Chevy Tracker

arkainzeye · December 2005

here is a link or two of some hardtops. i have a 1999 2-door soft top. I would say if your child seat is safetly fastened you shouldnt have a problem.

http://www.rallytops.com/gm/chevy-tracker.html

http://www.bestop.net/pavenharfort.html

http://www.bestop.net/new19suzvith.html

as you seen they arent cheap. some are better than others. I want one for my tracker, as my softop is starting to leak at times. mostly due to heavy rains..

chris

cardor · December 2005

Dealer changed catalytic converter, no charge, my '99 tracker has 78,500 miles. Just made the cutoff time, of 8 years or 80,000 miles. I guess I got lucky.

arkainzeye · December 2005

how did you know the cat was bad? im looking for warning signs myself....

chris

cardor · December 2005

There was lots of ratteling noise coming from the cat.area.(i thought it was the heat shield) Soon after the "servlce engine light" came on. My code scanner gave me a code of p0420.(catalyst efficency below threshold).Took it to dealer,they verified the cat was bad. Found out it was still under warranty.

arkainzeye · December 2005

i recently developed a rattle near or on my cat. but i havent had any check engine lights come on (yet). and i am pushing 78k miles on my 99 tracker. of course at 80K the check engine light will come on... isn't that how it always works.

chris

mrdrifter · December 2005

Draven3, I have a 2001 2dr 4cyl tracker that I bought for surf fishing and use it regularly on Assateague Island. It does great in the sand. Having a manual transmission you have to get used to a quick shift or you'll lose all momentum but the Tracker doesn't sink in the sand if you air down to 15lbs or less. I never "need" 4w low but sometimes use it to keep it functional. A lot of the time I run the beach in 2wd.

The only thing to watch out for is debris in the center of the ruts. The beach I drive has a set of ruts used to travel 12 miles down the beach. The Tracker never drags in the center but overwash will sometimes leave debris that is high enough to contact my running gear. Keep an eye out for this and either stop and move it or exit the ruts and drive around it. The Tracker has roughly the same footprint as a Wrangler but is about 1" lower. I drag less than a lot of the camper rigs on the beach.

The Tracker is a little small for surf fishing and can get a bit crowded if you insist on bringing a full surf setup including chairs, big ice chest and 12' rods. A rear receiver hitch will let you mount a surf rack to carry rods on the beach but you still have to carry them inside for the highway. The rack will keep the cooler outside the vehicle however.

If you only take what you need the truck makes a great sand sled. I especially like the 30mpg I get on the 4 hr drive to the beach and I don't have the 5mpg complaint that some of the big rigs have.

mrdrifter · December 2005

Check www.zukiworld.com. Trackers share parts.

cardor · December 2005

You have till 80,000 miles.Wait til you get a little closer.If the light still doesn't come on by then, go to the dealer and let them hear the noise ,tell them it's running slightly slugushly and you suspect the cat is going bad because of the noise you hear. Make sure everything else has been done like, plugs and filters so,they can't suggest to do that stuff first.Your only concern is the noise you hear from the cat area. My noise started about 6 months before light came on.

sammiesdad · December 2005

I have a 2000 Tracker that decided it wanted to keep the ignition key. Cannot remove the key from the ignition. Anybody else have this problem, Any suggestions how to fix
Thanks Don

arkainzeye · December 2005

I READ somewhere on a Suzuki forum about many others having this problem. i didnt have time to read it all, but i lost the link. here is my problem on my 1999 2.0ltr tracker. recently when i start it and drive when i come to a light it idles like it is about to stall out, From what i've read this is common on some of the suzukis'. i think i remember one of the owners saying something about carbon on a throttle body? or somethinglike that. i remember briefly reading that he was able to clean something and it resolved the issue. does anyone have any info on what im "trying" to describe?

chris http://www.cruisercustomizing.com/arkainzeye

ps in my link above. my bike has a bigger engine that my tracker.. lol i just thought of it.. tracker 1999cc's bike 2053cc's.... lol 8)

arkainzeye · December 2005

well yesterday i changed the sparkplugs. i removed the bosch plugs and used these new autolite double patinium. and i sprayed some amsoil "power foam" into the throttle body. i noticed all day yesterday i did Not have that rough idle problem. Now i dont know if it was the plugs that was the fix, or it was the powerfoam and the cleaning of the throttle body. all i know if my ldle yesterday was very smooth and the power was more responsive!

Chris

arkainzeye · December 2005

Take a look at this.

