
Features & Controls
62
Starting Your Engine (CONT.)
1. Don’t push the accelerator pedal
before starting your engine. In some
other vehicles you might need to do
this, but because of your vehicle’s
computer systems,
you don’t.
~
~
Holding your key in Start for
longer. than 15 seconds at a til
will cause your battery to be
draified much
sooner. And the : .~
excessive heat can damage your :-
starter motor.
~.
2. Turn your ignition key to Start.
When the engine starts, let go of the
key. The idle speed will go down as
your engine gets warm.
3.1 Liter V6 (Code D) Engine:
3. If it doesn’t start right away, hold
your key in
Start. If it doesn’t start in
three seconds (or starts but then
stops), push the accelerator pedal
about one-quarter of the way down
for
12 more seconds, or until it starts.
4. If your engine still won’t start (or
starts but then stops), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline. Try
this:
Wait
15 seconds to let the starter
motor cool down. Then push your
accelerator pedal all the way
to the 1
floor. Hold it there. Then hold the
key in
Start. This clears the extra
gasoline from the engine. When
the
engine starts, let go of the key and
the accelerator pedal. If the engine
still doesn’t start, wait another
15
seconds and do step 4 again.
3800 V6 (Code L) Engine:
3. If it doesn’t start right away, hold
your key in
Start for about three
seconds at a time until your engine
starts. Wait about
15 seconds between
each try to help avoid draining your
battery.
4. If your engine still won’t start (or
starts but then stops), it could be
flooded with too much gasoline. Try
pushing your accelerator pedal
all the
way to the floor and holding it there
as you hold the key in
Start for about
three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again, do the
same thing, but this time keep the
pedal down for five
or six seconds.
This clears the extra gasoline from
the engine. After waiting about
15
seconds, repeat the normal starting
procedure.
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Features & Controls
I
Shifting Info P (Park) (CONI)
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Move the lever up as far as it will go. Engine Running
3. Move the ignition key to Lock.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. I
If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in yc
hand, your vehicle
is in P (Park).
1 CAUTION
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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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Locking Storage Bin
At the base of the center instrument
panel console
is a storage bin. Use the
door key to lock and unlock it. To open
the bin, pinch the latch release.
To remove the bin for cleaning, open
it ' part way, then pull out and slightly up.
1 To clean the inside of the bin, vacuum
or wipe with a slightly damp cloth.
I
To replace the bin, set the hinge pins
(one on each side of the bin, at the
bottom) into the hinge guides (one at
each side
of the console opening, at the
base), then close the
bin. If the hinge
pins
are placed properly in the guides,
the bin
will close easily.
Rear Storage Compartment and
Ashtray
The rear ashtray is located in the rear
storage compartment.
To open the ashtray, press one side and
turn it open.
To remove the ashtray for cleaning,
press the snuffer as you lift up the
bottom
of the ashtray.
95
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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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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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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is a national
tragedy. It’s the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming
thousands of victims every year.
Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
Vision
Police records show that half of all
motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol-a driver, a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking.
In most cases, these
deaths
are the result of someone who
was drinking and driving. Over 25,000
motor vehicle-related deaths occur each
year because
of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured. Just how much alcohol is too much if a
person plans to drive? Ideally, no one
should drink alcohol and then drive. But
if one does, then what’s “too much”? It
can be a lot less than many might think.
Although
it depends on each person and
situation, here is some general
information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol. According
to the
American Medical
Association, a 180-pound
(82 kg) person
who drinks three 12-ounce (355
ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up
with a BAC of about
0.06 percent. The
person would reach the same BAC
by
drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks
if each
had 1% ounces (45
ml) of a liquor like
whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts.
For example, if the same person drank
three double martinis (3 ounces or
90 ml of liquor each) within an hour,
the person’s BAC would be close to
0.12 percent.
A person who consumes
food just before or during drinking will
have a slightly lower
BAC level.
145
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Problems on the Road
I
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They
also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking. Your
hazard warning flashers switch is
on the steering column below the
ignition switch. Press the button in to
make your front and rear turn signal
lights flash on and off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key is in, and
even if the key isn’t in.
L
To turn off the flashers, pull out on the
collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.
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