brake CHEVROLET TRACKER 1993 User Guide

Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
It’s better not to park with the engine
running. But if
you ever have to, here
are some things to
know.
CAUTION
A
Idling the engine with the air system control off could allow dangerous
exhaust into your vehicle (see
the earlier Caution under “Engine
Exhaust’
’).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly carbon monoxide (CO) into
your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place this
can happen is a garage. Exhaust - with CO - can come in easily. NEVER
park in a garage with
the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See “Blizzard”
in the Index.)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the shift lever is not
fully in
P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll. Don’t
leave your vehicle when
the engine is running unless you have to. If you’ve
left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could
be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever
to P
(Park).
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case
is in N (Neutral), your
vehicle will be free to roll, even
if your shift lever is in P (Park). So, be sure
the transfer case
is in a drive gear - not in N (Neutral). Follow the proper
steps to be sure your vehicle won’t move. See “Shifting into
P (Park)” in
the Index.
If you are parking on a hill, or if you’re pulling a trailer, also see “Parking
on Hills” or “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
c
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Features & Controls
Headlight High/Low Beam
First, you must have the headlights on.
(See “Lights”
in the Index.) Then, pull
the turn signal lever toward you for low
beams. For high beams, push the lever
away from you. When the high beams
are on, a blue light on the instrument
panel also will be on. It will go off
when you switch
to low beam.
Passing Signal
With the lever in the low beam position,
pull the lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beam (to
signal that you are going to pass). When
you release the lever, the headlights will
return to low beam operation.
Daytime Running fights (DM)
lndicator Light (Canada)
If your vehicle was first sold, when
new,
in Canada, you will have this light
on the instrument panel. It goes on whenever the Daytime Running Lights
are on.
Daytime Running f ights
(Canada)
The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that “Daytime Running Lights”
(DRL) are a useful feature, in that DRL
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours. DRL are required
on
new vehicles sold in Canada.
The low beam headlights will come on
at reduced brightness
in daylight when:
The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When you turn on your headlights, the
DRL will switch off and the exterior
lights wil come on. When you turn off
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the headlights, the exterior lights will go
out and the low beams will change to
the reduced brightness
of DRL again.
The DRL indicator light on the
instrument panel will
go on whenever
the DRL are on. This light means that
only the DRL are on. When you turn on
your exterior lights, this light will go
out,
Of course, you may still turn on the
headlights or passing signal any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with DRL
off, set
the parking brake. The DRL will stay
off until you release the parking brake.
4 Interior Lights
Dome Light
The dome light has a three position
switch.
1. The light turns on and stays on
whether or not a door
is open.
2. The light comes on when a door is
opened.
3. The light stays off even when a door
is open.
Brightness Control
This knob controls the brightness of
your instrument panel lights. Turn the
knob to the right to brighten
the lights
or
to the left to dim them.
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Instrument Panel
1. Air Vent
2. Side Defroster Vent
3. Turn SignaULights
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Hazard Warning Flasher
6. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
7. Rear Window Wiper Switch
8. Comfort Controls
9. Audio System ControVHeadlight Beam
Lever
10. Lighter
1 1. Assist Grip
12. Glove Box
13. Transmission Shift Lever
14. Coinholder and Bin
15. Transfer Case Shift Lever
16. Parking Brake Lever
17. Ashtray
18. Rear Window Washer Switch
19. Ignition Switch
20. Horn
21. Fuse Block
22. Rear Window Defogger Switch
23. Brightness Control
79. =
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Features & Controls
. . .a4
Brake System Warning Light
Your Geo’s hydraulic brake system is
divided into two parts.
If one part isn’t
working, the other part can still work
and stop you.
For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
Your vehicle also has rear wheel
anti-lock brakes. If the warning light
goes on, there could be a brake problem
with either your regular or rear wheel
anti-lock brakes,
or both. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on as you start
the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem. This light will
also come on when you
set your parking brake, and it
will stay
on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means you
may have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while driving, pull
off the road and stop carefully. You
may notice that the pedal is harder to
push.
Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle towed
for service. (See “Towing
Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
$ Your brake system may not
be working properly if the
brake warning light
is on. Driving
with the brake warning light on
can lead to an accident.
