brake fluid CHEVROLET TRACKER 1997 Owners Manual

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.)
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.
0 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. 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 hill. You could crash. Always have your engine
running and your vehicle in gear when you
go downhill.
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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.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could be
something in your lane, llke a stalled car or an accident.
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.
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Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if
it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes -- and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
0 Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the
trailer’s brake system will use more than
0.02 cubic
inch
(0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder. If
it does, both systems won’t work well.
You could even lose your brakes.
Will the trailer brake parts take 3,000 psi
(20 650 kPa) of pressure? If not, the trailer brake
system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
fluid tap at the port on the master cylinder that sends
fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t
use copper tubing
for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off.
Use steel brake tubing.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and
not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment. If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets
you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that
the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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’ A 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).
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
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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GE4iB Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Geo. This section begins with service and fuel information, and
then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
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Service
Fuel
Checking Things Under the
Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual Transmission Fluid
Clutch Adjustment
Rear Axle
Four-wheel
Drive
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
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Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Tires
'
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Geo
Cleaning the Outside of Your Geo
Special Care for Canvas Top and Plastic
Windows
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
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Checking Things Under the Hood
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan. Don’t reach through the
grille to release the underhood lever.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber. You or others
could be burned. Be careful not to drop or spill
things that
will burn onto a hot engine.
TO open the hood, first pull the release handle inside the
glove box.
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J
When you open the hood, you’ll see the following:
A. Windshield Washer Reservoir
B. Engine Coolant Reservoir
C. Main Fuse Box
D. Battery
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
F. 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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Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used
only as a reference. Let the engine run at idle for five
minutes if outside temperatures are
50°F (10°C) or
more. If it's colder than
50°F (lO"C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low
during a cold check, you
must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give you a more accurate
reading of the fluid level.
Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
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Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in
PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift
lever in
PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more. Then, without shutting
off the engine, follow these steps:
1. Pull
out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
2. Push it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
paper
towel.
then pull it back out again.
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Brakes
Brake Fluid
Your brake master cylinder reservoir is here. It is filled
with DOT-3 brake fluid.
There
are only two reasons why the brake fluid level in
the reservoir might go down. The first is that the brake
fluid goes down to an acceptable level during normal
brake lining wear. When new linings are put in, the fluid
level
goes back up. The other reason is that fluid is
leaking out of the brake system. If it is, you should have your brake 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.
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.
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Checking Brake Fluid What to Add
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
MTN and helow the top of
each window. When you
do need brake fluid,
use only DOT-3 brake
fluid
-- such as Delco Supreme 11 @ (GM Part
No. 12377967). Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container only.
Always clean the brake fluid reservoir cap and the area
around the cap before removing it.
This will help keep
dirt from entering the reservoir.
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.
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Brake Wear
NOTICE:
0
0 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. 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 worn 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).
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The brake wear warning sound means that soon
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:
Continuing to drive with worn-out brake pads
could result in costly brake repair.
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