring and a
heavy-duty
turn signal flasher (included in the optional trailering package).
The green arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a
turn or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash,
telling other drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
for turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you might have to use your brakes
so
much that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your speed to around 45 mph
(70 Wh) to reduce the possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades, consider the following:
Engine coolant will boil at a lower temperature than at normal\
altitudes.
If
you turn your engine off immediately after towing at high altitude on steep
uphill grades, your vehicle may show signs similar
to engine overheating.
To avoid this,
let the engine run while parked (preferably on level ground)
with the automatic transmission in PARK
(P) (or the manual transmission
out of gear and the parking brake applied) for a few minutes before turni\
ng
the engine off. If
you do get the overheat warning, see “Engine
Overheating” in the Index.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer attached, \
on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start
to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have
to park your rig on a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into PARK (P)
yet, or into
gear for a manual transmission. Then turn your wheels into the curb if \
facing downhill or into traffic if facing uphill.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the regular brakes\
until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking brake, and \
then
shift into PARK (P), or REVERSE
(R) for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a manual transfer case
shift lever, be sure
the transfer case is in a drive gear - not in
NEUTRAL
(N).
6. Release the parking brake.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When You Are Ready to Leave After Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are especially
important
in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake
adjustment. Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Lighting Systems Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional towing service tow your vehicle.
They can provide the right equipment and know how
to tow it without
damage.
If your vehicle has been changed since it was factory-new by adding things
like fog lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these things could
be damaged during towing.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or
all-wheel drive.
The make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the transmission and shift the
transfer case,
if you have one.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key off. The steering
wheel should be clamped in a straight-ahead position with a clamping
device designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s steering
column lock
for this. The transmission (either automatic or manual) should
be
in NEUTRAL (N) and the transfer case (either manual shift or electronic
shift), if you have one, should be in
2HI. The parking brake should be
released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the rear wheels, unless you have to. If the
velucle must be towed
on the rear wheels, don’t go more than 35 mph (56
Mh) or farther than 50 miles (80 km) or your transmission will be
damaged. If these limits must be exceeded, then the rear drive wheels have
to be supported on a dolly.
Don’t have your vehicle towed with the wheels in contact with the ground if
it has all-wheel drive. If your vehicle has the all-wheel-drive option,
it can
only be towed with all four wheels off the ground. If the vehicle must be
towed with wheel lift equipment, then either the front or rear wheels must
be supported
on a dolly or the vehicle must be transported on a flatbed
carrier.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Front (Except
All- Wheel-Drive)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the front bumper
system will be damaged.
Use wheel lift or car-carrier equipment.
Additional ramping may be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
If your vehicle has the four-wheel drive option, a dolly MUST
be used under the rear wheels when towing from the front.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Rear (Except
A//' Wheel-Drive)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the rear bumper
system will be damaged.
Use wheel
lift or car-carrier equipment.
Additional ramping may
be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
If your vehicle has the four-wheel drive option, a dolly MUST
be used under the front wheels when towing from the rear.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Towing From the Front (All- Wheel-Drive)
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or the front bumper
system will be damaged.
Use wheel lift or car-carrier equipment.
Additional ramping may be required for car-carrier equipment.
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
If your vehicle has the all-wheel-drive option, a dolly MUST be
used under the rear wheels when towing from the front.
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