Chevrolet Blazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
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Driving and Operating 187
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 188
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Off-Road Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Ignition Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 205
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 206
Active Fuel Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 207
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Tow/Haul Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Adaptive Cruise Control (Advanced) . . . . 217
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . 230
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . 232
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . 236
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 241
Trailer Towing
General Towing Information . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Driving Characteristics and Towing Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Trailer Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Towing Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Trailer Sway Control (TSC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Conversions and Add-Ons
Add-On Electrical Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . 252
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Driving and Operating 189
.Assume that other road users
(pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers)
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they may do
and be ready.
.Allow enough following distance between
you and the driver in front of you.
.Focus on the task of driving.
Impaired Driving
Death and injury associated with impaired
driving is a global tragedy.
{Warning
Drinking alcohol or taking drugs and then
driving is very dangerous. Your reflexes,
perceptions, attentiveness, and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol or drugs. You can have a
serious—or even fatal —collision if you
drive after drinking or taking drugs.
Do not drive while under the influence of
alcohol or drugs, or ride with a driver
who has been drinking or is impaired by
drugs. Find alternate transportation
home; or if you are with a group,
designate a driver who will remain sober.
Control of a Vehicle
Braking, steering, and accelerating are
important factors in helping to control a
vehicle while driving.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time. Deciding to push the brake
pedal is perception time. Actually doing it is
reaction time.
Average driver reaction time is about
three-quarters of a second. In that time, a
vehicle moving at 100 km/h (60 mph) travels
20 m (66 ft), which could be a lot of
distance in an emergency.
Helpful braking tips to keep in mind include:
.Keep enough distance between you and
the vehicle in front of you.
.Avoid needless heavy braking.
.Keep pace with traffic. If the engine ever stops while the vehicle is
being driven, brake normally but do not
pump the brakes. Doing so could make the
pedal harder to push down. If the engine
stops, there will be some power brake assist
but it will be used when the brake is
applied. Once the power assist is used up, it
can take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Steering
Electric Power Steering
Caution
To avoid damage to the steering system,
do not drive over curbs, parking barriers,
or similar objects at speeds greater than
3 km/h (1 mph). Use care when driving
over other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused by
misuse of the vehicle is not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
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Driving and Operating 195
Warning (Continued)
ignore police warnings and be very
cautious about trying to drive through
flowing water.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. Water can build
up under the vehicle's tires so they actually
ride on the water. This can happen if the
road is wet enough and you are going fast
enough. When the vehicle is hydroplaning, it
has little or no contact with the road.
There is no hard and fast rule about
hydroplaning. The best advice is to slow
down when the road is wet.
Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, other wet weather
driving tips include:
.Allow extra following distance.
.Pass with caution.
.Keep windshield wiping equipment in
good shape.
.Keep the windshield washer fluid reservoir
filled.
.Have good tires with proper tread depth.
SeeTires 0287.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode. See
Driver Mode Control 0214.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or through mountains
is different than driving on flat or rolling
terrain. Tips include:
.Keep the vehicle serviced and in good
shape.
.Check all fluid levels and brakes, tires,
cooling system, and transmission.
.Shift to a lower gear when going down
steep or long hills.
{Warning
Using the brakes to slow the vehicle on a
long downhill slope can cause brake
overheating, can reduce brake
performance, and could result in a loss of
braking. Shift the transmission to a lower
gear to let the engine assist the brakes
on a steep downhill slope.
{Warning
Coasting downhill in N (Neutral) or with
the ignition off is dangerous. This can
cause overheating of the brakes and loss
of steering assist. Always have the engine
running and the vehicle in gear.
.Drive at speeds that keep the vehicle in
its own lane. Do not swing wide or cross
the center line.
.Be alert on top of hills; something could
be in your lane (e.g., stalled car, crash).
.Pay attention to special road signs (e.g.,
falling rocks area, winding roads, long
grades, passing or no-passing zones) and
take appropriate action.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Snow or ice between the tires and the road
creates less traction or grip, so drive
carefully. Wet ice can occur at about 0 °C
(32 °F) when freezing rain begins to fall.
Avoid driving on wet ice or in freezing rain
until roads can be treated.
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222 Driving and Operating
you, but will not exceed the set speed.
It may apply limited braking, if necessary.
When braking is active, the brake lamps will
come on. The automatic braking may feel or
sound different than if the brakes were
applied manually. This is normal.
Passing a Vehicle While Using ACC
If the set speed is high enough, and the left
turn signal is used to pass a vehicle ahead
in the selected following gap, ACC may
assist by gradually accelerating the vehicle
prior to the lane change.
{Warning
When using ACC to pass a vehicle or
perform a lane change, the following
distance to the vehicle being passed may
be reduced. ACC may not apply sufficient
acceleration or braking when passing a
vehicle or performing a lane change.
