Geo Geo Prizm 1997 User manual

997

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GefB The 1997 Geo Prizrn Owner’s Manual
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Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells youhow to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your Geo.
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how to operate your audio system.
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to doif you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tellsyou how to keep your Geo running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Chevrolet/Geo for assistance and how to get service and owner
publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects”on page 8-10.
Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
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I;
1
GENERAL MOTORS,GM,the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, GEO, the
GEO Emblem and the name PRIZM are registered
trademarksof General Motors Corporation.
Thismanual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed.We reserve the right to make changesin the
product after that time without further notice. For
vehicles first sold inCanada,substitute the name
“General Motorsof CanadaLimited” for Chevrolet/Geo
wheneverit 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 init
so the new
owner can use it.
Litho in U.S.A.
Part No. 10277560 B First Edition
WE SUPPORT
VOLUNTARY TECHNICIAN
CERTIFICATION THROUGH
National Institute for
AUTOMOTIVE
SERVICE
EXCELLENCE
We support voluntary
technician certification.
For Canadian Owners Who Prefer a
French Language Manual:
Aux propribtaires canadiens: Vous pouvez vous
procurer
un exemplaire dece guide en franCais chez
votre concessionaireou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, OntarioL5T IC7
@CopyrightGeneral Motors Corporation 1996
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use this Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle.
If you do
this, it will help you learn about the features and controls
for your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll find that pictures
and words work together to explain things quickly.
Index
A good placeto look for what you need is the Index in
the backof the manual. It’s an alphabetical listof all
that’s in the manual, and the page number where
you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a numberof safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word CAUTION to tell you
about things that could hurt you if you were to ignore
the warning.
I A CAUTION:
I
These mean there is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you whatto do to help avoidor reduce
the hazard. Please read these cautions.If you don’t,
you,or others could be hurt.
You will also find a circle
with
a slash through it in
this book.This safety
symbol means “Don’t,”
“Don’t do this,” or “Don’t
let this happen.”
iii

Vehicle Damage Warnings
In the notice area,we tell you about something that can
h
i But the notice will tellyou what to do to help avoid
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
Also,inthisbook
you willfindthesenotices:notbecovered by yourwarranty,anditcould be costly.
NOTICE:
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
I
These mean thereis something that could
damage
your vehicle.
I
and NOTICE warnings in different colors or in
different words.
I
--
I You’llalsoseewarninglabelsonyourvehicle.Theyuse
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
These are someof the symbolsyou 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
BAlTERY
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle
is
driven:
n
UNLOCK Ed
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
08
AIR BAG p\
Thesesymbols
have
to do with
your lamps:
SIGNALS @
TURN
FOG LAMPS # 0
These symbols
are onsome
of
your controls:
WIPER Q
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE k
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(a)
COOLANT a
ENGINE OIL w,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
LIGHTER
HORN
SPEAKER
b
FUEL B
V

b NOTES
vi

Gem Section 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
Hereyou’ll findinformationabout the seats in yourGeo and how touse your safety belts properly.You can also learn
about somethings youshouldnot do with air bags and safety belts.
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Seats and SeatControls
Safety Belts:They’re for Everyone
Here
Are QuestionsMany PeopleAsk About
Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
How to Wear Safety BeltsProperly
DriverPosition
Safety Belt UseDuringPregnancy
Right Front PassengerPosition
Air Bag System
Rear Seat Passengers
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CenterPassenger Position
Children
Built-in ChildRestraint (Option)
ChildRestraints
LargerChildren
Safety BeltExtender
CheckingYour Restraint Systems
ReplacingRestraint System
Parts After
a Crash

Seats and Seat Controls
Thispart tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them,
and alsoaboutreclining front seatbacks, head restraints
and rear folding seatbacks.
A CAUTION:
-
You canlose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust
a manualdriver’s seat while the vehicle is
moving. The suddenmovement couldstartleand
confuse you,ormakeyou push a pedal when you
don’t want to.Adjustthe driver’s seatonly when
the vehicle
is not moving.
Lift the lever under the front seatto unlock it. Slide the
seat to whereyou want
it. 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.
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To adjust the seatback, lift the lever on the outer side of
the seat.Releasethe lever tolockthe seatbackwhere
you wantit. Push on the seat to make sure it'slockedin
position. Pullup on the lever, and the seat will
go to its
original upright position. But don't have a seatback reclined
if your vehicle is moving.
CAUTION:
Sitting in areamed position when your vehicleis
in motion
can be dangerous. Even if you buckle
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-3

