1993 CHEVROLET TRACKER steering

meft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially
in some cities. Although your Geo has a
number of theft-deterrent features, we
know that nothing we put on it can make
it impossible to steal. However, there
are ways you can help. Key in the Ignition: If you walk away
from your vehicle
with the key inside,
it’s
an easy target for joy riders or
professional thieves
- so don’t do it.
When you park your Geo and open the
driver’s door, you’ll hear a chime
reminding
you to remove your key from
the ignition and take it with you. Always
do this. Your steering wheel will be
locked,
and so will your ignition. If you
have an automatic transmission, taking
your key out also locks your
transmission. And remember to lock the
doors.
Parking at Night: Park in a lighted
spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your
valuables out
of sight. Put them in a
storage area, or take them with you.
47. =
ProCarManuals.com

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.
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

Features & Controls
W@er/Washer Lever
The lever on the right side of the
steering column controls
the windshield
wipers and washers.
Move the wiper switch
to the position
you want:
OFF - The wipers are off.
INT - Intermittent wiper operation
(if your Tracker has this).
In light
rain or snow, you might want to use
this position rather than continuous
wiping.
LO - The wipers will run
continuously at low speed.
HI - The wipers will run
continuously at high speed.
19.72
For a single wiping cycle, push the lever
to
MIST. Hold it there until the wipers Damaged wiper blades may
start, then let go. The wipers will stop prevent you from seeing well
after one cycle.
If you want more enough in a storm to drive safely.
cycles, hold the lever on
MIST longer. To avoid damage, be sure to clear
Washers I I ice and snow from the wiper I
Pull the wipedwasher lever toward you
to spray washer fluid on the windshield.
The spray will continue until you release
the lever. This will also turn on the low
meed wiDers. blades
before using them. If
they're frozen to the windshield,
carefully loosen or thaw them. If
your blades
do become damaged,
get new blades
or blade inserts.
c I
Heavy snow or ice can overload your
wipers.
A circuit breaker will stop them
until the motor cools. Clear away snow
or ice to prevent an overload.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
- 9 126
There's something else about drinking
and driving that many people don't
know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make
crash injuries worse. That's especially
true for brain, spinal cord and heart
injuries. That means that if anyone who
has
been drinking - driver or passenger
- is in a crash, the chance of being
killed or permanently disabled is higher
than if that person had not been
drinking. And we've already seen that
the chance
of a crash itself is higher for
drinking drivers.
A
Drinking and then driving is
very dangerous. Your
reflexes, perceptions, and
I
judgment will be affected by even
a small amount of alcohol. You
could have a serious
- or even
fatal
- accident if you drive after
drinking. Please don't drink and
drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. Ride home in a
cab; or if you're with a group,
designate a driver who
will not
drink.
I Conboi of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your
vehicle go where
you want it to go.
They are
the brakes, the steering and the
accelerator.
All three systems have to do
their work at the places where the tires
meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on
snow or ice, it's easy to ask more of
those control systems than the tires and
road can provide. That means you can
lose control of your vehicle.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
II. 132
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets
into a situation that requires hard
braking.
You have the rear wheel
anti-lock braking system. Your front
wheels can stop rolling when you brake
very hard. Once they do, the vehicle
can’t respond to your steering.
Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when
the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the
road, into the very thing you
were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
So, use a “squeeze” braking technique.
This
will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You
do this by pushing on the brake pedal
with steadily increasing pressure. When
you do, you can maintain steering
control. In many emergencies, steering
can help you more than even the very
best braking.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but
it will take
much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
A lot of the ‘‘driver lost control”
accidents mentioned on the news happen
on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each of
us
is subject to the same laws of physics
when driving on curves. The traction
of
ProCarManuals.com

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.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
When you drive into a curve at night,
it’s harder to see the road ahead of you
because it bends away from the straight
beams of your lights. This is one good
reason to drive slower.
134
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be
more effective than braking. For
example, you come over a hill and
find
a truck stopped in your lane, or a car
suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a
child darts out from between parked cars
and stops right in front of you.
You can
avoid these problems by braking
- if
you can stop in time. But sometimes you
can’t; there isn’t room. That’s the time
for evasive action
- steering around the
problem.
Your Geo can perform very well in
emergencies like these. First apply your brakes,
but not enough to lock your
front wheels. It is better to remove as
much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the
problem, to the left or right depending
on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close
attention and a quick decision.
If you
are holding the steering wheel at the
recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions,
you can turn it a full
180 degrees very
quickly without removing either hand.
But
you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel
once you have avoided the object.
You
must then be prepared to steer back to
your original lane and then brake to a
controlled stop.
ProCarManuals.com