Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16263960) - 2023 - CRC - 2/23/22
102 Instruments and Controls
If the ABS warning light stays on, or comes
on again while driving, the vehicle needs
service. A chime may also sound when the
light stays on.
If the ABS warning light is the only light on,
the vehicle has regular brakes, but ABS is
not functioning.
If both the ABS warning light and the brake
system warning light are on, ABS is not
functioning and there is a problem with the
regular brakes. See your dealer for service.
SeeBrake System Warning Light 0100.
All-Wheel-Drive Light
All-Wheel-Drive LightFront-Wheel-Drive
Light
If equipped, the corresponding light comes
on when an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode or
Front-Wheel-Drive mode is selected. See
Driver Mode Control 0202. If the light turns amber, there may be a
malfunction. See your dealer.
Sport Mode Light
This light comes on when Sport Mode is
selected. See
Driver Mode Control 0202.
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light
If equipped, the Lane Keep Assist Light may
display the following colors:
.Blank: LKA is disabled.
.White: Appears when the vehicle starts.
A steady white light indicates that LKA is
not ready to assist.
.Green: Appears when LKA is turned on
and ready to assist. LKA will gently turn
the steering wheel if the vehicle
approaches a detected lane marking.
.Amber: Appears when LKA is active. The
light flashes amber as a Lane Departure
Warning (LDW) alert to indicate that the
lane marking has been unintentionally
crossed. If the system detects you are
steering intentionally (to pass or change
lanes), the LDW alert may not display.
LKA will not assist or alert if the turn signal
is active in the direction of lane departure,
or if LKA detects that you are accelerating,
braking, or actively steering. See Lane Keep
Assist (LKA) 0224.
Vehicle Ahead Indicator
If equipped, this indicator will display green
when a vehicle is detected ahead and amber
when you are following a vehicle ahead
much too closely.
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16263960) - 2023 - CRC - 2/23/22
110 Instruments and Controls
Follow Distance :When Adaptive Cruise
Control (ACC) is not engaged, the current
follow time to the vehicle ahead is displayed
as a time value on this page.
If equipped and when ACC has been
engaged, the display switches to the gap
setting page.
This page shows the current gap setting
along with the vehicle ahead indicator.
Driver Assistance : Displays the states of all
active safety systems.
Top Consumers : List of top comfort
consumers currently switched on is
displayed in descending order. Fuel saving
potential is indicated. During sporadic
driving conditions, the engine will activate
the heated rear window automatically. In
this event, the heated rear window is
indicated as one of the top consumers,
without activation by the driver.
Economy Trend : Shows history of the
Average Fuel Economy from the last 50 km
(30 mi). Each bar represents about 5 km
(3 mi) of driving. During driving the bars will
shift to always reflect the most recent
distance on the right side. Press and hold
the center toggle switch to clear the graph
or press
pto reset through the menu. ECO Index :
Provides feedback on the
efficiency of current driving behavior. The
bar graph shows a value that is based on
current fuel consumption compared to what
is expected from the vehicle with good and
bad driving habits.
Vehicle Messages
Messages displayed on the Driver
Information Center (DIC) indicate the status
of the vehicle or some action that may be
needed to correct a condition. Multiple
messages may appear one after another.
The messages that do not require
immediate action can be acknowledged and
cleared by pressing the thumbwheel. The
messages that require immediate action
cannot be cleared until that action is
performed.
All messages should be taken seriously;
clearing the message does not correct the
problem.
If a SERVICE message appears, see your
dealer. Follow the instructions given in the
messages. The system displays messages
regarding the following topics:
.Service Messages
.Fluid Levels
.Vehicle Security
.Brakes
.Steering
.Ride Control Systems
.Driver Assistance Systems
.Cruise Control
.Lighting and Bulb Replacement
.Wiper/Washer Systems
.Doors and Windows
.Seat Belts
.Airbag Systems
.Engine and Transmission
.Tire Pressure
.Battery
Engine Power Messages
ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED
This message displays when the vehicle's
propulsion power is reduced. A reduction in
propulsion power can affect the vehicle's
ability to accelerate. If this message is on,
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16263960) - 2023 - CRC - 2/23/22
Instruments and Controls 111
but there is no observed reduction in
performance, proceed to your destination.
