1993 CHEVROLET TRACKER Owners Manual

NO TIC€
I Don’t let anyone tell you that
underinflation
or overinflation is
If your tires have too rnllrh air
(overinflation), y
Unusual wear
Bad handling When
to Check: Check your tires once
a month or more.
How to Check: Use a good quality
pocket-type gage to check tire pressure.
Simply looking at the tires will not tell
you
the pressure, especially if you have
radial tires
- which may look properly
inflated even
if they’re underinflated.
If your tires have valve caps, be sure to
put them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
Tire Inspection and Rotation
To make your tires last longer, have
them inspected and rotated at the mileages recommended
in your
Maintenance Schedule. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
Use this rotation pattern.
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Service & Appearance Care
I
- 256
If your spare wheel does not match your
other wheels, you may want to use this
pattern.
After the tires have been rotated, adjust
the front and rear inflation pressure as
shown
on the Tire-Loading Information
label. Make certain that all wheel nuts
are properly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
Torque’’ in the Index.
CA U TION
A
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on
the parts
to which it is
fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after a time. The
wheel could come off and cause an
accident. When you change a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt
from places where the wheel
attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use
a cloth or
paper towel to
do this; but be sure
to use a scraper or wire brush
later,
if you need to, to get all the
rust or dirt
off. (See “Changing a
Flat Tire” in the Index.)
I
When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new
tires is to check the treadwear
indicators, which will appear when your
tires have only
2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or
less of tread remaining.
You need a new tire if
You can see the indicators at three
You can see cord or fabric showing
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
places around
the tire.
through the tire’s rubber.
or snagged deep enough to show cord
or fabric.
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The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location of the
damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires
you need, look at the Tire-Loading
Information label. The tires installed
on
your vehicle when it was new had a Tire
Performance Criteria Specification (TPC
Spec) number on each tire’s sidewall.
When you get new tires, get ones with that same TPC
Spec number. That way,
your vehicle will continue to have tires
that are designed to give proper
endurance, handling, speed rating,
traction, ride and other things during
normal service on your vehicle. If your
tires have
an all-season tread design, the
TPC number will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted
or radial) as your original
tires.
Mixing tires could cause you
- to lose control while driving.
I€ you mix tires of different sizes
or types (radial and bias-belted
tires), the vehicle may not handle
properly, and you could have a
crash. Be sure to use the same size
and type tires on all four wheels.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
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Service & Appearance Care
performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course.
For example, a tire graded
150 would
wear one and a half
(1 1/2) times as
well on the government course as a tire
graded
100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may depart
significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service
practices and differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are:
A, B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete.
A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of heat and
its ability to dissipate heat when
tested under controlled conditions on a
specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material
of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead
to sudden tire
failure. The grade
C corresponds to a
level of performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by
law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that is
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properly inflated and not overloaded.
Excessive speed, underinflation, or
excessive loading, either separately or in
combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
Those grades are molded on the
sidewalls of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General
Motors performance standards and have
been approved for use on General
Motors vehicles. All passenger type
(P metric) tires must conform to Federal
safety requirements in addition to these
grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were
aligned and balanced carefully at the
factory to give you the longest tire life
and best overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have
your wheels aligned again. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear
or your
vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset. If you
notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked
or badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts,
and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If
the wheel leaks air out, replace it
(except some aluminum wheels, which
can sometimes be repaired). See your
Geo dealer if
any of these conditions
exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel
you need.
If you need to replace any of your
wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel nuts,
replace them only with
new GM original
equipment parts. This way, you will be
sure to have the right wheel, wheel
bolts, and wheel nuts for your Tracker.
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Service & Appearance Care
nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the
braking and handling of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control.
You
could have a collision in which
you or others could be injured.
Always use the correct wheel,
wheel bolts, and wheel nuts for
replacement.
NOTlCE
= 260
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brakc
cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlight aim, bump
height, vehicle ground cleara
and tire or tire chain clearance
tc
the body and chassis Used
Replacement Wheels
I
Ab
Putting a used wheel on your
vehicle is dangerous. You
can’t
know how it’s been used or
how many miles it’s been driven.
It could fail suddenly and
cause an
accident. If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original
equipment wheel.
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NOTICE Appearance Care
Pleaning products can be hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can burst I
- ,,,,o flame if you strike a match or get them on a hot part of the vehicle.
~ ome are dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space. When you
use anything in a container to clean your Geo, be sure to
follow the
instructions. And always open your doors or windows when you're cleaning
the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline Carbon Tetrachloride Turpentine
Benzene Acetone Lacquer Thinner
Naphtha Paint Thinner Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
- some more than others - and they can all
damage your vehicle, too.
I-
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Service & Appearance Care
NO TIC€
Don't use any of these unless thi
manual says you can. In
monv
uses, thev will damage vnl
vehiclc
Laundrv Soan
Blec-'-
Reauc: gents
Cleaning the lnside of Your Geo
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe
vinyl with a
clean, damp cloth.
Your Geo dealer has two GM cleaners
- a solvent-type spot lifter and a
Foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
:lean normal spots and stains very well.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the
Clean up stains as soon as you can -
cleaner label.
before
they set.
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and
change to a clean area often.
A soft
brush may be used if stains are
stubborn.
Use solvent-type cleaners in a well
ventilated area only.
If you use them,
don't saturate the stained area.
clean the entire area immediately or
it
will set.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning,
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