2003 CHEVROLET TRACKER tires

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you're
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable. See
Off-Road
Driving with Your Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle on
page 4-16
for information about driving off-road.
·Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all ¯uid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transmission. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
·Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down
to let your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
·Know how to go uphill. You may want to shift down to
a lower gear. The lower gears help cool your engine
and transmission, and you can climb the hill better.
·Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center of the road. Drive at speeds that let
you stay in your own lane.
·As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There could
be something in your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
·You may see highway signs on mountains that warn
of special problems. Examples are long grades,
passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks area or
winding roads. Be alert to these and take appropriate
action.
4-39

Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
·Have your vehicle in good shape for winter.
·You may want to put winter emergency supplies in
your vehicle.Include an ice scraper, a small brush or broom, a
supply of windshield washer ¯uid, a rag, some winter
outer clothing, a small shovel, a ¯ashlight, a red
cloth and a couple of re¯ective warning triangles.
And, if you will be driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag of sand, a piece of old carpet
or a couple of burlap bags to help provide traction.
Be sure you properly secure these items in your vehicle.
Driving On Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet
the road probably have good traction.
However, if there is snow or ice between your tires
and the road, you can have a very slippery situation.
You'll have a lot less traction or ªgripº and will need
to be very careful.
4-40

What's the worst time for this? ªWet ice.º Very cold snow
or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet ice can
be even more trouble because it may offer the least
traction of all. You can get wet ice when it's about
freezing (32ÉF; 0ÉC) and freezing rain begins to fall.
Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand crews
can get there.
Whatever the condition ± smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow ± drive with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the fragile traction.
If you accelerate too fast, the drive wheels will spin and
polish the surface under the tires even more.Unless you have the anti-lock braking system, you'll
want to brake very gently, too. If you do have anti-lock,
see
Braking on page 4-7. This system improves your
vehicle's stability when you make a hard stop on a
slippery road. Whether you have the anti-lock braking
system or not, you'll want to begin stopping sooner than
you would on dry pavement. Without anti-lock brakes,
if you feel your vehicle begin to slide, let up on the
brakes a little. Push the brake pedal down steadily to
get the most traction you can.
Remember,unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you'll just slide. Brake
so your wheels always keep rolling and you can still steer.
·Whatever your braking system, allow greater
following distance on any slippery road.
·Watch for slippery spots. The road might be ®ne
until you hit a spot that's covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can't reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an overpass
may remain icy when the surrounding roads are
clear. If you see a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on it. Try not to brake while you're
actually on the ice, and avoid sudden steering
maneuvers.
4-41

If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
In order to free your vehicle when it is stuck, you will need
to spin the wheels, but you don't want to spin your wheels
too fast. The method known as ªrockingº can help you get
out when you're stuck, but you must use caution.
{CAUTION:
If you let your tires spin at high speed, they
can explode, and you or others could be
injured. And, the transmission or other parts of
the vehicle can overheat. That could cause an
engine compartment ®re or other damage.
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
When you are stuck, spin the wheels as little
as possible. Do not spin the wheels above
35 mph (55 km/h) as shown on the
speedometer.
Notice:Spinning your wheels can destroy parts of
your vehicle as well as the tires. If you spin the
wheels too fast while shifting your transmission
back and forth, you can destroy your transmission.
For information about using tire chains on your
vehicle, see
Tire Chains on page 5-66.
4-44

Loading Your Vehicle
Two labels on your vehicle show how much weight it
may properly carry. The tire-loading information
label found on the driver's door lock pillar tells you the
proper size and recommended in¯ation pressures for the
tires on your vehicle.The other label is the certi®cation label, also found on
the driver's door lock pillar. It tells you the gross weight
capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes the weight
of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo. Never
exceed the GVWR for your vehicle, or the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or rear axle.
4-51

Towing a Trailer
{CAUTION:
If you don't use the correct equipment and
drive properly, you can lose control when you
pull a trailer. For example, if the trailer is too
heavy, the brakes may not work well -- or even
at all. You and your passengers could be
seriously injured. Pull a trailer only if you have
followed all the steps in this section. Ask your
dealer for advice and information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle.
Notice:Pulling a trailer improperly can damage
your vehicle and result in costly repairs that would
not be covered by your warranty. Always follow
the instructions in this section and check with your
dealer for more information about towing a trailer
with your vehicle.Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in ªWeight of the Trailerº that
appears later in this section. But trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering means
changes in handling, durability and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering takes correct equipment,
and it has to be used properly.
That's the reason for this section. In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine,
transmission, wheel assemblies and tires are forced to
work harder against the drag of the added weight.
The engine is required to operate at relatively higher
speeds and under greater loads, generating extra heat.
What's more, the trailer adds considerably to wind
resistance, increasing the pulling requirements.
4-53

If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points:
·There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. Make sure
your rig will be legal, not only where you live
but also where you'll be driving. A good source for
this information can be state or provincial police.
·Consider using a sway control. You can ask a hitch
dealer about sway controls.
·Don't tow a trailer at all during the ®rst 600 miles
(1000 km) your new vehicle is driven. Your
engine, axle or other parts could be damaged.
·Never exceed posted towing speed limits or go over
45 mph (72 km/h), whichever is lower and don't
make starts at full throttle. This helps your engine
and other parts of your vehicle wear in at the
heavier loads.
·If you have an automatic transmission, you can use
THIRD (3) (or, as you need to, a lower gear) when
towing a trailer. Operating your vehicle in THIRD (3)
when towing a trailer will minimize heat buildup and
extend the life of your transmission. If you have a
manual transmission and you are towing a trailer,
it's better not to use the highest gear.Three important considerations have to do with weight:
·the weight of the trailer,
·the weight of the trailer tongue
·and the weight on your vehicle's tires.
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be?
It should never weigh more than 1,000 lbs. (450 kg) for
two-door models and 1,500 lbs. (680 kg) for four-door
models. But even that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan to use your rig. For example,
speed, altitude, road grades, outside temperature and
how much your vehicle is used to pull a trailer are all
important. And, it can also depend on any special
equipment that you have on your vehicle.
You can ask your dealer for our trailering information or
advice, or you can write us at:
Chevrolet
Chevrolet Customer Assistance
P.O. Box 33170
Detroit, MI 48232-5170
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Communication Centre, 163-005
1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
4-54

Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important weight
to measure because it affects the total or gross weight
of your vehicle. The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)
includes the curb weight of the vehicle, any cargo you
may carry in it, and the people who will be riding in
the vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer, you must add
the tongue load to the GVW because your vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See
Loading Your Vehicle
on page 4-51for more information about your vehicle's
maximum load capacity.If you're using a weight-carrying or a weight-distributing
hitch, the trailer tongue weight (A) should be 10 percent
to 15 percent of the total loaded trailer weight (B).
Do not exceed the maximum allowable tongue weight
for your vehicle.
After you've loaded your trailer, weigh the trailer and
then the tongue, separately, to see if the weights
are proper. If they aren't, you may be able to get them
right simply by moving some items around in the
trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle's Tires
Be sure your vehicle's tires are in¯ated to the upper
limit for cold tires. You'll ®nd these numbers on
the tire-loading information label at the rear edge of
the driver's door or see
Tires on page 5-59. Then
be sure you don't go over the GVW limit for your vehicle,
including the weight of the trailer tongue.
4-55