When You Are Ready to Leave after
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
0 Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you're pulling
a trailer. See the
Maintenance Schedule for more
on this.
rhings that are especially important in
:railer operation are automatic
.ransmission lluid (don't overfill), engine
oil? axle lubricant, belts, cooling system,
and brake adjustment. Each of these
is
covered in this manual, and the Index will
help you find them quickly. If you're
trailering, it's a good idea to review these
sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
I
I
Recreational Vehicle
To wing
There may be times when you want to
:ow your Geo behind another vehicle for
Jse at your destination. Be sure to use the
proper towing equipment designed for
-ecreational towing. Follow the Instructions for the towing equipment.
rowing Your Geo from the Rear
rhe best way to tow your Geo is from the
-ear. Follow these steps:
1. Put the rear wheels on a dolly.
I NOTICE:
I
Do not tow your Geo with the rear
wheels
in contact with the ground. or
the transmission could be damaged. 1
.. 129. ProCarManuals.com
Your Driving and the Road
2. Set the parking brake.
3. If your Geo is a four-wheel-drive
vehicle, set your manual freewheeling
hubs
to ”FREE” or unlock your
automatic I‘reewheeling hubs. See “Four-wheel Drive”
in the Index.
4. Turn the ignilion key to ”ACC’‘ to
unlock the steering wheel.
5. Clamp the steering wheel in a
straight-ahead position, with a
clamping device designed for towing.
6. Release the parking brake.
I NOTICE:
I
Make sure that the towing speed does
not exceed
55 mph (90 km/h), or
your Geo could be badly damaged.
~~
Towing Your Geo from the Front
NOTICE:
If your vehicle has automatic free-
wheeling hubs
or two-wheel drive,
do not tow
it on all four wheels. If
you do, your transmission could be
damaged.
If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle
with manual freewheeling hubs, it can be
towed from the front with
all four wheels
on the ground. Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Turn the ignition key to “ACC” to
unlock the steering wheel.
3. Shift your automatic transmission into
“P” (Park), or your manual
transmission into “2” (Second).
4. Shift the transfer case to “N”
(Neutral).
“Four-wheel Drive”
in the Index.
5. Set the hubs to “FREE.” See
6. Reledse the parking brake,
Stop towing every 200 miles
(300 km)
and start the engine. Leave the transfer
case shift lever
in ”N” (Neutral). Shift
your automatic transmission
to “D”
(Drive); leave a manual transmission
in
“2” (Second) and release the clutch. Run
the engine
at medium speed for one
minute to circulate the oil in the transfer
case. Turn the ignition key to
“ACC.”
Now, you can continue towing your Geo.
I
NOTICE:
I
Make sure the towing speed does not
exceed
SO mph (80 km/h), or your
Geo could be badly damaged.
I
. . .130
ProCarManuals.com
G
A CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
0
i.
0
0
0
0
Never let passengers ride in a
vehicle that
is being towed.
Never
tow faster than safe or
Never tow with damaged parts
not fully secured.
Never get under
your vehicle
after
it has been lifted by the tow
truck.
Always use seperate safety
chains
on each side when towing
a vehicle.
Never use
T-hooks. Use “J”
hooks instead.
posted speeds.
When your vehicle is being towed, have
the ignition key
off. The steering wheel
should
be clamped in a straight-ahead
position, with a clamping device designed
for towing service.
Do not use the
vehicle’s steering column
lock for this.
The transmi.ssion and transfer case,
if you
have one, should be in “Neutral” and the
parking brake released.
Don’t have
your vehicle towed with the
rear wheels
in contact with the ground. If
a vehicle must be towed from the front
with sling-type or wheel lift equipment,
the rear wheels
must be supported on a
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive,
don’t have
it towed on the front wheels
unless
you must. If a vehicle with
four-wheel drive
must be towed on the
front wheels,
set your tnanual,
freewheeling hubs
to “FREE” or unlock
your automatic freewheeling hubs, and set
your transfer case to two-wheel drive. If
your vehicle must be towed on the front
wheels, don‘t
go more than 55 rnph (90
km/h).
dolly.
131 . . . ProCarManuals.com
... .v ,
A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle can slip off the jack and roll
over
you or other people. You and they could be badly injured. Find a level
place to change your tire.
To help prevent the vehicle from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift lever in T“ (Park), or shift a manual
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle, be sure the transfer case is in a drive
4. Turn off the engine.
transmission
to “ 1” (First) or “R” (Reverse).
gear
- not in “N’ (Neutral).
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move, you can put chocks at the front
and rear
of the tire farthest away from the one being changed. That would be the
tire
on the other side of the vehicle, at the opposite end. The
following steps
will tell you how to
.rse the jack and change
a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is under the
ront seats.
rhejack and wheel wrench
are under the
passenger’s
seat.
147 ...
ProCarManuals.com
I A utomatic Transmission FIuid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic
transmission fluid level
is when the
engine
oil is changed. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule to determine when
to change your fluid. See “Scheduled
Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little
difficult, you may choose to have
this
done at your Geo dealership Service
Department.
