1994 CHEVROLET TRACKER Owners Manual

Service and Appearance Care
Inflation - Tire Pressure
The Certificatioflire label which is on the driver’s door shows the correct inflation
pressures for your tires, when they’re cold. ‘Told” means your vehicle has been
sitting for at least three hours or driven no more than
a mile.
NOTICE:
Don’t let anyone tell you that underinflation PI: overinflation is all right. It’s not.
If your tires don’t have enough air (underinflation) you can get:
i Too much flexing
0 Too much heat
0 Tire overloading
0 Bad wear
0 Bad handling
0 Bad fuel economy.
If your tires have too much air (overinflation), you can get:
0 Unusual wear
0 Bad handling
0 Rough ride
0 Needless damage from road hazards.
When to Check: Check your tires
once a month or more. Also, check the
tire pressure
of the spare tire.
How to Check: Use a good quality
pocket-type gage to check tire
I
1
t
7
xessure. Simply looking at the tires
will not tell
you the pressure,
:specially if you have radial tires
-
which may look properly inflated even
.f they’re underinflated.
[f your tires have valve caps, be sure to
Jut them back on. They help prevent
leaks by keeping out dirt and moisture.
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I 4
’ire Inspection and Rotation
’0 make your tires last longer, have them
nspected and rotated at the mileages
ecommended
in the Maintenance
Ichedule. See “Scheduled Maintenance
lervices”
in the Index.
Jse this rotation pattern.
F your spare wheel does not match your
lther wheels, you may want to use this
lattern.
f your vehicle has front tires with
ifferent load ratings or tread designs
such as all season vs.
odoff road) than
he rear tires, don’t rotate your tires front
3 rear.
ifter the tires have been rotated, adjust
he front and rear intlation pressure as
hown on the Certificationflire label.
dake certain that all wheel nuts are
lroperly tightened. See “Wheel Nut
’orque”
in the Index.
Rust or dirt on a wheel, or on the
pas to which it is fastened, can
make wheel nuts become loose &er
a time. The wheel
could come off and
cause
an accident. When you change
a wheel, remove any rust or dirt from
places where the wheel attaches to
the vehicle. In an emergency, you
can use a cloth or a paper towel to
do this; but be sure to use a scraper
or wire brush later, if you need to,
to get all the rust or dirt off. (See
“Changing
a Rat Tire” in the Index.)
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Service and Appearance Care
When It’s Time for New Tires
One way to tell when it’s time for new
tires
is to check the treadwear indicators,
which will appear
when your tires have
only
2/32 inch (1.6 mm) or less of tread
remaining.
You need a new tire
if
0 You can see the indicators at three or
more places around
the tire.
0 You can see cord or fabric showing
through the tire’s rubber.
The tread or sidewall is cracked, cut
or snagged deep enough to show cord
or fabric.
The tire has a bump, bulge or split.
. . ,186
0 The tire has a puncture, cut, or other
damage that can’t be repaired well
because of the size or location
of the
damage.
Buying New Tires
To find out what kind and size of tires you
need,
look at the Certificationnire label.
The tires installed on your vehicle when it
was new had a Tire Performance Criteria
Specification (TPC Spec) number on each
tire’s sidewall. When you get new tires,
get ones with that same TPC Spec
number. That way, your vehicle
will
continue to have tires that are designed to
give proper endurance, handling, speed
rating, traction, ride and other things
during normal service on your vehicle. If
your tires have an all-season tread design,
the TPC number will be followed by a
“MS” (for mud and snow).
If you ever replace your tires with those
not having a TPC Spec number, make
sure they are the same size, load range,
speed rating and construction type (bias,
bias-belted or radial) as your original
tires.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
The following information relates to the
system developed by the United States
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration which grades tires by
treadwear, traction and temperature
performance. (This applies only to
vehicles sold
in the United States.)
Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative
rating based on the wear rate
of the tire
when tested under controlled conditions
on a specified government test course. For
example, a tire graded
150 would wear
one and a half
(1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
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upon the actual conditions of their use,
however, and may depart significantly
from the norm due to variations in driving
habits, service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
Traction - A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest are: A,
B, and C. They represent
the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement
as measured under controlled conditions
on specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking
(straight-ahead) traction tests and does
not include cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature - A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest),
B, and C, representing the tire’s
resistance to the generation of heat and its
ability to dissipate heat when tested under
controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained
high temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire
life, and excessive temperature can lead to
sudden tire failure. The grade
C
corresponds to a level of performance
which all passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard
No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on
the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive
loading, either separately or
in
combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
These grades are molded on the sidewalls
of passenger car tires.
