1995 CHEVROLET TRACKER tow

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
GhR GWVR FRT GAWR RR
WKg
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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There’s also important loading information for off-road
driving in this manual. See “Loading Your Vehicle”
in
the Index.
Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered
by your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this part, and see your Chevrolet/Geo dealer for important information
about towing a trailer with your vehicle.
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Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity
is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the Trailer”
that
appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in handling, durability, and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers.
So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies, and tires are forced
to
work harder against the drag of the added weight. The
engine
is required to operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s
more, the trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having
to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will
be legal, not only where you live but
also where
you’ll be driving. A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control. You
can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first
500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over
50 mph (80 km/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the
heavier loads.
If
you have an automatic transmission, you should use
DRIVE (D) (or, as
you need to, a lower gear) when
towing
a trailer. Operating your vehicle in DRIVE (D)
when towing a trailer will minimize heat build-up and
extend the
life of your transmission. If you have a
manual transmission and
you are towing a trailer, it’s
better
not to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear).
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Three important considerations have to do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than
1,000 pounds (450 kg).
But even that can be too
heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle
is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Customer Assistance Department
ChevroletlGeo
P.O. Box 7047
Troy,
MI 48007-7047
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
L1H 8P7
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross
weight
of your vehicle. The gross vehicle weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight
of the vehicle, any
cargo
you may carry in it, and the people who will be
riding
in the vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you
must add the tongue load to the GVW because your
vehicle will be carrying that weight, too. See “Loading
Your Vehicle”
in the Index for more information about
your vehicle’s maximum load capacity.
A B
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nailer Brakes
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg)
loaded, then it needs its own brakes -- and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow the instructions for
the trailer brakes
so you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly.
Driving with a Trailer
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Don’t tap into your vehicle’s brake system if the
trailer’s brake system will use more than
0.02 cubic
inch
(0.3 cc) of fluid from your vehicle’s master
cylinder.
If it does, both systems won’t work well.
You could even lose your brakes.
Will the trailer brake parts take
3,000 psi
(20 650 kPa) of pressure? If not, the trailer brake
system must not be used with your vehicle.
If everything checks out this far, then make the brake
fluid tap at the port on the master cylinder that sends
fluid to the rear brakes. But don’t use copper tubing
for this.
If you do, it will bend and finally break off.
Use steel brake tubing. Towing
a trailer requires a certain amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll
want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight
of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you
are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector,
lamps, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets
you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lamps and any trailer brakes
are still working.
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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 towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long or steep downgrade.
If you don’t shift
down, you might have to
use your brakes so much that
they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed
to around 45 mph (70 km/h) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer and you have a manual
transmission with fifth gear, you may prefer not to use
fifth gear. Just drive in fourth gear (or,
as you need to, a
lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet, or into gear for a manual
transmission.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK
(P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
5. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, be sure
the transfer case is
in a drive gear -- not in
NEUTRAL
(N).
6. Release the regular brakes.
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