CHEVROLET TRACKER 1994 Owners Manual

Problems on the Road
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage
on your Geo instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming from Your Engine:
NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because
you keep driving with no coolant,
your vehicle can be badly damaged.
The costly repairs would not be cov-
ered by your warranty.
If No Steam Is Coming from Your
Engine:
If you get the overheat warning but see or
hear no steam, the problem may not be
too serious. Sometimes the engine can get
a little too hot when you:
0 Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no
sign of steam, try this
for a minute or so:
1.
If you have an air conditioner, turn it
off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the
highest fan speed and open the
window as necessary.
(Neutral).
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to “N”
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If you no longer have the overheat
warning, you can drive. Just to be safe,
drive slower for about
ten minutes. If the
warning doesn’t come back on,
you can
drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop,
and park your vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign
of steam, you can
idle the engine for two or three minutes
while you’re parked, to see if the warning
stops. But then, if you still have the
warning, TURN
OFF THE ENGINE
AND GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE
VEHICLE until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to
get service help right away.
2ooling System
Vhen you decide it’s safe to lift the hood,
lere’s what you’ll see on the 8-valve
mgine:
I. Coolant Recovery Tank
!. Radiator Pressure Cap
1. Electric Engine Fan lere’s
what you’ll see on the 16-valve
:ngine:
I. Coolant Recovery Tank
!. Radiator Pressure Cap
I. Electric Engine Fan
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Problems on the Road
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery
tank
is boiling, don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at or above
“FULL.” If it isn’t, you may have a leak
in the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system. I NOTICE:
I
Engine damage from running your
engine without coolant isn’t covered
by your warranty.
[f there seems to be no leak, check to see
if the electric engine fan is running.
If the
mgine is overheating, the fan should be
running. If it isn’t, your vehicle needs
service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank
[f you haven’t found a problem yet, but
:he coolant level isn’t at or above the
“FULL” mark, add a 50/50 mixture of
:lean water (preferably distilled) and a
xoper antifreeze at
the coolant recovery
:a&. (See “Engine Coolant” in the Index
for more information about the proper
:oolant mix.)
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~~ NOTICE:
~~~
In cold weather, water
can freeze and
crack the engine, radiator, heater core
and other parts.
Use the recom-
mended coolant. When
the coolant in the
coolant recovery
tank is at or above the
"FULL" mark.
start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there's
ope more thing you can try. You can add
the proper coolant mix directly to the
radiator, but be sure the coolink 7 . 4: y. stem
is cool before you
do it.
A CAUTION:
Steam and scalding liquids from a
hot cooling system can blow out and
burn you badly. They
are under pres-
sure, and
if you turn the radiator
pressure cap
- even a little - they can
come out
at high speed. Never turn
the cap when the
cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap, is
hot. Wait for the cooling system and
radiator pressure
cap to cool if you
ever have to turn the pressure cap.
I
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Problems on the Road
How to Add Coolant to the Radiator
1. You can remove the radiator pressure
cap when the cooling system,
including the radiator pressure cap an(
upper radiator hose, is
no longer hot.
Turn the pressure cap slowly
to the
left
until it first stops. (Don’t press
down while turning the pressure cap.)
If you hear a hiss, wait for that to stop
A hiss means there is still some
pressure left.
. . .I44
2. Then keep turning the pressure cap,
but now push down
as you turn it.
Remove the pressure cap.
3. Fill the radiator with the proper mix,
up to the base of the filler neck.
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4. Then fill the coolant recovery tank to
the
"FULL" murk. Put the
cap back
on the coolant
recovery tank,
but leave the radiator
pressure cap
off.
6.
0
Start the engine and let it run until
you can feel the upper radiator hose
getting hot. Watch out for the engine
fan.
By this time, the coolant level inside
the radiator filler neck may be lower.
If the level is lower, add more of the
proper
mix through the filler neck
until the level reaches the base of the
filler neck.
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Problems on the Road
7, Then replace the pressure cap. At any
time during this procedure,
if coolant
begins
to flow out of the filler neck,
reinstall
the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on
the pressure cap line up like
this.
. .I46
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while
you’re driving, especially
if you maintain
your tires properly.
If air goes out of a
tire, it’s much more likely to leak out
slowly.
But if you should ever have a
“blowout.” here are a few tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire Fails, the flat tire will create
a drag that pulls the vehicle toward that
side. Tdke your foot off
the accelerator
pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, then
gently brake to a stop well out
of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like
a skid and may require the
same correction you’d use
in a skid. In
any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by steering
the way you
want the vehicle to go. It rnay be very
bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer.
fently brake to a stop, well off the road
if possible.
If a tire goes tlat, the next section shows
how to use your jacking equipment
to
:hange a tlat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes tlat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly
to a
level place.
Turn on your hazard warning
flashers.
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A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle can slip off the jack and roll
over
you or other people. You and they could be badly injured. Find a level
place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in T“ (Park), or shift a manual
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a drive
4. Turn off the engine.
transmission
to “ 1” (First) or “R” (Reverse).
gear
- not in “N’ (Neutral).
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move, you can put chocks at the front
and rear
of the tire farthest away from the one being changed. That would be the
tire
on the other side of the vehicle, at the opposite end. The
following steps
will tell you how to
.rse the jack and change
a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is under the
ront seats.
rhejack and wheel wrench
are under the
passenger’s
seat.
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Problems on the Road
The jack handle is under the driver’s seat. ;tart with Ihe jack (A), jack handle (R)
.nd wheel wrench (C).
Attach the jack handle to the jack. Turn
the jack handle to the right to raise the lift
head.
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The spare tire is mounted on your tailgate
Pull the cover off of the spare tire. .nsert your key into the wheel lock on
the
;pare tire and pull the wheel lock off. Remove wheel nuts with the wheel
wrench.
Remove the
spare tire from the mounting
bracket and place
it near your flat tire.
Attach the jack handle
to the jack bolt.
Turn the jack handle clockwise (to the
right). That will raise the lift head a little.
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