Chevrolet 2003 TrailBlazer User manual

Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats ............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats ............................................... 1-6
Safety Belts .............................................. 1-8
Child Restraints ....................................... 1-28
Air Bag Systems ...................................... 1-48
Restraint System Check ............................ 1-58
Features and Controls ..................................... 2-1
Keys ........................................................ 2-3
Doors and Locks ....................................... 2-8
Windows ................................................. 2-14
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-16
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle ........... 2-18
Mirrors .................................................... 2-34
OnStar
®
System ...................................... 2-38
HomeLink
®
Transmitter ............................. 2-39
Storage Areas ......................................... 2-43
Sunroof .................................................. 2-50
Vehicle Personalization ............................. 2-50
Instrument Panel ............................................. 3-1
Instrument Panel Overview .......................... 3-4
Climate Controls ...................................... 3-20
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators ......... 3-33
Driver Information Center (DIC) .................. 3-49
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-62
Driving Your Vehicle ....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle ..... 4-2
Towing ................................................... 4-44
Service and Appearance Care .......................... 5-1
Service ..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-4
Checking Things Under the Hood ............... 5-10
Rear Axle ............................................... 5-48
Four-Wheel Drive ..................................... 5-48
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-50
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement ......... 5-51
Tires ...................................................... 5-54
Appearance Care ..................................... 5-77
Vehicle Identification ................................. 5-85
Electrical System ...................................... 5-86
Capacities and Specifications ..................... 5-98
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-100
Maintenance Schedule ..................................... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule ................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information .................... 7-1
Customer Assistance Information .................. 7-2
Reporting Safety Defects ............................ 7-9
Index .................................................................1
003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer M
2003 - TrailBlazer

GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem and the name
TRAILBLAZER/TRAILBLAZER EXT are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first
sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Chevrolet Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle, so it will be
there if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O. Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. C 2338 B First Edition ©Copyright General Motors Corporation 07/15/02 All Rights Reserved
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Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
{CAUTION:
These mean there is something that ould hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions. If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this”or “Don’t let
this happen.”
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Vehi le Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that ould
damage your vehi le.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in different
words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehi le Symbols
Your vehicle has components and labels that use
symbols instead of text. Symbols, used on your vehicle,
are shown along with the text describing the operation
or information relating to a specific component, control,
message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specificnameofa
component, gage or indicator, reference the following
topics:
•Seats and Restraint Systems in Section 1
•Features and Controls in Section 2
•Instrument Panel Overview in Section 3
•Climate Controls in Section 3
•Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators in Section 3
•Audio System(s) in Section 3
•Engine Compartment Overview in Section 5
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These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
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✍NOTES
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Front Seats ......................................................1-2
Manual Seats ................................................1-2
Power Seats ..................................................1-2
Manual Lumbar ..............................................1-3
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-3
Heated Seats .................................................1-3
Reclining Seatbacks ........................................1-4
Head Restraints .............................................1-5
Rear Seats .......................................................1-6
Rear Seat Operation .......................................1-6
Safety Belts .....................................................1-8
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone .................1-8
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts ......1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly .................1-14
Driver Position ..............................................1-14
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy ..................1-20
Right Front Passenger Position .......................1-21
Rear Seat Passengers ..................................1-21
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
and Small Adults .......................................1-24
Safety Belt Extender .....................................1-27
Child Restraints .............................................1-28
Older Children ..............................................1-28
Infants and Young Children ............................1-31
Child Restraint Systems .................................1-34
Where to Put the Restraint .............................1-37
Top Strap ....................................................1-38
Top Strap Anchor Location .............................1-39
Lower Anchorages and Top Tethers for
Children (LATCH System) ...........................1-40
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for
the LATCH System ....................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Seat Position ............................................1-42
Securing a Child Restraint in the Center Seat
Position ...................................................1-45
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position ............................................1-45
Air Bag Systems ............................................1-48
Where Are the Air Bags? ...............................1-52
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ....................1-54
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? .....................1-55
How Does an Air Bag Restrain? .....................1-56
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates? .......1-56
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle .........1-58
Restraint System Check ..................................1-58
Checking Your Restraint Systems ...................1-58
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a Crash ...................................................1-59
Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
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Front Seats
Manual Seats
{CAUTION:
You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver’s seat hile the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you, or make you push a pedal
hen you don’t ant to. Adjust the driver’s
seat only hen the vehicle is not moving.
