1995 CHEVROLET TRACKER steering

Driving In Mud, Sand, Snow, Or Ice
When you drive in mud, snow or sand, your wheels
won’t get good traction. You can’t accelerate as quickly,
turning
is more difficult, and you’ll need longer braking
distances.
It’s best to use a low gear when you’re
in mud -- the
deeper the mud, the lower the gear. In really deep mud,
the idea is to keep your vehicle moving
so you don’t get
stuck.
When you drive on sand, you’ll sense
a change in wheel
traction. But
it will depend upon how loosely packed the
sand is. On loosely packed sand (as on beaches or sand
dunes) your tires will tend to sink into the sand. This has
an effect on steering, accelerating, and braking. You
may want to reduce the air pressure
in your tires slightly
when driving on sand. This will improve traction. Hard
packed snow and ice offer the worst tire traction.
On these surfaces, it’s very easy to lose control. On wet
ice, for example, the traction is
so poor that you will
have difficulty accelerating. And if you do get moving,
poor steering and difficult braking can cause you to slide
out of control.
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Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road driving problems.
But heavy rain can mean flash flooding, and flood
waters demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it’s deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles,
or exhaust pipe, don’t try it
-- you probably won’t get
through. Also, water that deep can damage your axle
and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive through it slowly.
At fast speeds, water splashes on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if
you
get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your
tailpipe is under water, you’ll never
be able to start your
engine. When you go through water, remember that
when your brakes get wet, it may take you longer
to
stop.
After Off-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has collected on the
underbody, chassis or under the hood. These
accumulations can be
a fire hazard.
After operation in mud or sand, have the brake linings
cleaned and checked. These substances can cause
glazing and uneven braking. Check the body structure,
steering, suspension, wheels, tires, and exhaust system
for damage. Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
svstem for any leakage.
rour vehicle
will require more frequent service due to
off-road use. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule booklet
for additional information.
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What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.” Very cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard
to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more trouble because it may offer
the
least traction of all. You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing (32” F; 0°C) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try
to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there. Whatever
the condition
-- smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow
-- drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not
to break the fragile traction. If
you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve
your ability to make a
hard stop on a slippery road. Even though you have an
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want
to begin stopping
sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock”
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until
you hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings,
or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface
of a curve or an overpass may
remain icy when
the surrounding roads are clear. If
you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are
on it. Try not to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid sudden steering maneuvers,
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Recreational Vehicle Towing
There may be times when you want to tow your Geo
behind another vehicle for use at your destination. Be
sure to use the proper towing equipment designed for
recreational towing. Follow the instructions for the
towing equipment.
Towing Your Geo from the Rear
The best way to cow your Geo is from the rear. Follow
these steps:
1. Put the rear wheels on a dolly.
I NOTICE:
Do not tow your Geo with the rear wheels in
contact with the ground,
or the transmission
could be damaged.
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 freewheeling hubs. See “Four-wheel
Drive” in the Index.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACC to unlock the steering
5. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead
wheel.
position, with a clamping device designed for
towing.
6. Release the parking brake.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
55 mph
(90 km/h), or your Geo could be badly
damaged.
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Towing Your Geo from the Front
I NOTICE:
If your vehicle has automatic freewheeling 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 PARK (P), or
your manual transmission into SECOND
(2).
4. Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N).
5. Set the hubs to FREE. See “Four-wheel Drive” in
the Index.
6. Release the parking brake.
Stop towing every
200 miles (300 km) and start
the engine. Leave the transfer
case shift lever in
NEUTRAL (N). Shift your automatic transmission
to
DRIVE (D); leave a manual transmission in
SECOND
(2) with the clutch engaged. 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.
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I
NOTICE:
The front wheels transmit shocks during towing.
The steering column may not be strong enough to
withstand the shocks. Always unlock the steering
wheel before towing.
Loading Your Vehicle
I NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
damaged.
I 50 mph (SO kmh), or your Geo could be badly
f
TIRE PLACARD
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TIRES
RIMS
INFLATION PRESSURE COLD PSVkPa
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.
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Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Making lhrns
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up ahead when
you’re towing a trailer. And, because you’re a good deal
longer, you’ll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before you 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.
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle.
Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very
sharp turns while trailering.
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 extra
wiring (included in the optional trailering package). The
green arrows on your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
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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 transmission
and transfer
case, if you have one, should be in
NEUTRAL (N) 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 rear with sling-type or wheel lift equipment, the rear
wheels must be supported on a dolly.
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 manual, 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 mph (90 km/h).
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