While the tires available as standard or
optional equipment on General Motors
vehicles may vary with respect to these
grades, all such tires meet General Motors
performance standards and have been
approved for use on General Motors
vehicles. All passenger type
(P Metric)
tires must conform to Federal safety
requirements in addition to these grades.
Wheel Alignment and Tire Balance
The wheels on your vehicle were aligned
and balanced carefully at the factory to give
you the longest tire life and best
overall performance.
In most cases, you will not need to have
your wheels aligned again. However, if
you notice unusual tire wear or your
vehicle pulling one way or the other, the
alignment may need to be reset. If you
notice your vehicle vibrating when
driving on a smooth road, your wheels
may need to be rebalanced.
Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or
badly rusted. If wheel nuts keep coming
loose, the wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts should be replaced. If the wheel
leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes
be repaired). See your Geo dealer if any
of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel
you need.
Each new wheel should have the same
load carrying capacity, diameter, width,
offset, and be mounted the same way as
the one it replaces.
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Service and Appearance Care
If you need to replace any of your wheels,
wheel bolts, or wheel nuts, replace them
only
with new GM original equipment
parts. This way, you
will be sure to have
the right wheel, wheel bolts, and wheel
nuts for your Geo model.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems
with bearing life, brake
cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlight aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance,
and
tire or tire chain clearance to the
body and chassis.
Used Replacement Wheels
A CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle
is dangerous. You can’t know how
it’s been used or how many miles it’s
been driven. It could
fail suddenly
and cause an accident.
If you have
to replace a wheel
use a new GM
original equipment wheel.
Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and
only when you must. Use only SAE
Class “S” type chains that are the
proper size for your tires. Install them
on the tires of the drive axle (four-
wheel drive vehicles can use chains
on both axles). Tighten them
as
tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and
follow the chain manufacturer’s
instructions.
If you can hear the
chains contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them.
If the contact
continues, slow down until
it stops.
Driving too fast with chains
on will
damage your vehicle.
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Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be
hazardous. Some are toxic. Others can
burst into flame
if you strike a match
or get them
on a hot part of the vehicle.
Some are dangerous
if you breathe
their fumes
in a closed space. When
you use anything from a container to
clean your Geo, be sure to follow
the manufacturer’s warnings and
instructions. And always open your
doors or windows when you’re
cleaning the inside. Never use
these to clean your vehicle:
Gasoline
0 Benzene
Naphtha
Carbon Tetrachloride
0 Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
Turpentine
Lacquer Thinner
Nail Polish Remover
They can
all be hazardous some more -
thanothers - and they can all damage
your vehicle, too. Don‘t use any of
these unless this
manual says you can.
In many uses,
these
will damage your vehicle:
0 Alcohol
Laundry Soap
Bleach
Reducing Agents
Cleaning the lnside of Your
Geo
Use a vacuum cleaner often to get rid of
dust and loose dirt. Wipe vinyl or
leather with a clean, damp cloth.
Your Geo dealer has two
GM cleaners,
a solvent-type spot lifter and a
foam-type powdered cleaner. They will
clean normal spots and stains very well.
Do not use them on vinyl or leather.
Here are some cleaning tips:
Always read the instructions on the
Clean up stains as soon as you can
cleaner
label.
- before they set.
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Service and Appearance Care
Use a clean cloth or sponge, and
change to
a clean area often. A soft
brush
may be used if stains are
stubborn.
Use solvent-type cleaners
in a
well-ventilated area only. If you use
them, don’t saturate the stained area.
If a ring forms after spot cleaning,
clean the entire area immediately or
it
will set.
Using Foam-Type Cleaner on Fabric
Vacuum and brush the area to remove
any loose dirt.
Always clean a whole trim panel or
section. Mask surrounding trim along
stitch or welt lines.
Mix Multi-Purpose Powdered Cleaner
following the directions on the
container label.