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/11/0011aPfp.html

chris

arkainzeye · December 2005

http://autorepair.about.com/library/a/1h/bl536h.htm

chris

hankb3 · December 2005

For one thing, this is the wrong vehicle. For another, I was actually trying to get the answer without having to pay a subscription to someone's web site. In other posts, I've seen where someone has cut and pasted what the TSB's actually say.
I was really hoping for this or someone else's experience with the same problem.

hankb3 · December 2005

I've been having intermittant starting problems. It will crank over but it doesn't fire. I've tried spraying ether and it still didn't start. Took it in to the dealer and they said that it needed plugs and a fuel filter. I changed these myself. I even got an OBD II reader to try to read the codes. The reader kept saying that there was a link problem. I even unplugged the ECM and checked the connections. Then, after unhooking and reattatching the reader numerous times it got a reading.... it said it passed with no codes. I turned the key over and it started.
I've been doing some investigations, as far as TSB's go. I found one...03-06-04-012A. Does anyone know what this is for??
Has anyone else experienced this same problem??? If so, what did you do???

hankb3 · December 2005

really, I'm not sure. I appreciate the effort and time that it took to research the tsb. The information you gave was just not very helpful to me. Thanks

frankl109 · December 2005

For the last few days everytime I shut off the engine and pull the key the radio continues to play. Sometimes it only lasts for a few seconds then quits but now it is taking longer to shut off. Is there a relay that may be hanging up? And if there is where might it be Thanks

poorcruzer · December 2005

Geez motha of Mary I thought my V65 Sabre was a big enough bike. The wild thing is that the two wheeled vehicle is worth more than the four wheeled vehicle. I would almost suspect that the two wheels uses more gas than the four wheels too. Ahhh! The rush of acceleration. Cool ride.

About the stalling. What I have experienced in the past is a build up of carbon around the butterfly flap. As the thottle is returned to idle the butterfly flap sticks and the carbon doesn't allow enough air around the flap to maintain idle. Usually happens as you come to a stop. Cleaning your throttle body with your injectors every 50,000kms or 30,000miles should be good maintainance.

arkainzeye · December 2005

strange enough even though the 2 wheeler is bigger than that 4 wheeler in engine size the 2 wheeler get on average 45mpg and has maxed at 54mph Funny the bike has more torque than the 4wheeler.. lol hell the rear tire is bigger than the tires on the 4wheeler.. lol 240/50/16 8)
but the 2wheeler cant touch the 4wheeler in SNOW!!!!

chris

okrafeet · December 2005

Frank,

I've been having the same problem lately. It's really wierd. My friend's Tahoe does that but it's an expensive car and supposed to do that.

But after spending $700 on...what was it called....compression sensor or something like that...I don't even care. I just turn it off and get on with my life. I think my Tracker is haunted anyway.

frankl109 · December 2005

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to mention that my Tracker is a 2003 2 liter 4 door.
It hasn't gotten any worse so I will live with it for awhile.
I also have an 04 Ford 350 that the radio stays on after the key is pulled but it shuts off after the door it cracked

poorcruzer · December 2005

To all those in Trackerland have a great holiday and remember to keep the rubber side down. May YOUR God keep you, and your family safe.

hankb3 · December 2005

FINALLY got the Tracker back from the dealer!! Came back as a bad relay. Don't know which one(they were never that specific).

arkainzeye · December 2005

what was the problem with it again? and how much was the fix?

chris">link title

captj · December 2005

I thought it was about time to replace the original Group 85 size battery in our 99 2-door/4WD/2.0/5 speed. As many on this forum probably already know, Group 85 is a relatively rare size, and has the terminal polarity configuration reversed from that of most other top post battery Groups. All of the vehicle battery guides I consulted said to use a Group 75/78 instead, smaller batteries used in many GM vehicles that would require side post adapters to use with the Tracker's original battery cables. My experience with Group 75 is that it usually has one of the lowest cranking power capacity ratings of all car batteries. A Group 24F is a common top post battery size that is a little over an inch longer and an inch taller than Group 85, but with the correct terminal polarity configuration and typically more power capacity than a comparable Group 75/78. I thought a Group 24F would fit, although the terminals would be an inch closer to the underside of the hood. When I went shopping, I found that Walmart had a DT-3N battery that had significantly more power than the Group 24F, and was a bit longer and wider than Group 85, but about the same height. It has both side terminals and top posts with the top posts along the centerline of the battery so it can be used for either terminal polarity configuration. It dropped in to our Tracker's original equipment battery tray perfectly, and fit all the original hold down equipment. I think I can recommend the DT-3N as a useable alternate battery choice for those who don't want to track down a Group 85 or settle for a Group 75.

woody72 · December 2005

I have a '01 2.0 manual 4dr 4wd that all of a sudden refuses to idle, at least some of the time. It starts fine, fast idles fine and when warm when it usually idles about 7-800 rpm it idles toward 0 and of course dies. No check engine light, it is inconsistent and I've kept up with all the filter, plugs and oil changes. Any help!

