
Problems on the Road
h I B
2. Remove the cables in reverse order
to prevent electrical shorting. Take
care that they don't touch each other
or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
B. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
C
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM dealer or a professional
towing service tow your Geo. The usual
towing equipment
is a sling-type (A) or a
wheel-lift (B) or car carrier (C) tow truck.
If your vehicle has been changed or
modified since
it was factory-new by
adding aftermarket items like fog lamps,
aero skirting, or special tires and wheels,
these instructions and illustrations may
not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the
hazard warning flashers.
When you
call, tell the towing service:
A dolly must be used when towing
from the front.
0
e
e
That your vehicle has rear-wheel
drive, or that is has the
four-wheel-drive option.
The make, model, and year
of your
vehicle.
Whether you
can still move the shift
levers for the transmission and
transfer case,
if you have one.
If there was an accident, what was
damaged.
When the towing service arrives,
let the
tow operator know that this manual
contains detailed towing instructions and
illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
. .I36
ProCarManuals.com

Problems on the Road
7, Then replace the pressure cap. At any
time during this procedure,
if coolant
begins
to flow out of the filler neck,
reinstall
the pressure cap. Be sure the
arrows on
the pressure cap line up like
this.
. .I46
If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while
you’re driving, especially
if you maintain
your tires properly.
If air goes out of a
tire, it’s much more likely to leak out
slowly.
But if you should ever have a
“blowout.” here are a few tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire Fails, the flat tire will create
a drag that pulls the vehicle toward that
side. Tdke your foot off
the accelerator
pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer
to maintain lane position, then
gently brake to a stop well out
of the
traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve,
acts much like
a skid and may require the
same correction you’d use
in a skid. In
any rear blowout, remove your foot from
the accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by steering
the way you
want the vehicle to go. It rnay be very
bumpy and noisy, but
you can still steer.
fently brake to a stop, well off the road
if possible.
If a tire goes tlat, the next section shows
how to use your jacking equipment
to
:hange a tlat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes tlat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly
to a
level place.
Turn on your hazard warning
flashers.
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Problems on the Road
NOTICE:
Spinning your wheels can destroy
parts of your vehicle as well as the
tires. If you spin the wheels too fast
while shifting your transmission back
and forth, you can destroy your trans-
mission.
Rocking your vehicle to get it out:
First, turn your steering wheel left and
right. That
will clear the area around your
front wheels. Then shift back and forth
between
“R” (Reverse) and a forward
gear (or
with a manual transmission,
between First or Second gear and
Reverse), spinning the wheels as little as
possible. Release the accelerator pedal
while you shift, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal when the transmission is
in gear. If that doesn’t get you out after a
few tries, you may need to be towed out.
Or, you can use your recovery hooks,
if
your vehicle has them. If you do need to
be towed out, see “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
Using the Recovery Hooks
If you ever get stuck in sand, mud, ice or
snow, your Tracker is equipped
with
recovery hooks. The recovery hooks are
provided at the front
and rear of your
vehicle. You
may need to use them if
you’re stuck off-road and need to be
pulled to some place where you can
continue
driving.
NOTICE:
Never use the recovery hooks to tow
the vehicle. Your Tracker could be
darnaged
and it would not be covered
by warranty.
. . I154
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Here you will find information
about the care of your Geo
. This
part begins with service and fuel
information. and then it shows
how to check important fluid and
lubricant levels
. There is also
technical information about your
vehicle. and a section devoted
to its appearance care
.
Service & Appearance Care
Service ........................................................
Fuel ..........................................................
Checking Things under the Hood ...................................
HoodRelease .................................................
Engineoil ...................................................
Aircleaner ...................................................
Automatic Transmission Fluid ....................................
Manual Transmission Fluid ......................................
Clutch Adjustment .............................................
RearAxle ....................................................
Four-WheelDrive .............................................
Enginecoolant ................................................
Power Steering Fluid ...........................................
Windshield Washer Fluid ........................................
Brake Master Cylinder ..........................................
Bulb Replacement ...............................................
Loading Your Vehicle ..........................................
Tires ........................................................
Appearance Care Materials Chart ...................................
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ................................
Service Parts Identification Label ...................................
Add-on Electrical Equipment ......................................
Fuses and Circuit Breakers ........................................
Capacities and Specifications .......................................
Battery ......................................................
Appearancecare ................................................
ReplacementBulbs ..............................................
156
156
159
159
162
165
167
168
169 169
170 170
173
174
174
176 177
181
183
189 195 196
196
196
196
199
200
155 ...
ProCarManuals.com

