lock CHEVROLET TRACKER 1996 Service Manual

Brake System Warning Light
Your Geo’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts.
Xf one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts workmg well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the flow.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the
Index.)
BRAKE
United States Canada
This light should come on when you turn the ignition
key to
STAFtT. If it doesn’t corne on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
I
/i CAUTION:
---
Your brake system may not working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock
brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have
a brake problem.
2-62
ProCarManuals.com

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light (Option)
ABS
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull off the road and stop carefully.
You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See
“Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake system
warning light flashing
can lead to an accident. After
you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped caremy,
have the vehicle towed for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and
turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Geo needs service. If the
light
is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignitiorrkey to ON- If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will-be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
2-63
ProCarManuals.com

Anti-Lock Brake’ System Active
Light (Option)
ABS
ACTIVE
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid
a braking skid,
the
anti-lock brake system
active light will
come on.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer
moves to the
H (red) side, your engine is
I/
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure. It
means that your engine coolant
has overheated and
you should stop your vehicle and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See
“Engine Overheating” in the Index.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will be there to
tell you when the system is active.
2-64
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Window Defogger (Option)
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid to
remove
fog from the
rear window.
Press the switch to
turn on the defogger. An indicator
light will come on below the switch to remind you that
the defogger is on. Press the switch again to turn the
defogger
off. The rear window defogger will also turn
off if you turn the ignition switch to ACC or LOCK, but
will turn back on when the ignition is turned back on.
Do not attach anything like a temporary vehicle license
or a decal across the defogger grid
on the rear window.
1 NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside
of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn’t be covered
by your warranty.
3-5
ProCarManuals.com

Audio Systems
Your Delco@ audio system has been designed to operate
easiIy and
give years of listening pleasure. You will get
th,e most enjoyment out of it if
you acquaint yourself
with
it first. Find out what your Delco system can do
and how to operate all its controls, to be sure you're
getting the most out of the advanced engineering that
went into it.
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo
Press and hold RCL (TIME SET) to set the correct hour.
At
the same time, press and hold the TUNE left arrow
(HR) until the correct hour appears,
Press
and hold RCL (TIME SET) to set the correct
minute.
At the same time, press and hold the TUNE
right
arrow ("IN) until the correct minute appears. ,
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette
Tape Player
Press and hold RCL-PROC (TIME SET) to set the
correct hour. At the same time,
press and hold the
TUNE left arrow (HR) until the correct hour appears.
~ Press and hold RCL-PROG (TIME SET) to set the correct
minute. At the same
time, press and hold the TUNE right
arrow (MIN) until the correct minute appears.
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette Tape and Compact Disc Players
Press and hold the RCL up and down arrow (TIME
SET). At the same time, press and hold the TUNE left
arrow (HR) until the correct hour appears.
Press
and hold the RCL up and down arrow (TIME
SET). At the same time press and hold TUNE right
arrow (MIN) until the correct minute appears.
3-6
ProCarManuals.com

Unlocking the Theft-Deterrent Feature After a
Power Loss
If power is disrupted to the radio while in the SEC
mode, the unit will not work and LOC will show on the
display whenever the ignition is on.
To unlock the unit,
press the left or right
SEEK arrows, or the left or right
TUNE arrows and 0000 will appear on the display.
1. Press the SEEK left arrow and hold it until the first
digit of your code appears.
2. Press the SEEK right arrow and hold it until the
3. Press the TUNE left arrow and hold it until the third
second
digit of your code appears.
digit
of your code appears.
fourth digit of your code appears.
4. Press the TUNE right arrow and hold it until the
5. Press AM-FM after you have checked that the code
matches the one you wrote down. Now the time of
day will appear on the display. (Please note that if an
incorrect code is entered,
ERR will appear on the
display and the above steps need to be repeated.)
I
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound. But FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings
or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially 'at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other.
AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until
it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting
the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.
. _-
3-17
ProCarManuals.com

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. 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
norrnally 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, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to
push.
Anti-Lack Brakes (Option)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is
an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
a braking shd.
ABS
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on
the instrument panel will
come on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock .brake system will check itself.
You
may hear a momentary motor’or clicking noise while
this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light” in
the Index.
4-6
ProCarManuals.com

I
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 wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work
the brakes at each front wheel and at the
rear wheels. The
anti-lock system can change the brake pressure faster
than
any driver could. The computer is programmed to
make the most
of available tire and road conditions.
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel
speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.
4-7
ProCarManuals.com

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to
get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. 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.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
the system working, or you may notice some noise,
but this is normal,
ABS
ACTIVE
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If
you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if you don’t have anti-lock, your
first reaction
-- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
-- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels can
stop rolling. Once they
do, the vehicle can’t respond to
your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could
be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, 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.
In an emergency, you will probably want
to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease off the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control.
(If you do have
anti-lock, it’s different:
see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in
the Index.)
When
your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
IC-0
ProCarManuals.com

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. Unless
you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much
of 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 the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” though the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
4-9
ProCarManuals.com