brake CHEVROLET TRACKER 1996 Owner's Guide

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 aren’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
off 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. Always be ready for a
second
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.
mle driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as
enough water, ice
or packed snow on the road to make a
“,mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you have
any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have
to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
4-13 ProCarManuals.com

Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a
utility vehicle in Consumer Information Regulations
issued by the National Highway 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 two-wheel-drive vehicles any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under
off-road conditions. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
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.
Surfaces 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.
4-14
ProCarManuals.com

What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall,
and I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things. you should
0
0
0
0
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First, here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards.
Also, apply the parking brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the transmission
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
REVERSE (R).
If your engine has stopped running, you’ll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied,
shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, shift to
NEUTRAL (N) if your
vehicle has
a manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift to REVERSE
(R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE (R).
As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o’clock position. This
way, you’ll be able to tell
if your wheels are straight and maneuver
as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels straight rather
than in the left or right direction. Turning the wheel
too far to the left or right will increase the possibility
of a rollover.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
NEUTRAL (N) (or depressing the clutch,
if you
have a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. This won’t work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle. Then
apply the parking brake. Shift to REVERSE (R), release
the parking brake, and slowly back straight down.
a Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up
a hill. If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough to cause you to
roll over
if you turn around. If you can’t make it up
the hill, you must back straight down the hill.
4-21
ProCarManuals.com

@ Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down
the hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What
should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission
in
PARK (P) (or the manual transmission in
FIRST (1)) and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and stay clear
of the path the vehicle would
take if it rolled downhill.
Do not shift the transfer
case to
NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle.
Leave it in some gear.
/A CAUTION:
-
Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in
PARK (P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even if you’re in gear). This is
because the
NEUTRAL (N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to PARK (P)
(or, put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL (N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the 2H, 4H or 4L position.
4-22
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number
of things:
0
0
0
0
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs?
Boulders?
What’s at the bottom
of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank
or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down,
and use a low
gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes and
they won’t have
to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
I A I
Heavy braking when going down a hill can cause
your brakes
to overheat and fade. This could
cause loss
of control and a serious accident.
Apply the brakes lightly when descending
a
hill and use a low gear to keep vehicle speed
under control.
4-23
ProCarManuals.com

Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
0
0
you could lose control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take
you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive across.
You could roll over if you don’t drive straight down.
Never
go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat
and fade.
Unless you have anti-lock: Avoid braking
so hard that
you lock
the wheels when going downhill. If your
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
du-ection, just ease
off the brakes and steer to keep the
front
of the vehicle pointing straight downhill.
Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: 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.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parlung brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
and drive straight down.
4-24
ProCarManuals.com

Driving in Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But
heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand 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 drlve through it slowly. ,
fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if you get
At
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.
A CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be dangerous.
Deep water can 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.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis
or under the hood. These
accumulations can be a fire hazard.
After operation
in rnud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and
checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels,
tires and exhaust system
for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for
any leakage.
Your vehicle
will require more frequent service clue to
off-road
use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule for
additional information.
ProCarManuals.com

Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems, too.
The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to slow down before you hit them.
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They won’t work
well in a quick stop and
may cause pulling to one
side.
You could lose control of the vehicle.
After driving through
a large puddle of water or
a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly until
your brakes work normally.
ProCarManuals.com

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. (See “Off-Road
Driving’’ in the Index for information about
driving
off-road.)
0
0
Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some
of the
slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
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.
l Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) 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 would then
have
poor braking or even none going down a hin.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and
your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
0 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.
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
e 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.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
4-3s
ProCarManuals.com

Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice between your tires and
the road, you can have
a very slippery situation. You’ll
have a lot less traction or “grip” and will need to be
very careful. What’s the
worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very
cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer the
least traction
of all. You can get wet ice when it’s about
freezing
(32 OF; 0 ’ C) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever, the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or
loose snow -- drive with caution. Accelerate gently.
Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate
too
fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you’ll
want to brake very gently,
too. (If you do have anti-lock,
see “Anti-Lack” in the Index. This system improves
your vehicle’s stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road.) Whether you have the anti-lock braking
system or not, you’ll want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement.
Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little.
Push the brake pedal down steadily to get
the most traction
you can.
4-40
ProCarManuals.com