wheel CHEVROLET TRACKER 1997 User Guide

NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics
in your vehicle. If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the
way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part
of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
Automatic Transmission Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your rear wheels. It’s the best
position
to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
2-10
ProCarManuals.com

1 A CAUJON:
It is 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.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
If you have four-wheel drive, your vehicle will
be free to roll
-- even if your shift lever is in
PARK
(P) -- if your transfer case is in
NEUTRAL
(N). So, be sure the transfer case is in
a drive gear, two-wheel high (2H) or four-wheel
high
(4H) or four-wheel low (4L) -- not in
NEUTRAL
(N). See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index. If you’re pulling
a trailer, see “Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
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.
2-11
,
ProCarManuals.com

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.
I
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
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.
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.
DRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving.
If you need more power for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 15 mph (25 km/h), push your
0 Going about 15 mph (25 km/h) or more, push your
accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
accelerator pedal all the way down.
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.
NOTICE:
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.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
I
I
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if yon 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.
2-13
I
ProCarManuals.com

Four-wheel Drive (If Equipped)
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.
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).
2-17
,
ProCarManuals.com

Manual
To lock or unlock the hubs, you must parK your vehicle
(see “Shifting into
PARK (P)” or “Parking Your
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.
2-18
ProCarManuals.com

Automatic
With automatic freewheeling hubs, you don’t have to get
out
of 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. Then, press the clutch if you have a manual
transmission, and shift the transfer case to
TWO-WHEEL HIGH (2H). The hubs will unlock.
3. Drive 7 feet (2 m) in the direction opposite to the
direction you were driving before you stopped.
2-19
ProCarManuals.com

Transfer Case
L
i
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--EL
LOW (4L).
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): Shift to this setting only when your
vehicle needs to be towed, but only
if it is equipped with
manual free-wheeling hubs.
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).
2-20
ProCarManuals.com

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 faster 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 to
NEUTRAL (N).
2. Shift the transfer case in one continuous motion.
Don’t pause in NEUTRAL
(N) as you shift into
FOUR-WHEEL
HIGH (4H), or your gears could clash.
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull
up on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
2-21
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting Into PARK (P) (Automatic
Tran ~ nission Models Only)
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.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
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.
set
the parking brake.
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).
2-23
ProCarManuals.com