
v.. 
. 
Here  you  can  learn  about  the  many 
standard  and  optional  features  on 
your  Oldsmobile.  and  information  on  starting.  shifting  and  braking 
. Also 
explained  are  the  instrument  panel and  the  warning  systems  that  tell  you 
if  everything  is  working  properly- 
and  what 
to do  if  you  have  a problem . 
Part 2 
Features & Controls 
Keys  46 
FrontDoors 
...................................................... 47 
Remote  Keyless  Entry 
.............................................. 49 
Sliding  Door  53 
Liftgate 
......................................................... 59 
Ignition 
......................................................... 60 
Starting  Your Engine 
............................................... 61 
Shifting  the  Transaxle 
.............................................. 65 
.......................................................... 
Locks ........................................................... 47 
..................................................... 
EngineBlockHeater ............................................... 63 
ParkingBrake 
.................................................... 68 
Shiftingintopark 
.................................................. 69 
Horn ........................................................... 72 
Windows 
........................................................ 73 
TiltSteeringWheel 
................................................ 73 
Turn  Signal 
and Lane  Change  Indicator ................................ 74 
CruiseControl .................................................... 75 
Headlights 
....................................................... 79 
Windshield  Wipers 
................................................ 82 
Windshield  Washer 
................................................ 83 
Mirrors 
......................................................... 92 
Glove 
Box and  Storage  Compartments ............................. .93,  95 
Luggagecarrier 
.................................................... 
Instrument  Panel .................................................. 101 
Warning  Lights,  Gages  and  Indicators 
................................. 104 
InteriorLights 
.................................................... 81 
I' 
45 
L 
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Features & Controls 
76 
Cruise Control (Cant.) I TO Set  Cruise  Control 
drive safely  at a steady  speed. 
So, don’t  use  your  cruise control 
on  winding  roads  or in  heavy 
traffic. 
Cruise  control  can  be  dangerow 
on slippery  roads.  On  such 
roads,  fast changes 
in tire 
traction  can  cause  needless  wheel  spinning,  and  you could  la 
I IA 
control.  Don’t  use  cruise con 
on  slippery  roads  If  you  leave  your 
cruise 
control  switch 
ON 
you’re  not  using  cruise, you might 
hit  a  button  and 
go into  cruise ;:$3 
when you don’t  want  to. You could$g 
be  startled  and  even  lose  control 
Keep  the  cruise control  switch 
OFF until you  want  to  use it 
2. Get  up  to  the  speed you want. 
I 
3. Push  in the SET button  at  the  end of 
4. Take  your  foot off the  accelerator 
the  lever  and  release 
it. 
pedal. 
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Your 
i 
Anti-Lock Brakes (CONE) 
This  light  on  the  instrument  panel  will 
go  on  when  you  start  your  vehicle. 
Your  anti-lock  brake  system  has 
a two- 
part  system  check: 
When  you  start  your  vehicle  and  begin 
to  drive  away  you  may  hear  a 
momentary  motor  or clicking  noise 
and  you  may  even  notice  that  your 
brake  pedal  moves  a  little while  this  is 
going  on.  This  is  the 
ABS system 
testing  itself.  (You  may 
also hear this 
noise if  you  leave  the  ignition  in the 
Run position  for  about  four  seconds 
before  starting  the  vehicle.) 
If you  have  your  foot on the  brake 
pedal,  this  check  won’t  happen  until 
the  vehicle  goes  about 
4 mph (6 Wh) 
or  until  you  take  your  foot off the 
brake  pedal. 
You’ll  also  hear  a  clicking  noise  the 
next  time  the vehicle  goes  about 
4 
mph (6 Wh). 
If there’s  a  problem  with  the  anti-lock 
brake  system,  the  anti-lock  brake  system 
warning  light  will  stay  on 
or flash.  See 
the 
Inda under Anti-Lock  Brake  System 
Warning  Light. 
