CONVERTIBLE
UTILITY
HARDTOP
UTILITY
About Driving Your Tracker
As with other vehicles of this type. fdure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control or an
accident. Be sure to read
the “on-pavement” and “off-road” driving guidelines in this manual. (See “Driving
Guidelines” and “Off-Road Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle”
in the Index.)
3...
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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 ........................................................... 36
DoorLocks ...................................................... 37
Theft
........................................................... 39
New Vehicle “Break-In” ........................................... 39
Ignitionswitch ................................................... 39
Starting
Your Engine .............................................. 40
Automatic Transmission ................. ...................... 42
Manual Transmission
............... ...................... 44
Four-wheel Drive ................................................ 46
Parking ......................................................... 48
EngineExhaust
.................................................. 51
Windows ....................................................... 52
Horn
........................................................... 53
Adjustable Steering Column ........................................ 53
Interior Lights
................................................... 57
Windshield WiperjWasher Lever
..................................... 57
Rear Window Wiperwasher
........................................ 59
Mirrors ......................................................... 59
Storage and Compartments
....................................... 60
Sun Visors
................................... .. ..... 61
Passenger Assist Grips
............................................. 62
Ashtray and Lighter
............................................... 62
Instrument Panel and Cluster
........................................ 66
The Turn Signalbights Control/Headlight Beam Lever ................... 54
ConvertibleTop
.................................................. 72
35 I ..
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Theft
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 keys 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.
New Vehicle
"Break-in"
NOTICE:
Your modern Geo doesn‘t need an
elaborate “break-in.” But
it will per-
form better
in the long run if you fol-
low these guidelines:
0 Keep your speed at 55 mph
(88 km/h) or less for the first
500 miles (804 km).
0 Don’t drive at any one speed
- fast or slow - for the first
500 miles (804 km). Don’t
make full-throttle starts.
0 Avoid making hard stops for
the first
200 miles (322 km) or
so. During this time your new
brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops
with new linings
can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this
“breaking-in“ guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
C
I Ignition Switch
Vith the key in the ignition switch, you
an
turn the switch to four positions:
,OCK (A): The only position in which
‘ou can remove the key. This locks your
teering wheel, ignition and automatic
ransmission. Press
in the ignition switch
s you turn the top of it toward you.
f you have an automatic transmission, the
gnition switch can’t be turned
to
,LOCK” unless the shift lever is in the
‘P’ (Park) position.
LCC (B): Position in which you can
bperate your electrical power accessories.
t unlocks the steering wheel and ignition.
Jse this position
if your vehicle must be
mhed or towed.
39. .
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Features and Controls
L (Low Gear)
This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
“2.” You
can use it on very steep hills, or
in deep
snow
or mud. If the selector lever is put il
“L,” the transmission won’t shift into low
gear until the vehicle is going slowly
enough.
n
NOTICE:
Don’t shift into “L,” (Low) at speeds
above 40 mph
(65 km/h) with the
transfer case
in “4L,” or you can
damage your transmission.
NOTICE:
If your rear wheels can’t rotate, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you
were stuck in very deep sand or mud
or were up against
a solid object. You
could damage your transmission.
Also, if you stop when going uphill,
don’t hold your vehicle there
with
only the accelerator pedal. This could
overheat and damage the
transmission. Use your brakes to hold
your vehicle
in position on a hill.
F
Manual Transmission
ive-Speed
is is your shift pattern. Here’s how to
erate your transmission:
1 (First Gear) - Press the clutch
pedal and shift into
“1.” Then, slowly
let up on
the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into
“I” when you’re
going less than
20 mph (32 km/h). If
you’ve come to a complete stop and
it’s hard to shift into
“1,” put the shift
lever
in “Neutral” and let up on the
clutch. Press the clutch pedal back
down. Then shift into
“ 1 .”
0
0
0
0
0
2 (Second Gear) - Press the clutch
pedal as
you let up on the accelerator
pedal and shift into
“2.” Then, slowly
let up on the clutch pedal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
3,4 and 5 (Third, Fourth and Fifth
Gears)
- Shift into “3,” “4” and “5”
the same way you do for “2.” Slowly
let up on the clutch p6dal as you press
the accelerator pedal.
To Stop - Let up on the accelerator
pedal and press the brGke pedal. Just
before
the vehicle stops, press the
clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and
shift to “Neutral.”
Neutral - Use this position when
you start or idle your engine.
R (Reverse) - To back up, press
down the clutch pedal and shift into
“R.” Let up on the clutch pedal slowly
while pressing the accelerator pedal.
You cannot go from
“5” (Fifth Gear) into
“R” (Reverse). If you try, you will be
locked out. You must first shift into
“Neutral,” move the lever to
the left, back
to the right, and then shift into
“R”
(Reverse). This is a safety feature.
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Features and Controls
Four-wheel Drive
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you
can send your engine's driving power
to
all four wheels for extra traction. To shift
out of two-wheel drive and into
four-wheel drive, lock the freewheeling
hubs and move the transfer case shift
lever
to "4H" or "4L" (see the following).
You should use
"2H" for most normal
driving.
Rear wheel anti-lock brakes do
not work
when
you shift into four-wheel drive.
