2004 CHEVROLET BLAZER checking oil

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-3
Adding Equipment to the Outside
of Your Vehicle...........................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-4
Gasoline Specications....................................5-5
California Fuel...............................................5-5
Additives.......................................................5-6
Fuels in Foreign Countries...............................5-6
Filling Your Tank............................................5-7
Filling a Portable Fuel Container.......................5-9
Checking Things Under the Hood....................5-10
Hood Release..............................................5-10
Engine Compartment Overview.......................5-12
Engine Oil...................................................5-13
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-17
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-19
Manual Transmission Fluid.............................5-22
Hydraulic Clutch...........................................5-23
Engine Coolant.............................................5-24
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-26
Engine Overheating.......................................5-27
Cooling System............................................5-29
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-36
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-36Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-38
Brakes........................................................5-39
Battery........................................................5-42
Jump Starting...............................................5-43
Rear Axle.......................................................5-47
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-48
Front Axle......................................................5-49
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-50
Halogen Bulbs..............................................5-50
Headlamps..................................................5-50
One-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-52
Two-Piece Front Turn Signal Lamps................5-53
Taillamps.....................................................5-54
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-54
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-55
Tires..............................................................5-57
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-67
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-68
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-70
Buying New Tires.........................................5-70
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-71
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-72
Wheel Replacement......................................5-73
Tire Chains..................................................5-74
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-75
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake uid, windshield washer
and other uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood, do the following:
1. Pull the handle
located inside the
vehicle on thelower
left side of the
instrument panel.
2. Release the secondary latch on the hood.
3. Lift the hood.
5-10

A. Battery. SeeBattery on page 5-42for more
information.
B. Coolant Recovery Tank. SeeEngine Coolant on
page 5-24for more information.
C. Engine Oil Dipstick. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13
for more information.
D. Engine Oil Fill. SeeEngine Oil on page 5-13for
more information.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped).
SeeAutomatic Transmission Fluid on page 5-19for
more information.
F. Power Steering Reservoir. SeePower Steering Fluid
on page 5-36for more information.
G. Brake Master Cylinder Reservoir. SeeBrakes on
page 5-39for more information.
H. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-17for more information.
I. Clutch Master Cylinder Reservoir. SeeHydraulic
Clutch on page 5-23for more information.
J. Engine Compartment Fuse Block. SeeFuses and
Circuit Breakers on page 5-99for more information.
K. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. SeeWindshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-38for more information.Engine Oil
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.
Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
5-13

How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine
what kind of transmission uid to use. SeePart D:
Recommended Fluids and Lubricants on page 6-33.
Add uid only after checking the transmission uid while
it is hot. (A cold check is used only as a reference.)
If the uid level is low, add only enough of the proper
uid to bring the level up to the HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much uid, generally less than
one pint (0.5 L).Don’t overll.
Notice:We recommend you use only uid labeled
DEXRON
®-III, because uid with that label is
made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by uid other than DEXRON
®-III is
not covered by your new vehicle warranty.
After adding uid, recheck the uid level as
described under “How to Check”.
When the correct uid level is obtained, push the
dipstick back in all the way; then ip the handle
down to lock the dipstick in place.
Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check
A good time to have it checked is when the engine oil is
changed. However, the uid in your manual transmission
doesn’t require changing.
How to Check
Becausethis operation can be a little difficult, you may
choose to have this done at your GM dealership service
department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or you could get a false reading.
Notice:Too much or too little uid can damage
your transmission. Too much can mean that some
of the uid could come out and fall on hot engine
part or exhaust system parts, starting a re.
Too little uid could cause the transmission to
overheat. Be sure to get an accurate reading if
you check your transmission uid.
Check the uid level only when your engine is off, the
vehicle is parked on a level place and the transmission
is cool enough for you to rest your ngers on the
transmission case.
5-22

