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How to Use this Manual
Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you will
find on your vehicle. For example, these
symbols are used
on an original battery:
Caution Possible injury
Protect Eyes by Shielding
Caustic Battery Acid
Could Cause Burns
Avoid Sparks or Flames
Sparks
or Flame Could
Explode Battery
These symbols are important for you
and your passengers whenever your
vehicle
is driven:
Fasten Safety Belts
i
These symbols have to do with your
lights:
Master Lighting Switch
Turn Signal Direction
Hazard Warning Flasher
A
Headlight High Beam
Headlight
Low Beam
Parking Lights
Brightness Control
5a ytime Running Lights
(Canada)
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How to Use this Manual
These symbols are used on warning and
indicator lights:
Engine Coolant
Temperature
Battery Charging System
Fuel
I.. 10
E3
Brake
w
Here are some other symbols you may
see:
Hood Release
Lighter
Horn
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I
This figure lights up when you turn the
key to
ON or START when your safety
belt isn’t buckled, and you’ll hear a
chime, too. It’s the reminder to buckle
UP-
In many states and Canadian provinces,
the law says to wear safety belts. Here’s
why:
They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash.
If you do have a crash, you don’t know
if it
will be a bad one.
A few crashes are very mild. In them,
you won’t get hurt even if you’re not
buckled up. And some crashes can be
sa
serious, like being hit by a train, that
even buckled up a person wouldn’t
survive. But most crashes are in
between.
In many of them, people who
buckle up can survive and sometimes
walk away. Without belts they could be
badly hurt or killed.
After
25 years of safety belts in
vehicles, the facts are clear.
In most
crashes buckling up does matter
. . . a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you
go as fast as it goes.
For example, if the bike is going
10 mph (16 km/h), so is the child.
U
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Here you can learn about the
many standard and optional
features on your Geo. and
information on starting. shifting
and braking
. Also explained are
the instrument panel and the
warning systems that tell you
if
everything is working properly -
and what to do if you have a
problem
.
Part 2
Features & Controls
Keys ................................................................ 44
Door Locks
.......................................................... 45
Theft
................................................................ 47
New Vehicle “Break-In”
............................................... 48
Ignitionswitch ....................................................... 48
Starting Your Engine .................................................. 49
Driving through Deep Standing Water
.................................... 50
Five-Speed Manual Transmission ........................................ 54
Parking
.............................................................. 60
EngineExhaust ....................................................... 64
Automatic Transmission
................................................ 51
Four-wheel Drive
..................................................... 57
Windows
............................................................ 66
Horn
................................................................ 67
Tiltwheel ........................................................... 67
The Turn Signal/Lights Control/Headlight Beam Lever
...................... 67
Interior Lights
........................................................ 71
Windshield Wiper/Washer Lever
........................................ 72
Rear Window Wiper/Washer ............................................ 73
Mirrors .............................................................. 74
Storage and Compartments ............................................. 75
SunVisors ........................................................... 76
Passenger Assist Grips
................................................. 76
Ashtrays and Lighter .................................................. 77
Instrument Panel and Clusters
........................................... 80
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators .................................... 82
ConvertibleTop ...................................................... 87
43.-
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Features & Controls
New Vehicle
“Break-In ’’
Your modern Geo doesn’t need an
:laborate “break-in.” But it will
perform better in the long
1
1 follow these guideli~
A
m Ignition Switch
With the key in the ignition switch, you
can turn the switch to four positions:
LOCK (A): The only position in which
you can remove the key. This locks
your steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission. Press
in the
ignition switch as you turn the top of it
toward you.
If you have an automatic transmission,
the ignition switch cannot be turned to
LOCK unless the shift lever is in the
P (Park) position.
ACC (B): Position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. It unlocks the steering
wheel and ignition.
A warning chime
will sound if you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
in ACC or LOCK
and the key is in the ignition.
Use this
position if your vehicle must be pushed
or towed.
ON (C): Position to which the switch
returns after you start your engine and
release the switch. The switch stays in
the
ON position when the engine is
running. But even when the engine is not running, you can use
ON to operate
your electrical power accessories, and to
display some instrument panel warning
lights.
START (D): Starts the engine. When
the engine starts, release the key. The
ignition switch will return to
ON for
normal driving.
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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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r
Opentiun of Lights
Although your vehicle's lighting system
(headlamps, parking lamps, fog lamps,
side marker lamps and taillamps) meet
all applicable Federal lighting
requirements, certain States and
Provinces may apply their own lighting
regulations that may require special
attention before you operate these
lamps. For example, some jurisdictions may
require that you operate your low
beam lamps with fog lamps at all times,
or that headlamps be turned on
whenever you must use your windshield
wipers. In addition, most jurisdictions
prohibit driving solely with parking
lamps, especially at dawn or dusk.
It is
recommended that you check with your
own State or Provincial highway
authority for applicable lighting
regulations. Turn
the outside portion of the lever to
control the lights. There are three
positions for the light switch.
In OFF, all lights are turned off.
The middle position turns on the
parking lights, taillights, license plate
light and the instrument panel
lighting; the headlights are
off.
The third position turns on the
headlights.
Lights On Reminder
If you turn the ignition off, remove the
key and leave the lights on, a chime will
sound to remind you to turn off your
lights.
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Features & Controls
Headlight High/Low Beam
First, you must have the headlights on.
(See “Lights”
in the Index.) Then, pull
the turn signal lever toward you for low
beams. For high beams, push the lever
away from you. When the high beams
are on, a blue light on the instrument
panel also will be on. It will go off
when you switch
to low beam.
Passing Signal
With the lever in the low beam position,
pull the lever toward you to
momentarily switch to high beam (to
signal that you are going to pass). When
you release the lever, the headlights will
return to low beam operation.
Daytime Running fights (DM)
lndicator Light (Canada)
If your vehicle was first sold, when
new,
in Canada, you will have this light
on the instrument panel. It goes on whenever the Daytime Running Lights
are on.
Daytime Running f ights
(Canada)
The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that “Daytime Running Lights”
(DRL) are a useful feature, in that DRL
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours. DRL are required
on
new vehicles sold in Canada.
The low beam headlights will come on
at reduced brightness
in daylight when:
The ignition is on
The headlight switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When you turn on your headlights, the
DRL will switch off and the exterior
lights wil come on. When you turn off
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