engine overheat CHEVROLET BLAZER 1996 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The 1996 Chevrolet Blazer Owner’s Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SIR” system.
Features and Controls .................................................................. 2-1
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 3-1
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your
audio system.
Here
you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what
to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheat\
ed
engine, etc.
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running pr\
operly and looking
good,
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to u\
se.
This section
tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance and how to get se\
rvice publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-8.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 6-1
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................ 8-1
Index ........................................................................\
....
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something
you want to read.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F
(- 1 8 O C) or colder, the
engine coolant heater can
help. You’ll get easier
starting and better
fuel
economy during engine
warm-up.
Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged
in a
minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 1 10-volt AC outlet.
-
I
A CAUTION:
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for at least
15 amps.
4. After you’ve used the coolant heater, be sure to
store the cord as
it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts. If you don’t,
it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends
on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your
GM dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give
you the best advice for that
particular area.
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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.
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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 Console Shift Lever
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) position
set the
parking brake.
like this:
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
remove the key and leave your vehicle, your vehicle
is in PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
Hold in the button on the lever.
0 Push the lever all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
1. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set.
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). And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the
engine coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your
engine is too hot!
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If
you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions,
you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems
on the Road,” this manual shows you what
to do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index. This
system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for
the life
of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. (In Canada, OBD
I1 is replaced by
Enhanced Diagnostics.) The SERVICE ENGINE
SOON light comes on to indicate that there is a
problem and service is required. Malfunctions often
will be indicated by
the system before any problem
is apparent, which may prevent more serious damage
to your vehicle. This system is also designed to assist
your service technician
in correctly diagnosing
any malfunction.
2-69

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.
.. .. ..
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.
I
4-23

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?
0
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,
4-24

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 Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your
vehicle’s instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
- :/..:
Steam from an overheated engine can burn you
badly, even if you just open the hood. Stay away
from the engine if you see or hear steam coming
from it. Just turn it
off and get everyone away
from the vehicle until it cools down. Wait until
there
is no sign of steam or coolant before
opening the hood.
If you keep driving when your engine is
overheated, the liquids in it can catch fire.
You or
others could be badly burned. Stop your engine if
it overheats, and get out of the vehicle until the
engine is cool.
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered
by your warranty.
5-11