Always be ready to manually accelerate
or brake to complete the pass or lane
change.Stationary or Very Slow-Moving Objects
{Warning
ACC may not detect and react to stopped
or slow-moving vehicles ahead of you. For
example, the system may not brake for a
vehicle it has never detected moving. This
can occur in stop-and-go traffic or when a
vehicle suddenly appears due to a vehicle
ahead changing lanes. Your vehicle may
not stop and could cause a crash. Use
caution when using ACC. Your complete
attention is always required while driving
and you should be ready to take action
and apply the brakes.
Irregular Objects Affecting ACC
ACC may have difficulty detecting the
following objects:
.Vehicles with cargo extending from the
back end.
.Non-standard shaped vehicles, such as
vehicle transport, vehicles with a side car
fitted, or horse carriages.
.Objects that are close to the front of your
vehicle. ACC Automatically Disengages
ACC may automatically disengage and the
driver will need to manually apply the
brakes to slow the vehicle when:
.The sensors are blocked.
.The Traction Control System (TCS) or
StabiliTrak/ESC system has activated or
been disabled.
.There is a fault in the system.
.The radar falsely reports a blockage when
driving in a desert or remote area with
no other vehicles or roadside objects.
.A DIC message may display to indicate
that ACC is temporarily unavailable.
The ACC indicator will turn white when ACC
is no longer active.
In some cases, when ACC is temporarily
unavailable, regular cruise control may be
used. See “Switching Between ACC and
Regular Cruise Control” in this section.
Always consider driving conditions before
using either cruise control system.
Notification to Resume ACC
ACC will maintain a following gap behind a
detected vehicle and slow your vehicle to a
stop behind that vehicle.
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Driving and Operating 225
Do not use ACC when driving on steep hills
or when towing a trailer. ACC will not detect
a vehicle in the lane while driving on steep
hills. The driver will often need to take over
acceleration and braking on steep hills,
especially when towing a trailer. If the
brakes are applied, the ACC disengages.
Disengaging ACC
There are three ways to disengage ACC:
.Step lightly on the brake pedal.
.Press*.
.PressJ.
Erasing Speed Memory
The ACC set speed is erased from memory if
Jis pressed or if the ignition is turned off.
Weather Conditions Affecting ACC
System operation may be limited under
snow, heavy rain, or road spray conditions.
Accessory Installations and Vehicle
Modifications
Do not install or place any object around
the front camera windshield area that would
obstruct the front camera view. Do not install objects on top of the vehicle
that overhang and obstruct the front
camera, such as a canoe, kayak, or other
items that can be transported on a roof rack
system. See
Roof Rack System 081.
Do not modify the hood, headlamps, or fog
lamps, as this may limit the camera’s ability
to detect an object.
Cleaning the Sensing System
The camera sensor on the windshield behind
the rearview mirror and the radar sensors
on the front of the vehicle can become
blocked by snow, ice, dirt, or mud. These
areas need to be cleaned for ACC to operate
properly.
If ACC will not operate, regular cruise control
may be available. See “Switching Between
ACC and Regular Cruise Control” in this
section. Always consider driving conditions
before using either cruise control system.
For cleaning instructions, see “Washing the
Vehicle” underExterior Care 0323.
Driver Assistance Systems
This vehicle may have features that work
together to help avoid crashes or reduce
crash damage while driving, backing, and
parking. Read this entire section before
using these systems.
{Warning
Do not rely on the Driver Assistance
Systems. These systems do not replace
the need for paying attention and driving
safely. You may not hear or feel alerts or
warnings provided by these systems.
Failure to use proper care when driving
may result in injury, death, or vehicle
damage. See Defensive Driving 0188.
Under many conditions, these systems
will not:
.Detect children, pedestrians, bicyclists,
or animals.
.Detect vehicles or objects outside the
area monitored by the system.
.Work at all driving speeds.
.Warn you or provide you with enough
time to avoid a crash. (Continued)
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228 Driving and Operating
with a trailer coupler. Select the trailer
guidance line button, then align the trailer
guidance line over the trailer coupler.
Continuously steer the vehicle to keep the
guidance line centered on the coupler when
backing. RVC Park Assist overlays will not
display when the trailer guidance line is
active. Hitch Guidance is only available in
Standard View.
To check the trailer when in a forward gear
above 12 km/h (8 mph), touch CAMERA on
the infotainment display to view the rear
camera. Touch X to exit the view or it will
be removed automatically after
eight seconds.
{Warning
Use Hitch Guidance only to help back the
vehicle to a trailer hitch or, when
traveling above 12 km/h (8 mph), to
briefly check the status of your trailer. Do
not use for any other purpose, such as
making lane change decisions. Before
making a lane change, always check the
mirrors and glance over your shoulder.
Improper use could result in serious
injury to you or others.Surround Vision
If equipped, Surround Vision shows an
image of the area surrounding the vehicle,
along with the front or rear camera views
on the infotainment display. The front
camera is in the grille or near the front
emblem, the side cameras are on the
bottom of the outside mirrors, and the rear
camera is above the license plate.
