2003 CHEVROLET TRACKER brake light

Charging System Light
This light will come on
brie¯y 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 an 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.
Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will 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.
Your vehicle'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.
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This light should come on when you turn the ignition
key to START. If it doesn't come on then, have it ®xed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
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
¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See ªAnti-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº following and
Towing Your
Vehicle on page 4-47.
{CAUTION:
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 after you have pulled off the road and
stopped carefully, have the vehicle towed for
service. United States
Canada
3-29

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
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 comes on 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 ¯oor. It may take longer to
stop. Have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page 4-47.
{CAUTION:
Your regular brake system may not be working
properly if the anti-lock brake system warning
light is on. Driving with the anti-lock brake
system warning light on can lead to an
accident. After you have 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 vehicle needs
service. If the light is on 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 brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to ON.
If the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed 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 Ð heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking Ð 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 are driving, brake
normally but do not 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-lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle may have anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
If your vehicle has anti-lock
brakes, this warning light
on the instrument panel will
come on brie¯y 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 or pulses a little. This is normal.
If there is a problem with the anti-lock brake system,
the anti-lock brake system warning light will stay on.
See
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light on
page 3-30.
4-8

Remember: Anti-lock does not 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 will not 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
Do not pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down ®rmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel
a slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
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 do not have anti-lock,
your ®rst reaction Ð to hit the brake pedal hard and
hold it down Ð may be the wrong thing to do.Your wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
can not 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 do not have anti-lock, use a ªsqueezeº braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking
while maintaining steering control. You can 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
dohave
anti-lock, it is different. See ªAnti-Lock Brake Systemº
in this section.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-10

Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you'll want to
consider a number of things:
·How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
·What's the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
·Are there any hidden surface obstacles? Ruts?
Logs? Boulders?
·What's at the bottom of the hill? Is there a hidden
creek bank or even a river bottom with large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they won't have to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
{CAUTION:
Heavy braking when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade.
This could cause loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
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Driving too fast through large water puddles or even
going through some car washes can cause problems,
too. The water may affect your brakes. Try to avoid
puddles. But if you can't, try to slow down before you
hit them.
{CAUTION:
Wet brakes can cause accidents. They will not
work as well in a quick stop and may cause
pulling to one side. You could lose control of
the vehicle.
After driving through a large puddle of water
or a car wash, apply your brake pedal lightly
until your brakes work normally.
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Dinghy Towing
To tow your vehicle from the front (four-wheel-drive only),
do the following:
Notice:If you tow a two-wheel-drive vehicle with all
four wheels on the ground, the transmission could be
damaged. The repairs would not be covered by your
warranty. Do not tow a two-wheel-drive vehicle with
all four wheels on the ground.Follow these steps:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Shift your automatic transmission into PARK (P),
or your manual transmission to SECOND (2).
3. With the ignition key in the ON position, move the
transfer case to NEUTRAL and make sure the
4WD light on the instrument panel cluster is off.
See
Four-Wheel Drive on page 5-53.
4. Turn the ignition key to ACC.
5. Release the parking brake.
Notice:If you do not put the transfer case in
NEUTRAL before towing a four-wheel-drive vehicle
from the front, the vehicle could be damaged.
The repairs would not be covered by your warranty.
Always put the transfer case in NEUTRAL before
towing your vehicle.
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