brakes CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD pq
FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have to do
with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
FOG LAMPS
# 0
These symbols
are on some
of
yo11r controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT -
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(a)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you
may see:
FUSE -%-
I
LIGHTER I
HORN )cr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL siE3
V

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transmission shift interlock.
You have to fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on the shift lever -- push the shift lever all the way
into PARK (P) (press the button in on the console shift
lever) as you maintain brake application. Then shift
into
the gear you wish. See “Shifting Out of PARK (P)” in
the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
I NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transmission.
Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck:
In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving,
use NEUTRAL (N) only.
Shifting out of
PARK (P) or NEUTl ,L [lu) wde
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
2-17

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator all the way
down.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0) should not be
used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load,
driving on steep hills, or for off-road driving. Select
DRIVE (D) when operating the vehicle under any of
these conditions.
DRIVE (D): This position is also used for normal
driving, however it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(GO). You
should use DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer, carrying a
heavy load, driving
on steep hills or winding roads or
for off-road driving.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you
go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want
to use
your brakes
off and on.
You can also use SECOND (2) for starting your vehicle
from a stop
on slippery road surfaces.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than SECOND
(2). You can
use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
selector lever is put in FIRST (1) while the vehicle is
moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into
FIRST
(1) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
I NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal.
This could overheat and damage the transmission.
Use your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold
your vehicle in position on a hill.
2-18

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The front axle portion of the diagram on the indicator
will light up when
you shift into four-wheel drive. A
slight delay between shifting and the pattern’s lighting
is normal. If the pattern does
not light up, or if the front
axle lights do not go out after
you shift out of
four-wheel drive, have your dealer check your system.
Turn the INT LIGHTS switch located to the right of
your headlamp switch to dim your transfer case
indicator light when your headlamps or parking lamps
are
on. This will also cause your instrument panel
lights
to dim.
2HI: This setting is for driving in most street and
highway situations. Your front axle is
not engaged in
two-wheel drive.
4HI: This setting engages your front axle to help drive
your vehicle. Use 4HI when you need extra traction,
such as on snowy or icy roads, or in most off-road
situations.
N SET PARK BRAKE: Shift to this neutral setting
only when your vehicle needs
to be towed.
4LO: This setting also engages your front axle to give
you extra traction and provides extra gear reduction.
You may never need 4LO. It sends the maximum power
to all four wheels. You might choose 4LO if you were
driving off-road in sand, mud or deep snow and
climbing
or descending steep hills.
You can shift from 2HI to 4HI or from 4HI to 2HI while
the vehicle
is moving. Do not press the transfer case
shift lever button when shifting from 2HI to 4HI or from
4HI
to 2HI. Your front axle will engage faster if you
take your foot off of the accelerator for a few seconds
after
you shift.
To shift your transfer case into N SET PARK BRAKE:
1. Stop the vehicle and shift your transmission into
NEUTRAL
(N).
2. Set the parking brake. Your vehicle can roll unless
3. Pull the transfer case shift lever into N SET
the brakes are applied.
PARK BRAKE.
2-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Pull the BRAKE RELEASE
lever. It is located
on the
bottom driver’s side
of the
instrument panel.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your. vehicle.
If
you are towing a trailer and you must park on a hill,
see “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index. That section shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get obL df your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured. To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow. If you have four-wheel drive with
a
manual transfer case shift lever and your
transfer case is in
NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle
will be free to roll, even if your shift lever is
in
PARK (P). So, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear -- not in NEUTRAL (N). If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer”
in the Index.
2-27

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can
maintain a speed
of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more
without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can
really help on long trips.
Cruise control does
not
work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 kdh).
If
you have an automatic transmission and you apply
your brakes, the cruise control will
shut off.
If you have a manual transmission and you apply your
brakes or push the clutch pedal, the cruise control
will
shut off.
A CAUTIOh: '
Cruise contrt I be dangerous where you
can't drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
-
Cruise control can be dangerous on
2-40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.)
’ A CAUTIOI-
I
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on
can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come
on when you set your parking brake. The
light 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
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will
come
on when you start
your engine and may stay
on for several seconds.
That’s normal.
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.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t come
on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
2-68

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 314 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.
4-5

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.
4-6

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
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. You
can steer around the obstacle while braking hard. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-7