Geo Prizm 1996 User manual

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Gem The 1996 Geo Prizm Owner’s Manual
SeatsandRestraintSystems ............................................................. 1-1
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the air bag system.
FeaturesandControls ..............................................................
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems .................................................
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.
. . 2-1
- - 3-1
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 4-1
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 5-1
This section tells you what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated
engine, 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 and owner
publications. It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page
8-8.
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................. 6-1
Maintenanceschedule .................................................................. 7-1
CustomerAssistanceInformation ........................................................ 8-1
Index ................................................................................ 9-1
i

CM
w
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
CHEVROLET, the CHEVROLET Emblem, GEO,
the GEO Emblem and the name PRIZM are registered
trademarks of General Motors Corporation.
Thismanual 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 sold
in Canada, substitute the name
“General Motorsof Canada Limited”for Chevrolet/Geo
whenever it appears in this manual.
Please keep this manualin your Geo,
so it will be there
if you ever needit when you’reon 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. 10277492 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 exemplairede ce guide enfranGais chez
votre concessionaire
ou au:
DGN Marketing Services Ltd.
1500 Bonhill Rd.
Mississauga, Ontario
L5T 1C7
‘Copyright General Motors Corporation 1995
All Rights Reserved
ii

How to Use This Manual ’ . -;..
a CAUTION:
I
Many people read .their owner’s manual from beginning
to endwhentheyfirstreceivetheirnewvehicle. If youdo -
‘this, it will helpyoulearnaboutthefeaturesandcontrols These,meanthereissomethingthat could hurt
for yourvehicle. h’,this manual,you’ll fmd thatpictures you orotherpeople.
and words work together to ,expi& things quickly.
I
I
.* ‘Index -. .-
In the caution area,we tell you what the hazard is. Then
A good place to lookfor what you needis the Indexin we tell you what to do to help avoid or reduce the
the backof the manual..It’s
an alphabetical listof all hazard. Please read these Fautiqns.
If you don’t, you or
that’s
in themanual,and the pagenumber.whereotherscouldbehurt.
you’ll find it.
Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box andthe word
CAUTION to tell you
about thingsthat.could hurt you
if you were to ignore
, . thewarning.
You will also finda 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
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
These mean there is something that could
damage
your vehicle.
In the notice area, we tell you about something that can
damage your vehicle. Many times, this damage would
not be coveredby your warranty,
and it could be costly.
But the notice will tell you what to do to help avoid
the damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see CAUTION
and NOTICE warnings
in different colors or in
different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
iv

Vehicle Symbols
Theseare some of the symbolsyou may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
PROTECT
EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
CAUSE
BATTERY
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD
FLAME
EXPLODE
BATTERY
I
These symbols
are important
for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
FASTEN
SEAT
BELTS
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols
have to
do with
your lights:
SIGNALS @ 9
TURN
EiE A
FLASHER
FOG LAMPS
$0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING
FAN
These symbols
are
used on
warning and
indicator lights:
COOLANT
TEMP
-
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
R
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE -%-
LIGHTER -
HORN )c=r
SPEAKER
I@
FUEL B
V

NOTES
vi

Section 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you'll find information about theseatsin your Geo
and howto use your safety belts properly.You can also
learn about
some things you should not do with air bags
and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
Thispart tells seats about the seats -- how to adjust
them, and
also about recliningfront seatbacks, head
restraints and rear folding seatbacks.
Manual Front Seats
~ A CAUTION:
~ You can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle is
moving. The sudden movement could startle and
confuse you, or make you push a pedal when you
don't want to. Adjust the driver's seat only when
the vehicleisnot moving.
11

Lift the lever under thefront seat to 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.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback,lift the lever on the outer sideof
the seat. Release the lever to lock the seatback where
you want it.
Push on the seat to make sure it’s locked in
position. Pullup on the lever, and the seat will go toits
original upright position.
1-2

But don't have a seatback reclined if yourvehicle is moving.
Sitting in a reclined positionwhen your vehicle is
in motion canbe dangerous. Evenif you buckle
up, your safetybelts can't do their jobwhen
you're reclinedlike this.
The shoulderbelt can't do itsjob because it
won't be against yourbody. Instead, itwill be in
front of you. In a crash you could go into it,
receivingneck or otherinjuries.
The lapbelt can't do itsjob either. In
a crash the
belt could go up over your abdomen.The belt
forces would be there, notatyour pelvic bones.
This could cause seriousinternal injuries.
For properprotection when the vehicle is in
motion, have the seatbackupright. Then sit well
back in the seat and wear yoursafety belt properly.
1-3

