1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE mirror

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
ProCarManuals.com

Features & Controls
92
I
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lights behind you,
pull the lever toward
you to the night
position.
Convex Outside Mirror
Your right side mirror is convex. A
convex mirror's surface is curved so you
can see more from the driver's seat.
CAUTION
A
If you aren't used to a convex
mirror, you can hit another
vehicle.
A convex mirror can makL
things (like other vehicles)
look
farther away than they really are- If
you cut too sharply into the rig1
lane, you could
hit a vehicle on
your right. Check your inside
mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes
Power Remote Control Mirrors
The control on the driver's door controls
both outside rearview mirrors. Turn the
control to the left to select the driver
side rearview mirror, or to the right
to
select the passenger side rearview
mirror. Then use the control
to adjust
each mirror
so that you can just see the
side of your vehicle when
you are sitting
in a comfortable driving position.
Both outside mirrors can be folded
forward or rearward.
In the rearward
position, they will fold flush with the
vehicle. This feature is particularly
useful in automatic car washes and
when maneuvering your vehicle in
narrow spaces.
ProCarManuals.com

I
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down
the visors.
You can also remove them
from the center mount and swing them
to the side.
If the visors swing too
easily, tighten the screw on the rear
of
the visors.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Slide the cover to expose the vanity
mirror.
Glove BoxtStorage Compattment
Your vehicle has a storage compartment
on top of the dash and a glove box
below
it.
To open the storage compartment, push
in the latch release, then lift the lid.
93
ProCarManuals.com

Watch for traffic signs, pavement
markings, and lines.
If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
pass.
A broken center line usually
indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty
of approaching
traffic.
vehicle you want to pass isn’t aware of
your presence, tap the horn a couple
of times before passing.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you
want to pass while you’re awaiting an
opportunity. For one thing, following
too closely reduces your area of
vision, especially if you’re following a
larger vehicle. Also, you won’t have
adequate space if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
If you suspect that the driver of the
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too
close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as
the time comes to
move into the other lane. If the way is
clear to pass,
you will have a “running
start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping
back. And
if something happens to
cause you
to cancel your pass, you
need only slow down and drop back
again and wait for another opportunity.
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out
to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember
to glance over
your shoulder and check the blind
spot.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
Check your mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of the
right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to
see its front in your inside mirror,
activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside
mirror
is convex. The vehicle you just
passed may seem to be farther away
from you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads.
Reconsider before passing the
next
vehicle.
vehicle too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing,
it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy
for the following driver to get ahead
of
you. Perhaps you can ease a little to
the right.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
157
ProCarManuals.com

a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide. You may
not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn
to
recognize warning clues-such as
enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored
surface”-and slow down when
you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking
system
(ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid. Steer the way you want to
go.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason
is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired-by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively. Remember, this is
the most dangerous time.
Don’t drink and drive. (See the Index
under Drunken Driving for more on
this problem.)
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between
you and other vehicles.
It’s hard to tell how fast the vehicle
ahead is going just by looking at its
taillights.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
up only
so much road ahead.
Slow down, especially on higher
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
159
ProCarManuals.com

Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase.
A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as
much light
to see the same thing at night
as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also
affect your night vision. For example,
if
you spend the day in bright sunshine you
are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night.
But if you're driving, don't wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot of things invisible that should
remain visible-such as parked cars,
obstacles, pedestrians, or even trains
blocking railway crossings. You may
want to put on your sunglasses after you
have pulled into a brightly-lighted
service or refreshment area. Eyes shielded from that glare
may adjust
more quickly to darkness back on the
road. But be sure to remove your
sunglasses before you leave the service
area.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights. It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for your
eyes to readjust to the dark. When you
are faced with severe glare (as
from a
driver who doesn't lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed
headlights), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching
lights. If there is a line of opposing
traffic, make occasional glances over the
line of headlights to make certain that
one of the vehicles isn't starting to move
into your lane. Once you are past the
bright lights, give your eyes the to
readjust before resuming speed.
High Beams
If the vehicle approaching you has its
high beams on, signal by flicking yours
to
high and then back to low beam. This
is the usual signal to lower the headlight
beams. If the other driver still doesn't
lower the beams, resist the temptation to
put your high beams on. This only
makes two half-blinded drivers.
On a freeway, use your high beams only
in remote areas where you won't impair
approaching drivers.
In some places,
like cities, using high beams is illegal.
When you follow another vehicle on a
freeway or highway, use low beams.
True, most vehicles now have day-night
mirrors that enable the driver to reduce
glare. But outside mirrors are not
of this
type and high beams from behind can
bother the driver ahead.
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
166
Freeway Drivjng
Mile for mile, freeways (also called
thruways, parkways, expressways,
turnpikes,
or superhighways) are the
safest
of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice
on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same speed
most
sf the other drivers are driving.
Too-fast or too-slow driving breaks a smooth traffic
flow. Treat the left lane
on
a freeway as a passing lane.
Entering the Freeway
At the entrance there is usually a ramp
that leads
to the freeway. If you have a
clear view
of the freeway as you drive
along the entrance ramp, you should
begin to check traffic. Try
to determine
where you expect to blend with the flow.
If traffic is light, you may have
no
problem. But if it is heav, find a gap as
you move along the entering lane and
time your approach. Try
to merge into
the gap
at close to the prevailing speed.
Switch on your turn signal, check your
rearview mirrors as you move along,
and glance over your shoulder as often
as necessary. Try to blend smoothly
with the traffic flow.
Driving on the Freeway
Once you are on the freeway, adjust
your speed to the posted limit
or to the
prevailing rate
if it’s slower. Stay in the
right lane unless you want to pass.
If
you are on a two-lane freeway, treat the
right lane
as the slow lane and the left
lane as the passing lane.
If you are on a three-lane fieeway, treat
the right lane
as the slower-speed
through lane, the middle lane as the
higher-speed through
lane, and the left
lane
as the passing lane.
Before changing lanes, check your
rearview
mirrors. Then use your turn
signal. Just before you leave the lane,
glance quickly over your shoulder to
make sure there isn’t another vehicle
in
your “blind” spot.
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com