arkainzeye · December 2005

how many miles is on your tracker and what kinda mantance record do you have. when was the
1)sparkplugs checked or changed
2)fuel filter replaced
3) air filter check/replaced
4)pcv check/replaced

also recently i have learned that these trackers/vitara's are known for a idle problem. what helped me was i spray carb cleaner into the throttle body. i removed the black plastic tube that leads to the throttle body and sprayed alot of carb cleaner in there. I manually opened the butterfly to make sure i was getting it all cleaned. from what i read, the problems stems from a issue with carbon buildup and the butterfly not being able to completely close, "most noticable on cold days". what i also did was replaced the plugs and ran a bottle of SeaFoam in my gastank. and since then i have not had that idle that feels like its going to die any second..

inuvik · January 2006

Great Info, Thanks for the tip!

gomezy3k · January 2006

I just bought a 1998 Chevy Tracker soft top and need to do some minor work on it. It is in excellent condition, except for the windows which are so discolored they are almost an opaque yellow, and the white top is dirty and the zippers and velcro need work. Is there something I can use to clean the top and get the windows clear again? Any help will be appreciated...

bellyrole · January 2006

i bought my 1999 tracker with 83000 miles on it
the first problem i had was the gears would grind in second and third so i replaced the completet clutch and clutch fork.well come to find out it was the clutch fork that made every thing go bad when we got it apart the pivot rod punctured all the way through the fork this is why the gears would grind and ruin the throw out bearing.well two months later it did the same thing.clutch fork again.this time we took a dremmel tool and made the hole bigger around the fork on the outside of the tranny. that way you did not have to pull tranny.we took the fork and cut out the center and reinfoced with steel and a nut and drilled nut. now no problem with clutch except it ruined the throw out bearing again.when i get the time and money will pull tranny and change.i have read alot here about gear grinding when shifting. well theres your answer it is bad clutch forks.what happens is when the rod goes through the fork it puts extreme pressure on the bearing and causes it to put a groove on the bearing shaft.which that can be fixed with liquid steel and sanded.what makes me mad is that gm has to know about the forks,but why tell us when they can make alot of moneyon repairs.allso the rear bearings are a bad design i have had both sides go out.as for light flickering it is in the alternator bearings, i had the bearings replace for 30.00 if you get belt squeel it the alt bearings.this is on the non serpentine belt models

arkainzeye · January 2006

i remember when i was looking for my 99 tracker i wanted the stick, but after reading about all the trany problems with the 99's i went with the 4-speed auto. i thought there might have been a recall on that trany or something.?

chris

thehammer · January 2006

I too had a squeaking problem emminating from the same area and got progressively worse.

What I did was douse the center of the belt tensioner with WD-40 a few times to loosen the tensioner. The spring in it freezes up due to rust build-up from the weather or car washes. The noise went away immediately. Once I sprayed it enough and was confident it was working good, I packed the tensioner with bearing grease.

This will help tensioners last and perform longer.

As for the belt, always inspect both sides for hairline cracks and replace as soon as you notice some. It will save you from a breakdown or replacing your engine from overheating.

nicdb · January 2006

Hi Folks

Anyone experienced and chaffing/rubbing sounds coming from the front diff when the weather gets below 0?

poorcruzer · January 2006

My Sister in law just bought a 2005 Pontiac Montana SV-6 mini van. What a piece of crap, 8,000 Km's or 5,000 miles and she is already going through the G.M arbritration process. GOOD LUCK!

cob · January 2006

I have a 2004 LT v6 4x4 that is just about to the 15,000 mile scheduled maintanence mark. The book calls for changing the differential fluids and the transfer case. It is driven 80% highway and 20% city. Has anyone else had this service done so soon. I would think you could go 30,000 like the transmission before changing any fluids. Any input would be appreciated. So far only things done have been oil changes every 3,000 and tire rotations every 6,000 since the dealer does them for free. No problems and average 20-21 mpg whether in 2wd or 4wd doesn't seem to make a big difference.

inuvik · January 2006

I have a 2001 Tracker 2.0L 4cyl. I feel silly for asking this question but I didn't see the answer in any previous post. Since the Tracker doesn't use plug wires, what is the proper method in removing the wires to change the spark plugs? I see that there is one small bolt holding the assembly at each cylinder. Do I just take out the bolt and lift? I just don't want to break anything.

arkainzeye · January 2006

for changing the sparkplugs you use a 8mm socket or wrench and remove that bolt holding the coil packs to the valve cover. then you pull UP. i changed my plugs a few times.. the one plug under the crossover bar i had to use a swivel on my rachet in order too get that one plug out..

