1994 CHEVROLET TRACKER parking brake

Instrument Panel
1. Air Vent
2. Side Defroster Vent
3. Turn Signalbights Control/Headlight
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Hazard Warning Flasher
6. Windshield Wipermasher Lever
7. Rear Window Wiper Switch
8. Comfort Controls
Beam
Lever
9. Audio System
10. Lighter
11. Assist Grip
12. Glove Box
13. Transmission Shift Lever
14. Coinholder and Bin
15. Transfer Case Shift Lever
16. Parking Brake Lever
17. Ashtray
18. Rear Window Washer Switch
19. Ignition Switch
20. Horn
21. Fuse Block
22. Rear Window Defogger Switch
23. Brightness Control
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Features and Controls
If the light comes on while you are
driving,
pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder
to push. Or, the pedal may go
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop. If the light is still on. have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle“
in the Index.)
p CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be work-
ing properly if the brake system
warning light is on, Driving with the
brake system warning light on can
lead
to an accident. If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the
vehicle towed
for service.
The brake system warning light will also
come
on when you set your parking
brake, and
it will stay on if your parking
brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on
after your parking brake is fully released.
it means you have a brake problem.
‘ngine Coolant Temperature Gage
rhis gage shows the engine coolanl
emperature.
If the gage pointer moves to
he
”H” (red) side. your engine is too hot!
t means that your engine coolant has
)verheatcd and you should
stop your
ehicle and
turn off the engine HS soo~
Iossible.
1 as
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In “Problems on the Road.” this manual
shows what to do. See ”Engine
Overheating”
in the Index.
Charging System Light
This light will come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition, but the engine is not
running, as
a check to show you it is
working. Then
it should go out when the
engine starts. If it stays on or comes on
while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the electrical charging
system.
It could indicate that you have a
loose generator drive
belt or another
electrical problem. Have
it checked right
away. Driving while this light is on could
drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with
this light on,
be certain to turn off all your
accessories. such as
the radio and air
conditioner.
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0 Is the hill simply too rough‘? Steep hills
often have ruts, gullies, troughs and
exposed rocks because
they are more
susceptible
to the effects of erosion.
Driving Uphill
Once you decide you can safely drive up
the hill,
you need to take some special
steps.
0 Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than
you need, because
you don’t want your wheels
to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at a1
possible.
If the path twists and turns,
you might want to find another route.
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Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top
of the hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to tnake
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails
or hills.
Sound the
horn as you approach the
top
of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible
to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
A:
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stalls, or is about to stall, and I can’t
make
it up the hill?
If this happens, there are some things
you should do, and there are some
things you must not do. First, here’s
what you should do:
Push the brake pedal
to stop the
vehicle and keep
it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply
the parking
brake.
If your engine is still running, shift the
transmission into reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down
the
hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need to restart it. With the brake
pedal depressed and
the parking brake
still applied,
shift the transmission to
“P” (Park) (or, shift to “N” (Neutral)
if your vehicle has a manual
transmission) and restart
the engine.
Then, shift
to reverse, release the
parking brake, and slowly back down
the
hill as straight as possible in
reverse.
As you are backing down the hill, put
your left hand
on the steering wheel at
the
12 o’clock position. This way,
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Your Driving and the Road
you'll be able to tell if your wheels are
stl-aisht and maneuver
as you back
down. It's best thur ~LI i);\c.l; c'lown the
hill with your wheeis straight rather
than
in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel
too far to the left or
right will increase the possibility of a
rollover.
Here are some things you must
not do if
you stall, or are about to stall, when going
up a
hill.
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Never attempt to prevent a stall by
shifting
into "N" (Neutral) (or
depressing
the clutch. if you have a
manual transmission) to "rev-up" the
engine and regain forward rnornentum.
This won't work. Your vehicle
will
roll backwards very quickly and you
could
go out of control. Instead. apply
the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift into reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back straight down.
Never attempt
to turn around if you
are about
to stall when going up a hill.
If the hill is steep enough to stall your
vehicle, it's steep enough to cause
you
to roll over if you turn around. If you
can't make
it up the hill, you must
back straight down the
hill.
0: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back
down the hill and decide
I just can't
do it. What should I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your
transmission
in "P'* (Park) (or the
manual transmission in first gear). and
turn off the engine. Leave the vehicle
and go get some help. Exit on the
uphill side and
stay clear of the path
the vehicle would take
if it rolled
downhill.
