1997 CHEVROLET TRACKER key

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes the air
bag sensors, the air bag modules,
the wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system, see “Air
Bag” in the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The air
bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when
you turn the ignition key 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.
Charging System Light
4
This light will come on
briefly when you
turn on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as a check
to
show you it is working.
Then it should go out when
the engine starts.
If the light stays on or comes on while you are driving,
you may have a problem with the electrical charging
system.
It could indicate that you have a loose generator
drive belt or another electrical problem. Have it checked
right away. Driving while this light
is on could drain
your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with this light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your Geo’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working 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 floor.
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 STmT. If it doesn.’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
Ih
CA -JTION:
Your brake system may not be 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
(If Equipped)
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.)
A CAUTION:
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 carefully, 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 ignition key 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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Anti-Lock Brake System Active Light
(If Equipped)
ABS
ACTIVE
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
the anti-lock brake system
active light will come on.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the system stops
adjusting brake pressure.
The anti-lock brake system active light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key
to ON. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be there to
tell you when the system
is active. This
gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves to the
H
(red) side, your engine is
too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated and
you should
stop your vehicle and turn off the engine as
soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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If the Light Is Flashing If the Light Is On Steady
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it
is safe to do so,
stop
the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least
10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following.
If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer
or qualified service center for service. You
may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fL1el cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. The diagnostic system can determine
if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed.
A loose or
missing fuel cap
will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should
turn the light off.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run
as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel
line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. It
will take a few driving trips to turn the light off.
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Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, some
17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it’s
against the law in every
U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information on
the problem. The
Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who
is drinking depends upon four things:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association, a
180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4-ounce
(1 20 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1
- 1/2 ounces
(45
ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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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.
Controlling your vehicle is the key
to successful
off-road driving. One of the best ways to control your
vehicle is to control your speed. Here are some things to
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
0 you approach things faster and you have less time to
scan the terrain for obstacles.
0 you have less time to react.
0 you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
0 you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and ,crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
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I NOTICE:
Do not tow your Geo with the rear wheels in
contact with the ground, or the transmission
could be damaged.
2.
3.
4.
Set the parking brake.
If your Geo is a four-wheel-drive vehicle, set your
manual free-wheeling hubs to
FREE or unlock your
automatic freewheeling hubs. See “Four-wheel
Drive” in the Index.
Turn the ignition key to ACC to unlock the
steering wheel.
I NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not
exceed
55 mph (90 km/h), or your Geo could be
badly damaged.
Towing from the Front
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I NOTICE: I
If your vehicle has automatic freewheeling hubs
or two-wheel drive,
do not tow it on all four
wheels.
If you do, your transmission could
be damaged.
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