1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER Owners Manual

As shown in the chart, SAE 5W-30 is best for your
vehicle. However, you can use SAE
1OW-30 if it’s going
to be 0°F (-1 8 “C) or above. These numbers on an oil
container
show its viscosity, or thickness. Do not use
other viscosity oils, such
as SAE 20W-50.
NOTICE:
Use only engine oil with the American Petroleum
Institute Certified For Gasoline Engines
“Starburst”
symbol. Failure to use the
recommended oil can result in engine damage
not covered by your warranty.
GM Goodwrench@ oil meets all the requirements for
your vehicle.
Engine Oil Additives
Don’t add anything to your oil. Your Geo dealer is ready
to advise if
you think something should‘be added.
When to Change Engine Oil
See if any one of these is true for you:
0
e
e
0
e
Most trips are less than 5 to 10 miles (8 to 16 km).
This is particularly important when outside
temperatures are below freezing.
Most trips include extensive idling (such as frequent
driving in stop-and-go traffic).
You operate your vehicle in dusty areas or
off-road frequently.
You frequently tow a trailer or use a carrier on top of
your vehicle.
The vehicle is used for delivery service, police, taxi
or other commercial application.
Driving under these conditions causes engine
oil to
break down sooner.
If any one of these is true for your
vehicle, then you need to change your
oil and filter
every
3,000 miles (5 000 km) or 3 months -- whichever
occurs first.
If none of them is true, change oil and filter every
7,500 miles (12 500 km) or 7.5 months -- whichever
occurs first.
Driving a vehicle with a fully warned
engine under highway conditions causes engine oil to
break down slower.
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What to Do with Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil contains certain
elements that may be unhealthy for your skin and could
even cause cancer? Don’t let used oil
stay on your skin
for very long. Clean your skin and nails with soap and
water, or a good hand cleaner. Wash or properly throw
away clothing or rags containing used engine oil. (See
the manufacturer’s warnings about the use and disposal
of oil products.)
Used oil can be a real threat to the environment. If you
change your own oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t ever dispose
of oil
by putting it in the trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of water. Instead,
recycle
it by taking it to a place that collects used oil. If
you have a problem properly disposing of your used oil,
ask your dealer, a service station or a local recycling
center for help.
Air Cleaner
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine when to
replace the air filter and the crankcase ventilation filter.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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~ Operating the
engine with the air cleaner off can
~ cause you or others to be burned. The air cleaner
~ not only cleans the air, it stops flame if the engine
backfires.
If it isn’t there, and the engine
backfires,
you could be burned. Don’t drive with
it
off, and be careful working on the engine with
the air cleaner off.
I NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire can cause a
damaging engine fire. And, dirt can easily get
into your
engine, which will damage it. Always
have the
air cleaner in place when you’re driving.
Air Filter Replacement
To check or replace the filter:
F
1.
2.
Remove the screws
on the cover.
Lift the cover up.
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3. Pull out the filter.
Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more of these conditions:
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32” C) or higher.
In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not
require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
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How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have t,his done at
your Geo dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the instructions
here, or
you could get a false reading on the dipstick.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission. Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine
parts
or exhaust system parts, starting a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if you check your
transmission fluid.
Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the
transmission fluid level if you have been driving:
When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
At high speed for quite a while.
@ In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which
is 180°F to 200 "F
(82°C to 93°C).
Checking Transmission Fluid Hot
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), drive the
vehicle
in DRIVE (D) until the engine temperature gage
moves and then remains steady for
10 minutes. Then
follow the hot check procedures.
Checking Transmission Fluid Cold
A cold check is made after the vehicle has been sitting
for eight hours or more with the engine off and is used
only
as a reference. Let the engine run at idle for five
minutes
if outside temperatures are 50 "F (10" C) or
more.
If it's colder than 50°F (lO°C), you may have to
idle the engine longer. Should the fluid level be low
during
a cold check, you must perform a hot check
before adding fluid. This will give
vou a more accurate
reading of the fluid level.
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Checking the Fluid Hot or Cold
0 Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the
engine running.
0 With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in PARK (P).
Let the engine run at idle for three minutes or more. Then,
without shutting
off the engine, follow
these steps:
1.
2.
Pull out the dipstick
and wipe it with
a clean
rag or paper towel.
Push it back
in all the
way, wait three seconds
and then pull it back
out again.
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L
3. Check both sides of the dipstick, and read the lower
level. The fluid level must be in the
COLD area for a
cold check or in the HOT area or cross-hatched area
for
a hot check.
4. If the fluid level is in the acceptable range, push the
dipstick back in all the way.
How to Add Fluid
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of transmission fluid to use. See “Recommended
Huids and Lubricants”
in the Index.
Add fluid only after checking the transmission fluid
HOT. (A COLD check is used only as a reference.) If
the fluid level is low, add only enough of the proper
fluid to bring the level up to the
HOT area for a hot
check. It doesn’t take much fluid, generally less than a
pint
(0.5 L). Don’t overfill. We recommend you use only
fluid labeled
DEXRON@-111, because fluid with that
label is made especially for your automatic transmission.
Damage caused by fluid other than
DEXRON-111 is not
covered by your new vehicle warranty.
0 After adding fluid, recheck the fluid level as
When the correct fluid level is obtained, push the
described under
“How to Check.”
dipstick back
in all the way.
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Manual Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to have it checked is when the engine
oil is changed. Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine when to change your transmission fluid.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services” in the Index.
How to Check
Because this operation can be a little difficult, you
may choose to have this done at your Geo dealership
Service Department.
If you do it yourself, be sure to follow all the
instructions
here, or you could get a false reading.
NOTICE:
Too much or too little fluid can damage your
transmission.
Too much can mean that some of
the fluid could come out and fall on hot engine parts or exhaust system parts, starting
a fire. Be
sure to get an accurate reading if
you check your
transmission fluid.
Check the fluid level only when your engine is off, the
vehicle is parked on a level place and the transmission is
cool enough for
you to rest your fingers on the
transmission case.
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