
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into
P (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You may find it difficult
to pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
This is called “torque lock.” To prevent
torque lock, always be sure
to shift into
P (Park) properly before you leave the
driver’s seat. To find out how, see the
Index under Shifting Into P (Park).
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of P (Park) before you
release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need
to have another vehicle push yours a
little uphill to take some of the pressure
from the transaxle,
so you can pull the
shift lever out of
P (Park).
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Oldsmobile in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant
mix is correct.
* Snow tires can help in loose snow, but
they may give you less traction on ice
than regular tires.
If you do not expect
to be driving in deep snow, but may
have to travel over ice, you may not
want
to switch to snow tires at all.
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include
an ice scraper, a small brush
or broom,
a supply of windshield
washer fluid, a rag,
some winter outer
clothing, a small shovel, a flashlight,
a
red cloth, and a couple of reflective
warning triangles. And,
if you will be
driving under severe conditions,
include a small bag
of sand, a piece of
old carpet or a couple of burlap bags
to help provide traction. Be sure you
properly secure these items
in your
vehicle.
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1 Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get
to
know your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and
not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes,
start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
If you have a rear-most
window open and you pull a
mler with your‘vehicle, carbon
monoxide (CO) could come into
your vehicle. You can’t see or
smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness or death (see the
Inh under Engine Exhausb). To I
maximize your safety when towing
a trailer:
@ Have your exhaust system
inspected for leaks, and Make
necessary yirs before starting
on your trip.
closed.
If exhaust does corne into your
vehicle through a window in the
fear or another opening, drive
with your front, main heating or
cmling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This WU bring
fresh, outside air into your
vehicle.
Do not use RECIRC
because it only recirculates the
air imide ywr vehick, See the
Index under Comfort &m&.
e KWP the =-most windows
During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
0
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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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Problems on the Road
i
I
I
I
I88
Jump Starting (CONT.)
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each other.
If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start your
Oldsmobile, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured
if the
L vehicles roll. Set the parking
brake
firmly on each vehicle. Put
an automatic transaxle in
P (Park)
or a manual transaxle
in N (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles.
Turn off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios.
This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
4. Open the hoods and locate the
batteries.
r An electric fan can start up
even when the engine is not
I
I uming and can injure you. Keep
hands, clothing and tools away
from any underhood electric fan.
Find the positive
(+) and negative
(-) terminals on each battery.
ProCarManuals.com

Problems on the Road
Compact Spare Tire
Although the compact spare was fully
inflated when your vehicle was new, it
can lose air after a time. Check the
inflation pressure regularly. It should
be
60 psi (420 Pa). The compact spare is
made to go up to
3,000 miles (5 000 km),
so you can finish your trip and have
your full-size tire repaired or replaced
where you want.
Of course, it’s best to
replace your spare with a full-size tire as
soon as you can. Your spare will last
longer and be
in good shape in case you
need it again.
Your anti-lock brake system warning
light may come on when you are driving
with a compact spare. See the
Index
under Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light.
Don’t use your compact spare on some
Don’t take your compact spare other vehicle.
through an automatic car wash
with guide rails. The compact
spare can get caught on the rails.
That can damage the tire and
wheel, and maybe other parts
of
your vehicle. And don’t
mix your compact
spare or
wheel with other wheels
or tires. They
won’t fit. Keep your spare
and its wheel
together.
ProCarManuals.com

A
If you have too much brake
fluid, it can spill on the
engine. The fluid will burn if the
engine is hot enough. You OT
others could be burned, and your
vehicle could be damaged. Add
brake fluid only when work is
done on the brake hydraulic
system.
When your brake fluid falls to a low
level, your brake warning light will
come on. See the
Index under Brake
System Warning Light.
What to Add:
When you do need brake fluid, use only
DOT-3 brake fluid-such as Delco
Supreme
ll@ (GM Part No. 1052535).
Use new brake fluid from a sealed
container
only.
I
image your vehicle. Don’t use it
wrong kind of fluid.
FOI
Don’t let someone put in the
xample, just a few drops
c
mineral-based oil, such as en€
oil,
in your brake system can
damage brake system parts
so
badly that they’ll have to be replaced.
be careful not to spill
hr fluid-:
Brake fluid can damage -int,
ProCarManuals.com

