1995 CHEVROLET TRACKER engine overheat

GeGB The 1995 Geo Tracker Owner’s Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems .............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts prop\
erly.
Features and Controls .................................................................. 2-1
This section explains how to start and operate your Geo.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems ..................................................... 3-1
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfo\
rt controls and how to operate your
audio system. Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road\
and how to drive under different conditions.
This section tells you what to do if you have
a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engine
overheating, etc.
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
Problems on the Road
.................................................................. 5-1
Service and Appearance Care. ........................................................... 6-1
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Geo running properly and looking good.
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and \
what fluids and lubricants to
use.
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet/Geo for assista\
nce and how to get service publications. It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on pag\
e
8-4.
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................ 8-1
I-Idex ........................................................,...............\
.........9-1
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something
you want to read.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer move to the
H (red) side, your engine is too
hot! It means that your engine coolant has overheated
and you should stop your vehicle and turn
off the engine
as soon as possible.
Hot Coolant Can Burn You Badly!
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
A computer monitors
operation
of your fuel,
ignition and emission
control systems. This red
light should come
on when
the ignition
is on, but the
engine
is not running, as a
check to show you it is
CHECK
ENGINE
Da i
I
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right away. If
it stays on, or comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that you have a problem. You
should take your vehicle in
for service soon.
NOTICE:
If’ you keep driving your vehicle with this light on,
after a while the emission controls won’t work
as
well, your fuel economy won’t be as good and your
engine may not
run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by your warranty.
2-46
I
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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?
0
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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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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c
3. Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard
end
of each side of the rear axle.
Engine Overheating
You will find a coolant temperature gage on your Geo
instrument panel.
If Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
I NOTICE:
If your engine catches fire because you keep
driving with no coolant, your vehicle can be
badly damaged. The costly repairs would not be
covered by your warranty.
If you get the overheat warning but see or hear no
steam,
the problem may not be too serious. Sometimes
the engine can get a little too hot when you:
Climb a long hill on a hot day.
Stop after high speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
Tow a trailer.
If
you get the overheat warning with no sign of steam,
try this for a minute or
so:
1. If you have an air conditioner, turn it off.
2. Turn on your heater to full hot at the highest fan
speed and open the window as necessary.
3. If you’re in a traffic jam, shift to NEUTRAL (N);
otherwise, shift to the highest gear while
driving
-- DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can drive.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about ten minutes. If the
warning doesn’t come back on,
you can drive normally.
If the warning continues, pull over, stop, and park your
vehicle right away.
If there’s still
no sign of steam, you can idle the engine for two
or
three minutes while you’re parked, to see if the warning
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NOTICE:
Engine damage from running your engine
without coolant isn’t covered by
your warranty.
If there seems to be no leak, with the engine on check to
see if the electric engine fan is running. If the engine is
overheating, the fan should be running.
If it isn’t, your
vehicle needs service.
How to Add Coolant to the Coolant
Recovery Tank
If you haven’t found a problem yet, but the coolant level
isn’t at
or above the FULL mark, add a 50 mixture of
clean water (preferably distilled) and a proper antifreeze
at the coolant recovery tank. (See “Engine Coolant”
in
the Index for more information about the proper coolant
mix.)
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I NOTICE:
In cold weather, water can freeze and crack the
engine, radiator, heater core and other parts. Use
the recommended coolant.
When the coolant in the coolant recovery tank is at or
above the
FULL mark, start your vehicle.
If the overheat warning continues, there's one more
thing
you can try. You can add the proper coolant mix
directly to the radiator, but be sure the cooling system is
cool before you do it.
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