1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER service

Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “hghway hypnosis”?
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum
of the tires on the road,
the drone
of the engine, and the rush of the wind against
the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Don’t let it happen
to
you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than a second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0
0
0
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a
nap, get some exercise, or
both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is different from
driving in flat or rolling terrain.
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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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9. The other end of the negative (-) cable doesn’t go to the
dead battery.
It goes to a heavy unpainted metal part on
the engine of the vehicle with the dead battery. Attach
the
cable at least 18 inches (45 cm) away from the
dead battery, but not near engine parts that move.
The electrical connection is just as good there, but the
chance
of sparks getting back to the battery is much less.
10. Now start the vehicle with the good battery and run
11. Try to start the vehicle with the dead battery. If it won’t
the engine for a while.
start after a few tries, it probably needs service.
12. Remove the cables in reverse order to prevent
electrical shorting. Take care that they don’t touch
each other or any other metal.
A. Heavy Metal Engine Part
€3. Good Battery
C. Dead Battery
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Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a Chevrolet/Geo dealer or a professional
towing service tow your Geo. See “Roadside
Assistance” in the Index.
If your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions may not
be correct.
Before you do anything, turn on the hazard
warning flashers.
When you call, tell the towing service:
That your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, or that it has
the four-wheel-drive option.
The make, model and year of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the shift lever for’the
transmission and transfer case,
if you have one.
0 If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions
and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
I a CAUTION:
To help avoid injury to you or others:
Never let passengers ride in a vehicle that is
Never tow faster than safe or posted speeds.
Never tow with damaged parts not
Never get under your vehicle after it has
Always use separate safety chains on each
Never use T-hooks. Use J-hooks instead.
being towed.
fully
secured.
been lifted by the tow truck.
side when towing
a vehicle.
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U‘l’lOR’
A vehicle can fall from a car carrier if it isn’t
adequately secured. This can cause
a collision, ‘
serious personal injury and vehicle damage. The
vehicle should be tightly secured with chains or
steel cables before
it is transported.
Don’t
use substitutes (ropes, leather straps,
canvas webbing,
etc.) that can be cut by sharp
edges underneath the towed vehicle.
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
turned to the OFF position. 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
on the drive wheels
unless
you must. If the vehicle &ust be towed on the
drive wheels, be sure to follow any speed and distance
restrictions later
in this section, or your transmission
will be damaged. If these limitations must be exceeded,
then the drive wheels have to be supported on a dolly.
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If No Steam Is Coming From Your Engine
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.
0 Stop after high-speed driving.
Idle for long periods in traffic.
0 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
or
DRIVE (D) for automatic transmissions.
driving
-- AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE @
If you no longer have the overheat warning, you can dnve.
Just to be safe, drive slower for about
10 minutes. If the
warning doesn’t come back on, you can dnve 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 stops. But then, if you still have the
warning,
turn off the engine and get everyone out of the
vehicle
until it cools down.
You may decide not to lift the hood but to get service
help right away.
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The coolant level should be at or above FULL. If it
isn’t, you may have a leak in the radiator hoses, heater
hoses, radiator, water
pump or somewhere else in the
cooling system.
Heater and radiator hoses, and other engine
parts, can be very hot. Don’t touch them.
If you
do, you can be burned.
Don’t run the engine
if there is a leak. If you run
the engine, it could lose
all coolant. That could
cause an engine fire, and you could be burned.
Get any leak fixed before you drive the vehicle.
I 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.
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GEtB Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Geo.
?ibis section begins with service and fuel mformation, and
then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant
levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and
a part devoted to its appearance care.
Service
Your Geo dealer knows your vehicle best and wants you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your dealer for
all your service needs. You’ll get genuine GM parts and
GM-trained and supporte,d service people.
We hope you’ll want to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine GM parts have one
of these marks:
ll .o
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Geo Service Manual. It tells you
much more about how to service your Geo than this
manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Geo” in the Index. .
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date
of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
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