oil level CHEVROLET TRACKER 1993 Owners Manual

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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J
It be dangerous tu get out
of your vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the veficle can
move suddenly. You
or others could be injured. To be
sure your vehicle won’t move, when
you’re
on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow.
If you have four-wheel drive, and
your transfer
case is in N (NeutraI) ,
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).
If you are parking on a hill, or if
you’re pulling a trailer; also see
“Parking On Hills” in the Index.
6. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave after
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
store
the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer.
See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially important
in trailer operation are automatic
transmission fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, axle lubricant, belts, cooling
system, and brake adjustment. Each
of
these is covered in this manual, and the
Index will help you find them quickly.
If
you’re trailering, it’s a good idea to
review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
185 9 =
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When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
1. Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Radiator Pressure Cap
3. Electric Engine Fan
A An electric fan under the
hood can start up even when
thL @ne is not running and can
injure you. Keep hands, clothing
and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
Don’t reach through the grille to
release the underhood lever.
- II E I L
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.
unu I lVlV
Heater and radiator hoses,
1 L and other engine parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
203 =
r
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Problems on the Road
c
Engine damage from running yollr I
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty.
I
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan
is running.
If
the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above
FULL, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water
(preferably distilled) and the
proper antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the
Index for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
A Adding only plain water to
L your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid, like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mix. With plain water, or the
wrong mix, your engine could get
too hot but you wouldn’t get the
overheat warning. Your engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
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Part 6
Here you wit1 find information
about the care of your Geo
. This
part begins with service and fuel
information. and then it shows
how to check important fluid and
lubricant levels
. There is also
technical information about your
vehicle. and
a section devoted to
its appearance care
.
ii iervice & Appearance Care
Service ............................................................. 222
Fuel ............................................................... 223
Checking Things under the Hood ........................................ 227 .
HoodRelease 227
Engineoil ........................................................ 229
Aircleaner ........................................................ 233
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................................ 234
Manual Transmission Fluid ........................................... 237
Clutch Adjustment .................................................. 238
RearAxle ......................................................... 238
Four-WheelDrive .................................................. 239
Enginecoolant ..................................................... 240
Power Steering Fluid ................................................ 243
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................ 244
Brake Master Cylinder ............................................... 245
Battery ........................................................... 247
Bulb Replacement .................................................... 248
LoadingYourVehicle ................................................. 252
Tires ............................................................... 253
Appearancecare ..................................................... 261
Appearance Care and Maintenance Materials .............................. 271
Vehicle Identification Number .......................................... 272
Service Parts Identification Label ........................................ 272
Add-on Electrical Equipment ........................................... 272
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ............................................. 273
ReplacementBulbs ................................................... 276
Capacities and Specifications ........................................... 277
221 .
.
......................................................
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In addition, some gasoline suppliers are
now producing reformulated gasolines.
These gasolines are specially designed to
reduce vehicle emissions. General
Motors recommends that you use
reformulated gasoline. By doing
so, you
can help clean the air, especially in
those parts of the country that have high
ozone levels,
You should ask your service station
operators
if their gasolines contain
detergents and oxygenates, and if they
have been reformulated
to reduce
vehicle emissions.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another
country outside the
U.S. or Canada,
unleaded fuel may be hard to find.
Do
not use leaded gasoline. If you use even
one tankful, your emission controls
won’t work well or at
all. With
continuous use, spark plugs can get
fouled, the exhaust system can corrode,
and your engine oil
can deteriorate
quickly. Your vehicle’s oxygen sensor
will be damaged. All of that means costly repairs that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
To check on fuel availability, ask an
auto club, or contact a major oil company that does business in
the
country where you’ll be
driving.
You can also write us at the following
address for advice. Just tell us where
you’re going and give your Vehicle
Identification Number
(VIN).
General Motors of Canada Limited
International Export Sales
P.O. Box 828
Oshawa, Ontario LIH 7N1
Canada
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Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on
the hood prop. Remove the hood prop
from the slot in the hood and return the
prop to its retainer. Then just let the
hood down and close it firmly.
Engine Oil
It’s a good idea to check your engine oil
level every time you get fuel.
In order
to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on
level ground.
Turn
off the engine and give the oil a
few minutes to drain back into the oil
pan.
If you don’t, the oil dipstick might
not show the actual level.
To Check Engine Oil: Pull out the
dipstick and clean it with a paper towel
or cloth, then push it back
in all the
way. Remove
it again, keeping the tip
lower.
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Service & Appearance Care
I
When to Add Oil: If the oil is at or
below the
ADD mark, you’ll need to
add some oil. But you must use the right
kind. This section explains what kind
of
oil to use. For crankcase capacity, see
“Capacities and Specifications’’ in the
Index. Don’t add
too much oil. If your
engine has
so much oil that the oil
level gets above
the upper mark
that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be
damaged. Just fill it enough
to put the level
somewhere in the proper operating
range. Push the dipstick all the way
back in when you’re through.
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What Kind of Oil to Use:
Look for three things:
SG
SG must be on the oil container,
either by itself or combined with other
quality designations, such
as SGKC,
SG/CD, SF, SG, CC, etc. These
letters show American Petroleum
Institute (API) levels
of quality.
Recommended SAE Viscosity
Grade Engine
Oils
For best fuel economy and cold starting,
select the lowest
SAE viscosity grade oil
for the expected temperature range.
HOT
WEATHER
1-1
@ 1 5W.30
c~coNs.8
LOOK
FOR THIS
LABEL
4$
--
SAE 1OW-30
SAE 5W-30 PREFERRED
COLD
WEATHER
you use oils that don’t have the IF NEITHER SAE 5W-30 NOR SAE 1OW-30
GRADE OILS ARE AVAILABLE, SAE 30 GRADE
MAY BE USED AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE BG designation, you can cause
engine damage not covered
Sy 40 DEGREES F (4 DEOREES C).
your warranty. DO NOT USE SAE 10W-40, SAE 2OW-50 OR 1 ANY OTHER GRADE OIL NOT RECOMMENDED.
SAE 5W-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE
5W-30 is best for your vehicle.
However, you can use SAE
1OW-30
if it’s going to be 0°F (- 18°C) or
above.
These numbers
on an oil container
show its viscosity, or thickness. Do
not use other viscosity oils such as
SAE
1OW-40 or SAE 2OW-50.
Energy Conserving I1
Oils with these words on the container
will help you save fuel.
231
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Service & Appearance Care
c
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can easily get into your
engine, which will damage it.
Always have
the air cleaner in
place when you're driving.
... 234
Air Filter Replacement
To check or replace the filter, remove
the screws and lift up the cover.
Automatic Tmnsmissian Fluid
When to Check and Change:
A good time to check your automatic
transmission
fluid level is when the
engine oil is changed. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule to determine
when to change your fluid. See
"Scheduled Maintenance Services"
in
the Index.
How to Check:
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have this
done at a Geo dealership Service
Department.
If you do
it yourself, be sure to follow
all the instructions here, or you could
get a false reading
on the dipstick.
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