Page 82 of 323

Features & Controls
80
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system (headlamps, parking lamps, fog lamps,
side marker lamps and tail lamps) meets
all applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states ahd provinces
may apply their own lighting regulations
that may require special attention before
you operate these lamps. For example,
some jurisdictions may require that you
operate your lower beam lamps with fog
lamps at all times, or that headlamps be
turned on whenever you must use your
windshield wipers. In addition, most
jurisdictions prohibit driving solely with parking lamps, especially at dawn or
dusk. It is recommended that you check
with your own state or provincial
highway authority for applicable lighting
regulations.
Lights On Reminder
If you turn the ignition key to the Off or
Lock position while leaving the lights
on, you will hear a warning chime.
I
Headlight High-Low Beam
Changer
To change the headlights from high to
low beam, or low to high, simply pull
the turn signal lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, a blue
light on the instrument cluster also will
be on.
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The Instrument Panel- Your Information System
Your instrument panel is designed to let
you know at a glance how your vehicle
is running. You’ll know how fast you’re
going, how much fuel you’re using, and
many other things you’ll need to drive
safely and economically.
Refer to the accompanying diagram of
your instrument panel
to locate the
components listed below.
1. Side Vents
2. Light Controls
3. Turn SignaVHeadlight Beam Lever
4. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
5. Instrument Cluster
6. Gearshift Lever
7. WiperIWasher Controls
8. Center Vents
9. Storage Compartment
10. Side Vents
11. Circuit Breaker/Relay Panel
12. Glove Box/Fuse Panel
13. Audio System
14. Rear Fan Controls
15. Cup HolderdAshtray
1 6. Locking Storage Bin
17. Lighter
18. Interior Lights Override Switch
19. Climate Controls
20. Ignition Switch
21. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
22. Horn
23. Parking Brake Release
24. Hood Release
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Features & Controls
4 Znstrument Panel Cluster
Your cluster includes indicator warning lights and gages that are ex\
plained on the
following pages.
102
mm 18
\3
-20'
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Page 106 of 323

Features & Controls
Trip Odometer
The trip odometer can tell you how far
your vehicle has been driven since you
last set it to zero. To set it to zero, push
the reset button located above the fuel
gage.
and Indicators
This section decribes the warning lights
and gages that may be on your vehicle.
The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is wrong before it becomes
serious enough to cause an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention
to your warning lights and gages could also save you or others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may be
or is a problem with one
of your
vehicle’s functions.
As you will see in
the details on the next few pages, some warning lights come on briefly when
you turn the ignition key just to let you
know they’re working.
If you are
familiar with
this section, you should
not be alarmed when this happens. bages
can indicate when there may be
or is a problem with one of your
vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to
let you
know when there’s a problem with your
vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes
on and stays on when you are driving,
or when one
of the gages shows there
may be a problem, check the section
that tells you what to do about it. Please
follow the manual’s advice. Waiting to
do repairs can be costly-and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your
warning lights and gages. They’re a big
help.
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Po-
UNLEADED FUEL 0
0
U2238
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you about how
much fuel you have left, when the
ignition is on. When the gage first
indicates
E (Empty), you still have a
little fuel left, but you should get more
soon.
Here are four things that some owners
ask about. None of these show a
problem with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts
off before the gage reads
F (Full).
It takes a little more or less fuel to fill
up than the gage indicated. For
example, the gage may have indicated
the
tank was half full, but it actually
took a little more or less than half
the
tank’s capacity to fill the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn
a corner, brake or speed up.
The gage doesn’t go back to E when
you
turn off the ignition.
For your fuel
tank capacity, see Sewice
Station Information
on the last page of
this manual.
I u22391
Low Fuel Warning Light
When there is between 3 gallons
(1 1 liters) and .5 gallon (1.8 liters) of
fuel left
in the tank, the warning light
next to the fuel symbol will
go on.
This light will also come on when
you
turn on the ignition, but the engine is
not running, to show you it is working.
If it doesn’t come on as you start your
vehicle, have
it fixed right away.
105
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I
Features & Controls
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature. If the gage pointer moves
into the red area, your engine is too hot!
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
If you have been operating
your vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should pull off the road,
stop your vehicle and
turn off the engine
as soon as possible.
HOT COOLANT CAN BURN YOU
BADLY!
In Problems on the Road, this manual
shows what to do. See the
Index under
Engine Overheating.
Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake
system is divided into two parts. If one
part isn’t working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking,
though, you need both parts working
well.
If the warning light goes on, there
could be a brake problem. Have your
brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on as you start
the vehicle.
If it doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there’s a problem.
This light will
also come on when you
set your parking brake, and will stay on
if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking
brake is fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
I
If the light comes on while you’re
driving, pull off the road and stop
carefully. You may notice that the pedal
is harder to push. Or, the pedal may go
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop.
If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service.
(See the Index
under Towing Your Oldsrnobile.)
Your brake system may not be
h working properly if the brake
-kg light is on. Driving with
cllu ,,&e warning light on can lead
to
an accident. If the light is still
on after you’ve pulled off the road
and stopped carefully, have the
vehicle towed for service.
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning light
With anti-lock, this light will go on
when you
start your engine and may stay
on for three seconds or
so. That’s
normal.
If the light doesn’t come on,
have
it fixed so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light stays on or comes on when
you’re driving, stop
as soon as possible
and
turn the key off. Then start the engine
to reset the system.
If the light still stays
on, or comes on again while you’re
driving, your Oldsmobile needs service. Unless the regular brake system waming
light is
also on, you will still have brakes,
but not anti-lock brakes.
If the regular
brake system warning light
is also on,
see
Brake System Warning Light earlier
in this part.
If the anti-lock brake system warning
light ever flashes, your anti-lock
brake
system is still working but needs
service.
The anti-lock brake system warning
light
may also come on when you are
driving with a compact spare tire.
If this
happens, the light
means you won’t have
anti-lock until you replace
the compact
spare with a full-size tire.
If the warning
light stays on after you replace the
compact spare with
a full-size tire, or if
it comes on again when you’re driving,
your Oldsmobile needs service.
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Features & Controls
SLIDIP
GAT1
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
120 U2165
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
A computer monitors operation of your
fuel, ignition and emission controls
systems. This light should come
on
when the ignition is on but the engine is
not running, as a check to show you it is
working.
If it does not come on at all,
have it fixed right away.
If it stays on, or
it comes
on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that
you have a
problem.
You should take your vehicle
in for service
soon.
If you keep driving your vehicle
with this light
on, after awhile the
emission controls won’t work
as
well, your fuel economy won’t be
as good and your engine may not
run as smoothly. This could lead to
costly repairs not covered by you1
warranty.
Lifigate Ajar Warning light
The GATE AJAR light on your
instrument panel will come on if your
liftgate is not completely closed.
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