Pull up on the lever located under the front of the manual
seat to unlock it. Slide the seat to where you want it and
release the lever. Then try to move the seat with your
body to make sure the seat is locked into place.
Po er Seats
If you have this feature,
the power seat controls
are located on the
outboard side of the front
seat cushions.
•Move the front of the seat control up or down to
adjust the front portion of the cushion.
•Move the rear of the seat control up or down to
adjust the rear portion of the cushion.
•Lift up or push down on the center of the seat
control to move the entire seat up or down.
•To move the seat forward or rearward, slide the
seat control forward or rearward.
•To recline the seatback, press the vertical control
rearward. To raise the seatback, press the vertical
control forward.
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Manual Lumbar
Your vehicle may have this feature. This control is
located on the outboard side of the seat.
Turn the knob counterclockwise to increase lumbar
support and clockwise to decrease lumbar support.
Po er Lumbar
Your vehicle may have this feature. The driver’s and
passenger’s seatback lumbar support can be adjusted
by moving a single control located on the outboard
side of the seat cushions. To increase or decrease
support, hold the control forward or rearward.
Keep in mind that as your seating position changes, as
it may during long trips, so should the position of
your lumbar support. Adjust the seat as needed.
Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have
heated front seats. The
buttons used to control this
feature are located on
the front door armrests.
The engine must be
running for the heated seat
feature to work.
To heat the entire seat, press the horizontal button with
the heated seat symbol. Press the button repeatedly
to cycle through the temperature settings of high,
medium, low and off. The indicator lights will glow to
designate the level of heat selected: three for high, two
for medium and one for low. The low setting warms
the seatback and cushion until the seat temperature is
near body temperature. The medium and high
settings heat the seatback and seat cushion to a slightly
higher temperature. You will be able to feel heat in
about two minutes.
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To heat only the seatback, press the button with the
words “BACK ONLY”. An indicator light on the seatback
switch will glow to designate that only the seatback is
being heated. Additional presses will cycle through
the heat levels for the seatback only. Press the
horizontal button again to heat the whole seat.
The feature will shut off automatically when the ignition
is turned off.
Reclining Seatbacks
If your vehicle has a manual recliner, lift the lever
located on the outboard side of the seat and push the
seatback rearward to recline the seatback. To return the
seatback to the normal position, lift the lever without
pushing rearward on the seatback and the seatback will
move forward.
If your vehicle has power seat controls, the vertical
power seat control described earlier allows the seatback
to recline.
But don’t have a seatback reclined if your vehicle is
moving.
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{CAUTION:
Sitting in a reclined position hen your vehicle
is in motion can be dangerous. Even if you
buckle up, your safety belts can’t do their job
hen you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’t do its job. In a crash,
you could go into it, receiving neck or other
injuries.
The lap belt can’t do its job either. In a crash
the belt could go up over your abdomen. The
belt forces ould be there, not at your pelvic
bones. This could cause serious internal
injuries.
For proper protection hen the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatback upright. Then sit
ell back in the seat and ear your safety belt
properly.
Head Restraints
Adjust your head restraint so that the top of the restraint
is closest to the top of your head. This position
reduces the chance of a neck injury in a crash.
The head restraints lock into place when raised. To
release the head restraint and lower it, press the
tab located on the top of the seatback.
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Rear Seats
Rear Seat Operation
Your vehicle may have a folding rear seat which lets
you fold the seatbacks down for more cargo space.
Pull up on the loop located where the seat cushion
meets the seatback to fold the seat cushion up and out
of the way. This will allow the seatback to fold flat
and increase the cargo area.
The rear seatback handles
are located on the
outboard side of the rear
seatbacks.
Pull the seatback toward you as you lift up on the
handle. The head restraint will automatically fold out of
the way when the seatback is folded down.
To raise the seatbacks, lift up the seatbacks and push
on them until they lock into the upright position.
