brakes CHEVROLET TRACKER 1994 Owners Manual

Ensure the shift lever is fully in “F‘”
(Park) range before starting the engine.
Your Geo has a brake-transmission shift
interlock.
You have to fully apply your
regular brakes before you can shift from
“P” (Park) when the ignition key is in the
“ON’ position. If you cannot shift out of
“P’ (Park), ease pressure on the shift
lever
- push the shift lever all the way
into
“P’ (Park) and release the shift lever
button as you maintain brake application.
Then press the shift lever button and
move the shift lever into the gear you
wish. See “Shifting out of ‘P’ (Park)”
in
the Index.
0 R (Reverse)
Use this gear to back up.
I NOTICE:
Shifting to “R” (Reverse) while your
vehicle is moving forward could
damage your transmission. Shift to
“R” only after your vehicle is
stopped.
~~
To rock your vehicle back and forth to gel
out of snow, ice or sand without
damaging your transmission, see “Stuck:
In Sand,
Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
t
0 N (Neutral)
In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when
you’re already moving, use
“N’ (Neutral)
only. Also, use “N” when your vehicle is
being towed.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused
by shifting out of “P” (Park) or
“N’
(Neutral) with the engine racing isn’t
covered by your warranty.
0 D (Drive)
This position is for normal driving. If you
need more power for passing, and you’re:
- Going less than about 15 mph
(25
km/h), push your accelerator peda
about halfway down.
- Going about 15 mph (25 km/h) or
more, push your accelerator pedal all
the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
0 2 (Second Gear)
This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use “2” on
hills.
It can help control your speed as
you go down steep mountain roads, but
then you would also want to use your
brakes off and on.
Don’t shift into “2” unless you are
going slower than
65 mph
( 105 km/h) with the transfer case in
“4H’ or 35 mph (55 km/h) with the
transfer case in “4L,” or you can
damage your transmission.
43.
ProCarManuals.com

Features and Controls
L (Low Gear)
This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
“2.” You
can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep
snow
or mud. If the selector lever is put il
“L,” the transmission won’t shift into low
gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
n
NOTICE:
Don’t shift into “L,” (Low) at speeds
above 40 mph
(65 km/h) with the
transfer case
in “4L,” or you can
damage your transmission.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you
were stuck in very deep sand or mud
or were up against
a solid object. You
could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill,
don’t hold your vehicle there
with
only the accelerator pedal. This could
overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes to hold
your vehicle
in position on a hill.
F
Manual Transmission
ive-Speed
is is your shift pattern. Here’s how to
erate your transmission:
1 (First Gear) - Press the clutch
pedal and shift into
“1.” Then, slowly
let up on
the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into
“I” when you’re
going less than
20 mph (32 km/h). If
you’ve come to a complete stop and
it’s hard to shift into
“1,” put the shift
lever
in “Neutral” and let up on the
clutch. Press the clutch pedal back
down. Then shift into
“ 1 .”
0
0
0
0
0
2 (Second Gear) - Press the clutch
pedal as
you let up on the accelerator
pedal and shift into
“2.” Then, slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
3,4 and 5 (Third, Fourth and Fifth
Gears)
- Shift into “3,” “4” and “5”
the same way you do for “2.” Slowly
let up on the clutch p6dal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
To Stop - Let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brGke pedal. Just
before
the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and
shift to “Neutral.”
Neutral - Use this position when
you start or idle your engine.
R (Reverse) - To back up, press
down the clutch pedal and shift into
“R.” Let up on the clutch pedal slowly
while pressing the accelerator pedal.
You cannot go from
“5” (Fifth Gear) into
“R” (Reverse). If you try, you will be
locked out. You must first shift into
“Neutral,” move the lever to
the left, back
to the right, and then shift into
“R”
(Reverse). This is a safety feature.
... 44
ProCarManuals.com