up, your safety belts can’tdotheir jobwhen
you’re reclined like this.
The shoulder belt can’tdoitsjob because it
won’t beagainst yourbody. Instead, it will be in
front of you. In a crashyou could gointoit,
receiving neckor otherinjuries.
The lapbelt can’t
do its jobeither. In a crashthe
belt could go up overyour abdomen. The belt
forceswould be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternalinjuries.
For proper protectionwhen the vehicle is in
motion, havethe seatback upright. Then sitwell
back in the seat and wear your safety belt properly.
Head Restraints
Slide the head restraint upor down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the topof your ears.Thisposition
reduces the chanceof a neck injury ina crash.
Pull up to raise the restraint.To lowerit, push the
release button and push down.
Make sure the head restraint
is locked in place after you
adjust it.
Rear Folding Seatback (Option)
You canfold either sideof the seatback downin your
Geo for more cargo space. On vehicles with a built-in
child restraint system, only
the driver’s side rear
passenger seatback can be folded down. Make sure the
front seat isn’t reclined.
If it is,the rear seatback won’t
fold down all the way.
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To fold either seatback down:
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1. Push the button on the
top of the seatback while
you pull downon the
seatback. (Repeat the
procedure for-the other
side if youdo not have a
built-in child restraint.)
2. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback:
1. Pull the seatback up and pushit back to lock itinto
place. Makesurethe safety beltsare not twisted
or
caught in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sureit is
locked intoposition.
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Safety Belts: They’refor Everyone
This part of the manual tells you how to use safety belts
properly. It also tells you some things you should not
do
with safetybelts,
And it explains the air bag system.
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A CAUTION:
Don’t let any01 ride where heor she can’t wear
a safety belt properly. If you arein a crash and
you’re not wearing
a safety belt, yourinjuries
can be much worse. Youcan hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejectedfromit. You can be seriously
injured or killed. Inthe samecrash, you might
not be if youarebuckled up. Always fasten your
safety belt,and check that your passengers’ belts
arefastened properlytoo.
I A CAUTION:
Itis extremely dangerousto ridein a cargoarea,
inside or outsideof a vehicle. In a collision,
people ridingin theseareas aremore likelyto be
seriouslyinjured
or killed. Do not allow people
to ride in anyarea of your vehiclethat is not
equipped with seatsand safety belts.Be sure
everyone in your vehicle is ina seat and using a
safety belt properly.
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Your vehicle has a light that
comeson as
a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt ReminderLight”
in the Index.)
In most states andCanadianprovinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why:
They work.
You neverknow if you’ll be in acrash.If you do have a
crash, you don’t know ifit will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, andsomecrashes can be so
serious thatevenbuckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are in between. In manyof them,
people who buckleup can survive andsometimeswalk
away. Without belts theycouldhave been badly hurt
or killed.
After morethan
25 years of safety belts in vehicles,
the facts are clear. In most crashesbucklingup does
matter ...a lot!
Why Safety BeltsWork
When you ride in or on anytlung, you go as fast as it goes.
Take
the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s just a seat on wheels.
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I
.. .
Put someone on it. Get it up to speed. Then stop the vehicle.The rider
doesn’t stop.
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The person keeps going until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield... or the instrument panel
. ..
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~ or the safetybelts!
~
~ With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
~ You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
~ and your strongest bones take the forces. That’swhy
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safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
e.’ Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You couZd be -- whetheryou’rewearing a safety
belt
or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chance
of
being conscious during and afteran accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you
are belted.
e.’ If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will bein
most of them in the future.But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work with
safety belts -- not insteadof them. Every air bag
systemever offeredfor salehas required the useof
safety belts. Evenif you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, youstillhave to buckle up to getthe most
protection. That’s true not onlyin frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.

&: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you and
your passengerscan be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect youfrom things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidentsoccurwithin
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest numberof serious injuries
and deathsoccur at speedsof less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts arefor everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This part is onlyfor people of adult size.
Be aware that there are special things to know about
safety belts and children.
And there are different rules for
smaller children and babies.
If a child will be riding in
your Geo, see the partof this manual called “Children.”
Follow those rules for everyone’s protection.
First, you’ll want to
know which restraintsystemsyour
vehicle has.
We’ll startwith the driver position.
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Driver Position
This part describes the driver’s restraint system.
Lap-Shoulder Belt
The driv.er has a lap-shoulder belt. Here’s howto wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how,see“Seats” in the Index)
so you can situp straight.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
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