CHEVROLET TRACKER 1993 Owners Manual

If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need to restart
it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission
to P (Park) (or, shift to
Neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put your
left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able
to tell if
your wheels are straight or turned to
the left or right as you back down. Here
are some things you
must not do
if you stall, or are about to stall, when
going up
a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by
shifting into
N (Neutral) (or
depressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission)
to “rev-up” the
engine and regain forward
momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very
quickly and you could go out of
control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop
the vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down.
Never attempt to turn around if you
are about to stall when going up a
hill.
If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you must back down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to
back down the hill and decide
I
just can’t do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your
transmission
in P (Park) (or the
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Your Driving and the Road
manual transmission in first gear),
and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and
go get some help. Exit
on the uphill side and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
Do not shift the
transfer case to
N (Neutral) when
you leave the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear.
A
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause your
vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in
P (Park) (or, if
you have the manual transmission,
even if you’re in gear). This is
because the
N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission.
If you are going to
leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to
P (Park) (or, put your manual
transmission in first gear). But
do I
not shift the transfer case to the N
(Neutral) position. Leave the
transfer case
in the 2H, 4H, or 4L I position.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill,
you’ll want to consider
a number of
things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I b
able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth?
Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles?
Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is
there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
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If you decide you can go down a hill
safely, then try to keep your vehicle
headed straight down, and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help
your brakes and they won’t have to do
all the work. Descend slowly, keeping
your vehicle under control at all times.
A
Heavy braking when going
down a hill can cause your
brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause loss of control and a
serious accident. Apply the brakes
lightly when descending a hill and
use
a low gear to keep vehicle
speed under control.
Q:
A:
0
0
Are there some things I should not
do when driving down a hill?
Yes! These are important because if
you ignore them you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns
that take you across the incline
of
the hill. A hill that’s not too steep to
drive down may be too steep to
drive across. You could roll over if
you don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the
transmission in
Neutral, or with the
clutch pedal depressed in a manual
shift. This is called
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Your Driving and the Road
e
“free-wheeling. ” Your brakes will
have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
Avoid braking
so hard that you lock
the wheels when going downhill. If
your front wheels are locked, you
can’t steer your vehicle. If your
wheels lock up during downhill
braking, you may feel the vehicle
starting to slide sideways.
To regain
your direction, just ease off the
brakes and steer to keep the front of
the vehicle pointing straight
downhill.
Q: Am I likely to stall when going
A:
0
e
downhill?
It’s much more likely to happen
going uphill. But if
it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying
the
regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to
P (Park) (or to Neutral with
the manual transmission) and, while
still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release
the
parking brake, and drive straight
down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across
the incline of a hill.
If this happens, you have to decide
whether to try to drive across the
incline. Here are some things to
consider:
A hill that can be driven straight up
or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length of the wheel
base (the distance from the front
wheels to the rear wheels) reduces
the likelihood the vehicle will get
help.
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tumble end over end. But when you
drive across an incline, the much
more narrow track width (the
distance between the left and right
wheels) may not prevent the vehicle
from tilting and rolling over.
Also,
driving across an incline puts more
weight
on the downhill wheels. This
could cause a downhill slide or a
rollover.
0 Surface conditions can be a problem
when
you drive across a hill. Loose
gravel, muddy spots, or even wet
grass can cause your tires to slip
sideways, downhill.
If the vehicle
slips sideways, it can hit something
that will trip it (a rock, a rut, etc.)
and roll over.
Hidden obstacles can make the
steepness
of the incline even worse.
If you drive across a rock with the
uphill wheels, or if the downhill
wheels drop into a
rut or depression,
your vehicle can tilt even more.
For reasons like these,
you need to
decide carefully whether to try
to drive
across an incline. Just because the trail
goes across
the incline doesn’t mean you
have to drive
it. The last vehicle to try it
might have rolled over.
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Your Driving and the Road
I A Driving across an incline
- I that’s too steep will make
your vehicle roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed. If
1
you have any doubt about the
steepness of the incline, don’t
drive across it. Find another route
instead.
I
Q:
A:
What if I’m driving across an
incline that’s not too steep, but
I
hit some loose gravel and start to
slide downhill. What should
I do?
If you feel your vehicle starting to
slide sideways, turn downhill. This
should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side
slipping. However, a much better
way to prevent this is to get
out and
“walk the course”
so you know
what the surface is like before you
drive it.
Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you’re
crossing
an incline, be sure you (and
your passengers) get out on the uphill
side, even
if the door there is harder to
open. If you get
out on the downhill side
and the vehicle starts
to roll over, you’ll
be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay
out of the path the vehicle will take if it
does roll over.
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..
I
CA UTlON
t
Getting out on the downhill
(low) side of a vehicle
stopped across 811 incline is
dangerous. If the vehicle rolls
over, you could be crushed or
killed. Always get out on the
uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and
stay well clear of the rollover
path.
I
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand,
your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need longer
braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re
in mud - the deeper the mud, the lower
the gear. In really deep mud, the idea is
to keep your vehicle moving
so you
don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a
change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend
to sink into the sand. This has an
effect on steering, accelerating, and
braking. You may want to reduce the air
pressure in your tires slightly when
driving on sand. This will improve
traction,
Hard packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor
that you will have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can
cause you to slide out of control.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
I CAUTION
A
Driving on frozen lakes,
ponds or rivers can be
dangerous. Underwater springs,
currents under the ice, or sudden
thaws can weaken
the ice. Your
vehicle could fall through
the ice
and you and your passengers could
drown. Drive your vehicle
on safe
surfaces only.
I CAUTION
)riving in Water
ight rain causes no special off-road
riving problems. But heavy rain can
lean flash flooding, and flood waters
emand extreme caution. Find
out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles, or
exhaust pipe, don’t
try it - you
probably won’t get through.
Also, water
that deep can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through it slowly. At fast speeds, water
splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under
water. And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to
start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes
get wet,
it may take you longer to stop.
’ Driving through rushing water
- can be dangerous. Deep water
-m sweep your vehicle
downstream and you and your
passengers could drown. If it’s
only inches deep, it can still wash
away the ground from under your
tires, and you could lose traction
and roll the vehicle over. Don’t
drive through rushing water.
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After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis or
under the hood. These accumulations
can be a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the
brake linings cleaned and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and
uneven braking. Check the body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle will require more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer
to the
Maintenance Schedule for additional
information.
rn Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired
- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips
on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See
“Drunken Driving” in the Index for
more on this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
Slow down, especially on higher
speed roads.
Your headlights can light
up only so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
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Your Driving and the Road
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also
affect your night vision. For example, if
you spend the day
in bright sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to
night.
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But if you’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but
they also
make a lot of things invisible
that should
remain visible - such as parked cars,
obstacles, pedestrians, or even trains
blocking railway crossings.
You may
want to put on your sunglasses after you
have pulled into a brightly-lighted
service or refreshment area. Eyes
shielded from that glare may adjust
more quickly to darkness back on
the
road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before you leave the service
area.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights. It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust
to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from
a driver who doesn’t lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed
headlights), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching
lights. If there is a line of opposing
traffic, make occasional glances over the
line of headlights to make certain that
one of the vehicles isn’t starting to move
into your lane. Once you are past the
bright lights, give your eyes time to
readjust before resuming speed.
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