Features and Controls
Four-wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you
can send your engine's driving power
to
all four wheels for extra traction. To shift
out of two-wheel drive and into
four-wheel drive, lock the freewheeling
hubs and move the transfer case shift
lever
to "4H" or "4L" (see the following).
You should use
"2H" for most normal
driving.
Rear wheel anti-lock brakes do
not work
when
you shift into four-wheel drive.
Your regular brakes will still work. When
you shift back into two-wheel drive, your
Freewheeling Hubs
Your vehicle may have either manual or
automatic freewheeling hubs. You must
NOTICE:
Manual
To lock or unlock the hubs, you must park
Driving
in "4H" or "4L" positions for
a long time
on dry or wet pavement
could shorten
the life of your
vehicle's drivetrain. your vehicle
(see "Shifting into
'P'
(Park)" or "Parking Your Vehicle" in the
Index) and get
out. To lock the hubs, turn
the hub dials to "LOCK."
I '
I NOTICE:
Don't drive in "2H" with the manual
locking
hubs in "LOCK." If you do.
you could damage your front drive-
shaft parts.
To unlock the hubs, turn the hub dials to
'FREE."
... 46
ProCarManuals.com

Features and Controls
Parking
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake: Hold the brake
pedal down and pull up
on the parking
brake lever. If the ignition is
on, the brake
system warning light will come
on.
To release the parking brake: Hold the
brake pedal down. Pull the parking brake
lever up until you can push in the release
button. Hold the release button in
as you
move the lever all the way down.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on
can cause your rear brakes to over-
heat.
You may have to replace them,
and you could also damage other
parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer, see“Towing a
Trailer”
in the Index.
Shifting into “P” (Park)
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMlSSlON)
... 48
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
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.
Control 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.
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.
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some
people drive in spurts
- heavy
acceleration followed by heavy braking
- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
. . .IO2
ProCarManuals.com

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. 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 when you brake.
Once
the power assist is used up, ir may
take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic
braking system that can help you keep
it
under control.
Here‘s
how anti-lock works. Let’s say the
road is wet. You‘re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps out
in front of
you.
You slam on the brakes. Here’s what
happens
with ABS.
A computer senses that the rear wheels
are slowing down.
If one of the rear
wheels
is about to stop rolling, the
computer will work the brakes at the rear
wheels.
It is programmed to make the
most of available tire and road conditions.
R
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates
on rear wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn‘t change the
time you need
to get your foot up to the
brake pedal.
If you get too close to the
vehicle in front of you, you won’t have
time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle
suddenly
slows or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop. even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock:
Use rear-wheel anti-lock like regular
brakes. You may feel the brakes vibrate,
or
you may notice some noise outside
your vehicle, but
this is normal. Let
anti-lock work for
you, but remember:
Your front wheels
can still stop rolling. If
103..
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
that happens, release enough pressure on
the brakes to get the wheels rolling again
so that you can steer.
With the four-wheel drive option, you
won’t have anti-lock braking when you
shift into four-wheel drive. But
you will
have regular braking. When you shift
back into two-wheel drive, you will have
anti-lock again.
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.
. . .lo4
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.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp
curve. Then
you suddenly apply the
brakes. Both control systems
- steering
and braking
- have to do their work
where the tires meet the road. Adding the
hard braking can demand too much at
those places.
You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re
steering through a sharp curve and you
suddenly accelerate. Those two control
systems
- steering and acceleration -
can overwhelm those places where the
tires meet
the road and make you lose
control.
What should
you do if this ever happens?
Ease up on the brake or accelerator pedal,
steer the vehicle the way you want it to
go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of course,
the posted speeds are based on good
weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to go
slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you
approach a curve, do
it before you enter
ProCarManuals.com