Under certain conditions the performance
may be reduced the next time the vehicle is
driven. The vehicle may be driven while this
message is on, but maximum acceleration
and speed may be reduced. Anytime this
message stays on, or displays repeatedly,
the vehicle should be taken to your dealer
for service as soon as possible.
Under certain operating conditions,
propulsion will be disabled. Try restarting
after the ignition has been off for
30 seconds.
Vehicle Speed Messages
SPEED LIMITED TO XXX KM/H (MPH)
This message shows that the vehicle speed
has been limited to the speed displayed. The
limited speed is a protection for various
propulsion and vehicle systems, such as
lubrication, thermal, brakes, suspension,
Teen Driver if equipped, or tires.
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16263960) - 2023 - CRC - 2/23/22
158 Infotainment System
Set Teen Driver Speed Warning :Choose the
desired speed warning level. The speed
warning does not limit the speed of the
vehicle.
SiriusXM Explicit Content Filter : Allows the
SiriusXM Explicit Content Filter to be turned
ON or OFF. When ON, the teen driver will
not be able to listen to SiriusXM stations
that contain explicit content, and the Explicit
Content Filter selection in the Audio Settings
will be unavailable for change.
When Teen Driver is Active:
.If equipped, the radio will mute when the
driver seat belt, and in some vehicles the
front passenger seat belt, is not buckled.
The audio from any device paired to the
vehicle will also be muted.
.An object placed on the front passenger
seat, such as a briefcase, handbag,
grocery bag, laptop, or other electronic
device, could cause the passenger sensing
system to falsely sense an unbuckled
front passenger and mute the radio.
If this happens, remove the object from
the seat. See Passenger Sensing System
0 58.
.Some safety systems, such as Automatic
Emergency Braking, if equipped, cannot
be turned off.
.The gap setting for Adaptive Cruise
Control and alert timing for Forward
Collision Alert, if equipped, cannot be
changed.
.When trying to change a safety feature
that is not configurable in Teen Driver,
the feature may be grayed out or
removed from the infotainment menu,
or the DIC will display a message
indicating that Teen Driver is active and
the action is not available.
.Super Cruise, if equipped, is not available.
.Enhanced Low Fuel Warning (if equipped)
–When the vehicle is low on fuel, the
low fuel light on the instrument cluster
flashes and the DIC low fuel warning
cannot be dismissed.
.Do not tow a trailer if equipped with
Automatic Emergency Braking.
Report Card
The vehicle owner must secure the driver’s
consent to record certain vehicle data when
the vehicle is driven with a registered Teen
Driver key. There is one Report Card per
vehicle. Data is only recorded when a
registered Teen Driver key is used to
operate the vehicle. The Report Card data is collected from the
time Teen Driver is activated or the last
time the Report Card was reset. The
following items may be recorded:
.Distance Driven
–the total distance
driven.
.Maximum Speed –the maximum vehicle
speed detected.
.Overspeed Warnings –the number of
times the speed warning setting was
exceeded.
.Wide Open Throttle –the number of
times the accelerator pedal was pressed
nearly all the way down.
.Forward Collision Alerts (if equipped) –
the number of times the driver was
notified when approaching a vehicle
ahead too quickly and at potential risk for
a crash.
.Forward Automatic Braking, also called
Automatic Emergency Braking (if
equipped) –the number of times the
vehicle detected that a forward collision
was imminent and applied the brakes.
.Reverse Automatic Braking (if equipped) –
the number of times the vehicle detected
that a rearward collision was imminent
and applied the brakes.
