H Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn
symbol on your steering wheel.
I Tilt meel (OPTION)
1 tilt steerng wheel allows you to adjust
he steering wheel before you drive.
lou can also raise it to the highest level
o give your legs more room when you
:xit and enter the vehicle.
?o tilt the wheel, hold the steering
vheel and lower the lever. Move the
teering wheel
to a comfortable level,
hen raise the lever to its highest
losition to lock the wheel in place.
H I;he Turn SignaULights
CoPttrolHeadlight Beam
Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering
column includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change
Headlight High/Low Beam and
Indicator
Passing Signal
Lighting Operation
67
c
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L
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) You slam on the brakes. Here’s what
Your vehicle has an advanced electronic happens with
ABS.
braking system that can help you keep it A computer senses that a rear wheel is
under control. When you stag your
-
vehicle and begin to drive away, you
may hear a momentary motor or
clicking noise. The ABS motor comes
on momentarily when the vehicle
reaches
8 mph (12 km/h). This is the
ABS system testing itself.
Here’s how anti-lock works. Let’s say
the road
is wet. You’re driving safely.
Suddenly an animal jumps
out in front
of you. slowing
down. The computer works the
brakes at the rear wheels. It is
programmed to make the most
of
available tire and road conditions.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates on rear wheel speed
and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
I
A
Anti-lock doesn’t change the
time you need to get your foot
up to the brake pedal.
If you get
too close to
the vehicle in front of
you, you won’t have time to apply
your brakes
if that vehicle
suddenly slows
or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to
stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
129.
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the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its
path when you turn the front wheels. If
there’s no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on
wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get
in a curve
depends on the condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which
the curve is banked, and your speed.
While you’re
in a curve, speed is the
one factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp
curve. Then you suddenly apply the
brakes. Both control systems
- steering
i and braking - have to do their work where the tires
meet the road. Adding
the hard braking can demand too much
at those places.
You can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re
steering through a sharp curve and you
suddenly accelerate. Those two control
systems
- steering and acceleration -
can overwhelm those places where the
tires meet the road and make you lose
control.
What should you do if this ever
happens? Let up
on the brake or
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the
way you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed.
Of
course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions.
Under less favorable conditions you’ll
want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you
approach a curve, do it before you enter
the curve, while your front wheels are
straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can
“drive” through the curve. Maintain a
reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve,
and then accelerate gently into the
straightaway.
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pedal as soon as you feel the vehicle
start to slide. Quickly steer the way you
want the vehicle to go. If you start
steering quickly enough, your vehicle
will straighten out. As
it does, straighten
the front wheels.
Of course, traction is reduced when
water, snow, ice, gravel, or other
material is
on the road. For safety,
you’ll want to slow down and adjust
your driving to these conditions. It is
important to slow down
on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance
will
be longer and vehicle control more
limited. While
driving on a surface with reduced
traction,
try your best to avoid sudden
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine braking by shifting to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide.
You may
not realize the surface
is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
- such as
enough water, ice
or packed snow on
the. road to make a “mirrored surface’’
- and slow down when you have any
doubt. Remember: the
rear wheel anti-lock
braking system (RWAL) helps avoid
only a rear braking skid. In a braking
skid (where the front wheels are no
longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the front wheels
rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down
steadily when you have to stop
suddenly. As long as the front wheels
are rolling, you will have steering
control. Steer the way you want to go.
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Your Driving and the Road
... 144
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain. You
need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here
are
some things to consider.
Surface Conditions. Off-roading can
take you over hard-packed dirt; gravel,
rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or ice.
Each
of these surfaces affects the
steering, acceleration, and braking of
your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are
on, you may experience slipping,
sliding,
wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction. and longer
braking distanc
Surface Obstacles. Unseen or hidden
obstacles can be hazardous.
A rock, log,
hole, rut, or bump can startle
you if
you’re not prepared for them. Often
these obstacles
are hidden by grass,
bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things
to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change
Does the travel take you uphill or
abruptly up ahead?
downhill? (There’s
more discussion of
these subjects later.)
change direction quickly?
Will you have to stop suddenly or When you
drive over obstacles or rough
terrain, keep
a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface
features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or
other obstacles,
your wheels can leave
the ground.
If this happens, even with
one or two wheels, you can’t control the
vehicle as well or at
all.
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I
CA UTlON
t
Getting out on the downhill
(low) side of a vehicle
stopped across 811 incline is
dangerous. If the vehicle rolls
over, you could be crushed or
killed. Always get out on the
uphill (high) side of the vehicle
and
stay well clear of the rollover
path.
I
Driving in Mud, Sand, Snow, or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow, or sand,
your wheels won’t get good traction.
You can’t accelerate as quickly, turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need longer
braking distances.
It’s best to use
a low gear when you’re
in mud - the deeper the mud, the lower
the gear. In really deep mud, the idea is
to keep your vehicle moving
so you
don’t get stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense a
change in wheel traction. But it will
depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as
on
beaches or sand dunes) your tires will tend
to sink into the sand. This has an
effect on steering, accelerating, and
braking. You may want to reduce the air
pressure in your tires slightly when
driving on sand. This will improve
traction,
Hard packed snow and ice offer the
worst tire traction. On these surfaces,
it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor
that you will have difficulty
accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can
cause you to slide out of control.
I
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Your Driving and the Road
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
On the Road
Unless you are the only driver, it is
good to share the driving task with
others. Limit turns behind the wheel to
about
100 miles (160 km) or two hours
at a sitting. Then, either change drivers
or stop for some refreshment like
coffee, tea or
soft drinks and some
limbering up. But do stop and move
around. Eat lightly along the way. Heavier meals tend
to make some people
sleepy.
On two-lane highways or undivided
multilane highways that do not have
controlled access, you’ll want to watch
for
some situations not usually found on
freeways. Examples are: stop signs and
signals, shopping centers with direct
access to the highway, no passing zones
and school zones, vehicles turning left
and right
off the road, pedestrians,
cyclists, parked vehicles, and even
animals.
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or
whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch
of road with the same scenery, along
with the hum
of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush
of
the wind against the vehicle that can
make you sleepy. Don’t let
it happen to
you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave
the road in
less than a second, and you
could crash and be injured.
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Your Driving and the Road
Your Geo can tow a trailer. To identify
what the vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you should read the
information
in “Weight of the Trailer”
that appears later in
this section. But
trailering is different than just driving
your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability, and fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering
takes correct equipment, and it has to be
used properly.
That’s the reason for this section.
In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and
that of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a
trailer.
9 178
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transmission, wheel assemblies,
and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight.
The engine is required to operate at
relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat.
What’s more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
All
of that means changes in:
Handling
Durability
Fuel economy
If You Do Decide to Pull a Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig will be legal, not only where you
live but also where you’ll be driving.
A good source for this information
can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the
first
500 miles (800 km) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle
or other parts could be damaged.
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