transmission CHEVROLET TRACKER 1996 Owner's Guide

Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how
to do it:
1. Apply ybur regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes mtil the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (PI, or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
PARK (P) yet, or into gear for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case is in a drive gear -- not in
NEUTRAL (N).
6. Release the regular brakes.
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).
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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
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and 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.
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Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can set one up
at the side
of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may want to use
another vehicle
and some jumper cables to start your
Geo. But please use the following steps to do it safely.
I
I NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly
damage to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
Trying to start your
Geo by pushing or pulling it
could damage your vehicle, even if you have a
manual transmission. And if you have an
automatic transmission, it won’t start that way.
I
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with
a negative ground system.
Batteries can hurt you. They can be dangerous
because:
0 They contain acid that can burn you.
0 They contain gas that can explode or ignite.
0 They contain enough electricity to burn you.
If you don’t follow these steps exactly, some or all
of these things can hurt you.
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Chevrolet/Geo dealer or a professional
towing service tow your Geo. See “Roadside
Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not
be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
the four-wheel-drive option.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever for’the
transmission and transfer case,
if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions
and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
I a CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use T-hooks. Use J-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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U‘l’lOR’
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision, ‘
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don’t
use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing,
etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the OFF position. The steering wheel should
be clamped in a straight-ahead position, with a clamping
device designed for towing service. Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column lock for this.
The transmission
and
transfer case, if you have one, should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the drive wheels
unless
you must. If the vehicle &ust be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow any speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section, or your transmission
will be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded,
then the drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam, the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little
too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 Tow a trailer.
If you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window
as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE @
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can dnve.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the
warning doesn’t come back on, you can dnve normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still no sign of steam, you can idle the engine
for two or three minutes while you’re parked, to
see if
the warning stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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If a Tire Goes Plat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especiaIIy
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak put slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal
and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be
very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I
’ A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle
from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift
lever in PARK (P) or shift a manual
transmission to FIRST (1) or
REVERSE
(R).
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case is in
a drive
gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
~~
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If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice
or Snow
What you don’t want to do when your vehicle is stuck is
to spin your wheels too fast. The method known as
“rocking” can help you get out when you’re stuck, but
you must use caution.
..
.. , p j ,
;..z - ’ A CAUTION:
!& I
I ,-I ,I
I
let your tires spin at high speed, they can
explode, and you or others could be injured. And,
the transmission or other parts
of the vehicle can
overheat. That
could cause an engine
compartment fire or other damage. When you’re
stuck, spin the wheels as little as possible. Don’t
spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown
on the speedometer.
I NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of your
vehicle as well as the tires.
If you spin the wheels
too
fast while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your vehicle,
see “Tire Chains”
in the Index.
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Rocking your vehicle to.get it out: Using the Recovery Hooks
First,
turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear
the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transmission, b’etween FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE(R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. Or,
you can use your recovery
hooks if your vehicle has
them. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
Your vehicle
is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks
are provided at the front and rear of your
vehicle. You may need to use them if you’re stuck
off-road and need to be pulled to some place where you
can continue driving.
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When you open the hood, you’ll see the following:
c
A. Windshield Washer Reservoir
B. Engine Coolant Reservoir
C. Main Fuse Box
D. Battery
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Automatic Transmission Dipstick (if equipped)
G. Oil Fill Cap
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Brake Fluid Reservoir
J. Air Cleaner
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