towing CHEVROLET TRACKER 1997 Owner's Manual

GEED Section 5 Problems on the Road
Here you’ll find what to do about some problems that can occur on the road.
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5-3
5-8
5- 13 Hazard Warning
Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your Vehicle
Engine Overheating
5-15
5-23
5-23
5-34
Cooling System
If a Tire Goes Flat
Changing a Flat Tire
If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Chevrolet/Geo dealer or a professional
towing service tow your Tracker. See “Roadside
Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed
or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting,
or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not be correct.
Before
you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
0 That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
0 The make, model and year of your vehicle.
0 Whether you can still move the shift lever for the
transmission and transfer case, if you have one.
the four-wheel-drive option.
If there was
an accident, what was damaged. When the
towing service arrives, let
the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0 Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
0 Never tow with damaged parts not
0 Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use T-hooks. Use J-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully secured.
been lifted
by the
tow truck.
side when towing a vehicle.
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A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision,
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before it
is transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing, etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the
OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping device designed for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this. The transmission
and transfer case, if you have one, should
be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed on the drive wheels
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow any speed and distance
restrictions later in this section,
or your transmission
will be damaged.
If these limitations must be exceeded,
then the drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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Front Towing
A towing dolly must be used under the drive wheels
when towing
from the front.
Attach J-hook chains on both sides to the rear of lower
control arms inboard of
the spring. Position
a
4” x 4” wood beam across the sling chains
and against the lower control arm front attachment
brackets. Position the lower sling crossbar in front and
against the
4” x 4” wood beam.
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Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
Rear Towing
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, don’t have it towed
on the front wheels unless you must. If a vehicle with
four-wheel drive must be towed on the front wheels, set your manual, freewheeling hubs to
FREE or unlock your
automatic freewheeling hubs, and set your transfer case
to two-wheel drive.
If your vehicle must be towed on
the front wheels, don’t go more than 55 mph (90 km/h).
A towing dolly must be used under the front wheels
when towing from the real:
Attach J-hooks around the axle tube.
1 NOTICE:
Take care not to damage the brake pipes on the
axle tubes.
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Rocking Your Vehicle To Get It Out
First, turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between REVERSE
(R) and a forward gear (or
with a manual transmission, between FIRST (1) or
SECOND
(2) and REVERSE(R)), spinning the wheels
as little
as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly
on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is
in gear. If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need
to be towed out, Or,
you can use your recovery hooks if your vehicle has
them. If you do need to be towed
out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle”
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
Your vehicle is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks are provided
at the front and rear of your
vehicle. You may need to
use them if you’re stuck
off-road and need to be pulled
to some place where you
can continue driving.
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Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil
is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
3. Pull out the filter.
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
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Maintenance Schedule
Follow this maintenance schedule only if none of the
conditions from the Short TripKity Maintenance
Schedule is true.
Do not use this schedule if the vehicle
is used for trailer towing, driven in a dusty area or used
off paved roads. Use the Short TripKity schedule for
these conditions.
Driving a vehicle with a fully warmed engine under
highway conditions causes engine oil to
break
down slower:
Every 7,500 Miles (12 500 km): Engine Oil and Filter
Change (or every
7.5 months, whichever occurs first).
Free-Wheeling
Hubs Inspection (if equipped) (or every
3 months, whichever occurs first). Tire Rotation.
Every 15,000 Miles (25 000 km): Engine Idle Speed
Check. Valve
Lash (Clearance) Adjustment. Propeller
Shafts and U-Joints Inspection (or every
15 months,
whichever occurs first).
Every 30,000 Miles (50 000 km): Engine
Accessory Drive Belt Inspection (or every
24 months,
whichever occurs first). Cooling System Service
(or every
30 months, whichever occurs first). Spark Plug
Replacement. Air Cleaner Filter Replacement. Fuel
Tank, Cap and Lines Inspection. Front Wheel Bearing
Repack (2WD only) (or at each braking relining,
whichever occurs first). Manual Transmission Fluid
Change (or every
30 months, whichever occurs first).
Fuel Filter Replacement (or every
30 months, whichever
occurs first).
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I Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule I
48,000 Miles (80 000 km)
0 Change engine oil and filter (or every
3 months, whichever occurs first).
Rotate tires. See “Tire Inspection and
Rotation” in the Index for proper rotation
pattern and additional information.
(See footnote
+.)
0 Inspect the locking front hubs (if equipped)
for correct operation (or every
3 months,
whichever occurs first). Repair or replace
if necessary.
An Emission Control Service.
50,000 Miles (83 000 km)
0 Change automatic transmission fluid and
filter if the vehicle
is mainly driven under
one or more of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 OF
(32 O C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
DATE ACTUAL MILEAGE SERVICED BY
(Continued)
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I Short Trip/City Maintenance Schedule I
100,000 Miles (1 66 000 km)
Change automatic transmission fluid and
filter if the vehicle is mainly driven under
one or more
of these conditions:
- In heavy city traffic where the outside
temperature regularly reaches
90 O F
(32 O C) or higher.
- In hilly or mountainous terrain.
- When doing frequent trailer towing.
- Uses such as found in taxi, police or
delivery service.
Ifynu do not use your vehicle under any of
these conditions, the fluid and filter do not
require changing.
0 Replace Positive Crankcase Ventilation
(PCV) valve. Replace any worn, plugged or
collapsed hoses.
An Emission Control Service.
0 Inspect Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR)
0 Inspect fuel injector.
0 Replace evaporative emissions canister.
system.
An
Emission Control Service.
An Emission Control Service.
An Emission Control Service.
DATE
SERVICED BY: ACTUAL MILEAGE
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- 7-33
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