If the light
is still on after you’ve pulled off
the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the
brake pedal once or twice in advance of
slowing or stopping. This warns the
driver behind
you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal
that your vehicle is disabled or is a
hazard. See “Hazard Warning
Flashers” in the Index.
Trafilc Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source
of important information. The officer’s
signals govern, no matter what the
traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some
of the
road conditions you may encounter.
.122
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving
is: Drive defensively.
Please
start with a very important safety
device
in your Geo: Buckle up. (See
“Safety Belts” in
the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.
”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do.
Be ready for their mistakes. Expect children
to dash out from behind
parked cars, often followed by other
children. Expect occupants in parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch
for movement in parked cars
-
someone may be about to open a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs
when you are on a through street. Be
ready
to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have
to use the brake, but if you do, you will
be ready.
[f you’re driving through a shopping
center parking lot where there are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows,
and designated parking areas, expect
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some drivers to ignore all these
markings and dash straight toward one
part of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for
them. In general, you must give way to
pedestrians even if you know you have
the right
of way.
Rear-end collisions are about
the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural
driving. You never know when the
vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly. Here’s a final bit
of information
about
defensive driving. The most dangerous
time for driving in the
U.S. is very
early on Sunday morning. In fact,
GM
Research studies show that the most and
the least dangerous times for driving,
every week, fall on the same day. That
day is Sunday. The most dangerous time
is Sunday from
3 a.m. to 4 a.m. The
safest time is Sunday from
10 a.m. to
11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a
Sunday at
3 a.m. isn’t just a little more
dangerous than it is at
10 a.m. It’s about
134 times more dangerous!
That leads to the next section.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is
a national
tragedy. It’s the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that half of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol
- a driver, a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these
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Your Driving and the Road
- 9 126
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. That's especially
true for brain, spinal cord and heart
injuries. That means that if anyone who
has
been drinking - driver or passenger
- is in a crash, the chance of being
killed or permanently disabled is higher
than if that person had not been
drinking. And we've already seen that
the chance
of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
A
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your
reflexes, perceptions, and
I
judgment will be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious
- or even
fatal
- accident if you drive after
drinking. Please don't drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you're with a group,
designate a driver who
will not
drink.
I Conboi of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your
vehicle go where
you want it to go.
They are
the brakes, the steering and the
accelerator.
All three systems have to do
their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on
snow or ice, it's easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and
road can provide. That means you can
lose control of your vehicle.
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Braking
Braking action involves perception time
and reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the
brake pedal. That’s
perception time.
Then you have to bring up your foot and
do it. That’s
reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a
second. But that’s only an average.
It
might be less with one driver and as
long as two or three seconds
or more
with another. Age, physical condition,
alertness, coordination, and eyesight all
play a part.
So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in
3/4 of a second, a
vehicle moving at
60 mph (100 km/h)
travels
66 feet (20 m). That could. be a
lot of distance in an emergency,
so
keeping enough space between your
vehicle and others is important.
And, of course, actual stopping
distances vary greatly with the surface
of the road (whether it’s pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet,
dry, icy); tire tread; and the condition of
your brakes.
Most drivers treat their brakes with
care. Some, however, overwork the
braking system with poor driving habits.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy
braking
- rather than keeping pace
with traffic. This is a mistake. Your
brakes
may not have time to cool
between hard stops. Your brakes will
wear out much faster
if you do a lot
of heavy braking.
your left foot rest lightly on the brake
pedal
while driving.
Don’t “ride” the brakes by letting
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Your Driving
GAU I IUN
... 128
A
“Riding” your brakes can
cause them to overheat to the
I
point that they won’t work well.
You might not be able to stop your
vehicle in time
to avoid an
accident. If you “ride” your
brakes, they will get
so hot they
will require a lot of pedal force
to
slow you down. Avoid “riding”
the brakes.
NU 1 /Ut
“Riding” the brakes wears them
)ut much faster. You would n
:ostly brake replacement mucl
iooner than normal, and it
-educes
fuel econo----
If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and
longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re
driving, brake normally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder
to push down. If
your engine stops, you will still have
some power brake assist. But you will
use
it as you brake. Once the power
assist
is used up, it may take longer to
stop and the brake pedal will be
harder
to push.
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