Page 65 of 323
with the electronics in your
vehicle. If you add electrical parts
or accessories, you could change
the
way the fuel injection system
operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your dealer.
If you don't, your engine might not
perform properly.
If you ever have to have your
manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle.
See the Index under Towing Your
Oldsmbile.
vehicle towed, see the part of this
Driving Through Deep Standing
Water
engine's air intake and badly
'I
Engine Block Heater (oprlofv)
In very cold weather, 0" F (-18°C) or
colder, the engine block heater can help.
You'll get easier starting and better fuel
economy during engine warm-up.
To Use the Block Heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded
110-volt outlet.
63
ProCarManuals.com
Page 66 of 323
Features & Controls
Engine Block Heater (CONI)
ungrounded outlet could cause shock.
Also, the
wrong kind
of extension cord
could overheat and cause a fire.
You could be seriously injured.
Plug the cord into a properly
grounded three-prong 110-volt
outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use
a heavy-duty three-prong extension
cord rated for at least
15 amps. be
sure to store the cord as it was
before, to keep it away from
moving
engine parts. If you don’t, ~
it could be damaged.
How long should you keep the block
heater plugged in? The answer depends
on the weather, the kind of oil you have,
and some other things. Instead
of trying
to list everything here, we ask that you
contact an Oldsmobile dealer in the area
where you’ll be parking your vehicle.
The dealer can give you the best advice
for that particular area.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 67 of 323

Sh#ting the Automatic
Tranm.de
There are several different positions for
your shift lever.
In this manual, these
are referred
to by the commonly used
symbols
in the right column below:
Park P
Reverse R
Neutral
Overdrive
&
Drive D
Second 2
First 1
Park
P (Park): This locks your front wheels.
It's the best position to use when you
start your engine because your vehicle
can't move easily. It
is dangerous to get out of
A your vehicle if the-shift lever
1s not fully in P (Park) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your
vehicle can roll.
Don't leave your vehicle when the
engine is running unless you have
to.
If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle
won't move, when you're on fairly
level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
P (Park). See the Index
under Shifting Into P (Park). If you
are parking
on a hill, or if you're
pulling a trailer, also see the
Index
under Parking on Hills or Towing a
Trailer.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 68 of 323
Features & Controls
66
Reverse
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to
get out
of snow, ice or sand without
damaging your transaxle, see the
Index
under If You 're Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow.
Neutral
N (Neutral): In this position, your
engine doesn't connect with the wheels.
To restart when you're already moving,
use
N (Neutral) only. Also, use N when
your vehicle
is being towed.
A
Shifting out of P (Park) or
N (Neutral) while your engine
is "racing" (running at high speed'
is dangerous. Unless your foot
is
firmly on the brake pedal, your
vehicle could move
very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people
or objects. Don't shift out of
P (Park) or N (Neutral) while the
engine is racing.
~~
I;
: Damage to your transde.caused
by shifting out of P (Park) 0:
N (Neutral) with the engine racing
isn't covered
by your warranty.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 69 of 323

Fonvard Gears
(DI (Automatic Overdrive): If your
automatic transaxle has automatic
Overdrive, this position is for normal
driving.
If you need more power for
passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or
more, push the accelerator all the way
down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and
have more power. have
the
3.800 V6-engine and the
automatic Overdrive transaxle. If
your vehicle
is so equipped, and if
it seems to
start up rather slowly,
or if it seems not to shift gears as
you go faster, something may be
wrong with a transaxle system
sensor. If you drive very far that
way, your vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have your vehicle
serviced right away. Until then,
you can use
2 (Second Gear) when
you are driving less than
35 mph
(56 km/h) and (Overdrive) for
higher speeds? . --~ :~~~ - ~ , ~~. =-== ~~ ~=~ ~ .=- .~ ~..~ ..~... .~.= ~~ . .. .. .. ..
D (Third Gear): If your automatic
transaxle does not have Overdrive, this
position is for normal driving, at all
speeds, in most street and highway
situations.
If your automatic transaxle has
Overdrive,
D is like , but
you never go into Overdrive. Here are
some times you might choose
D instead
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less
When going down a steep hill.
2 (Second Gear): This position gives
you more power but lower fuel
economy. You can use
2 on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but
then you
would also want to use your brakes off
and on.
ofH:
shifting between gears.
67
ProCarManuals.com
Page 70 of 323

Features & Controls
68
more than 5 miles (8 km), or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 km/h), or
you
can damage your transaxle. Use
: D (m or D if your vehicle has
Overdrive) as much
as possible.
Don’t shift into
2 unless you are
going slower than 65 mph
(105 km/h), or you can damage
your engine.
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on very
steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If
the selector lever is put in 1, the
transaxle won’t shift into first gear until
the vehicle is going slowly enough.
If your front wheels can’t rotate,
don’t try
to drive. This might
happen if you were stuck in very
deep sand or mud or were up
against a solid object.
You could
damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going
uphill, don’t hold your vehicle
there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and
damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes or shift into
P (Park) to
hold your vehicle
in position on a
hill.
Parking Brake
To Set the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with
your right
foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
If the
ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come on. See the
Index under
Brake System Warning Light.
ProCarManuals.com
Page 71 of 323

To Release the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down. Pull
the BRAKE RELEASE lever.
Driving with the parking brake
on
can cause your rear brakes to
overheat. You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage
i other parts of your vehicle. .. , m
If You are on a Hill:
See the Index under Parking on Hills.
That section shows how to turn your
front wheels.
If You are Towing a Trailer and are
Parking on Any Hill:
See the Index under Towing a Trailer.
That section shows what to do first to
keep the trailer
from moving.
Shiithg Into P (Park)
1
A
It is dangerous to get out 01
your vehicle if the shift lever
is not fully in
P (Park) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your
vehicle can roll. If you have left
engine running, the vehicle can
move suddenly. You or others
could be injured.
To be sure your
vehicle won't move, when you're
on fairly level ground, use the
steps that follow.
If you are parking
on a hill,
or if you're pulling a
trailer, also see the Index under
Parking on Hills or Towing a
Trailer.
I
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your
right
foot and set the parhng brake.
69
ProCarManuals.com
Page 72 of 323
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
ProCarManuals.com