Used Replacement Wheels Tire Chains
Using the wrong replacement
b wheels, wheel bolts, or wheel
nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous. It could affect the
braking and handling
of your
vehicle, make your tires lose air
and make you lose control. You
could have a collision in which you
)r others could be injured. Always
lse the correct wheel, wheel bolts,
1 and wheel nuts for replacement.
IL
The wrong wheel can also cause
problems with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer/odometer
calibration, headlight aim, bumper
height,
vehicle ground clearance,
adtire
or tire chain clearance to
.the-body
.~ and chassis,;f,;,ir, ~ ~~~ .. .~. ..~ = ~ ~=.=.=~~~~ ... ~~
Putting a used wheel on your
vehicle is dangerous. You
can t
know how it’s been used or
how many miles it’s been driven. It
-ould fail suddenly and cause an
,ccident. If
you have to replace a
wheel, use
a new GM original
equipment wheel.
e
Use tire chains only when y
must. Use only SAE Class ‘23’’
type chains that are the proper size
for your tires. Install them on the
front tires and tighten them as
tightly as possible with the ends
securely fastened. Drive slowly
and follow the chain manu-
facturer’s instructions. If
you can
hear the chains contacting your
vehicle, stop and retighten them.
If
the contact continues, slow down
until it stops. Driving too fast with chains on will damage your
vehicle.
:l I ’
I
. .. ..
253
ProCarManuals.com

t
Fuse Pane/ (3.1L V6 ENGINE)
Position Rating
(AMP.)
CTSY ELC
HORN
STOP
HA2
15
20
15
15
F PUMP 10
AUX 20
TAIL 15
ECM
TURN B/U
GAGE
LPS
ABS
RD02
R/WIPER F/WIPER
IGN
HTR A/C
RR BLWR
10
15
7.5
7.5
3
15
20
25
15
25
25
Circuitry
Dome Lamps, Courtesy Lamps, Power Door Lock Switches, Glove
Box Lamp, Power Mirrors, Power Sliding Delay Lock Module
Auto Level Control, Underhood Lamp
Horns. Horn Relay, Safety Belt Buzzer
Front/Rear Turn Lamps, Front Side Marker Lamps, Rear Stop
Lamps, Instrument Cluster Turn Indicator Lamps, Cruise Brake
Switch
Fuel Pump, Oil Pressure Sender/Fuel Pump Switch
Radio, Front Cigar Lighter, Accessory Power Outlet
Front Park Lamps. Rear Tail Lamps, Front Side Marker Lamps,
License Plate Lamp, Radio, Heat/Vent/AC Control Head, Power
Sliding Door
Throttle Body Fuel Injection, Fuel Pump Relay, Elec. Vac. Reg. Valve,
Elec. Control Module, Elec. Spark Control Module
Front/Redr Turn Lamps, Front Side Marker Lamps, Cluster Turn
Telltale, Back-up Lamps, Fog Lamps
Cluster, Anti-Lock Brake System Lamp Module, Elec. Level Control
Sensor
Cluster, Radio, Wiper Switch, Headlamp Switch, Rear Blower
Switch, Heat/Vent/AC Control Head, Door Switch Illumination.
Front/Rear Ashtray Illumination Bulbs
Anti-Lock Brake System Radio
Rear WipedWasher Motors; Overhead Console Compass
Front Wiper/Washer Motor
A/C Compressor, A/C Solenoid Box, Compressor Relay, Temp. Door
Motor, Low Blower Relay; Heat/Vent/AC Control Head; Cruise
Module; Cooling Fan Relay; Rear Defogger Relay; Key Chime;
Vehicle Speed Sensor Buffer and Generator Charge Discrete,
Transaxle Converter Clutch Switch Front/Rear Blower Motors, High Blower Relay
Rear Blower, Rear Heat/Vent/AC
265
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