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Features & Controls
Headlight High/Low Beam
First, you must have the headlights on.
(See “Lights”
in the Index.) Then, pull
the turn signal lever toward you for low
beams. For high beams, push the lever
away from you. When the high beams
are on, a blue light on the instrument
panel also will be on. It will go off
when you switch
to low beam.
Passing Signal
With the lever in the low beam position,
pull the lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beam (to
signal that you are going to pass). When
you release the lever, the headlights will
return to low beam operation.
Daytime Running fights (DM)
lndicator Light (Canada)
If your vehicle was first sold, when
new,
in Canada, you will have this light
on the instrument panel. It goes on whenever the Daytime Running Lights
are on.
Daytime Running f ights
(Canada)
The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that “Daytime Running Lights”
(DRL) are a useful feature, in that DRL
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours. DRL are required
on
new vehicles sold in Canada.
The low beam headlights will come on
at reduced brightness
in daylight when:
The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When you turn on your headlights, the
DRL will switch off and the exterior
lights wil come on. When you turn off
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the headlights, the exterior lights will go
out and the low beams will change to
the reduced brightness
of DRL again.
The DRL indicator light on the
instrument panel will
go on whenever
the DRL are on. This light means that
only the DRL are on. When you turn on
your exterior lights, this light will go
out,
Of course, you may still turn on the
headlights or passing signal any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with DRL
off, set
the parking brake. The DRL will stay
off until you release the parking brake.
4 Interior Lights
Dome Light
The dome light has a three position
switch.
1. The light turns on and stays on
whether or not a door
is open.
2. The light comes on when a door is
opened.
3. The light stays off even when a door
is open.
Brightness Control
This knob controls the brightness of
your instrument panel lights. Turn the
knob to the right to brighten
the lights
or
to the left to dim them.
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Instrument Panel
1. Air Vent
2. Side Defroster Vent
3. Turn SignaULights
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Hazard Warning Flasher
6. Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
7. Rear Window Wiper Switch
8. Comfort Controls
9. Audio System ControVHeadlight Beam
Lever
10. Lighter
1 1. Assist Grip
12. Glove Box
13. Transmission Shift Lever
14. Coinholder and Bin
15. Transfer Case Shift Lever
16. Parking Brake Lever
17. Ashtray
18. Rear Window Washer Switch
19. Ignition Switch
20. Horn
21. Fuse Block
22. Rear Window Defogger Switch
23. Brightness Control
79. =
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Features & Controls
. . .a4
Brake System Warning Light
Your Geo’s hydraulic brake system is
divided into two parts.
If one part isn’t
working, the other part can still work
and stop you.
For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
Your vehicle also has rear wheel
anti-lock brakes. If the warning light
goes on, there could be a brake problem
with either your regular or rear wheel
anti-lock brakes,
or both. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come
on as you start
the vehicle. If it doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem. This light will
also come on when you
set your parking brake, and it
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
may have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while 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
floor. It may take longer to stop. If the
light is still on, have the vehicle towed
for service. (See “Towing
Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
$ Your brake system may not
be working properly if the
brake warning light
is on. Driving
with the brake warning light on
can lead to an accident.
If the light
is still on after you’ve pulled off
the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
Slowing down. If time allows, tap the
brake pedal once or twice in advance of
slowing or stopping. This warns the
driver behind
you.
Disabled. Your four-way flashers signal
that your vehicle is disabled or is a
hazard. See “Hazard Warning
Flashers” in the Index.
Trafilc Officer
The traffic police officer is also a source
of important information. The officer’s
signals govern, no matter what the
traffic lights or other signs say.
The next section discusses some
of the
road conditions you may encounter.
.122
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving
is: Drive defensively.
Please
start with a very important safety
device
in your Geo: Buckle up. (See
“Safety Belts” in
the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.
”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do.
Be ready for their mistakes. Expect children
to dash out from behind
parked cars, often followed by other
children. Expect occupants in parked cars to open doors into traffic. Watch
for movement in parked cars
-
someone may be about to open a door.
Expect other drivers to run stop signs
when you are on a through street. Be
ready
to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have
to use the brake, but if you do, you will
be ready.
[f you’re driving through a shopping
center parking lot where there are
well-marked lanes, directional arrows,
and designated parking areas, expect
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Your Driving and the Road
Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top
of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the
top of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible to
oncoming traffic.
CAUTION
A Driving to the top (crest) of a
hill at full speed can cause an
accident. There could be a
drop-off, embankment, cliff, or
even another vehicle. You could
be seriously injured or killed. As
you near the top of a hill, slow
down and stay alert.
I
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
stalls,
or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some
things you-should do, and there are
some things you must not do. First,
here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop
the
vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift
the transmission into reverse, release
the parking brake, and slowly back
down the hill in reverse.
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If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need to restart
it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission
to P (Park) (or, shift to
Neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the
engine. Then, shift to reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put your
left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able
to tell if
your wheels are straight or turned to
the left or right as you back down. Here
are some things you
must not do
if you stall, or are about to stall, when
going up
a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by
shifting into
N (Neutral) (or
depressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission)
to “rev-up” the
engine and regain forward
momentum. This won’t work. Your
vehicle will roll backwards very
quickly and you could go out of
control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop
the vehicle. Then apply the parking
brake. Shift into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down.
Never attempt to turn around if you
are about to stall when going up a
hill.
If the hill is steep enough to
stall your vehicle, it’s steep enough
to cause you to roll over if you turn
around. If you can’t make it up the
hill, you must back down the hill.
Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to
back down the hill and decide
I
just can’t do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your
transmission
in P (Park) (or the
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Your Driving and the Road
manual transmission in first gear),
and turn off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and
go get some help. Exit
on the uphill side and stay clear of
the path the vehicle would take if it
rolled downhill.
Do not shift the
transfer case to
N (Neutral) when
you leave the vehicle. Leave it in
some gear.
A
Shifting the transfer case to
N (Neutral) can cause your
vehicle to roll even if the
transmission is in
P (Park) (or, if
you have the manual transmission,
even if you’re in gear). This is
because the
N (Neutral) position
on the transfer case overrides the
transmission.
If you are going to
leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to
P (Park) (or, put your manual
transmission in first gear). But
do I
not shift the transfer case to the N
(Neutral) position. Leave the
transfer case
in the 2H, 4H, or 4L I position.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill,
you’ll want to consider
a number of
things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I b
able to maintain vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth?
Rough? Slippery? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel?
Are there hidden surface obstacles?
Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is
there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
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