2005 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER Owners Manual

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your foot and pull up on the parking brake
lever located between the seats. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light on the instrument panel
cluster will come on. SeeBrake System Warning Light
on page 3-38.To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can
press in the button at the end of the lever. Hold the
button in as you move the parking brake lever all the
way down.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and you must park on a hill,
seeTowing a Trailer on page 4-53.
2-31

Shifting Into Park (P)
{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. 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, use
the steps that follow. With four-wheel drive,
your vehicle will be free to roll — even if your
shift lever is in PARK (P) — if your transfer case
is in NEUTRAL. So, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear — not in NEUTRAL. See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 2-27. Always put the
shift lever fully in PARK (P) with the parking
brake rmly set. If you are pulling a trailer, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-53.To shift into PARK (P), do the following:
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your foot and set
the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by pressing the
button on the side of the shift lever and pushing the
lever all the way toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. You know
your vehicle is in PARK (P) if the key can be
removed from the ignition.
2-32

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. SeeFour-Wheel
Drive on page 2-27.
And, if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch re.
You or others could be injured. Do not 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 have 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 was not fully locked into
PARK (P).Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you do not shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. You may nd it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque
lock.” To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To nd out how, seeShifting Into
Park (P) on page 2-32.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
2-33

Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply the regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. SeeAutomatic Transmission
Operation on page 2-24.
Parking Over Things That Burn
{CAUTION:
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Do not
park over papers, leaves, dry grass or other
things that can burn.
2-34

Engine Exhaust
{CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you cannot see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)

Repairs were not done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modied improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
blow out any CO; and
Have your vehicle xed immediately.
2-35

Running the Engine While Parked
It is better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
{CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the climate control
system off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier caution under
Engine Exhaust on page 2-35.
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even if
the climate control fan is at the highest setting.
One place this can happen is a garage.
Exhaust — with CO — can come in easily.
NEVER park in a garage with the engine
running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
Winter Driving on page 4-37.
{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).
2-36

{CAUTION:
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, it will be
free to roll — even if the shift lever is in
PARK (P) — if the transfer case is in
NEUTRAL. So be sure the transfer case is in a
drive gear — not in NEUTRAL. SeeFour-Wheel
Drive on page 2-27.
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle will not
move. SeeShifting Into Park (P) on page 2-32.
If you are pulling a trailer, seeTowing a Trailer on
page 4-53.
Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
While sitting in a comfortable driving position, adjust the
rearview mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. Grip the mirror in the center to move it up or
down and side to side. The day/night control, located at
the bottom of the mirror, adjusts the mirror to reduce
headlamp glare from behind during evening or dark
conditions. Turn the control clockwise for night
use; return it to the center for daytime use.
Manual Rearview Mirror with
OnStar
®
The vehicle may have a rearview mirror with the
OnStar®system.
Control buttons for the OnStar
®system are at the
bottom of the mirror. See your GM dealer for more
information on the OnStar
®system and how to
subscribe to OnStar®. Also, seeOnStar®System on
page 2-47for more information about the services
OnStar
®provides.
2-37

Mirror Operation
While sitting in a comfortable driving position, adjust the
rearview mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. Grip it in the center to move it up or down and
side to side. The day/night control, located at the
bottom of the mirror, adjusts the mirror to reduce
headlamp glare from behind during evening or dark
conditions. Move the control to the right for night
conditions. Return it to the center for daytime.
Manual Rearview Mirror with
Compass
The vehicle may have a manual rearview mirror with an
eight-point compass display located in the upper right.
Mirror Operation
While sitting in a comfortable position, adjust the
rearview mirror so you can see clearly behind your
vehicle. Grip it in the center and move it up or down and
side to side. The day/night control, located at the
bottom of the mirror, adjusts the mirror to reduce
headlamp glare from behind during evening or dark
conditions. Push the control for daytime use; pull it for
night use.
Compass Display
O
(On/Off):Press this button to turn the compass on
or off. The compass display, can show a maximum
of two characters. For example, NE is displayed
for north-east.
When the ignition and the compass/temperature
feature are on, character boxes will appear for about
two seconds. After two seconds, the mirror will display
the direction the vehicle is facing.
Compass Calibration
When on, the compass automatically calibrates as the
vehicle is driven. If, after two seconds, the display
does not show a compass direction, (N for North, for
example), there may be a strong magnetic eld
interfering with the compass. Such interference may be
caused by a magnetic antenna mount, magnetic
note pad holder, or a similar magnetic item. If the letter
C should ever appear in the compass window, the
compass may need calibration.
Press and hold the on/off button for nine seconds to
activate the compass calibration mode. CAL will
be displayed in the compass window on the mirror.
The mirror can be calibrated by driving the vehicle in
circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less until the display shows
a direction.
2-38