1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER brake

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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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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Attach a separate safety chain around the outboard end
of each lower control arm.
Rear Towing
If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, don't have it towed
on the front wheels unless you must. If a vehicle with
four-wheel drive must
be towed on the front wheels, set
your manual, freewheeling
hubs to FREE or unlock your
automatic freewheeling
hubs, and set your transfer case
to two-wheel drive. If your vehicle must be towed on
the-front wheels, don't go more'than 55 mph (90 kmh).
A towing dolly must be used under the front wheels
when towing from the reur.
r
Attach J-hooks around the axle tube.
I NOTICE:
Take care not to damage the brake pipes on the
axle tubes.
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If a Tire Goes Plat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especiaIIy
if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out
of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak put slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about
what to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot
off the
accelerator pedal
and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, and then gently brake to
a stop well out
of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want the vehicle to go.
It may be
very
bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop
-- well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly
to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
I
’ A CAUTION:
Changing a tire can cause an injury. The vehicle
can slip
off the jack and roll over you or other
people.
You and they could be badly injured.
Find
a level place to change your tire. To help
prevent the vehicle
from moving:
1. Set the parking brake firmly.
2. Put an automatic transmission shift
lever in PARK (P) or shift a manual
transmission to FIRST (1) or
REVERSE
(R).
3. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle,
be sure the transfer case is in
a drive
gear
-- not in NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn off the engine.
To be even more certain the vehicle won’t move,
you can put blocks at the front and rear of the
tire farthest away from the one being changed.
That would be the tire on the other side of the
vehicle,
at the opposite end.
~~
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A CAUTION:
Incorrect wheel nuts or improperly tightened
wheel nuts can cause the wheel to become loose
and even come
off. This could lead to an accident.
Be sure
to use the correct wheel nuts. If you have
to replace them, be sure to get new
GM original
equipment wheel nuts.
Stop somewhere as soon as you can and have
the nuts tightened with
a torque wrench to
60 lb-ft (80 N-m).
NOTICE:
Improperly tightened wheel nuts can lead to
brake pulsation and rotor damage.
To avoid
expensive brake repairs, evenly tighten the wheel
nuts in the proper sequence and to the proper
torque specification.
Storing a
B
-
lat or Spare Tire and Tools
I
Storing a jack, a tire or other equipment in the
passenger compartment
of the vehicle could
cause injury. In
a sudden stop or collision, loose
equipment could strike someone. Store all these
in the proper place.
Store your vehicle’s flat tire or spare by mounting it on
the tailgate and cover.
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Checking Things Under the Hood
A CAUTICV: I
An electric fan under the hood can start up and
injure
you even when the engine is not running.
Keep hands, clothing and tools away from any
underhood electric fan. Don’t reach through the
grille to release the underhood lever.
To open the hood, first pull the release handle inside the
glove box.
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts and
start
a fire. These include liquids like gasoline,
oil, coolant, brake fluid, windshield washer and
other fluids, and plastic or rubber.
You or others
could
be burned, Be careful not to drop or spill
things that will
burn onto a hot engine.
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When you open the hood, you’ll see the following:
c
A. Windshield Washer Reservoir
B. Engine Coolant Reservoir
C. Main Fuse Box
D. Battery
E. Engine Oil Dipstick
E Automatic Transmission Dipstick (if equipped)
G. Oil Fill Cap
H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir
I. Brake Fluid Reservoir
J. Air Cleaner
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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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