2007 CHEVROLET TRAIL BLAZER Owners Manual

CAUTION: (Continued)
Do not use the climate control setting
for maximum air because it only
recirculates the air inside your vehicle.
SeeDual Climate Control System on
page 187orDual Automatic Climate
Control System on page 190.
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of
experience. Before setting out for the open road,
you’ll want to get to know your rig. Acquaint
yourself with the feel of handling and braking with
the added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are driving is
now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check all trailer hitch parts and
attachments, safety chains, electrical connection,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving
and then apply the trailer brake controller by hand
to be sure the brakes are working. This lets you
check your electrical connection at the same time.During your trip, check occasionally to be sure
that the load is secure, and that the lamps and any
trailer brakes are still working.Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead
as you would when driving your vehicle without
a trailer. This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a
good deal longer, you’ll need to go much farther
beyond the passed vehicle before you can
return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with
one hand. Then, to move the trailer to the left, just
move that hand to the left. To move the trailer
to the right, move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have someone
guide you.
377

Making Turns
Notice:Making very sharp turns while
trailering could cause the trailer to come in
contact with the vehicle. Your vehicle could be
damaged. Avoid making very sharp turns
while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider
turns than normal. Do this so your trailer
won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs, road signs,
trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
The arrows on your instrument panel will
ash whenever you signal a turn or lane change.
Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps will also
ash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the arrows on your
instrument panel will ash for turns even if the bulbs
on the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think
drivers behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check occasionally to
be sure the trailer bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gearbefore
you start down a long or steep downgrade. If you
don’t shift down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get hot and no
longer work well.
You can tow in DRIVE (D). You may want to shift
the transmission to THIRD (3) or a lower gear,
under heavy loads or hilly conditions.
When towing at high altitude on steep uphill
grades, consider the following: Engine coolant will
boil at a lower temperature than at normal
altitudes. If you turn your engine off immediately
after towing at high altitude on steep uphill grades,
your vehicle may show signs similar to engine
overheating. To avoid this, let the engine run while
parked (preferably on level ground) with the
automatic transmission in PARK (P) for a few
minutes before turning the engine off. If you do get
the overheat warning, seeEngine Overheating
on page 418.
378

Parking on Hills
{CAUTION:
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill,
here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet. When parking uphill, turn your
wheels away from the curb. When parking
downhill, turn your wheels into the curb.
2. Have someone place chocks behind the
trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the chocks
absorb the load.4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your
parking brake, and then shift into PARK (P).
5. Release the regular brakes.{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.
Always put the shift lever fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake rmly set.
If the transfer case on four-wheel drive
vehicles is in NEUTRAL, your vehicle will
be free to roll, even if your shift lever is in
PARK (P). So, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear — not in NEUTRAL.
SeeFour-Wheel Drive on page 121.
379

When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the
pedal down while you:
start your engine,
shift into a gear, and
release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when
you’re pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance
Schedule for more on this. Things that are
especially important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission uid (don’t overll), engine
oil, axle lubricant, belt(s), cooling system and
brake system. Each of these is covered in
this manual, and the Index will help you nd them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts
and bolts are tight.
380

Trailer Wiring Harness
Your vehicle may have a seven-wire trailer towing
harness. This harness may have a seven-pin
universal heavy-duty trailer connector (if equipped
with the trailering package) that is attached to a
bracket on the hitch platform or included with the
four-pin trailer towing harness. If your vehicle is
not equipped with the heavy-duty trailer connector,
you may purchase one from your dealer.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.
If you are charging a remote (non-vehicle) battery,
turn on the headlamps to boost the vehicle
system voltage and properly charge the battery.
381

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.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a four-pin
trailer towing harness. This harness has a four-pin
trailer connector that contains the following
trailer circuits:
Yellow: Left Stop/Turn Signal
Dark Green: Right Stop/Turn Signal
Brown: Running Lamps
White: GroundThis harness also contains the following trailer
circuits that are not connected to the four-pin trailer
connector:
Light Green: Back-Up Lamps
Dark Blue: Electric Brakes
Red: Battery Feed
If your vehicle is a TrailBlazer SS, you were
provided with a trailer wiring harness extension,
and instructions for installing this extension, when
your vehicle was delivered. This extension will
allow your vehicle’s trailer wiring harness to
be more easily accessible. There is a four-way
connector on the harness. A seven-way adapter
plug is also included in case your trailer requires it.
382

Service........................................................ 386
Accessories and Modications................... 386
California Proposition 65 Warning.............. 386
Doing Your Own Service Work.................. 387
Adding Equipment to the Outside of
Your Vehicle.......................................... 387
Fuel............................................................. 388
Gasoline Octane........................................ 388
Gasoline Specications.............................. 389
California Fuel........................................... 389
Additives................................................... 389
Fuels in Foreign Countries........................ 390
Filling the Tank......................................... 391
Filling a Portable Fuel Container............... 393
Checking Things Under the Hood.............. 394
Hood Release........................................... 394
Engine Compartment Overview.................. 396
Engine Oil................................................. 402
Engine Oil Life System.............................. 408
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter............................ 410Automatic Transmission Fluid.................... 411
Engine Coolant.......................................... 414
Radiator Pressure Cap.............................. 418
Engine Overheating................................... 418
Cooling System......................................... 420
Engine Fan Noise..................................... 425
Power Steering Fluid................................. 426
Windshield Washer Fluid........................... 427
Brakes...................................................... 428
Battery...................................................... 431
Jump Starting............................................ 432
All-Wheel Drive........................................... 438
Rear Axle.................................................... 438
Four-Wheel Drive........................................ 440
Front Axle................................................... 440
Bulb Replacement....................................... 442
Halogen Bulbs........................................... 442
Taillamps and Turn Signal Lamps............. 442
License Plate Lamp................................... 444
Replacement Bulbs................................... 444
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
383

Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement....... 444
Tires............................................................ 448
Winter Tires.............................................. 449
Tire Sidewall Labeling............................... 450
Tire Terminology and Denitions............... 454
Ination - Tire Pressure............................. 457
High-Speed Operation............................... 458
Tire Pressure Monitor System................... 459
Tire Inspection and Rotation...................... 464
When It Is Time for New Tires.................. 466
Buying New Tires...................................... 466
Different Size Tires and Wheels................ 468
Uniform Tire Quality Grading..................... 469
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance............ 470
Wheel Replacement.................................. 470
Tire Chains............................................... 472
Accessory Inator...................................... 472
If a Tire Goes Flat.................................... 474
Changing a Flat Tire................................. 474
Removing the Spare Tire and Tools.......... 476
Removing the Flat Tire and Installing
the Spare Tire....................................... 479Secondary Latch System........................... 484
Storing a Flat or Spare Tire and Tools...... 488
Spare Tire................................................. 491
Appearance Care........................................ 491
Cleaning the Inside of Your Vehicle.......... 491
Fabric/Carpet............................................. 493
Leather...................................................... 494
Instrument Panel, Vinyl, and Other
Plastic Surfaces..................................... 494
Care of Safety Belts.................................. 495
Weatherstrips............................................ 495
Washing Your Vehicle............................... 495
Cleaning Exterior Lamps/Lenses................ 496
Finish Care............................................... 496
Windshield, Backglass, and
Wiper Blades......................................... 497
Aluminum Wheels...................................... 498
Tires......................................................... 498
Sheet Metal Damage................................. 498
Finish Damage.......................................... 499
Underbody Maintenance............................ 499
Chemical Paint Spotting............................ 499
Vehicle Care/Appearance Materials............ 500
Section 5 Service and Appearance Care
384