Here’s  how  anti-lock  works.  Let’s  say 
the  road  is wet.  YOU’E  driving  safely. 
Suddenly 
an animal jumps  out in front 
You 
slam on  the  brakes.  Here’s  what 
happens  with 
ABS. 
A computer  senses  that  wheels are 
slowing  down.  The  computer  separately 
works  the  brakes  at each  front  wheel 
and  at the  rear  wheels. 
The  anti-lock  system  can  change  the 
brake  pressure  faster  than  any driver 
could.  The computer  is  programmed  to 
make  the  most  of  available tire and  road 
conditions. 
of you. 
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X3006 I 
You can steer  around the obstacle  while 
braking  hard. 
As you brake,  your 
computer  keeps  receiving  updates  on 
wheel  speed  and  controls braking 
pressure  accordingly. 
1 
‘t 
Anti-lock  doesn’t  change the 
time you  need to get  your  foot 
up 
to the  brake pedal. If you  get 
too close  to the  vehicle  in  front of 
you, you won’t  have  time to apply 
your  brakes  if  that  vehicle  suddenly  slows 
or stops.  Always  leave  enough 
room up  ahead to stop,  even though 
you  have  anti-lock brakes. 
To Use Anti-Lock: Don’t  pump  the 
brakes.  Just  hold  the brake  pedal down 
and  let anti-lock  work  for  you.  When 
you  start  your  vehicle  and  begin  to  drive 
away,  you  may  notice  that  your  brake 
pedal  moves  a little 
while this is going 
on. 
A brief  mechanical  noise  is normal. 
This is 
the ABS system  testing  itself. 
You also  may  hear  a clicking  noise  as 
you  accelerate after a  hard  stop. 
Disc  Brake  Wear  Indicators 
Your Oldsmobile  has  front disc brakes 
and  rear drum  brakes. Disc brake  pads 
have  built-in  wear  indicators  that  make  a 
high-pitched  warning  sound  when  the 
brake  pads are worn  and 
new pads  are 
needed. The  sound may come  and 
go or 
be  heard  all 
the time  your  vehicle  is 
moving  (except  when  you  are pushing 
on  the  brake  pedal  firmly). 
The  brake  wear  warning 
sound  means  that  sooner or 
later  your  brakes  won’t work  well 
That  could  lead  to  an accident. 
when  you hear  the  brake  wear 
serviced.  arning 
sound,  have  your  vehicle 
151 
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Your Driving and the Road 
Steering  Tips-Driving  on  Curves 
It’s important  to  take  curves  at  a 
reasonable  speed. 
A lot of the  “driver  lost  control’’ 
accidents  mentioned  on  the news  happen 
on  curves.  Here’s  why: 
Experienced  driver or beginner,  each  of 
us is subject  to  the same laws of physics 
when  driving 
on curves.  The traction  of 
the  tires  against  the  road  surface  makes 
it  possible  for  the  vehicle  to  change  its 
path  when  you  turn the front wheels. 
If 
there’s  no traction, inertia  will  keep  the 
vehicle  going  in  the  same  direction. 
If 
you’ve ever tried  to  steer  a  vehicle on 
wet ice,  you’ll  understand  this. 
The  traction  you can  get  in  a  curve 
depends 
on the  condition  of your  tires 
and  the  road  surface,  the  angle at which  the curve 
is banked,  and  your 
speed. 
While  you’re  in  a  curve,  speed  is  the 
one  factor  you  can  control. 
Suppose  you’re  steering  through  a  sharp 
curve.  Then 
you suddenly  accelerate. 
Those  two  control  systems-steering 
and  acceleration-can  overwhelm  those 
places  where 
the tires  meet  the road  and 
make  you  lose control. 
What  should  you do if this  ever 
happens?  Let  up  on the accelerator 
pedal,  steer the vehicle  the  way  you 
want  it  to  go,  and  slow  down. 
