1995 CHEVROLET TRACKER brake

If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten
out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety,
you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface
is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn
to recognize warning
clues
-- such as enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow
down when you have any doubt.
Remember: The rear-wheel anti-lock braking system
(RWAL) helps avoid only a rear braking skid.
In a
braking skid (where the front wheels are no longer
rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes to get the front
wheels rolling again. This restores steering control.
Push the brake pedal down steadily when you have to
stop suddenly. As long as the front wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
Driving Guidelines
This multipurpose passenger vehicle is defined as a
utility vehicle
in Consumer Information Regulations
issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) of the United States
Department of Transportation, Utility vehicles have
higher ground clearance and a narrower track to make
them capable of performing in a wide variety
of off-road
applications. Specific design characteristics give them
a
higher center of gravity than ordinary cars. An
advantage
of the higher ground clearance is a better
view
of the road allowing you to anticipate problems.
They are
not designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional 2-wheel drive vehicles any more than
low-slung sports cars are designed
to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions. If at all
possible, avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
As with
other vehicles of this type, failure
to operate this vehicle
correctly may result in loss of control or vehicle
rollover.
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Off-Road Driving with Your Geo
Four-wheel Drive Vehicle
This off-road guide is for vehicles that have four-wheel
drive.
Also, see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in the Index.
If your vehicle doesn’t have four-wheel drive, you
shouldn’t drive off-road unless you’re on a level, solid
surface.
Off-road driving can be great fun. But it does have some
definite hazards. The greatest of these is the terrain
itself.
“Off-roading” means you’ve
left the great North
American road system behind. Traffic lanes aren’t
marked. Curves aren’t banked. There are no road signs.
Surfaces can be slippery, rough, uphill or downhill. In
short, you’ve gone right back to nature.
Off-road driving involves some new skills. And that’s
why it’s very important that you read this guide. You’ll
find many driving tips and suggestions. These will help
make your off-road driving safer and more enjoyable.
Before You Go Off-Roading
There are some things to do before you go out. For
example, be sure to have all necessary maintenance and
service work done. Check to make sure all underbody
shields (if
so equipped) are properly attached. Be sure
you read all the information about your four-wheel drive
vehicle
in this manual. Is there enough fuel? Is the spare
tire fully inflated? Are the fluid levels up where they
should be? What are the local laws that apply
to
off-roading where you’ll be driving? If you don’t know,
you should check with law enforcement people
in the
area. Will you be on someone’s private land? If
so, be
sure to get the.necessary permission.
Loading Your Vehicle for Off-Road Driving
There are some important things to remember about
how to load your vehicle.
0 The heaviest things should be on the load floor and
forward
of your rear axle. Put heavier items as far
forward as you can.
0 Be sure the load is secured properly, so driving on
the off-road terrain doesn’t toss things around.
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0 Ease up on your speed as you approach the top of the
hill.
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make you more visible
to approaching traffic on trails or hills.
0 Sound the horn as you approach the top of the hill to
let opposing traffic know you’re there.
Use your headlamps even during the day. They make
you more visible to oncoming traffic.
What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is about
to stall, and
I can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some things you should
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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
PARK
(P) (or, shift to NEUTRAL (N) 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, you’ll be able to tell if your wheels are straight
and maneuver as you back down. It’s best that you
back down the hill with your wheels 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.
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Here are some things you must not do if you stall, or are
about
to stall, when going up a hill.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or depressing the clutch, if you
have a manual transmission) to “rev-up” the engine
and regain forward momentum. 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.
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
PARK (P) (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 the transfer case to
NEUTRAL (N) when you leave the vehicle. Leave .. it in some gear.
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Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number
of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
0 What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
0 Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Boulders?
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.
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&: Are there some things I should not do when
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore
driving down a bill?
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them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
When dr.iving 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
NEUTRAL, (N), or with the clutch pedal depressed
in a manual shift. This is called “free-wheeling.‘‘
Your brakes
wjll have to do all the work and c&ld
overheat and fade.
Avoid braking
so hard that you lock the front wheels
when going downhill.
Tf 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.
@ Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A: 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 PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) 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.
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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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The heavier the rain, the harder it is to see. Even if your
windshield wiper blades are
in good shape, a heavy rain
can
make it harder to see road signs and traffic signals,
pavement markings, the edge
of the road, and even
people walking.
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.
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