1997 CHEVROLET TRACKER change time

I
I U’
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, CEO, the
GEO Emblem and the name TRACKER are registered
trademarks
of General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet/Geo
whenever it appears
in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your Geo,
so it will be there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell
the vehicle, please leave this manual
in it so the new
owner can use
it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 1027756 1 B First Edition
ii
WE SUPPORT VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE Natlonal Institute for
SERVICE EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propridtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer un exemplaire de ce guide en fraqais chez
votre concessionaire ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario L5T
1 C7
OCopyright General Motors Corporation
1996
All Rights Reserved
ProCarManuals.com

RDM (5): Press this button to hear the tracks in random,
rather than sequential, order. Press RDM or RPT again
to turn off random play.
NXT (6): Press this button to go to the next track. If you
hold the button, or press it more than once, the player
will continue moving forward through the disc.
COMP: Press this button to make soft and loud
passages more nearly equal in volume.
RCL: Press this button to see which track is playing.
Press RCL again, within five seconds, to see how long
it has been playing (elapsed time). The track number
also appears when the disc
is inserted or you change
the volume.
CD-TP: Press this button to switch between playing a
tape and a CD when both are inserted.
STOP: Press this button or AM-FM to stop playing the
disc and switch to radio. Press STOP again
to restart the
disc at the point where it stopped.
EJECT Press this button to remove the disc. The radio
will play. The disc will start at the first track when you
reinsert it. If you leave a compact disc in the player
while listening to the radio, it may become warm.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
The theft-deterrent feature for the AM-FM stereo with
cassette tape or compact disc player can be used or
ignored.
If ignored, the system plays normally. If it is
used, your system won’t be usable if it’s ever stolen
because it will
go into LOC mode.
If your vehicle loses battery power for any reason, you
must enter your secret code again before the system will
turn on.
Activating the Theft-Deterrent Feature
The following instructions will tell you how to enter a
security code into
the system.
NOTE: If you allow more than 15 seconds to elapse
between any steps, the radio automatically reverts to
time and you must start the procedure over at Step
4.
1. Write down any four-digit number and keep it in a
safe place.
2. Turn the ignition switch to ACC or ON.
3. Turn the radio off.
4. Press the 1 and 4 buttons together. Hold them down
until
---- shows on the display.
ProCarManuals.com

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. If you get too close to the vehicle in
front
of you, you won’t have time to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or
stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for
you. You may feel the system
working, or
you may notice some noise, but this is normal.
ABS
ACTIVE
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on. See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in
the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if you don’t have anti-lock, your
first reaction
-- to hit the brake pedal hard and hold it
down
-- may be the wrong thing to do. Your wheels
can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle can’t respond
to your steering. Momentum will carry it in whatever
direction it was headed when the wheels stopped rolling.
That could be off the road, into the very thing you were
trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control.
You do this by pushing on
the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In
an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels. If
you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease
off the brake pedal. This
will help you retain steering control. (If you
do have
anti-lock, it’s different: see “Anti-Lock Brakes” in
the Index.)
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
~ 4-9
I
ProCarManuals.com

0 0
0
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back
a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don’t get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance
you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to
pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying
to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance
over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your
left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into
the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than
it really is.)
0 Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.
0 Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though
the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead
of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
4-13
ProCarManuals.com

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.
4-18
ProCarManuals.com

Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are some things to consider.
Suqfiuce Conditions. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or
ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering, acceleration
and braking of your vehicle
in different ways. Depending
upon the kind of surface you are on, you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration,
poor traction and longer braking distances.
Suflace Obstacles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous.
A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you if
you’re not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly? When
you drive over obstacles or
rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or other
surface features can jerk the wheel out of your hands if
you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave
the ground. If this happens, even
with one or two wheels,
you can’t control the vehicle as
well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or signal
lights. You have to use your own good judgment about
what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving.
At the very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol. You could
have a serious
-- or even fatal -- accident if you drink
and drive or ride with a driver who has been drinking.
See “Drunken Driving”
in the Index.
4-19
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
- -
Rust or dirt on the wheel, or on the parts to
which it is fastened, can make the wheel nuts
become loose after
a time. The wheel could come
off and cause an accident. When you change
a
wheel, remove any rust or dirt from the places
where the wheel attaches to the vehicle. In an
emergency, you can use a cloth or
a paper towel
to do this; but be sure to use a scraper or wire
brush later, if
you need to, to get all the rust or
dirt off.
/!1 CAUTION:
Never use oil or grease on studs or nuts. If you
do, the nuts might come loose. Your wheel could
fall off, causing a serious accident.
6. Replace the wheel nuts with the rounded end of the
nuts toward the wheel. Tighten each nut
by hand
until the wheel is held against the hub.
5-30
ProCarManuals.com

Automatic Transmission Fluid
When to Check and Change
A good time to check your automatic transmission fluid
level is when the engine oil
is changed.
Change both the fluid and filter every
50,000 miles
(83 000 km) if the vehicle is mainly driven under one or
more
of these conditions:
3. Pull out the filter.
0 In heavy city traffic where the outside temperature
regularly reaches
90°F (32°C) or higher.
0 In hilly or mountainous terrain.
When doing frequent trailer towing.
0 Uses such as found in taxi, police or delivery service.
If you do not use your vehicle under any of these
conditions, the fluid and filter do not require changing.
See “Scheduled Maintenance Services”
in the Index.
6-16
ProCarManuals.com