1996 CHEVROLET BLAZER check engine

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 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. Check to make sure all underbody
shields (if
so equipped) are properly attached. 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.
0 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.
A CAUTION:
0 Cargo on the load floor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can
be tossed about when driving over rough
terrain. You or your passengers can
be struck by flying objects. Secure the
cargo properly,
Heavy loads on the roof raise the vehicle’s
center of gravity, making it more likely to
roll over. You can be seriously
or fatally
injured if the vehicle rolls over, Put heavy
loads inside the cargo area, not on the roof,
Keep cargo in the cargo area as far forward
and low as possible.
You’ll find other important information in
this manual.
See “Vehicle Loading,” “Luggage Carrier” and “Tires”
in the Index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires and exhaust system
for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
Driving at Night
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Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that
some drivers are likely to be impaired -- by
alcohol
or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively.
0 Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to
glare from headlamps behind you.
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting
to night. But if you’re driving,
don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down
on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights.
It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes
to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
Keep
your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt
on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a
film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and
flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your
eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less
of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it’s easier
to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim,
so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren’t even aware of it.
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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.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Freeway Driving The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat
the
left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.
At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If
you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where
you expect to
blend with the
flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch
on your turn signal, check
~ your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try
to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once
you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are
the safest
of
all roads. But they have their own special rules.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time
to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis”?
Or is
it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that can make
you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than n second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can
you do about highway hypnosis‘? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
If
you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway
as
an emergency.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Hill and Mountain Roads If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning
to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. (See “Off-Road
Driving”
in the Index for information about driving
off-road.)
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Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving
in flat or rolling terrain.
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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.
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.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0 . Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators’ from newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- ahything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck unper
your clothing to keep warm.
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Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehi I.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside.
CO could overcome you and kill , ,
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base
of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window
just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away from the wind.
This will help
keep
CO out.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
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