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Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACIbTELi CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols
have
to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e e3
TURN
PARKING
0
LAMPS pq
RUNNING 0
DAYTIME *
LAMPS '**
FOG LAMPS $0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
VENTILATING
&?
FAN
These symbols are used
on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE t
COOLANT - t-
TEMP -
CHARGING BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
R
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE *
P
LIGHTER
HORN
)tr
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
vi
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Ignition Positions
4
With the key in the ignition
switch, you can
turn the
switch to four positions.,
LOCK (A): The only position in which you can remove
the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition and
automatic transmission.
If you have an automatic transmission, the ignition
switch can’t be turned to LOCK unless the shift lever is
in the
PARK (P) position.
ACC (B): The position that you can operate your
electrical power accessories. It unlocks the steering
wheel and ignition. Use this position if your vehicle
must be pushed or towed.
ON (C): The position in which the switch returns to
after you start your engine and release the switch. The
switch stays in the
ON position when the engine is
running. But even when the engine is not running, you
can use ON to operate your electrical power accessories
and to display some instrument panel warning and
indicator lights.
START (D): The position in which the engine starts.
When the engine starts, release the key. The ignition
switch
will return to ON for normal driving.
When the engine is not running, ACC and
ON allow you
to operate your electrical accessories, such as the radio
and ventilation fan.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver’s
door when the ignition is in ACC or LOCK and the key
is in the ignition.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down and
pull up
on the parking brake lever. If the ignition is on,
the brake system warning light will come on.
To release the parking brake, hold the brake pedal down.
Pull the parking brake lever up until
you can push in the
release button. Hold the release button in as you move
the lever all the way down.
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Page 115 of 387

Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when
you start the
engine just
to let you know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
with
one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you know when
there’s
a problem with your vehicle. When
one of the warning lights comes
on and stays on
when you
are driving, or when one of the gages shows
there may be a problem, check the section that tells YOU
what to do about it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to
do repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to
ON or STAFtT, a light will
come on for about eight
seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts.
Unless the driver’s safety
belt is already buckled, a
chime will also sound.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your Geo’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts.
Xf one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts workmg well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully.
You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the flow.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, or if the
anti-lock brake system warning light is flashing, have
the vehicle towed for service. (See “Anti-Lock Brake
System Warning Light” and
“Towing Your Vehicle”
in the
Index.)
BRAKE
United States Canada
This light should come on when you turn the ignition
key to
STAFtT. If it doesn’t corne on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
I
/i CAUTION:
---
Your brake system may not working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on or if the
anti-lock
brake system warning light is flashing
after you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped
carefully, have the vehicle towed
for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have
a brake problem.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light (Option)
ABS
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light will come
on when you start your
engine and it will stay
on for three seconds.
That’s normal.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be a problem with your
regular brakes. Pull off the road and stop carefully.
You
may notice that the pedal is harder to push. Or, the pedal
may go closer to the floor. It may take longer to stop.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See
“Towing Your
Vehicle” in the Index.)
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning light
is flashing. Driving with the anti-lock brake system
warning light flashing
can lead to an accident. After
you’ve pulled
off the road and stopped caremy,
have the vehicle towed for service.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you’ve started your engine, turn
the ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible and
turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you’re driving, your Geo needs service. If the
light
is on but not flashing and the regular brake system
warning light isn’t on,
you still have brakes, but you
don’t have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignitiorrkey to ON- If the
light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will-be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
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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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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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