If you do
it yourself, be sure to follow all
the instructions here, or you could get a
false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little tluid can
damage your transmission.
Too much
can mean that some of the fluid could
come out and fall on hot engine parts
or exhaust system parts, starting
a fire.
Be sure to get an accurate reading
if
you check your transmission tluid. Wait
at least 30 minutes before checking
the transmission fluid level
if you have
been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above
0 At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic - especially in hot
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should
be at normal operating temperature,
which is 180°F to 200°F
(82°C to 93°C).
To check transmission fluid hot: Get the
vehicle warmed
up by driving about IS
miles (24 km) when outside temperatures
are above 50°F
( 10°C). If it’s colder than
50°F (IOOC), drive the vehicle in “D”
(Third Gear) until the engine temperature
gage moves
and then remains steady for
ten minutes. Then follow the hot check
procedures.
To check transmission fluid cold: A cold
check is made after the vehicle has been
sitting for eight hours or more
with the
engine off
and is used only as a reference.
Let
the engine run at idle for five minutes
if outside temperatures are 50°F (10°C)
or more. If it’s colder than 50°F (IO’C),
you
may have to idle the engine longer.
90°F (32°C).
weather. Should
the
fluid level be low during a
cold check, you must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give you a
more accurate reading
of the fluid level.
To check the fluid hot or cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place.
0 With the parking brake applied, place
0 With your foot on the brake pedal,
Keep the
engine running.
the shift lever
in “P’ (Park).
move the shift lever through each gear
range, pausing for about three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in “P” (Park).
minutes or more.
0 Let the engine run at idle for three
167.,
ProCarManuals.com
Replacement Bulbs
Back-up ........................................................ 1156
Dome
...................................................... 96051559
Center High-Mounted Stop
........................................... 921
Front Parking and
Turn Signal .................................... 1157 NA
Headlight (Halogen) ............................................... 9004
Heater
or Air Conditioning Control ............................... 96052599
Charging System
............................................ 9433 184
Engine Oil Pressure
.......................................... 9433 184
4WD
...................................................... 9433184
Headlight High Beam
......................................... 9433 184
Instrument Cluster
............................................. 9605 156
Rear Defogger Switch ......................................... 9606 1736
Rear Hazard and
Turn Signal ........................................ 1156
Rear Wipermasher Switch
..................................... 9606 1736
Indicator and Warning
Brake
..................................................... 9433184
CheckEngine
............................................... 9433184
SafetyBelt
................................................. 9433184
Turnsignal
................................................. 9433184
Licenseplate
..................................................... 194
Lighter
...................................................... 9433184
Rearparkingandstop
............................................. 1157
Sidemarker ......................................... ............ 194
199 ...
ProCarManuals.com
Maintenance Schedule
Section B: Owner Checks and Services (Cont.)
At Least Once a Year
CHECK
OR SERVICE
Key Lock Cylinders
Body Lubrication
Starter Switch
1
WHAT TO DO
Lubricate the key lock cylinders with the lubricant specified in Section D.
Lubricate all body door hinges. Also lubricate all hinges and latches, including those for the hood,
rear compartment, glove box door, console door and any folding seat hardware. Section D tells
you what to use.
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room around the vehicle.
2. Firmly apply both the parking brake (see “Parking Brake” in the Index if necessary) and the
NOTE:
Do not use the accelerator pedal, and be ready to turn off the engine immediately if it
starts.
3. On automatic transmission vehicles, try to start the engine in each gear. The starter should
work only in
“P” (Park) or “N” (Neutral). If the starter works in any other position, your
vehicle needs service.
On manual transmission vehicles, put the shift lever in “N” (Neutral), push the clutch down
halfway and try to start the engine. The starter should work only when the clutch is pushed
down all
the way to the floor. If the starter works when the clutch isn’t pushed all the way
down, your vehicle needs service.
regular brake.
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ProCarManuals.com
At Least Once a Year (CONT.)
CHECK
OR SERVICE
Brake Transmission
Shift Interlock
- BTSI
(Automatic Transmis-
sion)
Steering Column Lock
WHAT TO DO
1. Before you start, be sure you have enough room around the vehicle. It should be parked on a
2. Firmly apply the parking brake. (See “Parking Brake” in the Index if necessary).
NOTE: Be ready to apply the regular brake immediately if the vehicle begins to move.
3. With the engine off, turn the key to the “ON” position, but don’t start the engine. Without
level surface.
applying the regular brake, try
to move the shift lever out of “P” (Park) with normal effort,
If the shift lever moves out
of “P” (Park) , your vehicle’s BTSI needs service.
While parked, and with the parking brake set, try
to turn the key to “LOCK” in each shift lever
position.
0 With an automatic transmission, the key should turn to “LOCK” only when the shift lever is
With a manual transmission, the key will turn to “LOCK” only if you push the key in farther,
On vehicles with
the key release lever, try to turn the key to “LOCK” without pressing the lever.
The key should
turn to “LOCK” only with the key lever depressed. On all vehicles, the key
should come out only
in “LOCK”.
in
“P” (Park).
while turning
it towards “LOCK.”
!
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