1997 CHEVROLET BLAZER service

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I NOTICE: (Continued) I
If your tires have too much air (overinflation),
you can get the following:
Unusual wear
Bad handling
Rough ride
Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check
Check your tires once a month or more. Also. check the
tire pressure
of the spare tire.
If you have a compact spare tire. it should be at 60 psi
(420 kPa).
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure.
You can't tell if your tires are properly inflated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inflated even when they're underinflated.
Be sure to
put the valve caps back on the valve stems.
They help prevent leaks by keeping out
dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
Tires should be rotated every 6.000 to 8.000 miles
(10 000 to 13 000 km). Any time you notice unusual
wear. rotate your tires
as soon as possible and check
wheel alignment.
Also check for damaged tires or
wheels. See "When It's Time for New Tires" and
"Wheel Replacement'' later
in this section for
more information.
The purpose
of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for
all tires on the vehicle. The first
rotation is the most important. See "Scheduled
Maintenance Services"
in the Index for scheduled
rotation intervals.
6-42

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine When It's Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it's
time
for new tires is to
check
the treadwear
indicators, which will
appear when your tires have
only
1 /16 inch ( 1.6 mm) or
less
of tread remaining.
You need
a new tire if any of the following statements
are true:
You can see the indicators at three or more places
around
the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing through the
tire's rubber.
0 The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or snagged deep
enough to
show cord or fabric.
0 The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut or other damage that
can't be repaired well because
of the size or location
of the damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you need. look at
the CertificatiodTire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when
it was new had
a Tire Performance Criteria Specification (TPC Spec)
number on each tire's sidewall. When
you get new tires.
your vehicle
will continue to have tires that are designed
to give proper endurance. handling, speed rating,
traction. ride and other things during
normal service on
your vehicle. If your tires have an all-season tread
design, the
TPC number will be followed by an "MS"
(for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those not having a
TPC Spec number, make sure they are the same size,
load range, speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial)
as your original tires.
t oet ones with that same TPC Spec number. That way
6-44

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine I A CAUTION:
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while
driving.
If you mix tires of different sizes or types
(radial and bias-belted tires), the vehicle may not
handle properly, and you could have a crash.
Using tires of different sizes may
also cause
damage to your vehicle. Be sure to use the same
size and type tires on all wheels.
It’s all right to drive with your compact spare
(if you have one). It was developed for use on
your vehicle.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the system
developed by
the United States National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature performance. (This
applies only
to vehicles sold in the United States.) The
grades are molded on the sidewalls
of most passenger
car tires.
The Uniform Tire Quality Grading system does
not apply to deep tread, winter-type snow tires,
space-saver or temporary use spare tires, tires with
nominal rim diameters
of 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm),
or
to some lirnited-production tires.
While the tires available
on General Motors passenger
cars and light trucks may vary with respect
to these
grades, they must also conform
to Federal safety
requirements and additional General Motors Tire
Performance Criteria (TPC) standards.
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on
the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of tires depends
upon
the actual conditions of their use, however, and
may depart significantly from the norm due to variations
in driving habits, service practices and differences
in
road characteristics and climate.
6-45

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Finish Damage
Any stone chips, fractures or deep scratches in the finish
should be repaired right
away. Bare metal will corrode
quickly and may develop into
a major repair expense.
Minor chips and scratches can be repaired
with touch-up
materials available from your dealer or other service
outlets. Larger areas of finish damage can be corrected
in your dealer’s body and paint shop.
Underbody Maintenance
Chemicals used for ice and snow removal and dust control
can collect on the underbody.
If these are not removed.
accelerated corrosion (rust) can occur
on the underbody
parts such
as fuel lines, frame. floor pan and exhaust system
even though they have corrosion protection.
At least every spring, flush these materials from the
underbody with plain water. Clean any areas where mud
and other debris can collect. Dirt packed
in closed areas
of the frame should be loosened before being flushed.
Your dealer or an underbody car washing system can do
this for you.
Chemical Paint Spotting
Some weather and atmospheric conditions can create a
chemical fallout. Airborne pollutants can fall upon and
attack painted surfaces
on your vehicle. This damage
can take two forms: blotchy, ringlet-shaped
discolorations, and small irregular dark spots etched into
the paint surface.
Although no defect
in the paint job causes this. GM will
repair, at no charge to the owner, the surfaces of new
vehicles damaged by
this fallout condition within
12 months or 12,000 miles (20 000 km) of purchase.
whichever occurs first.
6-56

