wheel CHEVROLET TRACKER 1996 User Guide

Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) 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 PARK (P) when the
ignition key
is in the ON position. If you cannot shift
out of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push
the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) 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
PARK
(P)” in the Index.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your
vehicle is moving forward could damage your
transmission. Shift to
REVERSE (R) only after
your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transmission, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) vhile
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the
brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out of
PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
b i
NOTICE:
Damage to your transmission caused by shifting
out of
PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the
engine racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 15 mpb (25 km/h), push your
Going about 15 mph (25 h/h) or more, push your
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (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.
accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) with the transfer
case in FOUR HIGH (4H), or 35 mph (55 km/h)
with the transfer case in FOUR LOW (4L) or you
can damage your transmission.
LOW (L): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud,
If the selector lever is put in LOW (L), the transmission
won’t shift into low gear until the vehicle
is going
slowly enough.
NOTICE:
Don’t shift into LOW (L) at speeds above
40 mph (65 km/h) with the transfer case in
FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L), or you can damage
your transmission.
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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.
Power Mode Selector Switch
A power mode selector
switch is included. When
you need more power for
climbing hills or quicker
acceleration, press the
P (POWER) switch. The
POWER indicator
light on the instrument panel
comes on. For normal driving, press the
N (NORMAL)
switch. The POWER indicator light goes off.
Overdrive Off Switch (Option)
The overdrive off switch is located on the left side of the
shifter. By operating the overdrive
off switch, the
four-speed automatic transmission (three-speed plus
overdrive) can be converted to a three-speed automatic
transmission. While in the three-speed mode, the
transmission will not shift into the overdrive position.
To convert the transmission to the three-speed mode,
push in the overdrive off switch and release
it. The
switch comes out and the
OD OFF indicator light on
the instrument panel comes on.
To return the transmission to the four-speed mode, push
in
the overdrive off switch again. The switch will remain
in and the
O/D OFF indicator light goes off.
Please note that if the transfer lever is in the 4L position,
the four-speed automatic transmission will remain in the
three-speed mode.
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I Acceleration Shift Speed I Cruise Shift Speed I
It02 2to3 3to4 4to5 2to3 3to4 4to5
mph 15 25 40 45 20tO 26 30 to 35 39to 45
I km/h I 24 I 40 I 64 1 72 132 to 42148 to 56163 to 721
If your speed drops below 20 mph (32 km/h), or if the
engine is not running smoothly, you should downshift to
the next lower gear. You may have to downshift two or
more gears to keep the engine running smoothly
or for
good performance.
NOTICE:
If you skip more than one gear when you downshift,
or if you race the engine when you downshift, you
can damage the clutch or transmission.
Four-wheel Drive (Option)
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 (manual
hubs only) and move the transfer case shift lever
to
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or FOUR-WHEEL LOW
(4L) (see the following). You should use TWO-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) for most normal driving.
NOTICE:
Driving in FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L) positions for a long
time
on dry or wet pavement could shorten the
life
of your vehicle’s drivetrain.
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Freewheeling Hubs
Your vehicle may have either manual or automatic
freewheeling hubs. You must lock the hubs before you
use
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or FOUR-WHEEL
LOW (4L).
Manu21
To lock or unlock the hubs, you must park your vehicle
(see “Shifting into
PARK‘ (P>” or “Parking Your I
Vehicle” in the Index) and get out. To lock the hubs, turn
the hub dials to
LOCK.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H) with
the manual locking hubs in
LOCK. If you do, you
could damage your front driveshaft parts.
To unlock the hubs, turn the hub dials to FREE.
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Automatic Transfer Case
With automatic freewheeling hubs, you don’t have to get
out &the vehicle to lock or unlock the hubs.
Locking the Hubs
1. Stop your vehicle.
2. Shift the transfer case to FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L).
3, Drive slowly forward and the hubs will lock.
Unlocking the Hubs
1. Stop your vehicle.
2. Drive 7 feet (2 m) in the direction opposite to the
direction
you were driving before you stopped.
3. Then, press the clutch if you have a manual
transmission, and shift the transfer case to
TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H). The hubs will unlock. The transfer case shift lever is on the floor to the right
of the driver. Use this lever to shift into and out of
four-wheel drive.
An indicator light comes on when the
transfer
case is in FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H) or
FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L).
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TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H): This setting is for driving
in most street and highway situations. Your front axle is
not engaged
in two-wheel drive.
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H): This setting engages your
front axle to help drive your vehicle. Use FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) when you need extra traction, such as on wet
or icy roads, or in most off-road situations.
NEUTRAL (N): Shft to this setting only when your
vehicle needs to be towed.
FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L): This setting also engages
your front axle to give you extra traction and can be
used for driving downhill, uphill or
on rocky terrain
when you’re driving slower than
35 mph (55 km/h).
Remember that driving in FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H)
or FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L) may reduce fuel
economy. Also, driving
in four-wheel drive on dry
pavement could cause your tires to wear faster and make
your transfer case harder to shift. You
can shift from TWO-WHEEL
HIGH (2H) to
FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) or from FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H) to TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H) at any speed
if your hubs are locked and your wheels are straight
ahead. Your front axle will engage fas,ter if you take
your foot
off the accelerator pedal for a few seconds
as you shift.
Shifting Into or Out of FOUR-WHEEL LOW (4L)
1. Stop your vehicle and shift your transmission
2. Shift the transfer case in one continuous motion.
to NEUTRAL (N).
Don’t pause in NEUTRAL
(N) as you shift into
FOUR-WHEEL HIGH (4H), or your gears could clash.
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I NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. 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 PARK (P) (Automatic
Transmission Models Only)
A CAUTION:
- -
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not
fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have 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, use the steps that follow. If
you have four-wheel drive and your transfer case is
in NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be free to roll,
even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So, be sure
the transfer case is in
a drive gear -- not in
NEUTRAL (N). If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
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1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) by holding in the
button on
the lever and pushing the lever all the way
toward the front of your vehicle.
3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear -- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Move the key to LOCK.
5. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key in your hand, your
vehicle is in PARK (P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
(Automatic Transmission Models Only)
A CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle
could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P)
with the parking brake firmly set. If you have
four-wheel drive
and your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be free to roll,
even
if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So be sure
the transfer
case is in a drive gear -- not in
NEUTRAL (N). And, if you leave the vehicle with
the engine running, it
could overheat and even
catch
fire. You or others could be injured. Don’t
leave your vehicle with the engine running
unless
you have to.
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Parking Your Vehicle
(Manual Transmission)
Before you get out of your vehicle, put your manual
transmission in
REVERSE (R) and firmly apply the
parking brake.
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case
is
in a drive gear. Your vehicle could roll if it isn’t.
If you are towing a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in
the
Index.
Parking Over Things That Burn
CAUTION:
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite.
Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things that
can burn.
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