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Your anti-lock brakes improve your
ability to make a hard stop on a slippery
road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to
begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See “Anti-lock” in
the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any
slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road
might be fine until
you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear
in shaded areas where the sun
can’t reach: around clumps of trees,
behind buildings, or under bridges. Sometimes the
surface
of a curve or
an overpass may remain icy
when the
surrounding roads are clear. If you
see a patch
of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be
in a serious situation. You
should probably stay with your vehicle
unless you know for sure that you are
near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to do to
summon help and keep yourself and
your passengers safe: Turn on your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your
vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped by the snow. Put on extra
clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
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Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to
go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the
left.
To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal.
Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky
or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle
has to have a different turn signal
flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will
flash whenever you signal
a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash telling other drivers
you’re about
to turn, change lanes, or
stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
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Your Driving and the Road
Recreational Towing
There may be times when you want to
tow your Geo behind another vehicle for
use at your destination. Be sure to use
the proper towing equipment designed
for recreational towing. Follow
the
instructions for the towing equipment.
186
Towing Your Geo from the Rear
The best way to tow your Geo is from
the rear. Follow these steps:
1 . Put the rear wheels on a dolly.
NOTlCE
Do not tow your Geo with the re--
wheels in contact with the grounL,
or
the transmission could be
damaged.
2. Set the parking brake.
3. If your Geo is a four-wheel-drive
vehicle, set your manual
free-wheeling hubs to
FREE or
unlock your automatic free-wheeling
hubs. See “Four-Wheel Drive’’
in
the Index.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACC to
unlock the steering wheel.
5. Clamp the steering wheel in a
straight-ahead position,
with a
clamping device designed for towing.
6. Release the parking brake.
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Make sure that the towing speed
dues not exceed 55 mph
(90 km/h), or your Geo could be
badly damaged.
Towing Your Geo from the Front
If your vehicle has automatic
I free-wheeling hubs or two-whet
drive, do not tow it
on all fa
I wheels. If you do, you transmission could be damaged.
I
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle
with manual free-wheeling hubs, it can
be towed from the front with all four
wheels on the ground. Follow these
steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to ACC to
unlock the steering wheel.
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That your vehicle has rear-wheel
drive, or that
it has the
four-wheel-drive option.
vehicle.
The make, model, and year of your
Whether you can still move the shift
levers for the transmission and
transfer case,
if you have one.
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.
* T- help avoid injury to you or
Never let passengers ride in a
vehicle that is being towed.
Never tow faster than safe or
posted speeds
Never tow with damaged parts
not fully secured.
0 Never get under your vehicle
after it
has been lifted by the
tow truck.
chains on each side when towing
a vehicle.
hooks instead.
* Always use separate safety
Never use T-hooks. Use “J”
When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key off. 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
and the parking brake released.
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Problems on the Road
Zf a Tire Goes Hut
Then replace the pressure cap. Be
sure
the ears on the pressure cap line
up like
this.
9 208
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out’’
while you’re driving, especially
if you
maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to
leak out 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, 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 your tire goes flat, the next section
shows how to use your jacking
equipment to change a flat tire safely.
ChanginQ a Flat lire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly to a
level place. Turn
on your hazard
warning flashers.
..
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Problems on the Road
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That will clear the area around
your front wheels. Then shift back and
forth between
R (Reverse) and a
forward gear (or with a manual
transmission, between First
or Second
gear and Reverse), 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 you do
need to be towed out,
see ‘‘Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
-- --
Using the Recovery Hooks
If you ever get stuck in sand, mud, ice,
or snow, your Tracker 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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Part 6
Here you wit1 find information
about the care of your Geo
. This
part 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 section devoted to
its appearance care
.
ii iervice & Appearance Care
Service ............................................................. 222
Fuel ............................................................... 223
Checking Things under the Hood ........................................ 227 .
HoodRelease 227
Engineoil ........................................................ 229
Aircleaner ........................................................ 233
Automatic Transmission Fluid ........................................ 234
Manual Transmission Fluid ........................................... 237
Clutch Adjustment .................................................. 238
RearAxle ......................................................... 238
Four-WheelDrive .................................................. 239
Enginecoolant ..................................................... 240
Power Steering Fluid ................................................ 243
Windshield Washer Fluid ............................................ 244
Brake Master Cylinder ............................................... 245
Battery ........................................................... 247
Bulb Replacement .................................................... 248
LoadingYourVehicle ................................................. 252
Tires ............................................................... 253
Appearancecare ..................................................... 261
Appearance Care and Maintenance Materials .............................. 271
Vehicle Identification Number .......................................... 272
Service Parts Identification Label ........................................ 272
Add-on Electrical Equipment ........................................... 272
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ............................................. 273
ReplacementBulbs ................................................... 276
Capacities and Specifications ........................................... 277
221 .
.
......................................................
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