1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER transmission

Engine Exhaust tunning Your Engine While You’re
’arked (Automatic Transmission)
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or different.
modified improperly.
blow out any CO; and
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
I ever have to, here are some things to know.
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Idling the engine with the air system controI off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is
a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.)
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Cruise Control (Option)
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With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kmh) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips. Cmise
control does not work at speeds below about 25 mph
(40 kw-h).
When you apply your brakes, or push the clutch pedal
if you have a manual transmission, the cruise control
shuts off.
A CAUTION:
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Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can't drive safely
at a steady speed. So,
don't use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning,
and you could lose control. Don't
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness
of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don't use cruise control on
steep hills.
Getting Out of Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal, or push the clutch
pedal if you have a manual transmission.
Push in the CANCEL button on the end of the cruise
control lever.
0 Press OFF on the cruise control switch.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Laps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off, and
The parking brake is released.
When you turn on the headlamp switch, your DRL will
go out, and your headlamps will come on.
The other lamps that come on
with your headlamps will
also come on.
When you turn off the headlamp switch, the regular
lamps will go
off, and your low-beam headlamps come
on at the reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking brake.
The
DRL will stay off until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need
it.
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Overdrive Off Light (Option) Fuel Gage
O/D OFF
This light comes on
when the automatic four-speed transmission
has been converted to the
three-speed mode and
overdrive
is turned off.
Daytime Running Lamps .(DRL)
Indicator Light
This light goes on whenever
the daytime running lamps are on. Your
fuel gage shows about
how much fuel is in your
tank. When the gage first
indicates
EMPTY (E), you
still have a little fuel left
(about one or two gallons)
(4 to 8 L), but you need to
get more right away.
Here are four concerns some owners have had about the
fuel gage. All these situations are normal and do not
indicate that anything is wrong with the fuel gage.
At the gas station, the fuel pump shuts off before the
0 It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
gage reads
FULL (F).
reads. For example, the gage reads half full, but it took
more (or less)
than half of the tank’s capacity to fii it.
The gage moves a little when you turn, stop or
When you turn the engine off, the gage doesn’t go
speed
up.
back to
EMPTY (E).
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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
to REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in
REVERSE (R).
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
(R), release the
parking brake, and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in REVERSE (R).
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.
Here are some things you
must not do if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
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.
Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle. Then
apply the parking brake. Shift to REVERSE (R), release
the parking brake, and slowly back straight down.
a 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.
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@ 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 (1)) 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.
/A CAUTION:
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Shifting the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N) can
cause your vehicle to roll even if the transmission
is in
PARK (P) (or, if you have the manual
transmission, even if you’re in gear). This is
because the
NEUTRAL (N) position on the
transfer case overrides the transmission.
If you
are going to leave your vehicle, set the parking
brake and shift the transmission to PARK (P)
(or, put your manual transmission in FIRST (1)).
But do not shift the transfer case to the
NEUTRAL (N) position. Leave the transfer case
in the 2H, 4H or 4L position.
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Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore them
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you could lose control and have a serious accident.
When driving 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 will have to do all the work and could
overheat
and fade.
Unless you have anti-lock: Avoid braking
so hard that
you lock
the wheels when going downhill. If your
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
du-ection, 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.
Shift to PARK (P) (or to NEUTRAL (N) with the
Apply the parking brake.
manual transmission) and, while still braking, restart
the engine.
Shift back to a low gear, release the parlung brake,
If the engine won’t start, get out and get help.
and drive straight down.
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If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you’re
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. (See “Off-Road
Driving’’ in the Index for information about
driving
off-road.)
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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.
If you don’t shift down, your brakes could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have
poor braking or even none going down a hill.
You could crash. Shift down to let your engine
assist your brakes on a steep downhill slope.
l Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have to
do all the work of slowing down. They could get so
hot that they wouldn’t work well. You would then
have
poor braking or even none going down a hin.
You could crash. Always have your engine running
and
your vehicle in gear when you go downhill.
0 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.
could be something
in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
e 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.
As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
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