Your regular brakes will still work. When
you shift back into two-wheel drive, your
Freewheeling Hubs
Your vehicle may have either manual or
automatic freewheeling hubs. You must
NOTICE:
Manual
To lock or unlock the hubs, you must park
Driving
in "4H" or "4L" positions for
a long time
on dry or wet pavement
could shorten
the life of your
vehicle's drivetrain. your vehicle
(see "Shifting into
'P'
(Park)" or "Parking Your Vehicle" in the
Index) and get
out. To lock the hubs, turn
the hub dials to "LOCK."
I '
I NOTICE:
Don't drive in "2H" with the manual
locking
hubs in "LOCK." If you do.
you could damage your front drive-
shaft parts.
To unlock the hubs, turn the hub dials to
'FREE."
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Automatic
With automatic freewheeling hubs, you
don’t have to get out of the vehicle to lock
or unlock the hubs.
To lock the hubs:
1. Stop your vehicle.
2. Shift the transfer case to “4H’ or
“4L.”
3. Drive slowly forward and the hubs
will lock.
To unlock the hubs:
1. Stop your vehicle.
2. Drive seven feet (two meters) in the
direction opposite to the direction you
were driving before you stopped.
3. Then, press the clutch if you have a
manual transmission, and shift the
transfer case to
“2H.” The hubs will
unlock.
rransfer Case
?he transfer case shift lever is on the floor
o the right of the driver. Use this lever to
hift into and out of four-wheel drive. An
ndicator light comes on when the transfer
:ase is in
“4H’ or “4L.”
!H: This setting is for driving in most
treet and highway situations. Your front
.xle is not engaged in two-wheel drive.
IH: This setting engages your front axle
o help drive your vehicle. Use “4”’
vhen you need extra traction, such as on
vet or
icy roads, or in most off-road
ituations.
q: Shift to this setting only when your
rehicle needs to
be towed.
4L: This setting also engages your front
axle to give you extra traction, but should
be used only for driving downhill or on
slippery, surfaces when you’re driving
slower than
35 mph (55 km/h).
Remember that driving in
“4H” or “4L”
may reduce fuel economy. Also, driving
in four-wheel drive on dry pavement
could cause your tires to wear faster and
make your transfer case harder to shift.
You can shift from
“2H” to “4H’ or from
“4W’ to “2H” at any speed if your hubs
are locked and your wheels are straight
ahead. Your front axle will engage faster
if you take your foot off the accelerator
pedal for a few seconds as you shift.
To shift into or out of 4L:
1. Stop your vehicle and shift your
transmission to
“N” (Neutral).
2. Shift the transfer case in one
continuous motion.
Don’t pause in
“N’ as you shift into
“4H,” or your gears could clash.
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1. Hold the brake pedal down with your
right foot and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into “P” (Park)
position like this:
0 Hold in the button on the lever,
and push the lever all
the way
toward the front of your vehicle.
3. If you have four-wheel drive, be sure
the transfer case is
in a drive gear -
not in “N” (Neutral).
4. Move the key to “LOCK.”
5. Remove the key and take it with you.
If you can walk away from your
vehicle
with the key in your hand,
your vehicle is
in “P” (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle with the
Engine Running
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
A CAUTION:
Xt can be dangerous to leave your
vehicle with the engine running. Your
vehicle could move suddenly if the
shift lever is not fully in “P” (Park)
with the parking brake firmly set.
I€ YOU have four-wheel drive and
your transfer case is in “N” (Neutral),
your vehicle
will be free to roll, even
if your shift lever
is in “F‘” (Park). So
be sure the transfer case is in a drive
gear
- not in “N’ (Neutral).
And, if you leave the vehicle with the
engine running, it
could overheat and
even catch
fie. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle
with the engine running unless
you
have to.
Torque Lock
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t
shift your transmission into “P” (Park)
properly, the weight
of the vehicle may
put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transmission. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of “P” (Park).
This is called ”torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into “P“ (Park) properly before
you leave the driver‘s seat. To find out
how, see “Shifting into ’P7 (Park)’‘ in the
Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the
shift lever
out of “P?’ (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may
need
to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill
to take some of the pressure
from
the transmission, so you can pull the
shift lever out of ’bP’’ (Park).
Shifting out of P (Park)
(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)
Your Geo has a brake-transmission shift
interlock. You have
to fully apply your
regular brake before
you can shift from
.‘P’’ (Park) when the ignition is in the
49 ... ProCarManuals.com
Features and Controls
“ON” position. See “Automatic
Transmission”
in the Index.
If you cannot shift out of “P” (Park), ease
pressure on the shift lever
- push the
shift lever all the
way into “P” (Park) and
release the shift lever button as you
maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift
lever into the gear you wish.
/-
8
If you ever hold the brake pedal down bul
still can’t shift out of “P’ (Park), try this:
1. Apply And hold the brake until the en(
of step
6.
2. If the engine is running, shut it off.
Turn the key to
“ON” or “ACC.”
3. Find the access hole cover (A) on the
driver’s side
of the console, near the
shift lever.
4. Remove the screw (B) and cover (A).
5. Inside you’ll see the return plate (C).
Using your finger, move the return
plate toward the rear of the vehicle
until it stops.
6. Move the shift lever into the gear you
want.
7. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you
can.
Parking Your Vehitle
(MANUAL TRANSMISSION)
Before you get out of your vehicle,
put your manual transmission in “R”
(Reverse) and firmly apply the parking
brake.
If you have four-wheel drive, be sure
your transfer case is
in a drive gear.
Your vehicle could roll
if it isn’t.
If your vehicle is equipped to tow a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the
Index.
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