1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER engine

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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Audio Systems
Your Delco@ audio system has been designed to operate
easiIy and
give years of listening pleasure. You will get
th,e most enjoyment out of it if
you acquaint yourself
with
it first. Find out what your Delco system can do
and how to operate all its controls, to be sure you're
getting the most out of the advanced engineering that
went into it.
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo
Press and hold RCL (TIME SET) to set the correct hour.
At
the same time, press and hold the TUNE left arrow
(HR) until the correct hour appears,
Press
and hold RCL (TIME SET) to set the correct
minute.
At the same time, press and hold the TUNE
right
arrow ("IN) until the correct minute appears. ,
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette
Tape Player
Press and hold RCL-PROC (TIME SET) to set the
correct hour. At the same time,
press and hold the
TUNE left arrow (HR) until the correct hour appears.
~ Press and hold RCL-PROG (TIME SET) to set the correct
minute. At the same
time, press and hold the TUNE right
arrow (MIN) until the correct minute appears.
Setting the Clock for AM-FM Stereo with
Cassette Tape and Compact Disc Players
Press and hold the RCL up and down arrow (TIME
SET). At the same time, press and hold the TUNE left
arrow (HR) until the correct hour appears.
Press
and hold the RCL up and down arrow (TIME
SET). At the same time press and hold TUNE right
arrow (MIN) until the correct minute appears.
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To help avoid bearing loss or darnage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can add
what you want. If you can, it’s very important to
do
it properly. Added sound equipment may
interfere with the operation of your vehicle’s
engine, Delco radio
or other systems, and even
damage them.
Your vehicle’s systems may
interfere with the operation of sound equipment
that
has been added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your dealer
and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio and telephone units.
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes
or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases
away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after
every 50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN
to indicate that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer. If you
notice
a reduction in sound quality, try a known good
cassette to see if the tape or the tape player is at fault.
If this other cassette has no improvement in sound
quality, clean the tape player.
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Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
norrnally but don’t
pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to
push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use
it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to
push.
Anti-Lack Brakes (Option)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is
an advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent
a braking shd.
ABS
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on
the instrument panel will
come on briefly when you
start your vehicle.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive
away, your anti-lock .brake system will check itself.
You
may hear a momentary motor’or clicking noise while
this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves
a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake system, the
anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light” in
the Index.
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Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced
driver or beginner, each of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change.its path when you turn
the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction.
If you’ve ever
tried
to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition
of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor you can control. Suppose
you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly apply the brakes. Both control
systems
-- steering and braking -- have to do
their work where the tires meet the road. Unless
you
have four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard
braking can demand too much
of those places. You
can lose control.
The same thing can happen if you’re steering through
a
sharp curve. and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
-- steering and acceleration -- can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control.
What should you do
if this ever happens? Ease up on the
brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow. down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less
favorable conditions you’ll want to
go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed
so you can “drive” though the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking
reasonable care suited to existing conditions, and
by not “overdriving” those conditions, But skids
are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your Geo’s three
control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels aren’t
rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much speed
or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to
spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten
out. Always be ready for a
second
skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material
is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
mle driving on a surface with reduced traction, try your
best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a lower gear).
Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide. You
may not realize the surface is slippery until your vehicle
is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
-- such as
enough water, ice
or packed snow on the road to make a
“,mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you have
any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember: It
helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels are
no longer rolling), release enough pressure
on the brakes
to get the wheels rolling again. This restores steering
control. Push the brake pedal down steadily when you
have
to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels are rolling,
you will have steering control.
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Environmental Concerns
Off-road driving can provide wholesome and satisfying
recreation. However, it also raises environmental concerns. Geo recognizes these concerns and urges
every off-roader to follow these basic rules for
protecting the environment:
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Always use established trails, roads and areas that
have been specially set aside for public off-road
recreational driving; obey all posted regulations.
Avoid any driving practice that could damage the
environment -- shrubs, flowers, trees, grasses -- or
disturb wildlife (this includes wheel-spinning,
breaking down trees or unnecessary driving through
streams or over soft ground).
Always carry a litter bag
. . . make sure all refuse is
removed from any campsite before leaving.
Take extreme care with open fires (where permitted),
camp stoves and lanterns.
Never park your vehicle over
dry grass or other
combustible materials that could catch fire from
the
heat of the vehicle’s exhaust system.
Traveling to Remote Areas
It makes sense to plan your trip, especially when going
to a remote area. Know the terrain and plan your route.
You are much less likely to get bad surprises. Get
accurate maps
of trails and terrain. Try to learn of any
blocked
or closed roads.
It’s also
a good idea to travel with at least one other
vehicle. If something happens to one
of them, the other
can help quickly.
Does your vehicle have a winch?
If so, be sure to read
the winch instructions. In a remote area, a winch can be
handy if you get stuck. But you’ll want to know how to
use it properly.
Getting Familiar with Off-Road Driving
It’s a good idea to practice in an area that’s safe and
close to home before you
go into the wilderness.
Off-road driving does require some new and different
driving skills.
Here’s what we mean.
Tune your senses
to different kinds of signals. Your
eyes, for example, need to constantly sweep the terrain
for unexpected obstacles.
Your ears need to listen for
unusual tire
or engine sounds. With your arms, hands,
feet and body, you’ll need
to respond to vibrations and
vehicle bounce.
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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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