ESP CHEVROLET TRACKER 1995 Owners Manual

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing 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.
Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
won’t have
to wear safety belts?
I A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
more
of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with or the safety belts!
With safety belts,
you slow down as the vehicle does. safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance? system ever offered for sale has required the use of
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
safety belts make such good sense.
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.
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Theft New Vehicle LLBreak-In”
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Geo has
a number of theft deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways
you can
help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s an easy target for joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
When you park your
Geo and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear
a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition. If you have an automatic transmission, taking
your key out also
locks your transmission. And
remember
to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out
of sight.
Put them in
a storage area, or take them with you.
NOTICE:
Your modern Geo doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run
if you follow these guidelines:
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Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or
less for the
first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t drive at any one speed
-- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this “breaking-in” guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
Don’t tow a trailer during “break-in.” See
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index for more
information.
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Rear Window WiperNasher
(Option)
~
I I To turn on your rear wiper,
push the upper button. Push
the same button again to
turn it off.
To spray washer fluid on the rear window, push the
lower button about halfway down. Washer fluid will
spray as long as you hold this button. To wash and wipe
at the same time, push the button all the way in.
The washer and wiper will run as
long as you hold this
button.
To add washer fluid, see "Windshield Washer
Fluid" in the Index.
Daytime Running Lamps (Canada Only)
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others
to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful
in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The
DRL system will make your low beam headlamps
come
on at a reduced brightness when:
The ignition is on,
The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When you turn on the headlamp switch, your DRL will
go out, and your headlamps will come on.
The other lamps that come on with your headlamps will
also come
on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go off, and your low beam headlamps come
on at the reduced brightness of DRL,
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system any time
you need it.
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To Unlock the System After a Power Loss
If power is disrupted to the radio while in the SEC
mode, the unit will not work and LOC will show
on the
display whenever the ignition
is on. To unlock the unit.
press
4 SEEK b or 4 TUNE and “0000” will appear
on the display.
Press the
SEEK 4 button and hold it until the first digit
of your code appears.
Press the SEEK button and hold it until the second
digit of your code appears.
Press the
TUNE 4 button and hold it until the third digit
of your code appears.
Press the TUNE
b button and hold it until the fourth
digit of your code appears.
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach
only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). And,
tall buildings or hills can interfere with
FM signals,
causing the sound
to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
Press AM-FM after you have checked that the code
matches the one you wrote down. Now
SEC will appear
on the display.
(If an incorrect code is entered, Err will
appear on
the display. Repeat the above procedure.)
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The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink.
No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. “I’ll
be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child
darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There’s something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research
shows that
alcohol in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
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Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
You have the rear-wheel anti-lock braking system. Your
front wheels can stop rolling when
you brake very hard.
Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond to your steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever direction it was
headed when the front wheels stopped rolling. That
could be
off the road, into the very thing you were trying
to avoid, or into traffic.
So, use a “squeeze” braking technique. This will give
you maximum braking while maintaining steering
control. You
do this by pushing on the brake pedal with
steadily increasing pressure. When
you do, it will help
maintain steering control.
In many emergencies, steering
can help you more than even the very best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you
can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the same laws
of physics when driving on curves. The
traction
of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle
to change its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in
a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
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Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds.
A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst
of all traffic accidents -- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides, and
to crossroads for situations that might affect your
passing patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever
about making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings, and
lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might
indicate a turn or an intersection, delay your pass.
A
broken center line usually indicates it’s all right to
pass (providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross
a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid
line, even if the road seems empty
of approaching
traffic.
0 Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting
an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger vehicle. Also,
you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a reasonable
distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane.
If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose
by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
0 If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull
out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead
of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle
you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next
vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down
or starting to turn.
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types
of skids correspond to your Geo’s three
control systems. In the braking skid your wheels aren’t
rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed
or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.
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Traveling to Remote Areas
You’ll find other important information in this manual.
See “Vehicle Loading,” “Luggage Carrier” and “Tires”
in the Index. It
makes
sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to
a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps
of trails and terrain. Try to learn of any
blocked or closed roads.
It’s also a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle.
If something happens to one of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have
a winch? If so, be sure to read
the winch instructions.
In a remote area, a winch can be
handy
if you get stuck. But you’ll want to know how to
use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and
close to home before you go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
driving skills. Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly
sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles. Your ears need to listen for
unusual tire or engine sounds. With your anns, hands,
feet, and body you’ll need
to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One of the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed.
Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive over
obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need
to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here are some things to
consider.
Sugace Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or
ice. Each
of these surfaces affects the steering,
acceleration, and braking of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface
you are on, you may
experience slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction, and longer braking distances.
Surjke Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log,
hole, rut, or bump can startle
you if you’re not prepared for them. Often these
obstacles are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the
rise and fall of the terrain itself. Here are some things to
consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change direction
quickly?
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