Speed  limit  signs  near  curves  warn  that 
you should  adjust  your  speed. Of 
course, the  posted  speeds  are based  on 
good  weather  and  road  conditions. 
Under  less  favorable  conditions  you’ll 
want  to  go  slower.  If  you  need  to 
reduce  your  speed  as you 
approach  a  curve, do it  before you enter 
the  curve,  while  your  front wheels  are 
straight  ahead. 
Try  to  adjust  your  speed 
so you  can 
“drive”  through 
the curve.  Maintain  a 
reasonable,  steady  speed. Wait to 
accelerate  until  you are out  of the  curve, 
and  then  accelerate  gently  into  the 
straightaway. 
When  you  drive into  a  curve  at  night, 
it’s  harder  to see the  road  ahead 
of you 
because  it  bends  away from the straight 
beams  of  your  lights.  This is one good 
reason 
to drive  slower. 
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On the Road 
Unless you are the only driver,  it is 
good  to  share the driving  task  with 
others.  Limit turns behind  the wheel  to 
about  100 miles 
(160 km) or two  hours 
at  a  sitting.  Then, either change  drivers 
or  stop  for some  refreshment  like coffee, 
tea  or 
soft drinks  and some limbering 
up.  But  do stop  and move  around.  Eat 
lightly  along  the way.  Heavier  meals 
tend  to  make  some people sleepy. 
On  two-lane  highways  or undivided 
multilane  highways  that  do not  have 
controlled  access, you’ll  want  to  watch 
for  some  situations  not  usually  found  on 
freeways.  Examples  are: stop signs  and 
signals,  shopping  centers with direct 
access  to the  highway,  no passing  zones 
and  school  zones,  vehicles  turning left 
and  right 
off the road, pedestrians, 
cyclists,  parked  vehicles,  and  even  animals. 
Highway  Hypnosis 
Is there  actually  such  a  condition  as 
“highway  hypnosis”?  Or is  it  just  plain 
falling  asleep at the  wheel?  Call  it 
highway  hypnosis,  lack 
of awareness, or 
whatever. 
There  is something  about  an easy  stretch 
of  road  with  the same scenery,  along 
with  the hum  of the  tires  on the road, 
the drone  of the engine,  and the rush 
of 
the wind  against  the vehicle  that  can 
make  you  sleepy.  Don’t  let 
it happen  to 
you!  If  it  does, your  vehicle  can  leave 
the  road  in 
less  than  a  second, and  you 
could crash  and  be injured. 
What  can you  do about  highway 
hypnosis?  First, be  aware  that  it can 
happen. 
Then here are some  tips: 
Make sure your  vehicle  is  well 
ventilated,  with  a  comfortably  cool  interior. 
Keep  your  eyes  moving.  Scan the road 
ahead  and  to  the sides.  Check  your 
rearview  mirrors frequently  and  your 
instruments  from  time 
to time.  This 
can  help 
you avoid  a  fixed  stare. 
Wear  good  sunglasses in bright light. 
Glare  can cause  drowsiness.  But  don’t 
wear  sunglasses  at night.  They  will 
drastically  reduce 
your overall  vision 
at the  very  time  you  need  all  the 
seeing  power  you  have. 
If you get  sleepy,  pull  off  the  road  into 
a  rest, service, 
or parking  area and 
take  a  nap,  get  some exercise,  or both. 
For  safety,  treat  drowsiness  on the 
highway  as an  emergency. 
As in any  driving situation,  keep  pace 
with  traffic  and  allow  adequate  following  distances. 
169 
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Towing a Tmiler 
I I If you  don’t  use  the  correct I 
L L equipment  and drive properly, 
you can  lose  control  when  you  pull 
a  trailer.  For  example,  if the  trailer 
is  too  heavy,  the  brakes  may  not 
work  well-or  even  at  all. You  and 
your  passengers  could  be seriously 
injured.  Pull  a  trailer  only 
if you 
have  followed  all  the  steps  in  this  section.  Your 
Oldsmobile  can  tow a  trailer.  To 
identify  what  the  vehicle  trailering 
capacity  is for  your  vehicle,  you should 
read  the  information  in 
Weight of the 
Trailer 
that  appears  later  in this  section. 