Push and pull on the seatbacks to make sure that they
are latched securely. Then fold the bottom seat
cushion back into place.
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To return the head restraint to the upright position,
reach behind the seat and pull the restraint up until it
locks into place. Push and pull on the head restraint to
make sure that it is latched securely.
Rear Seats (TrailBlazer EXT)
The second row seat is a 65/35 split seat which may be
folded and tumbled. Use this feature for gaining
access to the third row seats.
To fold and tumble the second row seat(s), do the
following:
1. Push the head restraints fully down.
2. Fold the seatback flat on the seat by pushing down
on the front part of the lever. The lever is located
on the outboard side of the seat (indicated as 1 on
the handle side cover).
3. Release the rear set of seat hooks from the floor
pins by pushing down on the rear part of the lever
(indicated as 2 on the handle side cover). This
enables the seat to be tumbled forward.
Returning the Seats to an Upright Position
To return the seat(s) to the upright position, do the
following:
1. Return the seat to the floor pins by rotating the seat
down to reengage the seat hooks.
2. Try to raise the seat to check that it is locked down.
3. Pull the seat back up to return it to the upright
position.
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Entry/Exit to/from the Third Ro Seat
To enter the third row seat, you must fold and tumble
the second row seat following the instructions given
previously.
If you are exiting the third row with no assistance, do
the following.
1. Pull the handle on the center of the second row
seatback down to release and fold the seatback.
2. Reach around to the side of the second row seat
and pull the back of the seat lever up to tumble
the entire seat.
Be sure to return the seat to the upright position when
you are finished. Never use the third row as a seating
position while the second row is folded and tumbled.
Folding the Third Ro Seats
1. Pull up on the handle located on the bottom of the
seat cushion to release the seat cushion.
2. Lift up the seat, and then pull it forward.
3. Fold the seatback forward until it is flat.
4. Unhook the elastic loop on the back of the seatback.
5. Fold the panel located on the back of the seatback
to make a flat surface.
Returning the Seat(s) to an Upright
Position
To return the seat to its original position, reverse the
steps listed in folding the third row seats.
Safety Belts
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety
belts properly. It also tells you some things you should
not do with safety belts.
{CAUTION:
Don’t let anyone ride here he or she can’t
ear a safety belt properly. If you are in a
crash and you’re not earing a safety belt,
your injuries can be much orse. You can hit
things inside the vehicle or be ejected from it.
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
You can be seriously injured or killed. In the
same crash, you might not be, if you are
buckled up. Al ays fasten your safety belt,
and check that your passengers’ belts are
fastened properly too.
{CAUTION:
It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo
area, inside or outside of a vehicle. In a
collision, people riding in these areas are more
likely to be seriously injured or killed. Do not
allo people to ride in any area of your vehicle
that is not equipped ith seats and safety
belts. Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a safety belt properly.
Your vehicle has a light
that comes on as a
reminder to buckle up. See
Safety Belt Reminder
Light on page 3-36.
In most states and in all Canadian provinces, the law
says to wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash, you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up, a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 30 years of safety belts in vehicles, the
facts are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter... a lot!
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Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as
it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on
wheels.
Put someone on it.
1-10
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Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop. The person keeps going until stopped by something. In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield...
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or the instrument panel... or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’swhy
safety belts make such good sense.
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Questions and Ans ers About
Safety Belts
Q: Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m earing a safety belt?
A: You could be –whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of being conscious during and after an accident,
so you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q: If my vehicle has air bags, hy should I have to
ear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts –not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, hy should I ear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident –even one that isn’t your fault –you and
your passengers can be hurt. Being a good
driver doesn’t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within 25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than 40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
1-13
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Ho to Wear Safety Belts Properly
This part is only for people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different
rules for smaller children and babies. If a child will be
riding in your vehicle, see Older Children on page 1-28
or Infants and Young Children on page 1-31. Follow
those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wear it
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat so you can sit up straight. To see
how, see “Seats”in the Index.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
4. Push the latch plate into the buckle until it clicks.
Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure.
If the belt isn’t long enough, see Safety Belt
Extender on page 1-27.
Make sure the release button on the buckle is
positioned so you would be able to unbuckle the
safety belt quickly if you ever had to.
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