1993 CHEVROLET TRACKER brakes

Your Driving and the Road
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.
88. 182
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
so responsive as your vehicle
is by itself. Before you
start, check
the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, 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 lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
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Your Driving and the Road
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed
to around 45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000
pounds
(450 kg), and you have a manual
transmission with fifth gear, it’s better
not to use fifth gear. Just drive
in fourth
gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer can
be damaged.
But
if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do
it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
P (Park)
yet, or into gear
for a manual transmission.
the trailer wheels.
2. Have someone place chocks under
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
apply your parking brake, and then
shift
to P (Park), or R (Reverse) for
a manual transmission.
vehicle, be sure the transfer case is
in a drive gear - not in N (Neutral).
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive
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It be dangerous tu get out
of your vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the veficle can
move suddenly. You
or others could be injured. To be
sure your vehicle won’t move, when
you’re
on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow.
If you have four-wheel drive, and
your transfer
case is in N (NeutraI) ,
your vehicle will be free to roll,
even
if your shift lever is in
P (Park). So, be sure the transfer
case is in a drive gear - not in
N (Neutral).
If you are parking on a hill, or if
you’re pulling a trailer; also see
“Parking On Hills” in the Index.
6. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave after
Parking on a
Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
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
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
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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NO TIC€
When using concentrated wash fluid, follow the manufacturer‘
instructions for adding water.
ready-to-use washer fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid
tank and other parts of the
washer system. Also, water
doesn’t clean as well as washer
fluid.
Fill your
I. -;her fl--- tank onl.
314 full when it’s very cold.
’his allows for expansion.
Don’t mix water with
it is completely full.
Brake Master Cylinder
Your brake master cylinder is here. It is
filled with DOT-3 brake fluid.
There are only two reasons why the
brake fluid level in your master cylinder
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
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 ofr ’
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.
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Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle
is complex. Its many parts have to be of
top quality and work well together if the
vehicle is to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have
top-quality
GM brake parts in them, as
your Geo does when it is new. When
you replace parts of your braking system
- for example, when your brake linings
wear down and you have to have new
ones put in
- be sure you get new
genuine GM replacement parts. If you
don’t, your brakes may
no longer work
properly. For example, if someone puts
in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change,
for the
worse. The braking performance you’ve
come to expect can change in many
other ways if someone puts in the wrong
replacement brake parts.
Battery
Every new Geo has a Delco Freedom@
battery.
You never have to add water to
one of these. When it’s time for a new
battery, we recommend a Delco
Freedom@ battery. Get one that has the
catalog number shown on the original
battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle
for
25 days or more, take off the black,
negative
(-) cable from the battery.
This will help keep your battery from
running down.
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6
Brakes - Tire rotations are a convenient
opportunity
to inspect the braking system. See
“Brake System Inspection”
in Section C.
Locking Front Hubs Inspection (If Equipped) -
At each oil change, inspect the locking front hubs
for correct operation. Repair or replace
if necessary.
(Both hubs must operate correctly for the front axle
to power
the front wheels.)
7 Steering and Suspension - At each oil change,
inspect the steering linkage and suspension for leaks
and damage. Repair or replace damaged or worn
parts.
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Maintenance Schedule
Section B: Owner Checks and Services (Cont.)
At Least Once a Year (CONT.)
CHECK
OR SERVICE I WHAT TO DO
Steering Column Lock While
parked, and with the parking brake set, try to turn the key to LOCK in each shift
position.
With an automatic transmission, the key should turn to LOCK only when the shift lever is in
With a manual transmission, the key will turn to LOCK only if you push the key in farther,
On all vehicles, the key should come out only
in LOCK.
P (Park).
while turning
it towards LOCK.
Parking Brake and
Automatic Transmission
P (Park) Mechanism
Check
Underbody Flushing When
you are doing this check, your vehicle could begin to move. You or others
could be injured and property could be damaged. Make sure there is room
in front
VI your vehicle in case it begins to roll. Be ready to apply the regular brake at once should the
Park
on a fairly steep hill, with the vehicle facing downhill. Keeping your foot on the regular
brake, set the parking brake.
To check the parking brake: With the engine running and transmission in Neutral, slowly
remove foot pressure from the regular brake pedal.
Do this until the vehicle is held by the
parking brake only.
To check the P (Park) mechanism’s holding ability: Shift to P (Park). Then release all brakes.
If your vehicle is four-wheel drive, be sure your transfer case is not in Neutral.
At least every spring, use plain water to flush any corrosive materials from the underbody. Take
care to clean thoroughly any areas where mud and other debris can collect.
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Maintenance Schedule
Section C: Periodic Maintenance Inspections (Cont.)
CHECK
OR SERVICE
Brake System
Inspection
Clutch System Service
~
WHAT TO DO
Inspect the complete system. Inspect brake lines and hoses for proper hookup, binding, leaks,
cracks, chafing, etc. Inspect disc brake pads for wear and rotors for surface condition.
Also
inspect drum brake linings for wear and cracks. Inspect other brake parts, including drums,
wheel cylinders, calipers, parking brake, etc. Check parking brake adjustment.
You may need to
have your brakes inspected more often if your driving habits or conditions result in frequent
braking.
NOTE: A low fluid brake level can indicate worn disc brake pads which may need to be
serviced. Also,
if the brake system warning light stays on or comes on at any time something
may be wrong with either the regular or rear wheel anti-lock brake system, or both systems. See
“Brake Svstem Warning Light” in the Index.
Check clutch pedal free travel and adjust as necessary. See “Clutch Adjustment”
in the Index.
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