What to Use
Use a mixture of one-halfclean, drinkable waterand
one-half DEX-COOL®coolant which won’t damage
aluminum parts. If you use this coolant mixture,
you don’t need to add anything else.
{CAUTION:
Adding only plain water to your cooling
system can be dangerous. Plain water, or
some other liquid such as alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mixture will. Your
vehicle’s coolant warning system is set for the
proper coolant mixture. With plain water or the
wrong mixture, your engine could get too hot
but you would not get the overheat warning.
Your engine could catch re and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mixture of clean,
drinkable water and the proper coolant.
Notice:If you use an improper coolant mixture, your
engine could overheat and be badly damaged. The
repair cost would not be covered by your warranty.
Too much water in the mixture can freeze and crack
the engine, radiator, heater core and other parts.If you have to add coolant more than four times a year,
have your dealer check your cooling system.
Notice:If you use the proper coolant, you do not
have to add extra inhibitors or additives which claim
to improve the system. These can be harmful.
Checking Coolant
The coolant recovery tank is located in the engine
compartment near the passenger side of the vehicle.
SeeEngine Compartment Overview on page 5-12
for more information on location.
5-25

Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the brake uid without taking off the cap.
Just look at the brake uid
reservoir. The uid level
should be above MIN.
If it is not, have your
brake system checked
to see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system,
make sure the level is above the MIN but not over
the MAX mark.
What to Add
When you do need brake uid, use only DOT-3 brake
uid. Use new brake uid from a sealed container
only. SeePart D: Recommended Fluids and Lubricants
on page 6-33.Always clean the brake uid reservoir cap and the
area around the cap before removing it. This will help
keep dirt from entering the reservoir.
{CAUTION:
With the wrong kind of uid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause a
crash. Always use the proper brake uid.
Notice:
Using the wrong uid can badly damage brake
system parts. For example, just a few drops of
mineral-based oil, such as engine oil, in your
brake system can damage brake system parts
so badly that they will have to be replaced.
Do not let someone put in the wrong kind of uid.
If you spill brake uid on your vehicle’s painted
surfaces, the paint nish can be damaged.
Be careful not to spill brake uid on your
vehicle. If you do, wash it off immediately.
SeeAppearance Care on page 5-89.
5-40

Center Rear Passenger Position, Safety Belts.....1-26
Center Seat Positions, Child Restraints..............1-51
Certication/Tire Label.....................................4-58
Chains, Tires..................................................5-74
Charging System Light....................................3-26
Check
Engine Light...............................................3-30
Gages Warning Light...................................3-35
Checking Brake Fluid......................................5-40
Checking Coolant............................................5-25
Checking Engine Oil........................................5-13
Checking Things Under the Hood......................5-10
Chemical Paint Spotting...................................5-95
Child Restraints
Center Seat Positions..................................1-51
Child Restraint Systems...............................1-37
Infants and Young Children...........................1-34
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers
for Children (LATCH System).....................1-44
Older Children.............................................1-31
Securing a Child Restraint Designed
for the LATCH System..............................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear
Outside Seat Position...............................1-46
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position..........................1-48
Top Strap...................................................1-41
Top Strap Anchor Location............................1-43
Where to Put the Restraint...........................1-40
Cigarette Lighter.............................................3-17Cleaning
Inside of Your Vehicle..................................5-90
Outside of Your Vehicle................................5-92
Underbody Maintenance...............................5-95
Weatherstrips..............................................5-92
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels..............................5-94
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses.......................5-93
Cleaning Fabric/Carpet....................................5-90
Cleaning Glass Surfaces..................................5-91
Cleaning Interior Plastic Components.................5-91
Cleaning Leather............................................5-91
Cleaning the Mirror.........................................2-43
Cleaning the Photocells...................................2-43
Cleaning the Top of the Instrument Panel...........5-91
Cleaning the Windshield, Backglass and
Wiper Blades..............................................5-94
Cleaning Tires................................................5-94
Cleaning Vinyl................................................5-90
Cleaning Wood Panels....................................5-91
Climate Control System...................................3-17
Outlet Adjustment........................................3-20
Clutch, Hydraulic.............................................5-23
Column Shift Lever.........................................2-36
Compact Spare Tire........................................5-88
Console Shift Lever.........................................2-37
Content Theft-Deterrent....................................2-16
Control of a Vehicle.......................................... 4-7
Convenience Net............................................2-59
Convenience System, Rear..............................2-60
3