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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 km/h).
A towing dolly must be used under the front wheels
when towing from the real:
Attach J-hooks around the axle tube.
1 NOTICE:
Take care not to damage the brake pipes on the
axle tubes.
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If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out’’ while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out 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.
Changing a tire can cause an injury. T 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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GE4iB Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your Geo. This section begins with service and fuel information, and
then it shows how to check important fluid and lubricant levels. There is also technical information about your
vehicle, and a part devoted to its appearance care.
6-2
6-3
6-7
6-10
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6-19
6-2 1
6-2
1
6-22
6-23
6-26
6-27
6-29
6-33
Service
Fuel
Checking Things Under the
Hood
Engine Oil
Air Cleaner
Automatic Transmission Fluid
Manual Transmission Fluid
Clutch Adjustment
Rear Axle
Four-wheel
Drive
Engine Coolant
Radiator Pressure Cap
Windshield Washer Fluid
Brakes
Battery
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3
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6-56
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6-58
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6-62
6-64
Bulb Replacement
Halogen Bulbs
Tires
'
Appearance Care
Cleaning the Inside of Your Geo
Cleaning the Outside of Your Geo
Special Care for Canvas Top and Plastic
Windows
Underbody Maintenance
Chemical Paint Spotting
Appearance Care Materials Chart
Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN)
Electrical System
Replacement Bulbs
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
6-1
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What to Use How to Check Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants” in the Index.
Four-wheel Drive
Most lubricant checks in this section also apply to
four-wheel-drive vehicles. However, they have two additional systems that need lubrication.
Transfer Case
When to Check and Change Lubricant
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine how
often to check the lubricant and when to change it. See
“Scheduled Maintenance Services’’
in the Index.
If the level is below the bottom of the filler plug hole,
you’ll need to add some lubricant. Add enough lubricant
to raise the level to the bottom
of the filler plug hole.
What to Use
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to determine what
kind
of lubricant to use. See “Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants”
in the Index.
6-22
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Tire Chains
NOTICE:
Use tire chains only where legal and only when
you must. Use only
SAE Class “S” type chains
that are the proper size for your tires. Install them
on the tires
of the drive axle (fourwheel-drive
vehicles can use chains on both axles).
Tighten them as tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly and follow the
chain manufacturer’s instructions.
If you can
hear the chains contacting your vehicle, stop
and retighten them.
If the contact continues,
slow down until it stops. Driving too fast or
spinning the wheels with chains on will
damage your vehicle.
Appearance Care
Remember, cleaning products can be hazardous. Some
are toxic. Others can burst into flame if you strike a
match or get them on
a hot part of the vehicle. Some are
dangerous if you breathe their fumes in a closed space.
When you
use anything from a container to clean your
Geo, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s warnings and
instructions. And always open your doors or windows
when you’re cleaning the inside.
Never use these to clean your vehicle:
0 Gasoline
0 Benzene
0 Naphtha
0 Carbon Tetrachloride
Acetone
0 Paint Thinner
Turpentine
0 Lacquer Thinner
0 Nail Polish Remover
They can all be hazardous
-- some more than
others
-- and they can all damage your vehicle, too.
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c
Fuse Usage
1
2
3
4
5
Dome Lamp, Sidemarker Lamps, Parking
Lamps, License Plate Lamp, Instrument
Panel Illumination
Stoplamps,
Horn
Hazard Lamps
Fuse
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Usage
Door Lock (Option)
Lighter, Radio
Ignition System, Warning and Indicator
Lights, Gages, Four-wheel Drive System
(Option)
Turn Signal Flasher, Back-up Lamps
Wipermasher
Rear Defogger
Heater
Empty
Empty
Please note, fuses for the air bags are located
next to the
instrument panel fuse block.
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Capacities (Approximate)
The following approximate capacities are given in
English and metric conversions.
Air Conditioning?
............. See the refrigerant
information label under
the hood and “Air Conditioning
Refrigerants” at the end
of this section.
Automatic Transmission
Pan Removal and Replacement Three-Speed
............. 3.0 quarts (2.8 L)**
Four-Speed ............... 2.64 quarts (2.5 L)
After Complete Overhaul
Three-Speed
............... 5.3 quarts (5.1 L)
Four-Speed ................ 7.3 quarts (6.9 L)
Cooling System
Automatic Transmission
....... 5.5 quarts (5.2 L)
Manual Transmission ......... 5.6 quarts (5.3 L)
Crankcase With Filter Change
.......... 4.5 quarts (4.2 L)*
Front Differential ............ 1.1 quarts (1 .O L)
Fuel Tank
Two-Door Convertible
....... 11.1 gallons (42 L)
Four-Door Hardtop .......... 14.5 gallons (55 L)
Manual Transmission
Four-wheel Drive
.......... 1.6 quarts (1.5 L)**
Two-Wheel Drive .......... 2.0 quarts (1.9 L)**
Rear Differential ............. 2.3 quarts (2.2 L)
Transfer Case ............... 1.8 quarts (1.7 L)
* When changing the oil filter, additional oil may be
needed. Recheck the oil level after filling. See
“Engine Oil” in the Index.
** Recheck fluid level after filling. See “Automatic
Transmission Fluid” or “Manual Transmission
Fluid” in
the Index.
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Wheel Nuts
Wheel Nut Torque ............. 60 lb-ft (80 N-m)
Vehicle Dimensions
Wheelbase
Two-Door Convertible
... 86.6 inches (2 200 mm)
Four-Door Hardtop
...... 97.6 inches (2 480 mm)
Front
................. 54.9 inches (1 395 mm)
Rear
.................. 55.1 inches (1 400 mm)
Two-Door Convertible
. . 143.7 inches (3 650 mm)
Four-Door Hardtop
..... 158.7 inches (4 030 mm)
Tread
Length
Width Two-Door Convertible
... 64.2 inches (1 630 mm)
Four-Door Hardtop ...... 64.4 inches (1 635 mm)
Two-Door Convertible
Height
Two-Wheel Drive
..... 64.3 inches (I 633 mm)
Four-wheel Drive ..... 65.1 inches (1 654 mm)
Two-Wheel Drive ..... 65.7 inches (1 669 mm)
Four-wheel Drive
..... 66.5 inches (1 689 mm)
Four-Door Hardtop
Air Conditioning Refrigerants
Not all air conditioning refrigerants
are the same.
If the air conditioning system in your vehicle needs
refrigerant, be sure the proper refrigerant
is used. If
you’re not sure, ask your Geo dealer.
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