engine CHEVROLET TRACKER 1993 Owner's Guide

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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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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I Driving a Long
Distunce
Although most long trips today are made
on freeways, there are still many made
on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and
regular highways is the same in some
ways. The trip has
to be planned and the
vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are
longer turns behind the wheel. You’ll
l enjoy your trip more if you and your
vehicle are in good shape. Here are
some tips for a successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part
of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to go.
If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Geo dealerships all across
North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it. Here
are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough
for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated
to
the recommended pressure?
167-9.
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Your Driving and the Road
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is
good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours
at a sitting. Then, either change drivers
or stop for some refreshment like
coffee, tea or
soft drinks and some
limbering up. But do stop and move
around. Eat lightly along the way. Heavier meals tend
to make some people
sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for
some situations not usually found on
freeways. Examples are: stop signs and
signals, shopping centers with direct
access to the highway, no passing zones
and school zones, vehicles turning left
and right
off the road, pedestrians,
cyclists, parked vehicles, and even
animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along
with the hum
of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush
of
the wind against the vehicle that can
make you sleepy. Don’t let
it happen to
you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in
less than a second, and you
could crash and be injured.
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Your Driving and the Road
Know how to go down hills. The
most important thing to know is this:
let your engine do some
of the
slowing down. Don’t make your
brakes do it all. Shift to a lower gear
when you
go down a steep or long
hill. That way,
you will slow down
without excessive use
of your brakes.
CA UT/ON
A
If you don’t shift down, your
brakes could get
so hot that
they wouldn’t work well.
You
would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
could crash. Shift down
to let your
engine assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
A Coasting downhill in N
r - a (Neutral) or with the ignition
off is dangerous. Your brakes will
have to do all the work
of slowing
down. They could get
so hot that
they wouldn’t work well. You
could crash. Always have your
engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you
go downhill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may
want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears help cool your
engine and transmission, and you can
climb
the hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving
on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don’t swing
wide or cut
across
the center of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your own
lane. That way, you won’t be
surprised by a vehicle coming toward
you in the same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle
when you’re going uphill. You’ll want
to leave extra room to pass.
If a
vehicle
is passing you and doesn’t have enough
room, slow down to
make it easier for the other vehicle to
get by.
As you go over the top of a hill, be
alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on
mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
problems. See
‘ ‘Winter Driving” in
the Index.
Winter driving can present special
H Parking on Hills
Hills and mountains mean spectacular
scenery. But please be careful where
you stop if you decide to look at the
view or take pictures.
Look. for pull-offs
or parking areas provided for scenic
viewing.
Another part of this manual tells how to
use your parking brake (see “Parking
Brake” in
the Index). But on a mountain
or steep hill, you can do one more
thing. You can turn your front wheels to
keep your vehicle from rolling downhill
or out into traffic.
Here’s how:
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[f there is no curb when you’re parking
uphill, turn the wheels to the right.
[f there is
no curb when you’re parking
uphill on the left side
of a one-way
street, your wheels should be turned
to
the left.
Torque Lock (Automatic
Transmission)
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transmission into
P
(Park) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the
parking pawl in the transmission.
You
may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of
P (Park). This is called “torque
lock.”
To prevent torque lock,
always be sure to shift into
P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see ‘‘Shifting into
P (Park)” in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out
of P (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill
to take some of the pressure
from the transmission,
so you can pull
the shift lever out
of P (Park).
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Geo in good shape for
winter. Be sure your engine coolant
mix is correct.
Snow tires can help in loose snow,
but they may give you less traction on
ice than regular tires.
If you do not
expect
to be driving in deep snow, but
may have to travel over ice, you may
not want
to switch to snow tires at all.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
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176
If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
- anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm,
but be careful.
A
Snow can trap exhaust gases
under your vehicle. This can
cause deadly
CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside.
CO
could overcome you and kill you.
You can't see it or smell it,
so you
might not know it was in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the base
of your vehicle,
especially any that is blocking your
exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure
snow doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on
the
side of the vehicle that's away
from the wind. This will help keep
co out. Run your engine only as long as you
must. This saves fuel. When
you run the
engine, make it go a little faster than
just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat
that you get and it keeps the battery
charged. You will
need a well-charged
battery to restart the vehicle, and
possibly for signaling later on with your
headlights.
Let the heater run for
awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the
window almost all the way to preserve
the heat.
Start the engine again and
repeat this only when you feel really
uncomfortable from the cold. But do it
as little as possible. Preserve the fuel as
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Your Driving and the Road
Your Geo can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the
information
in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in
this section. But
trailering is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability, and fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering
takes correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this section.
In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and
that of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
9 178
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight.
The engine is required to operate at
relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat.
What’s more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
All
of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig will be legal, not only where you
live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information
can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the
first
500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged.
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Then, during the first 500 miles
(800 km) that you tow a trailer, don’t
drive over
50 mph (80 h/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This
helps your engine and other parts
of
your vehicle wear in at the heavier
loads.
Three important considerations have
to
do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It
should never weigh more than
1,500
pounds (680 kg). But even that can be
too heavy. It depends on
how you plan to
use
your rig. For example, speed,
altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your
vehicle
is used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on
any special equipment that you have
on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our
trailering information
or advice, or
write
us at: Customer
Assistance Department
Chevrolet/Geo
P.O. Box 7047
Troy, MI 48007
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
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