Page 109 of 323
Driving your vehicle with low oil
pressure can cause extensive engine
damage. Have your vehicle serviced
immediately.
CAUTION
Don't keep driving if the oil
I. pressure is low. If you do,
your engine can become so hot that
it catches fire. You or others could
be burned. Check your oil as soon
as possible and have your vehicle
serviced.
I Voltmeter
Your charging system gage will show the
rate
of charge when the engine is
warning zones indicate the normal
operating range. Readings in either red
zone indicate a possible problem with
your charging system. Have your
Oldsmobile serviced immediately.
When
the engine is not running but the
ignition is on (in the
Run position), the
display measures the voltage output
of
your battery.
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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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Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
114
Climate Control System
Your vehicle’s heater and air conditioner
work best
if you keep your windows
closed. Your vehicle also has
flow-
through ventilation, described later in
this section, to bring outside air into
your vehicle.
If you have the optional engine block
heater and use it during cold weather,
0°F (-18°C) or lower, your heating
system will more quickly provide heat
because the engine coolant is already
warmed. See the
Index under Engine
Block Heater.
OFF Press to turn the system off. Press
any climate control setting to turn the
system
on.
3f : Slide the lever to the right to
increase fan speed, to the left to
decrease fan speed.
Temperature Control Lever: Slide the
lever to the right for warmer, heated air;
slide it to the left for cooled air.
Air Conditioner
When the temperature outside is above
freezing, the air conditioner compressor
will automatically condition the air
when you press
RECIRC (the AIC
indicator light will glow), DEFOG or
DEF (the A/C indicator light will not
Press
A/C (the A/C indicator light will
glow) to condition the
air when you
press
UPPER, BI-LEV or LOWER.
To turn off the air conditioner
compressor in these settings, press
A/C
again (the indicator light will go off).
Each time you turn on the ignition, the
air conditioner will default to the setting
you had selected before last turning off
the ignition. glow).
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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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,zz"Riding" the brakes wears them
,%out much faster. You would neec
costly brake replacement much
' . ,sooner than normal, ant : also
;:reduces fuel economy.
If you keep pace with the traffic and
allow realistic following distances, you
will eliminate a lot
of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're
driving, brake normally but don't
pump your brakes.
If you do, the pedal
may get harder to push down. If your
engine stops, you will still have some
power brake assist. But you will use it
when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to
stop and the brake pedal will be
harder to push.
I
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Oldsmobile has an advanced
electronic braking system that will help
prevent skidding.
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Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a brake stop, your
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely
make a moderate or heavier stop, then
your brakes might not adjust correctly.
If you drive in that way, then-very
carefully-make a few moderate brake
stops about every
1,000 miles (1 600 km),
so your brakes will adjust properly.
Braking In Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when
you need to. With anti-lock, you can
steer and brake at the same time.
In
many emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best
braking.
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because
the engine stops or the system fails to
function, you can steer but it will take
much more effort.
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