engine overheat CHEVROLET BLAZER 1997 2.G Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine The 1997 Chevrolet Blazer Owner’s Manual
1-1
2-1
3- 1
4- 1
5-1
6- 1
7- 1
8- 1
9- 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts\
properly. It also explains the “SIR” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to \
operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running pr\
operly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet for assistance \
and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on ”Reporting Safety Defects” on pag\
e 8- 10.
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.
i

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Coolant Heater (Option)
In very cold weather, 0°F
(- 18 O C j or colder, the
engine coolant heater
can help.
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.
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 110-volt AC outlet. ~
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
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.
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
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator
pedal about halfway down.
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@j 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
(@). 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.
2-20

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot. Push down the parking brake
pedal with your left
foot. If the ignition is on, the brake
system warning light will come
on.
To release the parking brake hold the regular brake
pedal down.
Pull the
BRAKE RELEASE
lever. It is located on the
bottom driver’s side
of the
instrument panel. ..
NOTICE:
r
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.
2-29

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running (Automatic Transmission
Models Only)
I A CAUTION:
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.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your parking brake
is firmly set before
you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into the
PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you (or pressing the
button
on a console shift lever). If you can, it means that
the shift lever wasn't
fully locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock (Automatic Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you don't shift your
transmission
into PARK (PI properly, the weight of the
vehicle may
put too much force on the parlung pawl in the
tr'msmission.
You may find it difficult to pull the shift
Icver out of PARK (P). This is called "torque lock." To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into
PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver's seat.
To find out how, see "Shifting Into PARK (P)" in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur. you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill
to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl
in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
2-32

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
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.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves
into
is too hot!
the
red area, your engine 260
If the light stays on. or comes on when you're driving,
your irehick 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
;I problern with your regular brakes. See
"B1-akc. Svstcm LVmling Light" earlier in this section.
The anti-lock brakc. s>.4tem warning light should come
on briet'ly n.hct1
~.ou turn the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn't co1nc3 011 111cn. have it fixed so it will be
ready
to w;m U)LI it' thew is a problem. lt means
that your engine coolant
have been operating your vehicle has
overheated.
If you
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 show you what
to
do. See "Engine Overheating" in the Index.
2-76

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‘?
Hard-pac ked dirt
‘? Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts’?
Logs? Boulders’?
0 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
y)ur
ehick under control at all times.
I A CAUTION:
1 I
Heavy braking when going aown 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.
&= Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a
hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0 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.
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.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in
4-23

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When towing a trailer, the 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 byfilw 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 km/h) 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 j 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
rnanual 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 ;I hill. If something goes wrong, your ris
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
4-52

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.
5 -2
5-2
5-3
5 -7
5-12
Hazard Warning Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
5-22
5 -22
5-23
5-35
5-36
Engine Fan Noise
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
Compact Spare Tire
(If Equipped)
If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
5-1

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
A CAUTION:
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 you
open 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.
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.
5-12