1993 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE tow

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.
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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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When the air conditioner compressor is
on, you may sometimes notice slight
changes in your vehicle’s engine
performance and power. This is normal,
because the system is designed to help
fuel economy while it maintains the
desired cooling level.
The air conditioner removes moisture
from the air,
so you may sometimes
notice water dripping from under your
vehicle when it is idling or after it has
been turned off. This is normal.
On very hot days, your vehicle will cool
down more quickly and economically if
you open the windows long enough to
let hot inside air escape. For all settings,
adjust the temperature control lever and
fan speed as desired.
Directional Controls
RECIRC (Recirculate): Press to get
maximum cooling or quick cool-down
on very hot days. This setting
recirculates much of the air inside your
vehicle.
It should not be used for long
periods
of time because the air may
become too cold and dry.
Slide the temperature control lever down
to the coolest setting and adjust the fan
speed as desired.
UPPER: For normal cooling on hot
days, press
A/C along with UPPER.
This setting cools outside air and directs
it through the instrument panel outlets.
Adjust the temperature of the air with
the temperature control lever.
BI-LEV (Bi-Level): This setting is
designed for use
on sunny days when
the air is only moderately warm or cool.
On days like these, the sun may
adequately warm your upper body, but
your lower body may not be warm
enough.
The
BI-LEV setting directs outside air
into your vehicle
in two ways. Cooler
air is directed toward your upper body
through the front instrument panel
outlets, while warmed air
is directed
through the heater ducts at your feet.
At
times this temperature difference may be
more apparent than others. For best
results, slide
the temperature control
lever to the middle position, and then
adjust for comfort.
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Your vehicle is equipped with side
window defogger vents located on the
top of the instrument panel. For
additional side window defogging, press
the
BI-LEV button and adjust the fan to
the highest speed.
Aim the side vents on
the instrument panel toward the side
windows. For increased air flow to the
side vents, close the center vents.
Rear Window Defogger (omoiv)
Press R. DEF (Rear Defog) to warm the
defogger grid on the rear window. The
indicator light will glow while the rear window defogger is operating. The rear
window defogger will turn
off
automatically after about 10 minutes. If
you turn it on again, the defogger will
operate for about five minutes only. You
can
also turn the defogger off by turning
off the ignition or pressing the switch
again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle
license across the defogger grid on the
rear window.
119
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Here you’ll find information about
driving on different kinds of roads
and in varying weather conditions
.
We’ve also included many other useful
tips on driving
.
Part
Your Driving and the Road
Roadsigns ...................................................... 140
Defensive Driving
................................................ 144
Drunken Driving
................................................. 145
Control
of a Vehicle ............................................... 147
Braking
....................................................... 148
Anti-LockBrakes
............................................... 149
SteeringTips
................................................... 154
Passing
....................................................... 156
DrivingatNight
.................................................. 159
Driving in the Rain
................................................ 161
Driving in Fog. Mist and Haze
...................................... 164
CityDriving
..................................................... 165
Freeway Driving
................................................. 166
Driving
a Long Distance ........................................... 168
HillandMountainRoads
........................................... 170
ParkingonHills
.................................................. 171
Winter Driving
................................................... 173
TowingaTrailer
.................................................. 177
Steering in Emergencies
.......................................... 155
139
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Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety
device in your Oldsmobile: Buckle up.
(See the
Index under Safety Belts.)
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers
are going to be careless and make
mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Expect children to dash
out from behind
parked cars, often followed by other
children. Expect occupants in parked
cars to open doors into traffic. Watch for
movement in parked cars-someone
may be about
to open a door. Expect
other drivers to run stop signs
when
you are on a through street. Be
ready to brake if necessary as you go
through intersections. You may not have
to use the brake, but if you do, you will
be ready.
If you’re driving through a shopping
center parking lot where there are well-
marked lanes, directional arrows, and
designated parking areas, expect some
drivers to ignore all these markings and
dash straight toward one part of the lot.
Pedestrians can be careless. Watch for
them. In general, you must give way to
pedestrians even if you know you have
the right of way.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following distance.
It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural
driving, You never know when the
vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or
turn suddenly.
Here’s a final bit of information about
defensive driving. The most dangerous
time for driving in the
U.S. is very early
on Sunday morning.
In fact, GM
Research studies show that the most and
the least dangerous times for driving,
every week, fall on the same day. That
day is Sunday. The most dangerous time
is Sunday from
3 a.m. to 4 a.m. The
safest time is Sunday from
10 a.m. to
11 a.m. Driving the same distance on a
Sunday at
3 a.m. isn’t just a little more
dangerous than it is at
10 a.m. It’s about
134 times more dangerous!
That leads
to the next section.
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If you are moving from an outside to a
center lane on a freeway having more
than two lanes, make sure another
vehicle isn’t about to move into the same spot. Look at the vehicles two lanes
over and watch for telltale signs:
turn
signals flashing, an increase in speed, or
moving toward the edge of the lane. Be
prepared
to delay your move.
Once you are moving on the freeway,
make certain you allow a reasonable
following distance. Expect
to move
slightly slower at night.
Leaving the Fkeeway
When you want to leave the freeway,
move to the proper lane well
in advance.
Dashing across lanes at the last minute
is dangerous.
If you miss your exit do
not, under any circumstances, stop and
back up. Drive on
to the next exit.
At each exit point is a deceleration lane.
Ideally it should be long enough for
you
to enter it at freeway speed (after
signaling, of course) and then do your
braking before moving onto the exit
ramp. Unfortunately, not
all deceleration
lanes are long enough-some are too
short for all the braking. Decide when
to start braking.
If you must brake on
the through lane, and if there is traffic
close behind you, you can allow a little extra time and flash your brake lights (in
addition to your
turn signal) as extra
warning that you are about
to slow
down and exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes
quite sharply. The exit speed is usually
posted. Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of
motion. After driving for any distance at
higher speeds, you may tend to
think
you are going slower than you actually
are. For example,
40 mph (65 km/h)
might seem like only 20 mph (30 km/h).
Obviously, this could lead to serious
trouble on a ramp designed for
20 mph
(30 Mh)!
I67
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Hi// and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep
country, or if you’re planning to visit
there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to
know is this: let
your engine do some of the slowing
down. Don’t make your brakes do it
all. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill. That way,
you will slow down without excessive
use
of your brakes.
GAU I IUN
If you don’t shift down, your
brakes could get
so hot that I
they wouldn’t work well. You
1 would then have poor braking or
even none going down a hill. You
1 could crash. Shift down to let your
engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
Coasting downhill in
N
C L (Neutral) or with the ignition
OII is dangerous. Your brakes will
have
to do all the work of slowing
down. They could get
so hot that
they wouldn’t work well. You
could crash. Always have your
engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you
go downhill.
I
Know how to go uphill. You may want
to shift down to a lower gear. The
lower gears help
cool your engine and
transaxle, and you can climb
the hill
better.
Stay in your own lane when driving on
two-lane roads in hills or mountains.
Don’t swing wide or cut across
the
center of the road. Drive at speeds that
let you stay
in your own lane. That
way, you won’t be surprised by
a
vehicle coming toward you in the
same lane.
It takes longer to pass another vehicle
when you’re going uphill. You’ll want
to leave extra room to pass. If a
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