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Driving and Operating 173
Driving and Operating
Driving Information
Driver Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driving Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Vehicle Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 174
Distracted Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Defensive Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Impaired Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Control of a Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Off-Road Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Loss of Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Driving on Wet Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Winter Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
If the Vehicle Is Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Vehicle Load Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Starting and Operating
New Vehicle Break-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Ignition Positions (Key Access) . . . . . . . . 184
Ignition Positions (Keyless Access) . . . . . 186
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Winter Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189Engine Heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Retained Accessory Power (RAP) . . . . . . . 192
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Shifting out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Parking over Things That Burn . . . . . . . . 194
Extended Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Engine Exhaust
Engine Exhaust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Running the Vehicle While Parked . . . . . 194
Automatic Transmission
Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Manual Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Drive Systems
All-Wheel Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Brakes
Electric Brake Boost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Antilock Brake System (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . 198
Electric Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Brake Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Ride Control Systems
Traction Control/Electronic Stability
Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Driver Mode Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Cruise Control
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Adaptive Cruise Control (Camera) . . . . . 205
Driver Assistance Systems
Driver Assistance Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Assistance Systems for Parking or Backing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Park Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Assistance Systems for Driving . . . . . . . . . 217
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) . . . 219
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Fuel
Top Tier Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Recommended Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Prohibited Fuels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Fuels in Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Fuel Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Filling a Portable Fuel Container . . . . . . . 228
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
16263960) - 2023 - CRC - 2/23/22
176 Driving and Operating
{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
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
(Continued)
Caution (Continued)
over other objects such as lane dividers
and speed bumps. Damage caused by
misuse of the vehicle is not covered by
the vehicle warranty.
Electric Power Steering
The vehicle has electric power steering.
It does not have power steering fluid.
Regular maintenance is not required.
If power steering assist is lost due to a
system malfunction, the vehicle can be
steered, but may require increased effort.
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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178 Driving and Operating
warning clues—such as enough water,
ice, or packed snow on the road to make
a mirrored surface —and slow down
when you have any doubt.
.Try to avoid sudden steering, acceleration,
or braking, including reducing vehicle
speed by shifting to a lower gear. Any
sudden changes could cause the tires to
slide.
Remember: Antilock brakes help avoid only
the braking skid.
Driving on Wet Roads
Rain and wet roads can reduce vehicle
traction and affect your ability to stop and
accelerate. Always drive slower in these
types of driving conditions and avoid driving
through large puddles and deep-standing or
flowing water.
{Warning
Wet brakes can cause crashes. They
might not work as well in a quick stop
and could cause pulling to one side. You
could lose control of the vehicle. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
After driving through a large puddle of
water or a car/vehicle wash, lightly apply
the brake pedal until the brakes work
normally.
Flowing or rushing water creates strong
forces. Driving through flowing water
could cause the vehicle to be carried
away. If this happens, you and other
vehicle occupants could drown. Do not
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 0276.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Activate All-Wheel Drive (AWD) mode. See
Driver Mode Control 0202.
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.
Chevrolet Trailblazer Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Driving and Operating 179
{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.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode. See
Driver Mode Control0202 and
All-Wheel Drive 0197.
Winter Driving
Driving on Snow or Ice
Caution
To avoid damage to the wheels and
brake components, always clear snow and
ice from inside the wheels and
underneath the vehicle before driving.
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.
For Slippery Road Driving:
.Accelerate gently. Accelerating too quickly
causes the wheels to spin and makes the
surface under the tires slick.
.Turn on Traction Control. See Traction
Control/Electronic Stability Control 0200.
.The Antilock Brake System (ABS) improves
vehicle stability during hard stops, but
the brakes should be applied sooner than
when on dry pavement. See Antilock
Brake System (ABS) 0198.
.Allow greater following distance and
watch for slippery spots. Icy patches can
occur on otherwise clear roads in shaded
areas. The surface of a curve or an
overpass can remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear. Avoid sudden
steering maneuvers and braking while
on ice.
.Turn off cruise control.
.Select All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Mode for
vehicles equipped with AWD. Select
Snow/Ice Mode for FWD only vehicles.
See Driver Mode Control 0202 and
All-Wheel Drive 0197.
Cold Weather Mode
In very low temperatures, a cold weather
message may display on the Driver
Information Center (DIC). The engine speed,
transmission shift patterns, and cabin fan
speed may operate differently to enable the
vehicle to warm up quicker. You can
manually override the cabin fan speed in
cold weather mode.