If you keep driving your vehicle
with this light on, after a while the
emission controls won’t work as
well, your fuel economy won’t be
as good and your engine may not
run as smoothly. This could lead
to costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
-8.86
Engine Oil Pressure Light
If you have a problem with your oil,
this light may stay on after you start
your engine, or come on when you are
driving. This indicates that there is not
enough pressure to keep your engine
properly lubricated and cool. The engine
could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil related problem. Have it fixed
right away.
The oil light could also come on in three
other situations.
When the ignition is on but the engine
is not running, the light will come on
as a test to show you it is working,
but the light will
go out when you
turn the engine
to START. If it
doesn’t come on with the ignition on,
you may have a problem with the fuse
or bulb. Have it fixed right away.
Sometimes when the engine is idling
at a stop, the light may blink on and
off. This is normal.
may come on for a moment. This is
normal.
If you make a hard stop, the light
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IC CA UTlON
A
Don’t keep driving if the oil
pressure is low. If you do,
your engine can become so hot
that it catches
on fire. You or
others could be burned. Check
your oil as soon as possible
and
have your vehicle serviced.
NOTlCE
Damage to your engine from
neglected oil problems can
costly
and is not covered by your
I
Convertible Top (OPTION)
Your convertible top features a sunroof,
a removable rear window and a
removable canvas top.
I- ~-
A Don’t change the center
- pillars or horizontal roof
support. These parts are designed
to help protect you and passengers
in a crash. Don’t
add anything,
like light bars or roll bars, to these
parts, either. If the center pillars
or horizontal roof support
are ever
damaged, be sure to have them
repaired
as soon as possible so
they’ll be able to protect you in a
crash.
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I Driving a Long
Distunce
Although most long trips today are made
on freeways, there are still many made
on regular highways.
Long-distance driving on freeways and
regular highways is the same in some
ways. The trip has
to be planned and the
vehicle prepared, you drive at
higher-than-city speeds, and there are
longer turns behind the wheel. You’ll
l enjoy your trip more if you and your
vehicle are in good shape. Here are
some tips for a successful long trip.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested. If you must start when you’re
not fresh
- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part
of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready to go.
If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Geo dealerships all across
North America. They’ll be ready and
willing to help
if you need it. Here
are some things you can check
before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids:
Have you checked all levels?
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a
safe, trouble-free trip. Is the tread
good enough
for long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated
to
the recommended pressure?
167-9.
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J
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.
185 9 =
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Your Driving and the Road
= - 9 188
3. Shift your automatic transmission
into
P (Park), or your manual
transmission into
2 (Second).
4. Shift the transfer case to N (Neutral).
5. Set the hubs to FREE. See
“Four-Wheel Drive” in the Index.
6. Release the parking brake. Stop towing every
200 miles (300 km)
and
start the engine. Leave the transfer
case shift lever in
N (Neutral). Shift
your automatic transmission
to
D (Drive); leave a manual transmission
in
2 (Second) and release the clutch.
Run the engine at medium speed for one
minute to circulate
the oil in the transfer
case. Turn
the ignition key to ACC.
Now, you can continue towing your
Geo
.
NU I Kt
Make sure that the towing speed
does not exceed
50 mph
(80 km/h), or your Geo could
badly damaged.
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When you decide it’s safe to lift the
hood, here’s what you’ll see:
1. Coolant Recovery Tank
2. Radiator Pressure Cap
3. Electric Engine Fan
A An electric fan under the
hood can start up even when
thL @ne is not running and can
injure you. Keep hands, clothing
and tools away from any
underhood electric fan.
Don’t reach through the grille to
release the underhood lever.
- II E I L
If the coolant inside the coolant recovery
tank
is boiling, don’t do anything else
until it cools down.
The coolant level should be at
or above
FULL. If it isn’t, you may have a leak
in the radiator hoses, heater hoses,
radiator, water pump or somewhere else
in the cooling system.
unu I lVlV
Heater and radiator hoses,
1 L and other engine parts, can be
very hot. Don’t touch them. If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine if there is a
leak. If you run the engine, it
could lose all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you
could be burned. Get any leak
fixed before you drive the vehicle.
203 =
r
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Problems on the Road
c
Engine damage from running yollr I
engine without coolant isn’t
covered by your warranty.
I
If there seems to be no leak, check to
see if the electric engine fan
is running.
If
the engine is overheating, the fan
should be running. If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery
Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but
the coolant level isn’t at or above
FULL, add a 50/50 mixture of clean
water
(preferably distilled) and the
proper antifreeze at the coolant recovery
tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in the
Index for more information about the
proper coolant mix.)
A Adding only plain water to
L your cooling system can be
dangerous. Plain water, or some
other liquid, like alcohol, can boil
before the proper coolant mix will.
Your vehicle’s coolant warning
system is set for the proper coolant
mix. With plain water, or the
wrong mix, your engine could get
too hot but you wouldn’t get the
overheat warning. Your engine
could catch fire and you or others
could be burned. Use a 50/50 mix
of clean water and a proper
antifreeze.
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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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