The Surround Vision system can be accessed
by selecting CAMERA in the infotainment
display or when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse). To return to the previous screen
sooner, press any button on the
infotainment system, shift into P (Park),
or reach a vehicle speed of approximately
12 km/h (8 mph).
{Warning
The Surround Vision cameras have blind
spots and will not display all objects near
the corners of the vehicle. Folding outside
mirrors that are out of position may not
display surround view correctly. Always
check around the vehicle when parking or
backing.
1. Views Displayed by the Surround
Vision Cameras
2. Area Not Shown
1. Views Displayed by the Surround Vision Cameras
2. Area Not Shown
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230 Driving and Operating
Blocked sensors will not detect objects and
can also cause false detections. Keep the
sensors clean of mud, dirt, snow, ice, and
slush; and clean sensors after a car wash in
freezing temperatures.
{Warning
The Park Assist system does not detect
children, pedestrians, bicyclists, animals,
or objects below the bumper or that are
too close or too far from the vehicle. It is
not available at speeds greater than
8 km/h (5 mph). To prevent injury, death,
or vehicle damage, even with Park Assist,
always check the area around the vehicle
and check all mirrors before backing.
The instrument cluster may have a Park
Assist display with bars that show“distance
to object” and object location information for RPA. As the object gets closer, more bars
light up and the bars change color from
yellow to amber to red.
When an object is first detected in the rear,
one beep will be heard from the rear,
or both sides of the Safety Alert Seat will
pulse two times. When an object is very
close (<0.6m (2 ft) in the vehicle rear, five
beeps will sound from the rear or both sides
of the Safety Alert Seat will pulse five times.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
If equipped, RCTA shows a red warning
triangle with a left or right pointing arrow
on the infotainment display to warn of
traffic coming from the left or right. This
system detects objects coming from up to
20 m (65 ft) from the left or right side of
the vehicle. When an object is detected,
three beeps sound from the left or right,
depending on the direction of the detected
vehicle.
Use caution while backing up when towing
a trailer, as the RCTA detection zones that
extend out from the back of the vehicle do
not move further back when a trailer is
towed.
Turning the Features On or Off
To turn RPA on or off, pressXon the
center console. The indicator light next to
the button comes on when the features are
on and turns off when the features have
been disabled.
RCTA and Rear Park Assist symbols can be
turned on or off through vehicle
personalization. See “Collision/Detection
Systems” underVehicle Personalization
0 113.
Turn off RPA when towing a trailer.
Assistance Systems for Driving
If equipped, when driving the vehicle in a
forward gear, Forward Collision Alert (FCA),
Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep
Assist (LKA), Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA),
Lane Change Alert (LCA), Automatic
Emergency Braking (AEB), and/or the Front
Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System can help to
avoid a crash or reduce crash damage.
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System
If equipped, the FCA system may help to
avoid or reduce the harm caused by
front-end crashes. When approaching a
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232 Driving and Operating
rapidly which can cause a brief, mild
deceleration. Continue to apply the brake
pedal as needed. Cruise control may be
disengaged when the Collision Alert occurs.
Tailgating Alert
The vehicle ahead indicator will display
amber when you are following a vehicle
ahead much too closely.
Selecting the Alert Timing
The Collision Alert control is on the steering
wheel. Press
[to set the FCA timing to
Far, Medium, or Near, or on some vehicles,
Off. The first button press shows the current
setting on the Driver Information Center
(DIC). Additional button presses will change
this setting. The chosen setting will remain
until it is changed and will affect the timing
of both the Collision Alert and the Tailgating
Alert features. The timing of both alerts will
vary based on vehicle speed. The faster the
vehicle speed, the farther away the alert will
occur. Consider traffic and weather
conditions when selecting the alert timing.
The range of selectable alert timings may
not be appropriate for all drivers and driving
conditions.
If your vehicle is equipped with Adaptive
Cruise Control (ACC), changing the FCA
timing setting automatically changes the
following gap setting (Far, Medium,
or Near).
Following Distance Indicator
The following distance to a moving vehicle
ahead in your path is indicated in following
time in seconds on the Driver Information
Center (DIC). See Driver Information Center
(DIC) (Base and Midlevel) 0107 or Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel)
0
110. The minimum following time is
0.5 seconds away. If there is no vehicle
detected ahead, or the vehicle ahead is out
of sensor range, dashes will be displayed.
Unnecessary Alerts
FCA may provide unnecessary alerts for
turning vehicles, vehicles in other lanes,
objects that are not vehicles, or shadows.
These alerts are normal operation and the
vehicle does not need service.
Cleaning the System
If the FCA system does not seem to operate
properly, this may correct the issue:
.Clean the outside of the windshield in
front of the rearview mirror.
.Clean the entire front of the vehicle.
.Clean the headlamps.
Automatic Emergency
Braking (AEB)
If the vehicle has Forward Collision Alert
(FCA), it also has AEB, which includes
Intelligent Brake Assist (IBA). When the
system detects a vehicle ahead in your path
that is traveling in the same direction that
you may be about to crash into, it can