chris

lramseur · January 2006

The sticker on the center console that shows how to switch to and from 4 wheel drive is faded out to where it is unreadable. Where can I get a new sticker? I tried 1 Chevy dealer and he could not find it in his parts listings.

mhall1 · January 2006

I have a 97 Tracker with the same problem. Did you ever find out what the problem was? This has been going on for 2 months and now the engine light came on. Thanks Mike

inuvik · January 2006

Thanks for info! I figured it was that easy but you just never know sometimes.

alexf442 · January 2006

Im having a problem with the lights on my 1997 GEO Tracker. When Im driving during the daytime the Daylight Running Lights come on which is normal, but when I push the brake pedal the lights in the Radio dim like they do when I turn on the Headlights (but I have not turned them on) and the front and rear Hazard Lights come on. When I release the brake pedal the Radio lights and Hazard lights return to normal. I called the local Chevrolet Dealer Service Center Office and asked the Shop Foreman there what could be causing that problem and how could I correct it. He said that I must have a bad ground somewhere and the current is returning through the easiest path it can find and sometimes it is very difficult to find it. I have Multi-Meters and Continuity Testers that I can use to locate the bad ground. My questions are as follows:
1). Has anyone experienced this type of problem?
If so, how did you find and correct the problem?
2). Any suggestions on where to start and how to proceed?
3). Any Ideas, radical or not, would be greatly appreciated!

woody72 · January 2006

From another forum someone with a '95 said he had a similar problem and it turned out to be the fuel pressure regulator. I have only had it happen a couple of times now. I'm making sure all my basics are up to date; fuel filter, plugs, etc and I've added a gas dryer to the fuel to absorb any water in the system. Intermittant problems are the hardest to diagnose. Let me know what you have tried.

mhall1 · January 2006

I just tried throttle body spray cleaner and it seems to have done the job. It took alot of cranking to get it started but it hasn't died out yet. The engine sensor lite also just came on today (it's been dying out at idle only when warm for a month or so). I took it to AutoZone and they put their code reader on it and they said it came up a code 32 I think, o2 sensor. Unfortunately it has two of them I guess. I could disc the batt to clear it but would the light come back on if the o2 sensor is bad? Thanks, Mike

mhall1 · January 2006

I forgot to mention that for the last month I've had to crank the engine a while to get it started and maybe give it gas too (only when it is warm). It doesn't die now but it seems to have to be cranked a while to start. What could cause that? It has a new air cleaner, cap, rotor and new Irium plugs. It seems to start fine/easy when cold (I live in Chicago) Thanks, Mike

poorcruzer · January 2006

Since you have cleaned out your throttle body I am assuming you have fuel injectors not some sort of carburetor/fuel injection. You also don't state your mileage but have you had a professional clean your fuel injection system? Injectors will have deposits from gas build up on them, over time it interrupts the spray pattern and the amount of fuel and also fuel economy. If because of a bad spray pattern there is alot of unburnt fuel entering your exhaust it could cause the failure of your 02 sensor.

A bad 02 sensor will be sending the wrong info to the engine management computer causing a rich or lean mixture. They are not expensive parts to fix.

poorcruzer · January 2006

Hi I have an 03 rig and have done that maintainance. Go to page 57 and look for the Canadian flags for oil info and amounts. A couple things to mention The Amsoil oil is GL-1 to GL-5 compatible so it will work in your rig. If you do the work yourself which is very easy as Amsoil also sell a pump kit with it's oil, the rear axle will not take the full 2.3 liters as it seems no matter how you drain it some oil remains.

mhall1 · January 2006

My 97 Tracker has 75,000 miles. I've never had a problem with it before. No I've never had the injectors cleaned but I have ran fuel injector cleaner and SeaFoam thru it. Today I had it out and it again starts okay when cold but has to crank when warm. It also idles okay for a few minutes then dies out of no where. I thought maybe by running the throttle body cleaner thru several times it might have clogged the injectors and/or o2 sensor. The egr valve is down underneath on the right side. What does the egr modulator valve on top in the rear do and should it be replaced along with the egr valve.

trackermike · January 2006

I have a 2000 soft top and my rear window got slashed. I contacted bestop and they say there is no replacement rear window for that year. I don't want to replace the whole top unless I have to. Does anyone know where I can find one? I have searched the web and local junk yards with no success so far. :confuse:

arkainzeye · January 2006

the dealers replacement rear window for the soft top cost as much if not more than the entire soft top kit for the tracker.! i think i priced it at $400 for the rear window.

chris

trackermike · January 2006

Yeah, I think I am going to give up on the whole window..and go with the 2 piece hard top. Soon as I sell my other truck and have the cash

Mike

Chevy Tracker

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