brakes CHEVROLET TRACKER 1996 Owner's Guide

system fixed, since a leak means that sooner or later your
brakes won’t work well, or won’t work at all.
So, it isn’t a good idea to “top off’ your brake fluid.
Adding brake fluid won’t correct a leak.
If you add fluid
when your linings
are worn, then you’ll have too much
fluid when
you get new brake linings. You should add
(or remove) brake fluid, as necessary, only when work ’is
done on the brake hydraulic system.
A CAUTION:
If you have too much brake fluid, it can spill on
the engine. The fluid will burn if the engine is hot
enough.
You or others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add brake fluid only
when work
is done on the brake hydraulic system.
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
check your brake fluid. See “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections” in the Index.
Checking Brake Fluid
You can check the
brake fluid without taking
off the cap.
Just look at the windows on the brake fluid reservoir.
The fluid levels should be above
MIN, If they aren’t,
have your brake system checked
to see if there is a leak.
After work is done on the brake hydraulic system, make
sure the levels
are above MIN and below the top of
each window.
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What to Add
When you do need brake fluid, use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 1052535). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only, and alvir-ays clean the brake fluid
reservoir cap before removing
it.
I d!L CAUTION:
1
With the wrong kind of fluid in your brake
system, your brakes may not work well, or they
may not even work at all. This could cause
a
crash. Always use the proper brake fluid.
NOTICE:
e Using the wrong fluid can badly damage
brake system parts. For example, just
a few
drops of mineral-based oil, such as engine
oil, in your brake system can damage brake
system parts
so badly that they’ll have to be
replaced. Don’t let someone put in the
wrong kind of fluid.
If you spill brake fluid on your vehicle’s
painted surfaces, the paint finish can be
damaged. Be careful not to spill brake fluid
on your vehicle. If you do, wash it off
immediately. See “Appearance Care” in
the Index.
6-31
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Brake Wear
Your Geo has front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make a
high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads are
wor~ and new pads are needed.
The sound may come and
go or be heard all the time your vehicle is moving (except
when you are pushing
on the brake pedal firmly).
The brake wear warning sound means that sooner
or later your brakes won’t work
well. That could
lead
to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning
sound, have your vehicle serviced.
I NOTICE: I
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result
in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly applied.
This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes,
Free movement of brake calipers and properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help prevent brake pulsation.
When tires are rotated, inspect brake calipers for
movement, brake pads for wear, and evenly torque wheel
nuts
in the proper sequence to GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but
if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake
linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires are
removed for rotation or changing. When you have the
front brakes replaced, have the rear brakes inspected,
too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height,
or if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could
be a sign of brake trouble.
6-32
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Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex.
Its many parts have to be
of top quality and work well
together
if the vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have top-quality
GM brake
parts in them, as your Geo does when it
is new. When
you replace parts
of your braking system -- for example,
when your brake
linings wear down and you have to have
new ones put in
-- be sure you get new genuine GM
replacement parts. If you don’t, your brakes may no
longer work properly. For example,
if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your vehicle, the balance
between your front and rear brakes can change
-- for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve come to expect
can change
in many other ways if someone puts in the
wrong replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Geo has a Delco Freedom@ battery. You
never have to add water to one of these. Men it’s time
for a new battery, we recommend a Delco Freedom
battery. Get one that has the replacement number
shown
on the original battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
Tf you’re not going to drive your vehicle for 25 days or
more, take
off the black, negative (-) cable from the battery.
This will help keep your battery from running down.
CAUTION:
Batteries have acid that can burn you and gas that
can explode. You can be badly hurt if you aren’t
careful. See “Jump Starting”
in the Index for tips
on working around
a battery without getting hurt.
Contact your dealer to learn how to prepare your vehicle
for longer storage periods.
Also,
for your audio system, see “Theft-Deterrent
Feature”
in the Index.
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Steering Column Lock Check
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn
the
key to LOCK in each shift lever position.
With an automatic transmission, the key should turn
to LOCK only when the shift lever is in PARK (P).
With a manual transmission, the key should turn to
LOCK only if you push the key in farther, while
turning it towards
LOCK.