Use suds only and apply with a clean
sponge.
Don’t saturate the material.
Don’t rub
it roughly.
As soon as you’ve cleaned the section,
use a sponge to remove the suds.
Rinse the section
with a clean, wet
sponge.
Wipe off what’s left with a slightly
0 Then dry it immediately with a blow
damp
paper towel or cloth.
dryer or
a heat lamp.
I NOTICE:
I
Be careful with a hair dryer or heat
lamp. You could scorch the fabric.
Wipe with a clean cloth.
Using Solvent-Type Cleaner an Fabric
First, see if you have to use solvent-type
cleaner at all. Some spots and stains
will
clean off better with just water and mild
soap.
If you need to use a solvent:
0 Gently scrape excess soil from the
trim material with a clean, dull knife
or scraper. Use very
little cleaner, light
pressure and clean cloths (preferably
cheesecloth). Cleaning should start
at
the outside of the stain, “feathering”
toward the center. Keep changing
to a
clean section of the cloth.
0 When you clean a stain from fabric,
immediately dry the area
with an air
hose, hair dryer, or heat
lamp to help
prevent a cleaning ring.
(See the
previous
NOTICE.)
Fabric Protection
Your Geo has upholstery that has been
treated
with Scotchgard Fabric
Protector,
a 3M product. Scotchgard”
protects fabrics by repelling
oil and water,
which are the carriers of most
stains.
Even with this protection, you still need
to clean your upholstery often to keep
it
looking new.
Further information on cleaning
is
available by calling 1-800-433-3296
(in Minnesota, 1-800-642-6167).
Special Cleaning Problems
Greasy or
oily stains: Such as grease,
oil, butter, margarine, shoe polish, coffee
with cream, chewing gum, cosmetic
creams, vegetable oils, wax crayon, tar
and asphalt.
0 Carefully scrape off excess stain.
Follow the solvent-type instructions
described earlier.
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0 Shoe polish, wax crayon, tar and
asphalt will stain if left on a vehicle
seat fabric. They should be removed
as soon as possible. Be eareful,
because the cleaner
will dissolve
them and may cause them to spread.
Non-greasy stains: Such as catsup,
coffee (black), egg, fruit, fruit juice, milk,
soft drinks, wine, vomit, urine and blood.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
sponge the soiled area
with cool water.
If a stain remains, follow the
foam-type instructions described
earlier.
If an odor lingers after cleaning
vomit or urine, treat the area with
a waterhaking soda solution:
1 teaspoon (5 ml) of baking soda to
1 cup (250 ml) of lukewarm water.
solvent-type cleaner.
If needed, clean lightly with
Combination stains: Such as candy,
ice cream, mayonnaise, chili sauce and
unknown stains.
Carefully scrape off excess stain, then
0 If a stain remains, clean it with
clean with cool water and allow to dry.
solvent-type cleaner.
Cleaning Vinyl
Use warm water and a clean cloth.
0 Rub with a clean, damp cloth to
remove dirt.
You may have to do it
more than once.
Things like tar, asphalt and shoe
polish will stain
if yoa don’t get them
off quickly. Use a clean cloth and
solvent-type
vinyl cleaner.
Cleaning Leather
Use a soft cloth with lukewarm water and
a mild soap or saddle soap.
For stubborn stains, use a mild
solution of
10% isopropyl alcohol
(rubbing alchohol) and 90% water.
solvent-based or abrasive cleaners,
furniture polish
or shoe polish on
leather.
immediately.
If dirt is allowed to work
into finish,
it can harm the leather.
Never use oils, varnishes,
Soiled leather should be cleaned
ueaning the Top of the Instrument
Panel
Use only mild soap and water to clean
the top surfaces of the instrument panel.
Sprays containing silicones or waxes
may cause annoying reflections in the
windshield and even make it difficult to
see through the windshield under certain
conditions.
Care of Safety Belts
Keep belts clean and dry.
Do not; bleach or dye safety belts.
If you do, it may severely weaken
them, In a crash they might not be
able to provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap
and lukewarm water.
Glass
Glass should be cleaned often. GM Glass
Cleaner
(GM Part No. 1050427) or a
liquid household glass cleaner will
remove normal tobacco smoke and dust
films.
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