1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER Owners Manual

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine A CAUTION:
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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
be
below
the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load floor can
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
in.jured
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.
Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide whoIesome and satisfying
recreation. However.
it also raises environmental
concerns.
GM recognizes these concerns and urges
every off-roader
to follow these basic rules for
protectins the environment:
Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside
for public off-road
recreational drivihg; obey all posted regulations.
0 Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment
-- shrubs. flowers. trees, grasses -- or
disturb wildlife
(this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees
or unnecessary driving through
streams or over
soft ground).
0 Always carry a litter bag . . . make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open fires (where permitted).
camp stoves and lanterns.
0 Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
cotnbustible materials that could catch fire
f1-0~11 the
heat
of the vehicle's exhaust system.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps of trails and terrain. Try to learn
of any
blocked or closed roads.
It’s also
a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle. If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have
a winch? If so. be sure to read
the winch instructions.
In a remote area, a winch can be
handy if you get stuck. But you’ll want to know how to
use
it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and
close to home before you
go into the wilderness.
Off-road
driving does require some new and different
driving
skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes. for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen for
unusual tire
or engine sounds. With your arms, hands,
feet and body, you’ll need to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce. Controlling
your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One of
the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep
in mind. At higher speeds:
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you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on
an unpaved surface.
I A CAUTION:
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out
of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash. So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over mLmy different kinds
of terrain.
You need to be fatniliar with the terrain and its
many different features.
Here are some things to consider.
Surface Cmditiom. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel. rocks. grass. sand, mud, snow
or ice. Each
of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration and brakinz
of your vehicle in different
ways. Depending upon the kind of surfxe you are on.
you may experience slipping. sliding. wheel spinning.
delayed acceieration, poor traction and longer
braking distances.
Sru-fnce 0hstcrcle.v. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous.
A rock. log hole. rut or bump CUI startle you if
you're not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden
by grass, bushes. snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear'?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead'?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill'? (There's
more discussion
of these sub-jects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quicklv'? When
you drive
over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface features can jerk the wheel out of
your hands if
you're not prepared.
When
you drive over bumps. rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave
the ground. If this happens. even
with one or two wheels, you can't control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because you
will be on an unpaved surface. it's
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration.
sudden
turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are
no road signs. posted speed limits or signal
lights. You have to
use your own good judgment about
what is
safe and what isn't.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road.
And this is certainty true for off-road driving. At
the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes. perceptions and judgment can be
affected
by even z1 small amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious -- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See "Drunken Driving" in the index.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely
on hills requires good judgment and
an understanding
of what your vehicle can and can’t do.
There are some hills that simply can’t be driven,
no
matter how well built the vehicle. incline
may get steeper as
you near the top, but you may
not see this because
the crest of the hill is hidden by
bushes, grass or shrubs.
Here are some other things
to consider as you approach
a
hill.
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I A CAUTION: 0
Many hills are simply too steep for any vehicle. If
you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you will roll over.
You could be
~ seriously injured or killed. If you have any doubt
~ about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just too steep to climb, descend or
cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very small
hill, for example, there
may be a smooth. constant
incline with
only a small change in elevation where you
can easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill, the
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Is there a constant incline, or does the hill get sharply
steeper in places?
Is there good traction on the hillside, or will the
surface cause tire slipping?
Is there a straight path up or down the hill so you
won’t have to make turning maneuvers?
Are there obstructions on the
hill that can block your
path (boulders. trees, logs or ruts)?
What’s beyond the hill?
Is there a cliff, an
embankment. a drop-off,
a fence? Get out and walk
the
hill if you don’t know. It’s the smart way to
find out.
Is the hill simply too rough? Steep hills often have
ruts, gullies, troughs and exposed rocks because they
are more susceptible
to the effects of erosion.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine 0
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Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up the hill, you
need to take some special steps.
Use
a low gear and get a firm grip or1 the
steering wheel.
Get
a smooth start up the hill and try to maintain
your speed. Don't use more power than you need.
because
you don't want your wheels to start spinning
or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the
hill if at all possible. If
the path twists and turns, you might want to find
another route.
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I A CAUTION:
Turning or driving across steep hills can be
dangerous. You could lose traction, slide
sideways, and
possibly roll over. You could be
seriously injured or killed. When driving up hills,
always try
to go straight up.
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Ease LIP on your speed as you approach the top of
the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible
to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
let opposing traffic know you.1-e there.
Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
you more 1:isible to oncoming traffic.
A CAUTION:
Driving to the top (crest) of a hill at full speed can
cause an accident. There could be
a drop-off,
embankment, cliff, or even another vehicle. You
could
be seriously injured or killed. As you near
the top of
a hill, slow down and stay alert.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine @ What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
to stall, and I can’t make it up the hill?
do. and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what
you should do:
0 Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
0 If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill
in REVERSE (R).
0 If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift
the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL (N) if your
vehicle has a manual transmission) and restart
the
engine. Then, shift to REVERSE (R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the
hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position. This
way, you’ll be able
to tell if your wheels are straight
and maneuver
as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather
than
in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will increase the possibility
of
a rollover.
Here are some things
you must not do if you stall, or are
about
to stall, when going up a hill.
0 Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL
(N) (or depressing the clutch, if you
have
a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. This
won’t work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake
to stop the
vehicle. Then apply
the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE
(R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back straight down.
0 Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up
a hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the hill, you must back straight down the hill.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) (or the manual transmission in
FIRST ( I )) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle
and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and
stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take
if it rolled downhill. Do not shift the transfer
case
to NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle.
Leave
it in some gear-.
~ A CAUTION:
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If you have a manual transfer case shift lever,
shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL
(Nj can
cause
your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in
PARK (P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even
if you’re in gear). This is
because the NEUTRAL
(N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going
to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or,
put your manual transmission in
FIRST (I)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL (N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the 2HI,4HI or 4LO position.
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Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number of things:
0 How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough‘? Slippery‘?
Hard-pac ked dirt
‘? Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts’?
Logs? Boulders’?
0 What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even
a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This
way. engine drag can help your brakes and
they
won‘t have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping
y)ur
ehick under control at all times.
I A CAUTION:
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Heavy braking when going aown a hill can cause
your brakes
to overheat and fade. This could
cause
loss of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending a hill
and use
a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
&= Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a
hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
0 When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep
to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
NEUTRAL (N). or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have
to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
0 Never go downhill with the transmission in
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