2016 trailblazer 2.8 ltz - diff lock

[Outdoors fanatic]

I recently made the best move ever to buy on of these monsters.

I bought this vehicle to tow my skiboat. Before I bought this vehicle I did some research on the vehicle and was quite impressed overall. But... I confirmed with the sales person telephonically and through photos provided that this vehicle is fitted with difflock and it was confirmed. Now I took the vehicle for a test drive passed all pre-inspections. Transaction concluded.

Preparing for the first boat tow I noticed there ls NO difflock on this vehicle....The dealership said that to rectify this they said they will contact the agents and install one. Because I don't want another vehicle.

Is this ever going to be possible to install a difflock from the manufacturer. if that is not the case what is my options?

The first photo is the photo the dealership dent me to confirm the difflock. The second one is mine - no difflock knob.

[globaljaco]

Trailblazers never had factory fitted difflocks AFAIK, only a limited slip diff.

The missing knob you are pointing out is the four wheel drive selector - 2H, 4H and 4L. Did you actually confirm with the dealer that the car has a diff lock or four wheel drive?

[RoelfleRoux]

There is some confusion here:
1) the dial in the pic is the 4x4 selector and not the difflock.
2) your vehicle is 2 wheel drive.
3) Trailblazers didn't have difflock as an option, so the dealers are not going to help.
4) importers of ARB equipment from Australia can get one and fit it, but I'll be surprised if your seller will spend that much money.

[Outdoors fanatic]

Sjoe Roelf, baie dankie vir jou terugvoer. Klink my jy is die Go-to op hierdie groep.

Dis scary. Ek voel nog meer ingedoen. Ek het gedink daardie is die diff lock knoppie.

Ek is versot op my kar maar dit plaas my in 'n moeilike situasie. Want bel ek hulle nou om my te kom uitsleep as ek nie eers 'n karavaan of boot kan hanteer in los sand of grond nie waar ook al as hulle nie hierdie probleem kan oplos nie?

Nou wonder ek. Want hierdie was 'n kontant koop van 'n baie "reputable" handelaar wat hierdie voertuie nuut verkoop het in Suid Afrika voordat GM land uit is en nou hulle agente is in Suid Afrika.

Wat is die koste van hierdie ARB sisteem ongeveer?

Ek voel nou soos 'n ou wat 'n Raptor kit op 'n entry level Ford sit.

[Outdoors fanatic]

Trailblazers never had factory fitted difflocks AFAIK, only a limited slip diff.

The missing knob you are pointing out is the four wheel drive selector - 2H, 4H and 4L. Did you actually confirm with the dealer that the car has a diff lock or four wheel drive?

Hi Jaco,

I confirmed it with the sales person, and she sent me the pictures of the vehicle with that selector that it is the difflock. Both times it was confirmed.

Like I said to Roelf. I thought the knob was for the diff.

[RoelfleRoux]

I'm not sure what your requirement is, but the electronics on the 2wd gives it really good traction.

[RoelfleRoux]

Try the following test on a quiet dirt road with the car stationary:
1) push down on the T/C button - a light will indicate deactivation on your dash
2) hold the same button down for a long time (maybe 10-15 secs) - another light will come on your dash
Now you have disabled both Traction and stability control.
3) stick the Chevy in Drive and give it some of that 500nM.
You'll obviously generate glorious wheelspin and not get too much go forward. After a few secs of spinning the diff will lock up electronically and your new Chevy will shoot out of the blocks like a rocket.
You may as well try some spinning with the other electronics on and experience the different types of assistance it gives.

[Frontiersman]

Sorry if I'm drawing the wrong conclusion here, but I am getting the feeling that you are confusing a diff lock with a four wheel drive system. What did you want to buy? A vehicle with four wheel drive or a vehicle with two wheel drive that has the ability to lock the differential on the rear axle?

Not all salespeople are as proficient with technical terms as they should be, and some of them may even refer to the four wheel drive selector knob as a diff lock switch ( due to the fact that permanent four wheel drive vehicles will have a lockable center differential that will lock the front and rear wheels together).

I'm not sure if the Trailblazer is a permanent four wheel drive vehicle (Roelf, can you confirm, please?), but if it is a part time four wheel drive vehicle, then the use of the term diff lock is just plain wrong, as there is no center differential to lock.

Whatever the case may be, it still does not change the fact that the knob is not there in the vehicle that you bought, while you expected it to be there and was also assured by the salesperson that the knob is there. As I said, it's just not exactly clear from your posts what function you expected that knob to fulfill.