the curve, while your front wheels are
straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can
“drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
more effective than braking. For example,
you come over a hill and find a truck
stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts
out from between parked cars and stops
right
in front of you. You can avoid these
problems by braking
- if you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t
room. That’s the time for evasive action
- steering around the problem.
Your Geo can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply your
brakes, but not enough
to lock your front
wheels. It is better to remove as much
speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem,
to the left or right depending on the space
available. 4n
emergency like this requires close
ittention and a quick decision.
If you are
holding the steering wheel at the
recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions,
you can turn it a full
180 degrees very
quickly without removing either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once
you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations
are always possible is
a good reason to
practice defensive driving at all times and
wear safety belts properly.
Iff-Road Recovery
7ou may find sometime that your right
,heels have dropped off the edge of a
oad onto the shoulder
(A) while you’re
riving.
f the level of the shoulder is only slightl:
lelow the pavement, recovery should be
airly easy. Ease off the accelerator and
hen, if there is nothing in the way, steer
o that your vehicle straddles the edge of
he pavement. You can turn the steering
vheel up to
1/4 turn (B) until the right
ront tire contacts the pavement edge.
?hen turn your steering wheel to go
traight down the roadway.
105 ...
ProCarManuals.com

loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say
about
what happens when the three
control system (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 are.n'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.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your
foot 011' the accelerator pedal and quickly
steer the way
you want the vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough. your
vehicle
may straighten out. 41ways be
ready for
;I sccond skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water,
snow. ice. gravel. or other material is on
the road. For safety, you'll want to slow
down and adjust your driving
to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down
on slippery surfaces because stopping
distance will be longer
and vehicle
control more limited.
While driving on
a surface with reduced
traction.
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration,
or braking
(including engine braking by shifting
EO a
lower gear).
Any sudden changes could
cause the tires to slide. You may
not
realize the surface is slippery until yout-
vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize
warning clues
~ such as enough water,
ice or packed snow
on the road to make ;1
"nlir~-or.ed surf'rlce" - and slow down
when you have any doubt.
Remember: The rex-wheel anti-lock
braking system (RWAL) helps avoid
only
a rear braking skid. In a braking skid
(where the front wheels are
no longer rolling),
release enough pressure
on the
brakes to get the front wheels rolling
again. This restores steering control. Push
the brake pedal down steadily when you
have
to stop suddenly. As long as the
I'ront wheels are rolling,
you will have
sleering control.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a utility vehicle in Consumer
Information Regulations issued
by the
National I-lighway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA)
of the United
States Department of Transportation.
Utility vehicles have higher ground
clearance and a narrower track to make
them capable of performing
in a wide
variety
of off-road applications. Specific
design characteristics give them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary cars. An
advantage
of the higher ground clearance
is
a better view of the road allowing you
to anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering
at the same speeds
as conventional 2-wheel drive vehicles
any no re than low-slunl 7 .'p '-, orts cars are
designed
to perform satisfitctorily under
off-road conditions.
If at all possible,
avoid shurp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
107 ...
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
As with other vehicles of this type, failure
to operate this vehicle correctly may
result
in loss of control or vehicle
rollover.
Off-Road Driving with
Your Geo Four-wheel
Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that
have four-wheel drive.
Also, see “Anti-lock Brakes”
in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel
drive, you shouldn’t drive off-road unless
you’re
on a level, solid surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But
it
does have some definite hazards. The
greatest of these is the terrain itself.
“Off-roading” means
you’ve left the great
North American road system behind.
Traffic lanes aren‘t marked. Curves aren’t
banked. There are no road signs. Surfwes
can be slippery, rough, uphill
or downhill.
In short, you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves
some new
skills. And that’s
why it’s very important
that
you read this guide. You’ll find many
driving tips and suggestions. These
will
help make your off-road driving safer and
more enjoyable.
=. .lo8
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you
go out. For example, be sure to have all
necessary maintenance and service work
done. Be sure you read all the information
about your four-wheel drive vehicle in
this manual. Is there enough fuel? Is the
spare tire
fully inflated‘? Are the fluid
levels up where they should
be‘? What are
the local laws
that apply to off-roacting
where you’ll be driving?
If you don’t
know, you should check with law
enforcement people
in the area. Will you
be on someone’s private land?
If so, be
sure
to get the necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road
Driving
There are some important things to
remember
about how to load your
vehicle. The heavies1 things should
be on the
load floor and forward of your rear
axle. Put heavier items
as far forward
as you can.
e Be sure the load is secured properly,
so driving on the off-road terrain
doesn’t
toss things around.
You’ll find other important information in
this manual. See “Vehicle Loading” and
”Tires”
in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com