On vehicles with a key release lever, try to turn the key
to LOCK without pressing the lever. The key should
turn to LOCK only when you press the key lever.
On all vehicles, the key should come out only in LOCK.
Parking Brake and Automatic Transmission
PARK (P) Mechanism Check
/d CAUTION:
When you are doing this check, your vehicle
could begin to
move. You or others could be
injured and property
could be damaged. Make
sure there
is room in front of your vehicle in case
it begins
to roll. Be ready to apply the regular
brake at once should the vehicle begin to move.
Park on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing
downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular brake, set the
parking brake.
To check the parking brake: With the engine running
and transmission in NEUTRAL (N), slowly remove
foot pressure from the regular brake pedal.
Do this
until the vehicle is held by the parking brake only.
To check the PARK (P) mechanism’s holding ability:
Shift to
PARK (P). Then release all brakes. If your
vehicle is four-wheel
drive, be sure the transfer case
is not in NEUTRAL (N).
Underbody Flushing Service
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any
corrosive materials from the underbody. Take care to
clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris
can collect.
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Throttle Linkage Inspection
Inspect the throttle linkage for interference or binding,
and for damage or missing parts. Replace parts as
needed. Replace any cables that have high effort
or
excessive wear. Do not lubricate accelerator and cruise
control cables.
Rear Axle (All) and Front Axle
(Four-wheel Drive) Service
Check the gear lubricant level and add if needed. See
“Rear
Axle” and “Four-wheel Drive” in the Index.
A fluid loss may indicate a problem. Check the
system(s), and repair
the system(s) if needed. Refer
to “Scheduled Maintenance Services,” earlier in this
section, to determine when to change the lubricant.
Brake System Inspection
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and
hoses
for proper hook-up, binding, leaks, cracks,
chafing,
etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors
for surface condition.
Also inspect drum brake linings
for wear and cracks. Inspect other brake
parts, including
drums, wheel cylinders, calipers, parking brake, etc.
Check parking brake adjustment.
You may need to have
your brakes inspected more often if your driving habits
or conditions result in frequent braking.
Clutch System Service
Check clutch pedal free travel and adjust as necessary.
See “Clutch Adjustment”
in the Index.
7-52
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Gem Section 9 Index
Air ~ag ...................................... I -24
Adding Equipment
............................ 1-30
How Does it Restrain
........................ 1-28
How it Works
.............................. 1-26
Location
.................................... l-26
Readiness Light ......................... 1-25, 2-61
Servicing
................................... 1-2 9
What Makes it Inflate
.......................... 1-27
What Will
You See After it Inflates ............... 1-28
AirCleaner
.................................... 6-13
Airconditioning
................................ 3-2
Air Conditioning Refrigerants ..................... 6-64
Alignment and Balance, Tire
...................... 6-46
Aluminum Wheels, Cleaning
...................... 6-54
Antenna
...................................... 3-19
Antifreeze
............................. 6-24
Anti-Lock
When Should it Inflate ......................... 1-27
Brake System Active Light ................. 2-64, 4-8
Brake System Warning Light
................ 2-63, 4-6
Brakes ...................................... 4- 6
Appearance Care ................................ 6-48 Appearance Care Materials
....................... 6-56
Arbitration Program .............................. 8-7
Audio Systems
.................................. 3-6
Overdrive
............................... 2-13
Overdrive
Off Switch .......................... 2-13
Shifting
..................................... 2-10
TEUIS~~SS~O~ ............................ 2-8.2-10
Transmission Check ........................... 7-48
Transmission Fluid
............................ 6-15
Transmission Operation
........................ 2-10
Transmission Park Mechanism Check
............. 7-50
Axle, Front
.................................... 6-23
Axle, Rear
. . ............................. 6-21
Ashtrays
...................................... 2-40
Automatic
Starting Your Engine
........................... 2-8
Battery
................. .: ................... 6-33
Jump Starting ................................. 5-2
Warnings
.................................... 5-2
BBB Auto Line ................................. 8-7
Better Business Bureau Mediation ................... 8-7
9-1
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Brake Adjustment
.................................. 6-33
Fluid
....................................... 6-29
Master Cylinder
.............................. 6-29
Parking
..................................... 2-20
PedalTravel
................................. 6-32
Replacing System Parts
........................ 6-33
