2003 CHEVROLET TRACKER stop start

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.
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·Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to
pass while you are awaiting an opportunity. For one
thing, following too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you are following a larger
vehicle. Also, you will not 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
do not 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 ªrunning startº 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 vehicles are lined up to pass a slow vehicle,
wait your turn. But take care that someone is not
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.)
·Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
·Do not overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not ¯ashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
·If you are being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you can
ease a little to the right.
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Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) do not have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
In any emergency, do not give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area of less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
are not rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too much
speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip and lose
cornering force. And in the acceleration skid, too much
throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety,
you will want to slow down and adjust your driving to
these conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction,
try your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a
lower gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide. You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning
clues Ð such as enough water, ice or packed snow
on the road to make a ªmirrored surfaceº Ð and slow
down when you have any doubt.
If you have the anti-lock braking system, remember:
It helps avoid only the braking skid. If you do not have
anti-lock, then in a braking skid (where the wheels
are no longer rolling), release enough pressure on the
brakes to get the wheels rolling again. This restores
steering control. Push the brake pedal down steadily
when you have to stop suddenly. As long as the wheels
are rolling, you will have steering control.
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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.
Surface 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.
Surface 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
®rm 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 our 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 re¯exes, perceptions and judgment can
be affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You could have a serious Ð or even fatal Ð accident if
you drink and drive or ride with a driver who has
been drinking. See
Drunken Driving on page 4-4.
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Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or is
about to stall, and I can't make it up the hill?
A:If this happens, there are some things you should
do, and there are some things you must not do.
First here's what you
shoulddo:
·Push the brake pedal to stop the vehicle and keep it
from rolling backwards. Also, apply the parking brake.
·If your engine is still running, shift the transmission to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly
back down the hill in REVERSE (R)
·If your engine has stopped running, you'll need to
restart it. With the brake pedal pressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the transmission to
PARK (P) (or, shift to neutral if your vehicle has a
manual transmission) and restart the engine.
Then, shift to REVERSE (R), release the parking
brake, and slowly back down the ®ll as straight as
possible in REVERSE (R).
·As you are backing down the hill, put your left hand
on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position.
This way, you'll be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down.
It's best that you back down the hill with your wheels
straight rather than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far to the left or right will
increase the possibility of a rollover.Here are some things you
must notdo if you stall, or
are about to stall, when going up a hill.
·Never attempt to prevent a stall by shifting into
NEUTRAL (N) (or pressing the clutch, if you have a
manual transmission) to ªrev-upº the engine and
regain forward momentum. This won't work.
Your vehicle will roll backwards very quickly and
you could go out of control.
Instead, apply the regular brake to stop the vehicle.
Then apply the parking brake. Shift to
REVERSE (R), release the parking brake, and slowly
back straight down.
·Never attempt to turn around if you are about to stall
when going up a hill. If the hill is steep enough to stall
your vehicle, it's steep enough to cause you to roll
over if you turn around. If you can't make it up the hill,
you must back straight down the hill.
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Q:Are there some things I should not do when
driving down a hill?
A:Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could lose control and have a serious
accident.
·When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline of the hill. A hill that's not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you don't drive
straight down.
·Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N), or with the clutch pedal pressed
down in a manual shift. This is called ªfree-wheeling.º
Your brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.
·Unless you have anti-lock: Avoid braking so hard that
you lock the wheels when going downhill. If your
wheels are locked, you can't steer your vehicle.
If your wheels lock up during downhill braking,
you may feel the vehicle starting to slide sideways.
To regain your direction, just ease off the brakes and
steer to keep the front of the vehicle pointing straight
downhill.
Q:Am I likely to stall when going downhill?
A:It's much more likely to happen going uphill. But if
it happens going downhill, here's what to do.
·Stop your vehicle by applying the regular brakes.
Apply the parking brake.
·Shift to PARK (P) (or to neutral with the manual
transmission) and, while still braking, restart the
engine.
·Shift back to a low gear, release the parking brake,
and drive straight down.
·If the engine won't start, get out and get help.
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Q:What if I'm driving across an incline that's not
too steep, but I hit some loose gravel and start
to slide downhill. What should I do?
A:If you feel your vehicle starting to slide sideways,
turn downhill. This should help straighten out the
vehicle and prevent the side slipping. However,
a much better way to prevent this is to get out and
ªwalk the courseº so you know what the surface
is like before you drive it.
Stalling on an Incline
If your vehicle stalls when you're crossing an incline, be
sure you (and your passengers) get out on the uphill
side, even if the door there is harder to open. If you get
out on the downhill side and the vehicle starts to roll
over, you'll be right in its path.
If you have to walk down the slope, stay out of the path
of the vehicle if it does roll over.
{CAUTION:
Getting out on the downhill (low) side of a
vehicle stopped across an incline is dangerous.
If the vehicle rolls over, you could be crushed
or killed. Always get out on the uphill (high)
side of the vehicle and stay well clear of the
rollover path.
4-27

Driving in Water
Heavy rain can mean ¯ash ¯ooding, and ¯ood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find out how deep the water is before you drive through
it. If it's deep enough to cover your wheel hubs, axles
or exhaust pipe, don't try it Ð you probably won't
get through. Also, water that deep can damage your
axle and other vehicle parts.
If the water isn't too deep, drive slowly through it.
At faster speeds, water splashes on your ignition system
and your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also occur if
you get your tailpipe under water. And, as long as your
tailpipe is under water, you'll never be able to start
your engine. When you go through water, remember
that when your brakes get wet, it may take you longer
to stop.{CAUTION:
Driving through rushing water can be
dangerous. Deep water can sweep your vehicle
downstream and you and your passengers
could drown. If it is only shallow water, it can
still wash away the ground from under your
tires, and you could lose traction and roll the
vehicle over. Do not drive through rushing
water.
See
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads on page 4-32for more information on driving through water.
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