1996 CHEVROLET TRACKER light

Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much water can build up
under your tires that they can actually ride
on the water.
This can happen if the road is wet enough and you’re
going fast enough. When your vehicle is hydroplaning,
it has little or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often. But
it can if your
tires haven’t much tread
or if the pressure in one or
more is low. It can happen if a lot
of water is standing on
the road. If you can see reflections from trees, telephone
poles or other vehicles, and raindrops “dimple” the
water’s surface, there could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast rule about hydroplaning. The
best advice is to slow down when it is raining.
Driving Through Deep Standing Water
NOTICE:
If you drive too quickly through deep puddles or
standing water, water can come
in through your
engine’s air intake and badly damage your
engine. Never drive through water that is slightly
lower than the underbody
of your vehicle. If you
can’t avoid deep puddles or standing water, drive
through them very slowly.
r
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
Besides slowing down, allow some extra following
distance. And be especially careful when you pass
another vehicle.
Allow yourself more clear room
ahead, and be prepared to have your view restricted
by road spray.
“Tires”
in the Index.)
Have good tires with proper tread depth. (See
1.
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City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city streets is the
amount of traffic on them. You’ll want to watch
out for
what the other drivers are doing and pay attention to
traffic signals. Here
are ways to increase
your safety in city driving:
Know the best way to get to where you are
going. Get a city
map and plan your trip into an
unknown part of the city just as you would for a
cross-country trip.
Try t.0 use the freeways that rim and crisscross most
large cities.
You’ll save time and energy, (See the
next
part, “Freeway Driving.”)
Treat a green light as a warning signal. A traffic
light is there because the corner is busy enough to
need it. When a light tums green, and just before you
start to move, check both ways for vehicles that have
not cleared the intersection
or may be running the
red light.
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Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called thruways, parkways,
expressways, turnpikes or superhighways) are the safest
of all roads. But they have their own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway driving
is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most of the other drivers
are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on
a freeway as a passing lane. At
the entrance, there
is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp,
you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary,
Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you
are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay
in the right
lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal. Just before you leave the lane, glance
quickly over your shoulder to make
sure there isn’t
another vehicle
in your “blind” spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well
in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up; Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can
be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed
is usually posted.
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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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I NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other.
If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your Geo, and the bad grounding could damage
the electrical systems.
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Unplug
unnecessary
accessories plugged into the cigarette
lighter. Turn
off all lamps that aren’t needed as well
as radios.
This will avoid sparks and help save both
batteries.
In addition, it could save your ra.dio!
I NOTICE:
~~ ~
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries. Find the
positive (+) and negative (-) terminals on each battery.
I A CAUTION:
An electric fan can start up even when the engine
is not running and can injure you. Keep hands,
clothing and tools away from any underhood
electric fan.
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Using a match near a battery can cause battery
gas to explode. People have been hurt doing this,
and some have been blinded. Use-a flashlight if
you need more light.
Be sure the battery has enough water.
You don’t
need to add water to the Delco Freedom@ battery
installed in every new
GM vehicle. But if a battery
has filler caps, be sure the right amount of fluid is
there. If it is low, add water to take care of that
first. If you don’t, explosive gas could be present.
Battery fluid contains acid that can burn
you.
Don’t get it on you. If you accidentally get it in
your eyes or on your skin, flush the place with
water and get medical help immediately.
I 5. Check that the jumper cables don’t have loose or
missing insulatiofi. If they do, you could get a shock.
The vehicles could be damaged, too.
13
Fan or other moving engine parts can injure you
badly. Keep your hands away from moving parts
once the engines are running.
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Rocking your vehicle to.get it out: Using the Recovery Hooks
First,
turn your steering wheel left and right. That will
clear
the area around your front wheels. Then shift back
and forth between
REVERSE (R) and a forward gear
(or with a manual transmission, b’etween FIRST (1) or
SECOND (2) and REVERSE(R)), spinning the wheels
as little as possible. Release the accelerator pedal while
you shift, and press lightly on the accelerator pedal
when the transmission is in gear.
If that doesn’t get you
out after a few tries, you may need to be towed out. Or,
you can use your recovery
hooks if your vehicle has
them. If you do need to be towed out, see “Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.
Your vehicle
is equipped with recovery hooks. The
recovery hooks
are provided at the front and rear of your
vehicle. You may need to use them if you’re stuck
off-road and need to be pulled to some place where you
can continue driving.
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Before closing the hood, be sure all the filler
caps are on.
Then lift the hood to relieve pressure on the hood prop.
Remove the hood prop from the slot in the hood and
return the prop
to its retainer. Then let the hood down
and close
it firmly.
Engine Oil
If the engine oil
pressure light on the
instrument panel comes
on, it means
you need
to check
your engine oil level
right away.
For more information,
see “Engine Oil Pressure Light”
in the Index. You should check your engine oil level
regularly; this is an added reminder. It’s a good
idea
to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel.
In order to get an accurate reading, the oil must
be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
Turn off the engine and
give the oil a few minutes
drain back into the oil
pan. If you don’t, the oil
dipstick might not show
the actual level.
to
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