1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER engine

Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you’ve been stopped by the
snow.
Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make body
insulators from newspapers,
burlap bags, rags, floor
mats
-- anything you can wrap around yourself or
tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly
CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get
inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle , especially any
that is blocking
your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open
a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away
from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it
go a little faster
than just idle. That
is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery
to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little
as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can.
To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
There may be times when you want to tow your Geo
behind another vehicle for use at your destination. Be
sure to use the proper towing equipment designed for
recreational towing. Follow the instructions for the
towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Rear
The best way to tow your Geo is from the rear. Follow
these steps:
1. Put the rear wheels on a dolly.
I I
NOTICE:
Do not tow your Geo with the rear wheels in
contact with the ground, or the transmission
could be damaged.
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If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with manual
freewheeling
hubs, it can be towed from the front with
all four wheels on the ground. Follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Set the parking brake.
Turn the ignition key to ACC to unlock the
steering wheel.
Shift your automatic transmission into
PARK (P), or
your manual transmission into SECOND
(2).
Shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL (N).
Set the hubs to FREE. See “Four-wheel Drive” in
the Index.
Release
the parking brake.
Stop towing every
200 miles (300 km) and start
the engine. Leave the transfer case shift lever
in
NEUTRAL (N). Shift your automatic transmission
to DRIVE (D); leave a manual transmission in
SECOND (2) with the clutch engaged. Run the engine
at medium speed for one minute to circulate the oil in
the transfer case. Turn the ignition key to ACC. Now
you can continue towing your Geo.
NOTICE:
The front wheels transmit shocks during towing.
The steering column may not be strong enough to
withstand the shocks. Always unlock the steering
wheel before towing.
I NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
50 mph (80 kdh), or your Geo could be badly
damaged.
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Towing a Trailer
A CAUTION:
If you don’t use the correct equipment and drive
properly, you can lose controlwhen you pull a
trailer. For example, if the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes
may not work well -- or even at all. You
and your passengers could be seriously injured.
Pull
a trailer only if you have followed all the
steps in this section.
Ask your Geo dealer for
advice and information about towing
a trailer
with your vehicle.
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty. To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Geo dealer
for important information about
towing a trailer
with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for
your vehicle, you
should read the information in “Weight of the
Trailer”
that appears later in this section. But trailering is
different than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes
in handling, durability and
fuel
economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In
it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety des.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull
a trailer.
Load-pulhg components such as the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies and tires are forced to
work harder against the drag of the added’weight. The
engine is required to operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads, generating extra heat. What’s
more, the trailer adds considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
e
0
0
e
There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to
do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live but
also where you’ll be driving. A good source for this
information can be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control.
You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
500 miles
(800 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your engine,
axle or other parts could be damaged.
Then, during the first 500 miles (800 km) that you
tow a trailer, don’t drive over 50 mph (80 h/h) and
don’t make starts at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts
of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
If you have an automatic transmission, you should use
DRIVE (D) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when
towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle
in DRIVE (D)
when towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup and
extend
the life of your transmission. If you have a
manual transmission and you are towing a trailer, it’s better not
to use FIFTH (5) gear. Just drive in
FOURTH (4) gear (or, as you need to, a lower gear). Three important considerations have
to do with weight:
the weight
of the trailer,
the weight of the trailer tongue
and the weight on your vehicle’s tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg). But
even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For
example, speed, altitude, road grades, outside
temperature and how much your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also depend on any
special equipment that
you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write
us at:
Customer Assistance Department
Chevrolet/Geo
P.O. Box 7047
Troy,
MI 48007-7047
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance
Cente
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa,
Ontario LlH 8P7
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Making Turns
NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you’re turning with a trailer, make wider turns than
normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft shoulders,
curbs, road signs, trees or other objects. Avoid jerky or
sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have extra
wiring (included in the optional trailering package).
The green arrows on your instrument panel will
flash
whenever you signal a turn or lane change. Properly
hooked up, the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to turn, change lanes or stop. When towing
a trailer, the green arrow’s on your
instrument panel
will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may thlnk drrvers
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
(5) gear, you may prefer not to
use FIFTH
(5). Just drive in FOURTH (4) (or, as you
need
to, a lower gear).
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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 ybur regular brakes, but don’t shift into
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes mtil the chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK (PI, or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transmission.
PARK (P) yet, or into gear 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.
CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set.
Your vehicle can roll,
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you have four-wheel drive and your transfer
case
is in NEUTRAL (N), your vehicle will be free
to roll,
even if your shift lever is in PARK (P). So,
be sure the transfer case is in a drive gear -- not
in NEUTRAL (N).
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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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