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Adding Equipment to Your Air
Bag-Equipped Geo
Q.” If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the
front of my vehicle,
will it keep the air bags
from working properly?
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is
attached to your vehicle
so that the vehicle’s basic
structure isn’t changed, it’s not likely to keep the
air bags from working properly in a crash.
e.’’ Is there anything I might add to the front of the
vehicle that could keep the air bags from
working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle’s
frame, bumper system, front end sheet metal or
height, they may keep the air bag system
from
working properly. Also, the air bag system may not
work properly
if you relocate any of the air bag
sensors. If you have any questions about this, you
should contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. (The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in Step Two of
the Customer Satisfaction Procedure
in this manual.
See “Customer Satisfaction Procedure’’ in the Index.)
Rear Seat Passengers
It’s very important for rear seat passengers to buckle up!
Accident statistics show that unbelted people
in the rear
seat are hurt more often in crashes than those who are
wearing safety belts.
Rear passengers who aren’t safety belted can be thrown
out of the vehicle
in a crash. And they can strike others
in the vehicle who are wearing safety belts.
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Page 270 of 388

Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes.
Properly torqued wheel
nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly torque wheel nuts in the
proper sequence to GM specifications.
Your rear drum brakes don’t have wear indicators, but if
you ever hear a rear brake rubbing noise, have the rear
brake linings inspected. Also, the rear brake drums
should be removed and inspected each time the tires
are removed for rotation or changing. When you
have the front brakes replaced, have
the rear brakes
inspected, too.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See “Brake System Inspection”
in Section 7 of this
manual under Part
C “Periodic Maintenance
Inspections”.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in pedal
travel. This could be a sign
of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your disc brakes
adjust for wear.
Replacing Brake System Parts
The braking system on a modern vehicle is complex. Its
many parts have to be of top quality and work well
together if the vehicle is to have really good braking. Your
vehicle was designed and tested with top-quality
GM
brake parts. When you replace parts of your braking
system
-- for example, when your brake linings wear
down and you have to have new ones put in
-- be sure you
get new approved
GM replacement parts. If you don’t,
your brakes may
no longer work properly. For example, if
someone puts in brake linings that are wrong for your
vehicle, the balance between your front and rear brakes
can change
-- for the worse. The braking performance
you’ve come to expect can change
in many other ways if
someone puts in
the wrong replacement brake parts.
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Page 285 of 388
A CAUTION:
Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or wheel nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control.
You could have
a collision in which you or others could be
injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
bolts and wheel nuts for replacement.
NOTICE:
The wrong wheel can also cause problems with
bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper
height, vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire
chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See “Changing a Flat Tire” in the Index for
more information.
Used Replacement Wheels
I A CAUTION:
Putting a used wheel on your vehicle is
dangerous.
You can’t know how it’s been used
or how far it’s been driven.
It could fail suddenly
and cause an accident.
If you have to replace a
wheel, use a new GM original equipment 1 wheel.
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Page 302 of 388
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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