~ Service and Appearance Care
r
NOTICE:
Continuing to drive
with worn-out
brake pads could result in costly
brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may
cause a brake squeal when the brakes are
first applied or lightly applied. This does
not mean something is wrong with your
brakes.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear
indicators, but if you ever hear a rear
brake rubbing noise, have the rear brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake
drums should be removed and inspected
each time the tires are removed for
rotation or changing. When you have the front brakes replaced, have
the rear
brakes inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced
as complete axle sets.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does
not return to normal height, or if there is a
rapid increase in pedal travel. This could
be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your
disc brakes adjust for wear.
If your brake pedal goes down farther
than normal, your rear drum brakes may
need adjustment. Adjust them by backing
up and firmly applying the brakes a few
times.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle
is complex. Its many parts have to be of
top quality and work well together
if the
vehicle is
to have really good braking.
Vehicles we design and test have
top-quality GM brake parts in them, as
your Geo does when it is new. When you replace parts
of your braking system -
for example,
when your brake linings
wear down and you have to have new
ones put in
- be sure you get new
genuine
GM replacement parts. If you
don’t, your brakes may no longer work
properly. For example, if someone puts in
brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front
and rear brakes can change, for the worse.
The braking performance you’ve come to
expect can change in many other ways if
someone puts in the wrong replacement
brake parts.
Battery
Every new Geo has a Delco Freedoms
battery.
You never have to add water to
one
of these. When it’s time for a new
battery, we recommend a Delco
Freedoma battery. Get one that has the
catalog number shown on the original
battery’s label.
Vehicle Storage
If you’re not going to drive your vehicle
for
25 days or more, take off the black,
negative
(-) cable from the battery. This
. . .I76
ProCarManuals.com

:enter High-Mounted Stoplight
Hardtop)
i, remove the bulb:
. Remove the side pins.
!. Pull the housing forward.
1. Turn the socket counterclockwise and
pull
it out.
I. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
i. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
ll
GVWR ~GAWR FRT GAWR RR
I TIRES I
I PRESSURE COLD PSl!kPa I
IJ
Center High-Mounted Stoplight
(Convertible)
To remove the bulb:
1, Remove the two screws and the lens
housing.
pull
it out.
2. Turn the socket counterclockwise and
3. Pull the bulb out of the socket.
4. Reverse the steps with a new bulb.
Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how
much weight
it may properly carry. The
Tire-Loading Information label found
on
the driver’s door lock pillar tells you the
proper size, speed rating and
recommended inflation pressures for the
tires on your vehicle.
It also gives you
important information about the number
of people that can be
in your vehicle and
the total weight that
you can carry. This
weight is called the Vehicle Capacity
Weight and includes the weight
of all
occupants, cargo, and all
nonfactory-installed options.
181 . . .
ProCarManuals.com

! A CAUTION:
1
Tires
We don't make tires. Your new vehicle comes with high quality tires made by a
leading tire manufacturer. These tires are warranted by the tire manufacturers and
their warranties are delivered with every new
Geo. If your spare tire is a different
brand than your road tires, you will have a tire warranty folder from each of these
manufacturers.
183 ... ProCarManuals.com

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.
. . .I84
ProCarManuals.com