CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
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you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time
to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance
for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain and
its
many different features. Here are some things to consider.
Surjizce Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed
dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or
ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering, acceleration
and braking of your vehicle
in different ways. Depending
upon the kind of surface you are on,
you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration,
poor traction and longer braking distances.
Sutfkce Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous.
A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you
if you’re not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine w I I you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip
on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface features can jerk the wheel
out of your hands if
you’re not prepared.
When
you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground. If this happens,
even
with one or two wheels, you can’t control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because
you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important
to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking,
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind
of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits
or signal
lights.
You have to use your own good judgment about
what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving” in the Index.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven,
no
matter how well built the vehicle.
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed. If you
drive across them, you
will roll over. You could be
seriously injured
or killed. If you have any doubt
about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Approach lg a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just too steep to climb, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very small
hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change
in elevation where you
can easily see all the way to the top. On a large
hill, the
incline may get steeper as you near the top, but you may
not see this because the crest of the hill is hidden by
bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here are some other things to consider
as you approach
a hill.
0 Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper
in places?
0 Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
0 Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have to make turning maneuvers?
0 Are there obstructions on the hill that can block your
path (boulders, trees, logs or ruts)?
0 What’s beyond the hill? Is there a cliff, an
embankment, a drop-off, a fence? Get out and
walk the
hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way
to find out.
0 Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible to the effects of erosion.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
0 Use a low gear and get a firm grip on the
0 Get a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
steering wheel.
your speed. Don’t
use more
power than you need,
because
you don’t want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
If the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
0 Try to drive straight up the hill if at all possible.
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Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of
the hill.
Attach a flag
to the vehicle to make you more visible
to approaching traffic
on trails or hills.
Sound
the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
let opposing traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
you more visible
to oncoming traffic.
Awning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous.
You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and possibly roll over.
You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try to
go straight up.
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Driving to the top (crest) of a hill .at full speed can
cause an accident. There could be
a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even another vehicle.
You
could be seriously injured or killed. As you near
the top
of a hill, slow down and stay alert.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and
I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
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do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what
you should do:
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
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in REVERSE (R).
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
PARK (P) (or, shift
to NEUTRAL (N) if your
vehicle has a manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift
to REVERSE (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE
(R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering 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.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (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.
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake.
Shift to REVERSE (R),
release the parking brake,
and slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough
to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the
hill, you must back straight down the hill.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down
the hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What
should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission
in PARK (P) (or the manual transmission
in
FIRST (1)) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit
on the uphill
side and stay clear
of the path the vehicle would
take
if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the transfer
case
to NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle.
Leave
it in some gear.
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A CAUTION:
If you have a manual transfer case shift lever,
shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
(N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in PARK
(P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even if you’re in gear). This is
because the NEUTRAL
(N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to PARK
(P)
(or, put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL
(N) position. Leave the transfer
case in the 2HI,4HI or 4LO position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to
consider a number of things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What's the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Boulders?
What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If
you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won't have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping
your vehicle under control at all times.
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Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Q: Are there some things I should not do when
A: Yes! These are important because if you
driving down a hill?
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ignore them you could lose control and have a
serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline
of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with
the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in
a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to
do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
@’ Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: It’s much more likely to happen going uphill.
But if it happens going downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
0 Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
0 Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
and
drive straight down,
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will probably go across
the incline of a
hill. If this happens, you have to decide
whether to
try to drive across the incline. Here are some
things
to consider:
0 A hill that can be driven straight up or down may be
too steep to drive across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length of the wheel base (the
distance from the front wheels to the rear wheels)
reduces the likelihood the vehicle will tumble end
over end.
But when you drive across an incline, the
much more narrow track width (the distance between
the
left and right wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over. Also, driving across an
incline puts more weight on the downhill wheels.
This could cause
a downhill slide or a rollover.
0 Surface conditions can be a problem when you drive
across a
hill. Loose gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to slip sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle slips sideways, it can hit something
that
will trip it (a rock, a rut, etc.) and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the steepness of the
incline even worse.
If you drive across a rock with
the uphill wheels, or if the downhill wheels drop into
a rut or depression, your vehicle can
tilt even more.
For reasons like these, you need
to decide carefully
whether to try to drive across an incline. Just because
the trail goes across the incline doesn’t mean
you
have to drive it. The last vehicle to try it might have
rolled over.
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Driving across an incline that’s too steep will
make your vehicle roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed.
If you have any doubt
about the steepness
of the incline, don’t drive
across it. Find another route instead.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine &: What if I’m driving across an incline that’s not
too steep, but
I hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should
I do?
A: If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However, a
much better way to prevent this is to get out and
“walk the course”
so you know what the surface is
like before you drive it.
Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you’re crossing an incline, be
sure you (and your passengers) get out
on the uphill
side, even if the door there is harder to open.
If you get
out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you’ll be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
the vehicle will take if it does roll over.
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A CAUTION:
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Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a vehicle
stopped across an incline is dangerous.
If the
vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed
or killed.
Always get out on the uphill (high) side of the
vehicle and stay well clear
of the rollover path.