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0 Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system and
transmission. These parts can work hard
on
mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing
to know is this: let your engine do some of the.
slowing down. Shift
to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
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Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down
to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your
engine and transmission, and you can climb the hill
better.
Stay
in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads
in hills or mountains. Don’t swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may
see highway signs on mountains that warn of
special problems. Examples are long grades, passing or
no-passing zones, a falling rocks area, or winding
roads. Be
alert to these and take appropriate action.
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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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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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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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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 of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and 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. Things that
are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transmission fluid (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.
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Page 184 of 354
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).
5-7
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