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Problems on the Road
To Jump Start Your Geo
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt I
system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can
be damaged.
I I
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each
other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able
to start your
Geo, and the bad grounding could
darnage the electrical systems.
CAUTION -1
A
You could be injured if the
vehicles roll. Set the parking
brake firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transmission in
P (Park) or a manual transmission
in
N (Neutral). If you have a
four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case
is not in
N (Neutral).
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Problems on the Road
10. Now start the vehicle with the good
battery and
run the engine for
awhile.
dead battery.
If it won't start after a few tries, it
probably needs service.
11. Try to start the vehicle with the
I
I-
12. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don't touch each
other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
r
L
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a
professional towing service tow your
Geo. The usual towing equipment is
a
sling-type (A) or a wheel-lift (B) or car
carrier
(C) tow truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or
modified since it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and
wheels, these instructions and
illustrations may not be correct.
Before you
do anything, turn on the
hazard warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
A dolly must be used when towing
from the front.
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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
front with sling-type or wheel lift
equipment, the rear wheels must be
supported on a dolly.
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive,
don’t have it towed on the front wheels
unless you must. If a vehicle with
four-wheel drive must be towed on the
front wheels, set your manual,
free-wheeling hubs to
FREE or unlock
your automatic free-wheeling hubs, and
set your transfer case to two-wheel
drive.
If your vehicle must be towed on
the front wheels, don’t go more than
55 mph (90 km/h).
= 9.198
CAUTION Don’t have your vehicle towed with the I
rear wheels in contact with the ground.
If
a vehicle must be towed from the I A vehicle can fall from a car A
’ carrier if it isn’t properly
,,cured. This can cause a
collision, serious personal injury
and vehicle damage. The vehicle
should be tightly secured with
chains or steel cables before it is
transported.
Don’t use substitutes (ropes,
leather straps, canvas webbing,
etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath
the towed
vehicle.
Front Towing Hook-Ups
Attach “J” hooks to the rear o
control arms inboard of springs
If lower
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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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CAUTION
A
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle can slip off the jack
and roll over you or other people. You and they could be badly injured.
Find a level place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from
moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put the shift lever in P (Park).
3. Shift a manual transmission to 1 (First) or R (Reverse).
4. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a
5. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move, you can put chocks at the
front and rear of the tire farthest away from the one being changed. That
would be the tire on the other side of the vehicle, at the opposite end.
drive gear
- not in N (Neutral).
I The following steps will tell
you how to use the jack and change a tire. The
equipment you’ll need
is under the
front seats.
The jack and wheel wrench are under
the passenger’s seat.
209 =
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The jack handle is under the driver’s
seat.
.210
Start with the jack (A), jack handle (B)
and wheel wrench (C).
The spare tire is mounted on your
tailgate. Pull the cover off of the spare
tire.
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Insert your key into the wheel lock and
pull the wheel lock
off.
Remove wheel nuts with the wheel
wrench.
Remove the spare tire from the
mounting bracket and place it near your
flat tire.
Attach the jack handle to the jack bolt.
Rotate the jack handle clockwise (to the
right). That will raise the lift head a
little. Using
the wheel wrench, loosen all the
wheel nuts. Don’t remove them yet.
211
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