2004 CHEVROLET BLAZER engine

Tow/Haul Mode Light
This light should come on
when the tow/haul mode
has been selected.
For more information, see “Tow/Haul Mode” under
Towing a Trailer on page 4-60.
Check Gages Warning Light
The CHECK GAGES light
will come on briey when
you are starting the
engine.
If this light comes 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.
Gate Ajar Light
If this light comes on, your
endgate or liftglass is ajar.
Try closing the tailgate
or liftglass again. Never
drive with the tailgate
or liftglass even
partially open.
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Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, the fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have remaining.
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
This light comes on briey
when you start your
engine.
This light comes on when the fuel tank is low on fuel.
To turn if off, add fuel to the fuel tank. SeeFilling Your
Tank on page 5-7. United States
Canada
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Audio System(s)
Notice:Before adding any sound equipment to
your vehicle, like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone, or two-way radio, make sure that it can
be added by checking with your dealer. Also,
check federal rules covering mobile radio and
telephone units. If sound equipment can be added,
it is very important to do it properly. Added
sound equipment may interfere with the operation
of your vehicle’s engine, radio, or other systems,
and even damage them. Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment
that has been added improperly.
Figure out which audio system is in your vehicle, nd
out what your audio system can do, and how to operate
all of its controls.Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, the audio system can be
played even after the ignition is turned off. See
“Retained Accessory Power (RAP)” underIgnition
Positions on page 2-19.
Setting the Time for Radios without
Radio Data Systems (RDS)
Press and hold HR until the correct hour appears on the
display. Press and hold MIN until the correct minute
appears on the display. There is an initial two-second
delay before the clock goes into time-set mode.
Display the time with the ignition off, by pressing RCL,
HR, or MIN.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts — heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking — rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the traffic
and allow realistic following distances, you will eliminate a
lot of unnecessary braking. That means better braking
and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you are driving, brake
normally but do not pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and
the brake pedal will be harder to push.Anti-lock Brake System
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an advanced
electronic braking system that will help prevent a
braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on. This is normal.
If there is a problem with
the anti-lock brake system,
this warning light will
stay on. SeeAnti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light on page 3-29.
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Remember: Anti-lock does not change the time you
need to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance. If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you will not have time to apply
your brakes if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the brakes vibrate, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It is important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here is why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels. If there is no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction. If
you have ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you
will understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you are in a curve, speed is the one factor you
can control.
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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 — such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a “mirrored surface” — 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 4-7. 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
denite hazards. The greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” 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.
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 inated? Are the uid
levels up where they should be? What are the local
laws that apply to off-roading where you will be driving?
If you do not 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.
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Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental
concerns. GM recognizes these concerns and urge
every off-roader to follow these basic rules for protecting
the environment:
Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment — shrubs, owers, trees, grasses — or
disturb wildlife (this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground).
Always carry a litter bag — make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open res, where permitted,
camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch re from the
heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
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 is 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 will want to know
how to use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It is a good idea to practice in an area that is safe
and close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
skills. Here is 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 will need to respond to
vibrations and vehicle bounce.
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Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and I can not make it up the hill?
A:If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here is what youshoulddo:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep
it from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
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).
If your engine has stopped running, you will need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or shift to neutral 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 will be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down. It is
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 youmust notdo if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or pressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine and
regain forward momentum. This will not 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.
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 is steep enough to
cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you can
not make it up the hill, you must back straight
down the hill.
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