1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER warning

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Voltmeter Gage
I
When your engine is not
running, but the ignition is
on (in the RUN position),
this gage shows your
battery’s state
of charge in
DC volts.
When the engine is running, the gage shows the
condition of the charging system. Readings between the
low and high warning zones indicate the normal
operating range.
Readings in the low warning zone may occur when a.
large number
of electrical accessories are operating in
the vehicle and the engine is left at an idle for an
extended period. This condition is normal since the
charging system is
not able to provide full power at
engine idle.
As engine speeds are increased, this
condition should correct itself as higher engine speeds
allow the charging system
to create maximum power.
You can only drive for a short time with the reading in
either warning zone.
If you must drive, turn off all
unnecessary accessories.
Readings
in either warning zone indicate a possible
problem
in the electrical system. Have the vehicle
serviced as soon as possible.
Brake System Warning Light
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
on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s a
problem.
2-67

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 Check Gages Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will
come on briefly when
you are starting the engine.
CHECK
GAGES
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.
Fuel Gage
e'
E
B9
When the ignition is on,
the fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have remaining,
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with
your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads
FULL (F).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the gage
indicated.
For example, the gage may have indicated
the tank was half
full, but it actually took a little more
or less than half the tank's capacity to fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
0 The gage doesn't go back to EMPTY (E) when you
turn off the ignition,
2-74

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 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 skid, 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 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:
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.”)
0 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.
4-34

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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 a
couple
of 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.
What’s the worst
time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because
it may offer the
least traction of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
4-40

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