2004 CHEVROLET TRACKER lock

Q:What should I do if my vehicle stalls, or
is about to stall, and I can not 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 is 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 will 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 will be able to tell if your wheels are
straight and maneuver as you back down. It is
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 will not 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 is steep enough to
cause you to roll over if you turn around. If you can
not make it up the hill, you must back straight
down the hill.
4-22

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 is not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over if you do not 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 not 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 is much more likely to happen going uphill. But if
it happens going downhill, here is 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 will not start, get out and get help.
4-25

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
will have a lot less traction or ªgripº and will need to be
very careful.What is 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 is
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 Ð smooth ice, packed, blowing
or loose snow Ð 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 will
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 will 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.
4-41

Remember, unless you have anti-lock, if you brake so
hard that your wheels stop rolling, you will 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 is covered with ice. On
an otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can not 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 are actually on the ice, and avoid
sudden steering maneuvers.
If You Are Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you could be in a
serious situation. You should probably stay with
your vehicle unless you know for sure that you are near
help and you can hike through the snow. Here are
some things to do to summon help and keep yourself
and your passengers safe:
·Turn on your hazard ¯ashers.
·Tie a red cloth to your vehicle to alert police that
you have been stopped by the snow.
4-42

·Put on extra clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra clothing, make
body insulators from newspapers, burlap bags, rags,
¯oor mats Ð anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm, but be careful.
{CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your
vehicle. This can cause deadly CO (carbon
monoxide) gas to get inside. CO could
overcome you and kill you. You can not see it
or smell it, so you might not know it is in your
vehicle. Clear away snow from around the
base of your vehicle, especially any that is
blocking your exhaust pipe. And check around
again from time to time to be sure snow does
not collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that is away from the wind. This will
help keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little
faster than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This uses less fuel for the heat that you get and
it keeps the battery charged. You will need a
well-charged battery to restart the vehicle, and possibly
for signaling later on with your headlamps. Let the
heater run for a while.
4-43

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.
Stop towing every 200 miles (300 km) and start the
engine. Leave the transfer case shift lever in NEUTRAL.
Shift your automatic transmission to DRIVE (D); leave
a manual transmission in SECOND (2) with the
clutch engaged. Run the engine at 2,000 rpm for one
minute to circulate oil in the transfer case. Turn the
ignition key to ACC. Now, you can continue towing your
vehicle.
Notice:Locking the steering column when towing
your vehicle may damage the steering column.
Always unlock the steering column before towing.
Notice:If you exceed 55 mph (90 km/h) while
towing your vehicle, it could be damaged. Never
exceed 55 mph (90 km/h) while towing your vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Shifting a four-wheel-drive vehicle's transfer
case into NEUTRAL can cause your vehicle to
roll even if the transmission is in Park (P) for
an automatic transmission, or if your vehicle is
in gear, for a manual transmission. You or
others could be injured. Make sure the parking
brake is ®rmly set before you shift the transfer
case to NEUTRAL.
4-49

The Tire and Loading Information label shows the
seating capacity and the total weight your vehicle can
properly carry. This weight is called the vehicle capacity
weight. If your vehicle has the Tire and Loading
Information label, Example 1, the label is attached to
the center pillar, near the driver's door latch. If your
vehicle has the Tire-Loading Information label,
Example 2, the label is on the driver's door lock pillar.
The Tire and Loading Information label also gives
you the size and recommended in¯ation pressure for
the factory-installed, original equipment tires on
your vehicle. For more information on tires and in¯ation
see
Tires on page 5-55andIn¯ation - Tire Pressure
on page 5-63.
There is also important loading information on the
Certi®cation label. It tells you the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axle; see
ªCerti®cation Labelº later in this section. Example 2
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Loading Your Vehicle
Item Description Total
AVehicle Capacity Weight
for Example 3=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
BSubtract Occupant
Weight 200 lbs
(91 kg)´5=1,000 lbs (453 kg)
CAvailable Cargo
Weight=0 lbs (0 kg)
Refer to your vehicle's tire and loading information label
for speci®c information about your vehicle's capacity
weight and seating positions. The combined weight of
the driver, passengers, and cargo should never
exceed your vehicle's capacity weight.
Certi®cation Label
The certi®cation label is 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. Example 3
4-55