2005 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER light

Hydroplaning does not happen often. But it can if your
tires do not have much tread or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot of water is standing
on the road. If you can see reections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and raindrops dimple
the water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just is not a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning.
The best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
Notice:If you drive too quickly through deep
puddles or standing water, water can come in
through your engine’s air intake and badly damage
your engine. Never drive through water that is
slightly lower than the underbody of your vehicle. If
you cannot avoid deep puddles or standing water,
drive through them very slowly.
Driving Through Flowing Water
{CAUTION:
Flowing or rushing water creates strong forces.
If you try to drive through owing water, as you
might at a low water crossing, your vehicle can
be carried away. As little as six inches of
owing water can carry away a smaller vehicle.
If this happens, you and other vehicle
occupants could drown. Do not ignore police
warning signs, and otherwise be very cautious
about trying to drive through owing water.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you
pass another vehicle. Allow yourself more clear
room ahead, and be prepared to have your
view restricted by road spray.
Have good tires with proper tread depth. SeeTires
on page 5-50.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You will want to watch out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals.Here are ways to increase your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city map and plan your trip into
an unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and crisscross
most large cities. You will save time and energy.
SeeFreeway Driving on page 4-33.
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough
to need it. When a light turns green, and just before
you start to move, check both ways for vehicles
that have not cleared the intersection or may
be running the red light.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways — also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes, or superhighways — are the
safest of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the
same speed most of the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic ow.
Treat the left lane on a freeway as a passing lane.At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to check
traffic. Try to determine where you expect to blend with
the ow. Try to merge into the gap at close to the
prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check your
mirrors, and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic ow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it is slower.
Stay in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there is not another vehicle in
your blind spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to
move slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the
proper lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do
not, under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive
on to the next exit.
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You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area, or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.
Also seeTires on page 5-50.
Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ashlight, a red
cloth, and reective warning triangles. And, if you will be
driving under severe conditions, include a small bag
of sand, a piece of old carpet, or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
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You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You cannot see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
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Rocking Your Vehicle to Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That
will clear the area around your front wheels. If you have
a four-wheel-drive vehicle, shift into 4HI. Then shift
back and forth between REVERSE (R) and a forward
gear, spinning the wheels as little as possible. Release
the accelerator pedal while you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. By slowly spinning your wheels in the forward
and reverse directions, you will cause a rocking
motion that may free your vehicle. If that does not get
you out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out.
Or, you can use your recovery hooks if your vehicle
has them. If you do need to be towed out, seeTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-49.
Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle may be equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks are provided at the front of your
vehicle. You may need to use them if you’re stuck
off-road and need to be pulled to some place where you
can continue driving.
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Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle may be equipped with a seven-wire trailer
towing harness. This harness has a seven-pin
universal heavy-duty trailer connector that is attached to
a bracket on the hitch platform. The seven-wire
harness contains the following trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Running Lamps
White: Ground
Light Green: Back-up Lamps
Dark Blue: Electric Brakes
Red: Battery Feed (The chassis wiring ring terminal
must be fastened to a stud on the underhood
electrical center before the trailer feed will
become active.)
If you need to tow a light-duty trailer with a standard
four-way round pin connector, an adapter connector is
available from your dealer.
Your vehicle is also equipped with wiring for an electric
trailer brake controller. These wires are located
inside the vehicle on the driver’s side under the
instrument panel. These wires should be connected to
an electric trailer brake controller by your dealer or
a qualied service center.
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{CAUTION:
If you spill fuel and then something ignites it,
you could be badly burned. Fuel can spray out
on you if you open the fuel cap too quickly.
This spray can happen if your tank is nearly
full, and is more likely in hot weather. Open
the fuel cap slowly and wait for any hiss noise
to stop. Then unscrew the cap all the way.
Be careful not to spill fuel. Do not top off or overll the
tank and wait a few seconds after you have nished
pumping before removing the nozzle. Clean fuel
from painted surfaces as soon as possible. See
Washing Your Vehicle on page 5-84.
When replacing the fuel cap, turn it clockwise until it
clicks. Make sure the cap is fully installed. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has
been left off or improperly installed. This would allow fuel
to evaporate into the atmosphere. SeeMalfunction
Indicator Lamp on page 3-41.
There may also be a light that comes on in the
instrument panel to let you know if your gas cap is not
properly installed. SeeCheck Gas Cap Light on
page 3-48for more information.
{CAUTION:
If a re starts while you are refueling, do not
remove the nozzle. Shut off the ow of fuel by
shutting off the pump or by notifying the
station attendant. Leave the area immediately.
Notice:If you need a new fuel cap, be sure to get
the right type. Your dealer can get one for you.
If you get the wrong type, it may not t properly.
This may cause your malfunction indicator lamp to
light and may damage your fuel tank and emissions
system. SeeMalfunction Indicator Lamp on
page 3-41.
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