Do not shift thc transfer
case
to "N" (Neutral) when you leave
the vehicle. Leave it in some gear.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill,
JOU'II want to consider a number of
hings:
D How steep is the downhill'? Will I be
able
to maintain vehicle control'?
D What's the surfilce like? Smooth?
Rough'! Slippery'? Hard-packed dirt?
Gravel'?
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0 Are there hidden surface obstacles?
Ruts? Logs? Boulders?
0 What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is
there a hidden creek bank or even a
river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a
hill
safely, then try to keep your vehicle
headed straight down, and use a low gear.
This way, engine drag can help your
brakes and they won’t have to do all the
work. Descend slowly, keeping your
vehicle under control at all times.
Q: Are there some things I should not
do when driving down
a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if
you ignore them you could lose
control and have a serious accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns
that take you across the incline
of the
hill.
A hill that’s not too steep to drive
down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you
don’t drive straight down.
Never go downhill with the
transmission in “N” (Neutral), or with
the clutch pedal depressed in a manual
shift. This is called “free-wheeling.”
Your brakes will have to do all the
work and could overheat and fade.
Avoid braking
so hard that you lock
the front wheels when going downhill.
If your front wheels are locked, you
can’t steer your vehicle. If your
wheels lock up during downhill
braking, you may feel the vehicle
starting to slide sideways.
To regain
your direction, just ease
off the brakes
and steer to keep the front of the
vehicle pointing straight downhill.
Q: Am I likely to stall when going
downhill?
A:
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It‘s much more likely to happen going
uphill.
But if it happens going
downhill, here’s what to do.
Stop your vehicle by applying the
regular brakes. Apply the parking
brake.
Shift to
“P” (Park) (or to Neutral with
the manual transmission) and, while
still braking, restart the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the
parking brake, and drive straight down.
If the engine won’t start, get out and
get help.
Driving Across an Incline
Sooner or later, an off-road trail will
probably go across the incline
of a hill. If
this happeris, you have to decide whether
to try to drive across the incline. Here are
some things to consider:
0 A hill that can be driven straight up
or down may be too steep to drive
across. When you go straight up or
down a hill, the length
of the wheel
base (the distance from the front
wheels to the rear wheels) reduces the
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Your Driving and the Road
It’s wise to keep your wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield
washer tank filled. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they show
signs of streaking or missing areas on the
windshield, or when strips of rubber start
to separate from the inserts.
Driving too fast through large water
puddles or even going through some car
washes can cause problems, too. The
water may affect your brakes. Try to
avoid puddles. But
if you can’t, try to
slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build
up under your tires that
they can actually ride on the water. This
can happen if the road is
wet enough and
you’re going fast enough. When your
vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no
contact
with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it
can if your tires haven’t much tread or
if
the pressure in one or more is low. It can
happen
if a lot of water is standing on the
road.
If you can see reflections from trees,
telephone poles, or other vehicles, and
raindrops “dimple” the water’s surface,
there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There just isn’t a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning. The best advice
is to slow down when it is raining.
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights -
not just your parking lights - to help
make you more visible to others.
0 Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
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0
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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?
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?
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.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that
it can
happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
0 Keep your eyes moving. Scan the
road ahead and to
the sides. Check
your mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
0 If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take a nap, get some exercise,
or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain
Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving
in flat or rolling
terrain. If you drive regularly in steep
country, or
if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
(See “Off-Road Driving” in the Index
for information about driving off-road.)
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work
hard
on mountain roads.
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Your Driving and the Road
passed vehicle before vou can return to
your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand to the left.
To move
the trailer to the right, move
your hand to the right. Always back up
slowly and,
if possible, have someone
guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal.
Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lights will also
flash, telling other drivers you’re about to
turn, change lanes or stop. When towing
a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even
if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If
you are towing a trailer and you have
a manual transmission with fifth gear,
you may prefer not
to use fifth gear. Just
drive in fourth gear (or, as
you need to,
.a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill. If
something goes wrong, your
rig could start
to move. People can be injured, and
both your vehicle and the trailer can be
damaged.
But if you ever have to park
your rig on a
hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
“F’” (Park) yet, or into gear
for a manual transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
trailer wheels.
4. Reapply the regular brakes.
Then
apply your parking brake, and then
shift to
‘T” (Park), or “R” (Reverse)
for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel-drive
vehicle, be sure the transfer case is
in
a drive gear - not in “N” (Neutral).
6. Release the regular brakes.
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