Geo 1995 Prizm User manual

I

The .I995 Geo Prizm Owner’s Manual
Seats and Restraint Systems .............................................................
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SIR’
(Air Bag) System.
This section explains how to start and operate your Geo.
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your
audio system.
YourDrivingandtheRoad ..............................................................
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad ..................................................................
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or engine
overheating, etc.
Here the manual tells you how to keep your Geo running properly and looking good.
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet/Geo for assistance and how to get service publications.
It also
gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-4.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
Featuresandcontrols ..................................................................
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .....................................................
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................
Maintenanceschedule ..................................................................
Customer Assistance Information ........................................................
Index .............................................................................-- -
1-1
2-1
3-1
4-1
5-1
6-1
7-1
8-1
9-1
i

GENERAL MOTORS, GM and the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET and the Chevrolet Emblem,Geo and the
Geo Emblemare registered trademarks
of General
Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time
it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes in the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first soldin Canada, substitute the name
“General Motors
of Canada Limited” for Chevrolet
Motor Division whenever
it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual
in your Geo, so it will be there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you sell
the vehicle, please leave this manual
in it so the new
owner can use
it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10258591 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATIONTHROUGH
AUTOMOTIVE
Natlonal lnslltute for
EXCELLENCE
SERVICE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux Dropriktaires canadiens:Vous pouvez vous procurer
un exemplaire de ce guide enfranpischez votre
concessionaire ou au DGN Marketing Services Ltd.,
1500 Bonhill Rd., Mississauga, Ontario L5T
lC7.
@Copyright General Motors Corporation 1994
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use This Manual
Many peopleread their owner’s manual frombeginning
to end when theyfirstreceive their new vehicle.This
will help
you learn about the features and controlsfor
your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work togetherto explain things quickly.
Index
A good place to look for what you needis inthe Index
in the back of the manual. It’s analphabeticallist of all
that’s in themanual, andthe page number whereyou’ll
find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safetycautionsin this book.
We use a
box with gray background and the word
CAUTION totell you aboutthings that could hurt you
if
you were to ignore the warning.
In the gray caution area, we tell you whatthehazard is.
Then we tell you what todo to help avoidor reduce the
hazard. Pleaseread thesecautions.If youdon’t,you or
otherscouldbe hurt.
You
will also find a circlewith a slash through it in this
book.
This safetysymbolmeans
“Don’t,’’ “Don’t do
this,” or
“Don’t let
this happen.”

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you willfind these notices:
I
NOTICE:
These mean there is something that
could damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area,we tell youabout something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be coveredby your warranty, andit could be costly.
But the notice will tell you whatto do to help avoidthe
damage.
When you readothermanuals, you mightsee
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in differentcolorsor
in different words.
You’ll also see warning labelson your vehicle. They use
yellow forcautions,blue for notices and the words
CAUTION or NOTICE.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK OR
,\I/,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
These symbols
are important
for
you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN SEAT
4
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e 9
TURN
HIGH
LAMPSoR BEAM = =o
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are on some
of
your controls:
WIPER w
WINDsHIELDw DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT F-
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING
1'1
BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
RADIATOR a
COOLANT
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
9%
TEMPOIL &
BRAKE (i)
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE -%-
RELEASE
RADIO
k
VOLUME
CONDITIONING
AIR 43
RELEASE e
TRUNK
LIGHTER
m
SPEAKER
b
V

NOTES
vi

E- P Section 1 SeatsandRestraintSystems
Here you’ll find information about theseats in your Geo
and how to use your safety belts properly. You can also
learn about some thingsyou should
not do with air bags
and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
This section tells you about theseats -- how to adjust
them, andalso about recliningfront seatbacks, head
restraints and rear folding seatbacks.
Front Seat
Lift the lever under the front seat to unlock it. Slidethe
seat
to where you wantit. Then release the lever and try
to move the seat with your body,to make sure the seat is
locked into place.
Don’t put anything under
the front seats. Items under the
seats could keep the seats from locking into place properly.
-~ 1-1

Reclining Front Seatbacks
1
To adjustthe seatback, lift the lever on the outerside of
the seat.Release thelever to lock the seatback where
you want it. Push on theseatto make sure it's locked
in
position. Pull up on the lever, and the seat will eo to its
orieinal upright position. But don't have
a seatback reclinedif your vehicle is
moving.
1-2

Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint up or down so that thetop of the
restraint is closest
to the top of your ears. This position
reduces thechance
of a neck injury ina crash.
Pull up to raise
the restraint. To lower it, push the
release button and pushdown.
Make surethe head restraint is locked in place after you
adjustit.
1-3

Rear Folding Seatback (Option)
You can fold either side of the seatback down in your
Geofor more cargospace.
To fold either seatback down:
1. Make surethe front seat isn’t reclined. If it is, the
rear seatback won’t fold down all the way.
2. Push the buttonon the
top of the seatback while
you pull down the
seatback. (Repeat the
procedure for the other
side.)
3. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback:
1. Pull the seatback up and push it back to lock itinto
place.
and pull the top
of the seatbackto be sure it is locked
in position.
2. Be sure both sidesof the seatbackare latched. Push
1A

Safety Belts: They’re for Everyone
This part of the manual tells you howto use safetybelts
properly. It alsotells you somethings
you shouldnot do
with safetybelts,
And itexplains theSupplementalRestraint System,
or
“air bag” system.
Your vehicle has a
lightthat comes
on as
a reminder to buckle
up. (See “SafetyBelt
ReminderLight”in the
Index.)
In manystates and Canadianprovinces,the law saysto
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You never know ifyou’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash,
you don’tknow if it will be a bad one.
A few crashesare mild, andsomecrashescan be so
seriousthat even buckled upa person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashesare inbetween. In many
of them,
peoplewho buckle up can surviveand sometimeswalk
away. Without belts theycouldhave been badly
hurt or
killed.
After more than 25 years of safetybelts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashesbuckling up does
matter ...a lot!

Why Safety Belts Work
When youride in or on anything, you go as fast as it
goes.
Take thesimplestvehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on
wheels.
Put someoneon it.

Get it up to speed.Then stopthe vehicle. The rider
doesn’t stop.
I
The person keepsgoing until stoppedby something.
In
a real vehicle,it could be the windshield ...

orthe instrument panel ... or the safetybelts!
With safety belts,
you slow downas the vehicle does.
You get
more time to stop.You stopover moredistance,
and
your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
1-8

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
@ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbucklea safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during andafter an accident,
so
you can unbuckle and getout, is much greater if
you are belted.
e.” Why don’t they just put in air bags so people
A: Air bagsare in many vehicles today and will be in
more of them in the future.But they are
supplemental systems
only; so they work with
safety belts -- not insteadof them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the useof
safety belts. Even
if you’re in a vehicle that hasair
bags, you still have to buckle up to getthe.most
protection.That’strue not only in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
won’t have to wear safety belts?
Q.” If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
A: You may be an excellentdriver, butif you’re in an
home, why should I wear safety belts?
accident --even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengerscan
be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’tprotect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidentsoccur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And thegreatestnumber of seriousinjuries
and deaths occur at speeds
of less than 40 mph
(65 kmh).
Safety beltsare foreveryone.
1-9

How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part isonly for people of adult size.
Be aware that thereare special things to know about
safety belts and children. And there are different rules
for smaller children and babies.If achild will be riding
in your Geo, seethe part of this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rules for everyone’s
protection.
First, you’ll want to know which restraint systems your
vehicle has.
We’ll start with the driver position.
Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driver has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s how to wearit
properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how,see “Seats” in the Index)
so you can sit up straight.
1-10

Pull up on the latch plate to make sureit is secure. If
the belt isn’t long enough, see “Safety Belt
Extender’’at the endof this section.
Make sure therelease button on the buckleis
positioned
so you would be ableto unbuckle the
safety belt quicklyif you ever hadto.
3.
4.
Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t letit get twisted.
The shoulder belt may lock if you pull thebelt across
you very quickly. Ifthis happens, let the beltgoback
slightlyto unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly.
Push thelatch plate into the buckle until
it clicks.
5. To make thelap part tight, pull down on the buckle
end
of the belt as you pull up on the shoulder belt.
1-11

The lap part of the belt should be worn low and snugon
the hips,just touching the thighs. In a crash,this applies
force
to the strong pelvic bones. And you’d beless
likely to slide under the lap belt. If you
slid under it, the
belt would apply force at your abdomen. This could
cause seriousor even fatal injuries.The shoulder belt
should goover the shoulder and across the chest. These
parts
of the body are best able to take belt restraining
forces.
The safety belt locks
if there’s a sudden stop or crash,or
if you pull the belt very quicklyout of
the retractor.
1-12 -