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
I GM I SAMPLE4UXVM072675 I E‘ I
I
ENGINE/1997 T ASSEMBLY
CODE MODEL YEAR PLANT I
This is the legal identifier for your vehicle. It appears on
a plate in the front corner of the instrument panel. on the
driver’s side. You can see it
if you look through the
windshield from outside your vehicle. The
VIN also
appears on the Vehicle Certification and Service Parts
labels
and the certificates of title and registration.
Engine Identification
The 8th character in your VIN is the engine code. This
code will help you identify your engine. specifications
and replacement parts.
0 your VIN,
the model designation,
paint information and
a list of all production options and special equipment.
Be sure that this label
is not removed from the vehicle.
Electrical System
Add-on Electrical Equipment
Don’t add anything electrical to your vehicle unless
you check with your dealer first. Some electrical
equipment can damage your vehicle and the
damage wouldn’t be covered by your warranty.
Some add-on electrical equipment can keep other
components from working as they should.
Service Parts Identification Label
You‘ll find this label on the inside of the glove box. It’s
very helpful if you ever need to order parts. On this
label is: Your
vehicle
has an air bag system. Before attempting to
add anything electrical to your vehicle. see ”Servicing
Your
Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle’’ in the Index.
6-58

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Section 7 Maintenance Schedule
This section covers the maintenance required for your vehicle. Your vehicle needs these services to retain its safety,
dependability and emission control performance.
7-2
7-4
7-5
7-5
7-6
7-6
Introduction
Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services
Short Trip/City Definition
Short TripKity Intervals
Long Trip/Highway Definition
Long Trip/Highway Intervals
7-7 Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule
7-30 Long Trip/Highway Maintenance Schedule
7-46 Part B: Owner Checks and Services
7-50 Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections
7-52 Part D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
7-55 Part E: Maintenance Record

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine How This Section is Organized
The remainder of this section is divided into five parts:
“Part
A: Scheduled Maintenance Services” shows
what
to have done and how often. Some of these
services can be complex,
so unless you are technically
qualified and have the necessary equipment,
you should
let your dealer’s service department or another qualified
service center do these jobs.
A CAUTION:
Performing maintenance work on a vehicle can
be dangerous. In trying to do some jobs, you can
be seriously injured.
Do your own maintenance
work only if you have the required know-how
and the proper tools and equipment for the job.
If you have any doubt, have a qualified
technician do the work.
If you are skilled enough to do some work on your
vehicle, you will probably want to get the service
information
GM publishes. See “Service and Owner
Publications”
in the Index. “Part
B: Owner Checks and Services”
tells you
what should be checked and when. It also explains
what you can easily do
to help keep your vehicle in
good condition.
“Part C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections”
explains important inspections that your
GM dealer’s
service department or another qualified service center
should perform.
“Part
D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants” lists
some products
GM recommends to help keep your
vehicle properly maintained. These products, or their
equivalents, should be used whether
you do the work
yourself or have
it done.
“Part
E: Maintenance Record” provides a place for
you
to record the maintenance performed on your
vehicle. Whenever any maintenance is performed,
be
sure to write it down in this part. This will help you
determine when your next maintenance should be done.
In addition,
it is a good idea to keep your maintenance
receipts. They may be needed
to qualify your vehicle for
warranty repairs.
7-3

Downloaded from www.Manualslib.com manuals search engine Part A: Scheduled Maintenance
Services
Using Your Maintenance Schedule
We at General Motors want to help you keep your
vehicle in good working condition. But we don't know
exactly
how you'll drive it. You may drive very short
distances only a few times
a week. Or you may drive
long distances
all the time in very hot. dusty weather.
You may use your vehicle
in making deliveries. Or
you may drive
it to work. to do errands or in many
other ways.
Because
of all the different ways people use their GM
vehicles, maintenance needs vary. You may even need
more frequent checks and replacements than
you'll find
in the schedules in this section. So please read this
section and note how you drive.
If you.have any
questions
on how to keep your vehicle in good
condition, see your
GM dealer.
This part tells
you the maintenance services you should
have done and when you should schedule them.
If you
that GM-trained and supported service people
will
perform the work using genuine GM parts.
s 00 to your dealer for your service needs. you'll know The proper fluids
and lubricants
to use are listed in Part D.
Make sure whoever services your vehicle uses these. All
parts should be replaced and all necessary repairs done
before
you or anyone else drives the vehicle.
These schedules are
for vehicles that:
0
0
0
carry passengers and cargo within recommended
limits. You
will find these limits on your vehicle's
Certification/Tire label. See "Loading Your Vehicle"
in the Index.
are driven on reasonable road surfxes
within legal
driving limits.
are driven off-road
in the recommended manner. See
"Off-Road Driving With Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle''
in the Index.
use the recommended fuel. See "Fuel"
in the Index.
Selecting the Right Schedule
First you'll need to decide which of the two schedules is
right for your vehicle. Here's how to decide which
schedule to follow:
7-4