[RoelfleRoux]

Hi Frontiersman,
The Blazer has the Isuzu bakkie type part time 4x4 system. So no centre diff.
I agree with your post, which is why I started my initial reply with saying there is confusion. I get the impression that the OP likes his Chevy and wants to keep it and it seems the dealership accepts the fact that they made a mistake. So let's see how this plays out.

[globaljaco]

Hi Jaco,

I confirmed it with the sales person, and she sent me the pictures of the vehicle with that selector that it is the difflock. Both times it was confirmed.

Like I said to Roelf. I thought the knob was for the diff.

Outdoors fanatic, ek dink jy het gronde om dit verder op te neem met die handelaar en die transaksie te kanselleer. So iets laat natuurlik ‘n slegte smaak na, en mens wil nie regtig sover gaan nie. Die ‘Consumer Protection Act’, sover ek weet, maak voorsiening vir hierdie soort van scenarios. Maar aan die ander kant... jy wil nie van jou Trailblazer ontslae raak nie. Ek het onlangs myne ingeruil na 5 jaar en mis hom. As jou behoefte egter is om ‘n voertuig te hê met 4wd met ‘low range’ gaan hierdie model wat hulle aan jou verkoop het jou net frustreer.

[Outdoors fanatic]

Trailblazers never had factory fitted difflocks AFAIK, only a limited slip diff.

The missing knob you are pointing out is the four wheel drive selector - 2H, 4H and 4L. Did you actually confirm with the dealer that the car has a diff lock or four wheel drive?

I'm not sure what your requirement is, but the electronics on the 2wd gives it really good traction.

Sorry if I'm drawing the wrong conclusion here, but I am getting the feeling that you are confusing a diff lock with a four wheel drive system. What did you want to buy? A vehicle with four wheel drive or a vehicle with two wheel drive that has the ability to lock the differential on the rear axle?

Not all salespeople are as proficient with technical terms as they should be, and some of them may even refer to the four wheel drive selector knob as a diff lock switch ( due to the fact that permanent four wheel drive vehicles will have a lockable center differential that will lock the front and rear wheels together).

I'm not sure if the Trailblazer is a permanent four wheel drive vehicle (Roelf, can you confirm, please?), but if it is a part time four wheel drive vehicle, then the use of the term diff lock is just plain wrong, as there is no center differential to lock.

Whatever the case may be, it still does not change the fact that the knob is not there in the vehicle that you bought, while you expected it to be there and was also assured by the salesperson that the knob is there. As I said, it's just not exactly clear from your posts what function you expected that knob to fulfill.

The fact that the vehicle was advertised as an 4x2. Then I was convinced that there was a diff lock in it. Hence I asked and confirmed it. That would have satisfied my criteria. 4x4 was not my option.

Apologies for the confusion there

Hi Frontiersman,
The Blazer has the Isuzu bakkie type part time 4x4 system. So no centre diff.
I agree with your post, which is why I started my initial reply with saying there is confusion. I get the impression that the OP likes his Chevy and wants to keep it and it seems the dealership accepts the fact that they made a mistake. So let's see how this plays out.

[Outdoors fanatic]

Roelf ek sal bietjie hierdie toetse doen en ky k hoe dit gaan

Try the following test on a quiet dirt road with the car stationary:
1) push down on the T/C button - a light will indicate deactivation on your dash
2) hold the same button down for a long time (maybe 10-15 secs) - another light will come on your dash
Now you have disabled both Traction and stability control.
3) stick the Chevy in Drive and give it some of that 500nM.
You'll obviously generate glorious wheelspin and not get too much go forward. After a few secs of spinning the diff will lock up electronically and your new Chevy will shoot out of the blocks like a rocket.
You may as well try some spinning with the other electronics on and experience the different types of assistance it gives.

[Mitsu Fan]

A few years back we had a Pajero GTG and there were 2 Chev Trailblazers that joined, a 4x4 (Roelf) and a 4x2.

That 4x2 really impressed, doing the whole trail in snotterige rainy conditions, not getting stuck once. The 2 Pajes following got stuck in one obstacle that the 4x2 got through.

Impressive stuff indeed!

[Stranger]

That same Trailblazer towed a trailer ....... to Mabua .... on the deep sand rd. Never missed a beat.

That thing will only get stuck on very steep inclines where 4x4 is needed. AFAIK there is no 4x2 with difflock available