warning CHEVROLET BLAZER 1998 2.G User Guide

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on when you set your parlung 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.
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can
still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
(0) (8>
the ignition key to RUN. If
on briefly when you turn
it
doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be
ready to warn you if there’s
a problem.
BRAKE
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 CAUTl IN:
F--
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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
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 section.
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.
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!
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 show you what
to do. See “Engine Overheating’’ in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A reading in the low pressure zone may be caused by a
dangerously low oil level or other problems causing low
oil pressure.
Don’t keep driving
if the oil pressure is low. If
you do, your engine can become so hot that it
catches fire.
You or others could be burned.
Check your oil
as soon as possible and have your
vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE:
Security Warning Light
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and is not covered by
your warranty.
SECURITY
This light will come on
briefly when
you turn the
key toward START. The
light will stay
on until the
engine starts.
If the light flashes, the Passlock
system has entered a
tamper mode. If the vehicle fails
to start, see “Passlock”
in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays
on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected bv Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
2-76

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service 4WD Light
SERVICE
4WD
This light should come on
briefly when you
turn on the
ignition, as a check
to show
you it is working.
~~~ ~ ~
The SERVICE 4WD light comes on to indicate that
there may be
a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated
by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage to the vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
Check Gages Light
CHECK
GAGES
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
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.
Gate Ajar Light
This light will come on
GATE
AJAR
-
briefly when you are
starting the engine.
I
If it stays on, your liftgate is ajar. Try closing the liftgate
again. Never drive with the liftgate even partially open.
2-77

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 (ABS)
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. 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.
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.
4-7

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 slud, 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.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine City Driving 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:
a
a
a
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.”)
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.
4-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area
or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
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
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.
4-36

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
0 R.elease the parking brake.
4-49

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
5-3
5-3
5 -7
5- 12 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Other Warning Devices
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
5 -20
5-2 1
5-2 1
5-34
5-35
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