2004 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER spare tire

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.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
The heaviest things should be on the load oor and
forward of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain does not toss things around.
{CAUTION:
Cargo on the load oor piled higher than
the seatbacks can be thrown forward
during a sudden stop. You or your
passengers could be injured. Keep cargo
below the top of the seatbacks.
Unsecured cargo on the load oor can be
tossed about when driving over rough
terrain. You or your passengers can be
struck by ying 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
injured 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 will nd other important information in this manual.
SeeLoading Your Vehicle on page 4-47,Luggage
Carrier on page 2-44andTires on page 5-52.
4-16

Service............................................................5-3
Doing Your Own Service Work.........................5-4
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle..............................................5-4
Fuel................................................................5-4
Gasoline Octane............................................5-5
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...................................................5-15
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter................................5-20
Automatic Transmission Fluid.........................5-21
Engine Coolant.............................................5-23
Radiator Pressure Cap..................................5-25
Engine Overheating.......................................5-26
Cooling System............................................5-28
Engine Fan Noise.........................................5-34
Power Steering Fluid.....................................5-35Windshield Washer Fluid................................5-36
Brakes........................................................5-37
Battery........................................................5-40
Jump Starting...............................................5-41
Rear Axle.......................................................5-46
Four-Wheel Drive............................................5-46
Front Axle......................................................5-47
Bulb Replacement..........................................5-48
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps...................5-48
Replacement Bulbs.......................................5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement..............5-49
Tires..............................................................5-52
Ination - Tire Pressure.................................5-60
Tire Inspection and Rotation...........................5-61
When It Is Time for New Tires.......................5-62
Buying New Tires.........................................5-63
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..........................5-64
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance..................5-65
Wheel Replacement......................................5-65
Tire Chains..................................................5-67
If a Tire Goes Flat........................................5-67
Changing a Flat Tire.....................................5-68
Spare Tire...................................................5-83
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
5-1

Vehicle Maximum Load on the Tire:Load on an
individual tire due to curb weight, accessory weight,
occupant weight and cargo weight.
Vehicle Placard:A label permanently attached to a
vehicle showing the original equipment tire size
and recommended ination pressure. SeeLoading Your
Vehicle on page 4-47.
Ination - Tire Pressure
The tire and loading information label, shows the correct
ination pressures for your tires when they’re cold.
“Cold” means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km). See
Loading Your Vehicle on page 4-47, for the location
of your vehicle’s tire and loading information label.
Notice:Don’t let anyone tell you that underination
or overination is all right. It’s not. If your tires
don’t have enough air (underination), you can get
the following:
Too much exing
Too much heat
Tire overloading
Bad wear
Bad handling
Bad fuel economyIf your tires have too much air (overination), 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.
How to Check
Use a good quality pocket-type gage to check tire
pressure. You can’t tell if your tires are properly inated
simply by looking at them. Radial tires may look
properly inated even when they’re underinated. Check
the tire’s ination pressure when the tires are cold.
Cold means your vehicle has been sitting for at least
three hours or driven no more than 1 mile (1.6 km).
Remove the valve cap from the tire valve stem. Press
the tire gage rmly onto the valve to get a pressure
measurement. If the cold tire ination pressure matches
the recommended pressure on the tire and loading
information label, no further adjustment is necessary. If
the pressure is low, add air until you reach the
recommended amount.
5-60

If you overll the tire, release air by pushing on the
metal stem in the center of the tire valve. Recheck the
tire pressure with the tire gage.
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 5,000 to 8,000 miles
(8 000 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. SeeWhen It Is Time
for New Tires on page 5-62andWheel Replacement
on page 5-65for more information.
Make sure the spare tire is stored securely. Push, pull,
and then try to rotate or turn the tire. If it moves,
use the wheel wrench to tighten the cable. For
information on storing or removing the spare tire, see
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-68.The purpose of regular rotation is to achieve more
uniform wear for all tires on the vehicle. The rst rotation
is the most important. SeeScheduled Maintenance
on page 6-4.
When rotating your tires, always use the correct rotation
pattern shown here.
5-61

Uniform Tire Quality Grading
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the
tire sidewall between tread shoulder and maximum
section width. For example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA Temperature A
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 limited-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 specied government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and
a half (1.5) 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 signicantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction – AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A,
B, and C. Those grades represent the tire’s ability
to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled
conditions on specied government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance. Warning: The traction grade
assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead braking
traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
5-64

CAUTION: (Continued)
5. Do not allow passengers to remain in the
vehicle.
6. Put the wheel blocks at the front and rear
of the tire farthest away from the one
being changed. That would be the tire on
the other side, at the opposite end of the
vehicle.
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools
TrailBlazer
5-69

The jacking equipment you will need is stored under the
rear seat in the TrailBlazer or in the left rear quarter
panel storage compartment in the TrailBlazer EXT. To
release the jack from its holder, turn the knob on
the jack counterclockwise to lower the jack head. See
Rear Seat Operation on page 1-6for more information
on accessing the jacking equipment.The tools you’ll be using include the wheel wrench (A),
wheel blocks (B), extension(s) (socket end) (C),
handle (jack end) (D), and jack (E). The Trailblazer EXT
will include an additional extension.
The following instructions explain how to remove the
spare tire mounted underneath your vehicle.
Notice:If you remove or restow a tire from/to the
storage position under the vehicle when it is
supported by a jack, you could damage the tire
and/or your vehicle. Always remove or restow a tire
when the vehicle is on the ground. TrailBlazer EXT
5-70

1. To remove the underbody-mounted spare, insert
the socket end of the extension on a 45 °angle
downward into the hoist drive shaft hole. It is
exposed when the rear gate is open and is just
above the rear bumper. Be sure the socket end of
the extension connects to the hoist shaft.2. Turn the wheel wrench counterclockwise to lower
the spare tire. Keep turning the wheel wrench until
the spare tire can be pulled out from under the
vehicle.
If the spare tire does not lower to the ground, the
secondary latch is engaged causing the tire
not to lower. See “Secondary Latch System” later in
this section.
When the tire has been completely lowered, tilt the
retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the wheel opening. Pull the tire out from under
the vehicle.
Notice:If you drive away before the spare tire or
secondary latch system cable has been reinstalled,
you could damage your vehicle. Always reinstall
this cable before driving your vehicle.
3. Put the spare tire near the at tire.
5-71