warning CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will
come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
If the light comes on and stays on while you are driving,
check your coolant temperature and engine oil pressure
gages to
see if they are in the warning zones.
Fuel Gage
e'
E
B9
When the ignition is on,
the fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have remaining,
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the gage
indicated.
For example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half
full, but it actually took a little more
or less than half the tank's capacity to fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
0 The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition,
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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
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When
you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself.
You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on. This
is normal.
ANTI - LOCK
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on. See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not “overdriving”
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems.
In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In
the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering
in a curve causes tires to slip and
lose cornering force. And
in the acceleration skid, too
much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second
skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced traction, try your
best
to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking
(including engine braking
by shifting to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You
may not realize
the surface is slippery until your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as
enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to make
a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you have
any doubt.
Remember:
Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways
to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are going. Get
a city map and plan your trip into an unknown part of
the city just as you would for a cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities. You’ll save time and energy. (See the
next part, “Freeway Driving.”)
0 Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic light is
there because the corner is busy enough to need it.
When a light turns green, and just before you start to
move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not
cleared the intersection or may be running the red light.
4-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a supply
of windshield washer fluid, a rag, some winter outer
clothing, a
small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth and a
couple
of reflective warning triangles. And, if you will
be driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand,
a piece of old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure
you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires and the
road,
you can have a very slippery situation. You’ll have a
lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be very careful.
What’s the worst
time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 kmh) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If you have
an automatic transmission, you should use
DRIVE (D) when towing
a trailer. Operating your
vehicle in DRIVE
(D) when towing a.trailer will
minimize heat buildup and extend the life of your
transmission. Or, if
you have a manual transmission,
it’s better not to use FIFTH
(5) gear, just drive in
FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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 turning 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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes.
Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift into PARK (P), or
REVERSE
(R) for a manual transmission.
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).
Release the regular brakes.
4-54

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that
can occur on the road.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you
have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and off.
Press the button
on top of
the steering column all the
way down to make your
front and rear turn signal
lamps flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work
no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, press the button until the first
click and release.
5-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn
signals won’t work. The flashers will stop if
you step
on the brake.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up
at the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle and
some jumper cables to start your
vehicle.
But please use the following steps to do it safely.
NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
Do not try to start your vehicle by pushing or
pulling it. This could damage your vehicle, even
if
you have a manual transmission. And if you have
an automatic transmission, it won’t start that
way.
I
Batteries can hurt you. They can be
dangerous because:
They contain acid that can burn you.
They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or
all
of these things can hurt you.
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
5-2

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. See “Roadside Assistance” in
the Index.
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 instructions
may not be correct.
,Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
Whether your vehicle has rear-wheel drive,
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can move the shift lever for the
four-wheel drive
or all-wheel drive.
transmission and shift the transfer case,
if you
have one.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains these towing instructions. The operator may want to see them.
I A CAUTION:
-
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
0 Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not fully secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
0 Always use separate safety chains on each
0 Never use J-hooks. Use T-hooks instead.
being
towed.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing a vehicle.
5-7

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer. See “Driving on Grades” in the Index.
If
you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. Turn off your air conditioner.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@)
or DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions. If
you no longer have the overheat warning, you
can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If
the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, push the accelerator
until the engine speed is about twice as fast as normal
idle speed. Bring
the engine speed back to normal
idle speed after two or three minutes. Now see if the
warning stops. But then, if you still have the warning,
turn ofthe engine and get everyone out of the vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to
lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
5-12