Head Rest] int-
.-
Slidethe head straint up or down so that the top of the
restraint is closest to the top
of your ears.Thisposition
reduces the chance
of a neck injuryin a crash.
Pull up to raise the restraint.
To lower it,push the
release button and push down.
Make sure the head restraintis locked in place after you
adjust it.
Rear Folding Seatback (Option)
You can fold either sideof the seatback downin your
Geo for more cargo space. On vehicles with
a built-in
childrestraint 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.
To fold either seatback down:
1. Push the button on the
toD
of the seatback while
yiupull down on the
seatback. (Repeat the
procedure forthe other
sideif you
do not have a
built-in child’restraint.)
1-4

2. Fold the seatback down.
To raise the seatback:
1. Pull the seatback up and pushit back to lockit into
place. Make sure the safety belts are not twisted or
caught
in the seatback.
2. Push and pull the top of the seatback to be sureit is
locked in position.
afety Belts:They're for Everyone
xnls part of the manual tells you howto use safety belts
properly. Italso tells you some things you should not do
with safety belts.
And
it explains the air bag system.
1 A CAUTION:
Don't let anyone ride wherehe or she can't wear
a safety belt properly. If you are in a crash and
you're not wearing
a safety belt, your injuries
can be much worse.
You can hit things inside the
vehicle or be ejected fromit.
You can beseriously
injured orkilled. In the same crash,you might
not be if you are buckled up. Alwaysfasten your
safety belt, and check that yourpassengers' belts
are fastened properlytoo.
1-5

Your vehicle has a light that
comes
on as a reminder to
buckle up. (See “Safety
Belt Reminder Light” in
the Index.)
In most states and Canadian provinces, the law says to
wear safety belts. Here’s why: They work.
You never know if you’ll be in a crash. If you do have a
crash,
you don’t know if it will be a bad one.
A few crashes are mild, and some crashes can be so
serious that even buckled up a person wouldn’t survive.
But most crashes are
in between. In many of them,
people who buckle up can survive and sometimes walk
away. Without belts they could have been badly hurt
or killed.
After more than 25 yearsof safety belts in vehicles,
the facts
are clear. In most crashes buckling up does
matter
... a lot!
Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anythmg, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it’s justa seat on wheels.
1-6

Put someone on it. Get it up
to speed. Then stop the vehicle. The rider
doesn't
stop.
1-7

The person keeps going I until stopped by something.
In a real vehicle, it could be the windshield ...
or the instrument panel ...

or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down
as the vehicle does.
You get’moretime to stop.You stopovermore distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That’s why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers .’
A:
Q=
A:
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if
I’m wearing a safety belt?
You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt
or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you’re upside down. And your chanceof
being conscious
during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be
inmost 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 offeredfor sale has requiredthe use of
safety belts. Even if you’re
in a vehicle that has air
bags, youstillhave to buckle up to get the most
protection.That’strue not onlyfrontalcollisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
1-9

e.’ 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 passengers can be hurt. Being a good driver
doesn’t protect youfromthings beyond your
control, such
as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest numberof serious injuries
and deaths occur at speedsof less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts arefor everyone.
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
Adults
This partis only forpeople of adult size.
Be aware that there are special thingsto 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,seethe partof this manual called
“Children.” Follow those rulesfor 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’show to wear
it properly.
1. Close and lock the door.
2. Adjust the seat (to see how, see “Seats” in the Index)
so you cansitup straight.
1-10

Pull up on the latch plate to make sure it is secure. If the
belt isn’tlong enough, see“Safety Belt Extender” at the
end of
this section.
Make sure the release buttonon the buckle
is positioned
so you would beable to unbuckle the safety belt quickly
if you ever had to.
3. Pick up the latch plate and pull the belt across you.
Don’t let it get twisted.
The shoulder belt
may lock if youpull the belt across
you very quickly.
If this happens, let the.belt go back
slightly to unlock it. Then pull the belt across you
more slowly,
4. Push the latch plateinto the buckle until it clicks.
5. To make the lappart tight,pull down onthe 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 snug on
the hips, just touching the thighs.
In a crash, this applies
force to the strong pelvic bones. And you'd be less likely
to slide under the lap
belt. If you slid under it, the belt
would apply force at your abdomen.
This could cause
serious or even fatal injuries. The shoulder belt should go
over the shoulder and
across the chest. These parts of the
body are best able to take belt restraining forces.
The safety belt locksif there's a sudden stop or crash, or
if you pullthe belt very quickly out of the retractor.
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster
to the height that is right for you.
Pull the release knob and move the height adjuster to the
desired position. After you move the adjuster to where
you wantit, try
to move it without pulling the release
knob to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the belt is
centered on your shoulder. The belt should be away
fiom
your face and neck, but not falling off your shoulder.
1-12