But  trailering 
is different  than  just 
driving  your  vehicle 
by itself.  Trailering 
means  changes 
in handling,  durability, 
and  fuel  economy.  Successful,  safe 
trailering  takes  correct equipment,  and 
it 
has  to be used  properly. 
That’s  the  reason  for 
this section, In it 
are many  time-tested,  important 
trailering  tips  and  safety  rules.  Many  of 
these  are important  for  your  safety  and 
that  of your  passengers. 
So please  read 
this section  carefully  before  you  pull  a 
trailer.  Load-pulling  components  such  as  the 
engine,  transaxle,  wheel  assemblies,  and 
tires 
are forced  to  work  harder  against 
the  drag  of the  added  weight.  The engine 
is  required  to  operate  at  relatively  higher 
speeds  and  under  greater  loads,  generating 
extra  heat.  What’s  more,  the  trailer adds 
considerably  to  wind  resistance,  increasing  the  pulling  requirements. 
All 
of that  means  changes  in: 
Handling 
Durability 
Fuel  economy 
177 
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Your Driving and the Road 
Driving  with a Trailer (CONT.) 
Backing  Up 
Hold  the  bottom of the  steering  wheel 
with  one  hand.  Then, to  move  the  trailer 
to  the  left,  just move  that  hand 
to the 
left.  To  move  the trailer  to the right, 
move  your  hand  to  the  right. Always 
back  up  slowly  and, if possible,  have 
someone  guide  you. 
Making  Turns 
When  you’re  turning  with  a trailer, 
make  wider 
turns than normal. Do this 
so your  trailer  won’t strike soft 
shoulders,  curbs,  road  signs,  trees, or 
other  objects.  Avoid jerky  or sudden 
maneuvers.  Signal  well  in advance. 
Turn  Signals  When  Towing  a  Trailer 
When  you  tow  a trailer,  your  vehicle  has 
to  have  a different 
turn signal  flasher 
and  extra  wiring.  The green  arrows  on 
your  instrument  panel  will  flash 
whenever  you  signal 
a turn or  lane 
change.  Properly  hooked  up,  the  trailer 
lights  will  also  flash,  telling  other 
drivers  you’re  about  to 
turn, change 
lanes  or stop. 
When  towing  a trailer,  the  green  arrows 
on  your  instrument  panel  will  flash  for 
turns even if the  bulbs  on  the  trailer  are 
burned  out. Thus,  you  may  think  drivers 
behind  you are seeing  your  signal  when 
they  are not.  It’s  important  to  check 
occasionally  to  be  sure the  trailer  bulbs 
are  still  working. 
Driving  On  Grades 
Reduce  speed  and  shift  to  a lower  gear 
before you start down  a long  or steep 
downgrade. 
If you  don’t shift down,  you 
might  have  to  use  your  brakes 
so much 
that  they  would  get  hot  and  no  longer 
work  well. 
On  a long  uphill  grade, 
shift down  and 
reduce  your  speed  to  around 
45 mph 
(70 Wh)  to  reduce  the  possibility of 
engine  and  transaxle  overheating. If 
your  vehicle  has  a 3800 V6 engine, you 
should  also  drive  in 
D instead of 
Overdrive  when  towing  a trailer  on 
fairly  level  roads.  This  will  help  your 
engine  and  transaxle  run  cooler  in 
this 
condition,  too. 
If  you  are towing  a trailer  that  weighs 
more 
than 1,000 pounds (454 kg),  and 
you  have  an  automatic  transaxle  with  Overdrive,  you  may  prefer  to  drive in 
D 
instead of Overdrive  (or,  as you  need to, 
a lower  gear). 
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