1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When you decide it's safe to lift the hood, here's what
you'll see:
A. Coolant Recovery Tank
B. Radiator Pressure Cap
C. Engine Fan
If your vehicle has air conditioning, the auxiliary
electric fan under the hood can start up even
when the engine is not running and can injure
you. Keep hands, clothing and tools away from
any underhood electric fan.
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery tank is boiling,
don't
do anything else until it cools down.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine L
The coolant level should be at the ADD mark. If it
isn't, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the
cooling system. Heater and radiator
hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don't touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don't run the engine if there is
a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose all coolant, That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn't covered by your warranty,
If there seems to be no leak, start the engine again. See
if
the fan speed increases when idle speed is doubled by
pushing the accelerator pedal down.
If it doesn't, your
vehicle needs service. Turn off the engine.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the
Coolant Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at the
ADD mark, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water (preferably distilled) and DEX-COOL TM
(orange-colored, silicate-free) antifreeze at the coolant
recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the Index for
more kformation
)
Adding only plain water to your cooling system
can be dangerous. Plain water, or some other
liquid like alcohol, can boil before the proper
coolant mix will. Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant mix. With
plain water or the wrong mix, your engine could
get too hot but you wouldn’t get the overheat
warning. Your engine could catch fire and you or
others could be burned. Use
a 50/50 mix of clean
water and
DEX-COOL TM antifreeze.
1 NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use the recommended coolant and the proper
coolant mix.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
YOL -an be burned if you spill coolant on hot
engine parts. Coolant contains ethylene glycol
and it will
burn if the engine parts are hot
enough. Don’t spill coolant on
a hot engine.
*
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at
ADD, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there’s one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before
you do it.
I A CAUTION:
t ~ am and scalding liqu--_J from a hot cooling
system can blow out and burn you badly. They
are under pressure, and if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
-- even a little -- they can come out
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAI JTTON: (Continued)
at high speed. Never turn the cap when the
cooling system, including the radiator pressure
cap, is hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure cap to cool if you ever have to
turn the pressure cap.
E
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
A
1. You can remove the radiator pressure cap when
the cooling system, including
the radiator pressure
cap and upper radiator hose, is
no longer hot. Turn
the pressure cap slowly counterclockwise until
it
first stops. (Don’t press down while turning the
pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop. A hiss means
there
is still some pressure left.
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap, but now push
down
as you turn it. Remove the pressure cap.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix, up to the base
of the filler neck.
4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to the ADD mark.
5. Put the cap back on the coolant recovery tank, but
leave
the radiator pressure cap off.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 6. Start the engine and let it run until you can feel the
upper radiator hose getting hot. Watch out for the
engine fan.
filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add
more
of the proper mix through the filler neck until
the level reaches the base of the filler neck.
7. By this time the coolant level inside the radiator
8.' Then replace the pressure cap. At any time during
this procedure
if coolant begins to flow out of the
filler neck, reinstall the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on the pressure cap line up like this.
, 5-19

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Engine Fan Noise
This vehicle has a clutched engine cooling fan. When
the
clutch is engaged, the fan spins faster to provide
more air to cool the engine. In most every day driving
conditions, the clutch is
not engaged. This improves
fuel economy and reduces fan noise. Under heavy
vehicle loading, trailer towing and/or high outside
temperatures, the’ fan speed increases when
the clutch
engages.
So you may hear an increase in fan noise.
This is normal and should not be mistaken as
the
transmission slipping or making extra shifts. It is
merely the cooling system functioning properly. The
fan will slow down when additional cooling
is not
required and the clutch disengages.
You may also hear this fan noise when you start the
engine. It will go away as the fan clutch disengages.
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely
to leak out slowly.
But
if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what to expect and what
to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls
the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip
the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like
a skid and may require the same correction you’d use in
a skid. In any rear blowout, remove your
foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get
the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle
to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can
still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment
to change a flat tire safely.
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