1994 CHEVROLET BLAZER brake fluid

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Off-Road Driving with Your Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive,
you shouldn’t drive off-road
unless you’re on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great
fun. But it does have some definite hazards.
The greatest
of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve left the great North American road system
behind. Traffic lanes aren’t marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In short,
you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very
important that you read this guide. You’ll find many driving tips and
suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For example, be sure to have
all necessary maintenance and service work done. Be sure you read all the
information about your four-wheel drive vehicle
in this manual. Is there
enough fuel? Is the spare tire
fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where
they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where
you’ll be driving? If you don’t know, you should check with law
enforcement people
in the area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be sure to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about how to load your
vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load floor and forward of your
rear axle. Put heavier items as far forward as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t toss things around.
4-13

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and transmission. These parts can work
hard
on mountain roads.
0 Know how to go down hills. The most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some of the slowing down. Shift
to a lower gear
when
you go down a steep or long hill.
0 Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your engine and transmission, and you can
climb the
hill better.
0 Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut across the center
of the road. Drive
at speeds that let you stay
in your own lane.
0 As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an accident.
0 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.
4-31

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be adequate. Be sure to read and follow the
instructions for the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Your trailer brakes system can tap into vehicle’s hydraulic brake system
except:
Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system
if the trailer’s brake system will
use more than 0.02 cubic inch (0.3~~) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder.
If it does, both braking systems won’t work well. You could even
lose your brakes.
Will the trailer parts take
3,000 psi (20 650 kPa) of pressure? If not, the
trailer brake system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake fluid tap at the
port on
the master cylinder that sends fluid
to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper
tubing for this. If
you do, it will bend and finally break off. Use steel brake
tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want
to get to know your rig. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the vehicle
you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector, lights, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection at the same time.
4-40

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt, cooling system, and brake
adjustment. Each of these is covered
in this manual, and the Index will help
you find them quickly. If you’re trailering,
it’s a good idea to review these
sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that
all hitch nuts and bolts are tight.
Trailer Light Wiring
See “Trailer Wiring Harness” in the Index.
Power Winches
If you wish to use a power winch on your vehicle, only use it when your
vehicle
is stationary or anchored.
! NOTICE:
~ When operating a power winch on your vehicle always leave the \
l transmission in the neutral position. Do not leave an automatic
transmission in
P (Park) or a manual transmission in gear or the
transmission may be damaged.
Use the regular brakes, set the parking brake or block the wheels to keep
your vehicle from rolling.
4-44

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Service & Appearance Care
Section
Here you will find information about the care of your vehicle . This part
begins with service and fuel information. and then
it shows how to check
important fluid and lubricant levels
. There is also technical information
about your vehicle. and a section devoted to
its appearance care .
Service ................................................... 6-2
Fuel
..................................................... 6-3
Checking Things Under the Hood
.............................. 6-6
Engineoil
.............................................. 6-8
Aircleaner
............................................ 6-14
Automatic Transmission Fluid
............................. 6-15
Manual Transmission Fluid
............................... 6-18
Hydraulic Clutch ........................................ 6-20
RearAxle
............................................. 6-20
Transfer Case
.......................................... 6-21
FrontAxle
............................................. 6-22
Enginecoolant
......................................... 6-23
Power Steering Fluid
.................................... 6-26
Windshield Washer Fluid
................................. 6-28
Brake Master Cylinder
................................... 6-29
Replacing Brake System Parts
................................ 6-30
Battery
.................................................. 6-31
Vehiclestorage
......................................... 6-31
Bulb Replacement
......................................... 6-32
Other Maintenance Items
.................................... 6-35
Loading Your Vehicle
...................................... 6-39
Tires .................................................... 6-42
Appearance Care
.......................................... 6-49
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
.......................... 6-58
Service Parts Identification Label
............................. 6-60
Fuses and Circuit Breakers
.................................. 6-60
Capacities and Specifications Charts
........................... 6-62
6-1

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transmission fluid level if you
have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic - especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal operating
temperature, which is 180°F
to 200°F (82°C to 93°C).
To check transmission fluid hot: Get the vehicle warmed up by driving
about
15 miles (24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10°C).
If it’s colder than 50°F (lO”C), drive the vehicle in “D” (3rd Gear) until the
engine temperature gage moves and then remains steady for ten minutes.
Then follow
the hot check procedures.
To check transmissionfluid cold: A cold check is made after the vehicle has
been sitting for eight hours or more
with the engine off and is used only as a
reference. Let the engine run at idle for
five minutes if outside temperatures
are
50°F (10°C) or more. If it’s colder than 50°F (lO”C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low during a cold check,
you must perform a hot check before adding fluid. This will give you a
more accurate reading of
the fluid level.
To check the fluid hot or cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place.
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in “P’ (Park).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each
gear range, pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then,
position the shift lever in “P” (Park).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more.
6-16

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Brakes
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master
cylinder is here. It is
filled with
DOT-3
brake fluid.
There are
only two reasons why the brake fluid level in your master cylinder
might go down. The first is that the brake fluid goes down to an acceptable
level during normal brake lining wear. When new linings are put in,
the
fluid level goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is leaking out of the
brake system.
If it is, you should have your brake system fixed, since a leak
means that sooner or later your brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at
all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid. Adding brake fluid
won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid when your linings are worn, then
you’ll have too much fluid
when you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work is done on the brake
hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to check your brake
fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance Inspections”
in the Index.
6-28

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine To Check Brake Fluid
You can check the
brake fluid without
taking off the cap. Just
look at the windows
on the brake fluid
reservoir.
The fluid levels should be above
“MIN.” If they aren’t, have your brake
system checked to see if there
is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system, make sure the levels are
above
“MIN” and below the top of each window.
What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake fluid - such as
Delco Supreme
II@ (GM Part No.1052535). Use new brake fluid from a
sealed container only, and always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap before
removing it.
NOTICE:
0 Don’t let someone put in the wrong kind of fluid. For
example, just a few drops of mineral-based oil, such
as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake system parts so
badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
0 Brake fluid can damage paint, so be careful not to spill brake
fluid on your vehicle.
If you do, wash it off immediately. See
“Appearance Care” in the Index.
Brake Wear
Your vehicle has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a high-pitched
warning sound when the brake pads are worn and new pads are needed. The
sound may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving
(except when you are pushing on the brake pedal firmly).
6-29