2003 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER four wheel drive

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake ®rmly set.
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll ± even if your lever is in
PARK (P) ± if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear ± not NEUTRAL. See ªFour-Wheel
Drive (Automatic Transfer Case)º in the Index.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch ®re.
You or others could be injured. Don't leave
your vehicle with the engine running unless
you have to.
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is ®rmly set before you leave it. After
you've moved the shift lever into PARK (P), hold
the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can
move the shift lever away from PARK (P) without ®rst
pressing the button on the console shift lever. If you
can, it means that the shift lever wasn't fully locked
into PARK (P).
2-30

{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake ®rmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Do not leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you have left
the engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground, always
set your parking brake and move the shift
lever to PARK (P).
{CAUTION:
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll Ð even if your shift lever is in
PARK (P) Ð if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear Ð not in NEUTRAL. See
Four-Wheel
Drive on page 2-24
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will not
move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-29.
If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on
page 4-50.
2-33

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-6
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-7
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-15
Interior Lamps..............................................3-18
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-20
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter........................3-20
Climate Controls............................................3-21
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-21
Dual Automatic Climate Control System...........3-24
Rear Climate Control System.........................3-30
Steering Wheel Climate Controls.....................3-34
Climate Controls Personalization.....................3-34Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-35
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-36
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-37
Tachometer.................................................3-38
Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-38
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-38
Charging System Light..................................3-39
Voltmeter Gage............................................3-40
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-41
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-42
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-42
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-43
Oil Pressure Gage........................................3-46
Change Engine Oil Light................................3-47
Security Light...............................................3-47
Cruise Control Light......................................3-48
Reduced Engine Power Light.........................3-48
Service Four-Wheel Drive Warning Light..........3-49
Check Gages Warning Light...........................3-49
Gate Ajar Light.............................................3-50
Fuel Gage...................................................3-50
Low Fuel Warning Light.................................3-51
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Exterior Lamp Controls. See
Exterior Lamps on
page 3-15.
B. Air Outlets. See ªOutlet Adjustmentº under
Dual
Climate Control System on page 3-21.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
D. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-36.
E. Ignition Switch. See
Ignition Positions on page 2-19.
F. Transfer Case Controls or Traction Control Button.
See ªAutomatic Transfer Caseº under
Four-Wheel
Drive on page 2-24.
G. Rear Window Washer/Wiper. See ªRear Window
Washer/Wiperº under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
on page 3-7.
H. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-64.I. Climate Controls. See
Dual Climate Control System
on page 3-21.
J. Hood Release. See
Hood Release on page 5-10.
K. Ashtray. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-20.
L. Shift Lever. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-29.
M. Lighter. See
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter on
page 3-20.
N. Accessory Power Outlet. See
Accessory Power
Outlets on page 3-20.
O. Rear Window Defogger. See ªRear Window
Defoggerº under
Dual Climate Control System on
page 3-21.
P. Glove Box. See
Glove Box on page 2-43.
3-5

Service Four-Wheel Drive Warning
Light
This light should come on brie¯y when you turn on the
ignition, as a check to show you it is working.
The SERVICE 4WD light comes on to indicate that
there may be a problem with the drive system and
service is required. Malfunctions can be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent, which may
prevent serious damage to the vehicle. This system is
also designed to assist your service technician in
correctly diagnosing a malfunction.
Check Gages Warning Light
The CHECK GAGES light will come on brie¯y when you
are starting the engine.
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. United StatesCanada
United StatesCanada
3-49

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.
·It takes a little more or less fuel to ®ll 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
®ll the tank.
·The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
·The gage doesn't go back to empty when you turn
off the ignition.
Low Fuel Warning Light
The light next to the fuel gage will come on brie¯y when
you are starting the engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn it off, add fuel to the fuel tank.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
Your vehicle may have this feature. The DIC display
is located on the instrument panel cluster above
the steering wheel. The DIC can display information
such as the trip odometer, fuel economy and
personalization features. The DIC buttons are located
on the steering wheel.
A.Trip Information:Press this button to display the
odometer, trip odometer and the timer.
B.Fuel Information:Press this button to display the
current range, average fuel economy, instant
fuel economy and engine oil life.
C.Personalization:Press this button to change
personal settings for some of the options on your
vehicle.
D.Select:Press this button to reset certain functions
and turn off or acknowledge messages on the DIC.
3-51

Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle..........4-2
Defensive Driving...........................................4-2
Drunken Driving.............................................4-2
Control of a Vehicle........................................4-5
Braking.........................................................4-6
Traction Assist System (TAS)...........................4-9
Locking Rear Axle........................................4-10
Steering......................................................4-10
Off-Road Recovery.......................................4-12
Passing.......................................................4-13
Loss of Control.............................................4-14
Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive
Vehicle....................................................4-15
Driving at Night............................................4-29
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads..................4-30City Driving..................................................4-33
Freeway Driving...........................................4-34
Before Leaving on a Long Trip.......................4-35
Highway Hypnosis........................................4-36
Hill and Mountain Roads................................4-36
Winter Driving..............................................4-38
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow...................................................4-42
Towing..........................................................4-44
Towing Your Vehicle.....................................4-44
Recreational Vehicle Towing...........................4-44
Loading Your Vehicle....................................4-48
Adding a Snow Plow or Similar Equipment.......4-50
Towing a Trailer...........................................4-50
Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
4-1

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 will 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 Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.Off-Road Driving with Your
Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive. Also, seeBraking on page 4-6. If your vehicle
does not have four-wheel drive, you should not
drive off-road unless you are on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have
some de®nite hazards. The greatest of these is
the terrain itself.
ªOff-roadingº means you have left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes are not
marked. Curves are not banked. There are no
road signs. Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or
downhill. In short, you have gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that
is why it is very important that you read this guide.
You will ®nd many driving tips and suggestions. These
will help make your off-road driving safer and more
enjoyable.
4-15