System Warning Light
......................... 2-62
Trailer
...................................... 4-51
Transmission Shift Interlock
.................... 2-23
Transmission Shift Interlock Check
............... 7-49
Wear
....................................... 6-32
Brakes.Ant i.Lock ............................... 4-6
Braking ........................................ 4-5
Braking in Emergencies
..... ................ 4-8
Break.In. New Vehicle
....................... 2-6
Brightness Control .............................. 2-36
BTSI
......................................... 2-23
BTSICheck
................................... 7-49
Bulb Replacement
.............................. 6-34
Canadian Roadside Assistance
. . ........ 8-6
Canvas Top And Plastic Window Care
...................... 6-53
Lowering
and Raising ......................... 2-49
Preparing for Storage
.......................... 2-54
Removing and Installing
....................... 2-53 Capacities and Specifications
.................... 6-62
Carbon Monoxide
......................... 2.25, 4.42
Cassette Deck Service
........................... 7-47
Cassette Tape Player
.................. . . 3.8, 3.11
Cassette Tape Player Care
........... ........ 3-18
CD Player Theft-Deterrent Feature
................. 3-15
Certification Label
.............................. 4-46
Certificationmire Label
........................ 4-46
Chains. Safety
.................... ........ 4-51
Chains. Tire ...................... ........ 6-47
Changing a
Flat Tire .............. ........... 5-22
Charging System Light
.......................... 2-61
Checking Your Restraint Systems
.................. 1-46
Chemical Paint Spotting .......................... 6-55
Child Restraints
...................... ...... 1-37
Securing in a Rear Seat Position
......... ... 1-38
Securing in the Right Front Seat Position . . ... 1-40
TopStrap
................................. 1-38
WheretoPut
................................ 1-37
Cigarette Lighter
............................... 2-40
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
....................... 6-58
Cleaner. Air
................................... 6-13
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
............................ 6-54
Canvas Top and Plastic Window ................. 6-53
Fabric
...................................... 6-49
Glass
....................................... 6-51
InsideofYourGeo ............................ 6-48
9-2
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Trailer Brakes
..................................... 4-51
Driving on Grades ............................ 4-53
Driving with
................................. 4-52
Hitches
..................................... 4-51
Maintenance
When Towing ..................... 4-55
ParkingonHills .............................. 4-54
Safety Chains
................................ 4-51
Tongueweight
............................... 4-50
Total Weight on Tires
.......................... 4-50
Turnsignals ................................. 4-53
Weight
..................................... 4-49
Transfer
Case. Manual Shift ................. 2- 18. 6-22
Transmission Fluid
Automatic
................................... 6- 15
Transportation. Courtesy .......................... 8-6
Trip
Odometer ................................. 2-59
TTYUsers
..................................... 8-3
Turn Signal and Lane Change Signals ............... 2-28
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
................... 2-28
Manual ..................................... 6-19
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer ................ 4-53
Underbody Flushing Service
..................... 7-50
Underbody Maintenance
.... ............... 6-55
Vehicle Control
...................................... 4-5 Damage
Warnings
............................... v
Dimensions ................................. 6-64
Identification Number
......................... 6-57
Loading
........... .................... 4-46
Storage
....... .................... 6-33
Visors. Sun .................................... 2-41
warning Devices
............................... 5-2
Warning Lights. Gages and Indicators
............... 2-60
Washer Fluid. Windshield
........................ 6-28
Washing Your Vehicle ........................... 6-52
Weatherstrips
.................................. 6-52
Wheel
Alignment
.................................. 6-46
LockKey
................................... 5-23
Nut Torque ............................. 5-31. 6-63
Replacement
................................. 6-46
Wrench ..................................... 5-23
Window Lock
.................................. 2-27
Windows. Power
............................... 2-27
Windshield Washer
............................. 2-31
Fluid
................... I .............. 6-28. 2-31
Fluid Level Check
............................ 7-47
Rear ....................................... 2-31
Windshield Wiper
.............................. 2-30
Rear ........................... : ........... 2-31
Winter
Driving ................................. 4-39
Wrench. Wheel ................................. 5-23
Ventilation
System
............................. 3-3
. c
9-12
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