
Features & Controls 
60 
Liitgate  Ajar  Warning light (CONT.) New  Vehicle  “Break-In” 
It  can  be  dangerous  to dr’ A 
b with  the  liftgate open. Cam 
lllvnoxide 
(CO) gas  can  come in1 
your  vehicle. You can’t  see or 
smell 
CO. It  can  cause  uncon- 
sciousness  and  even  death. 
If  you  must  drive with 
tk lifti 
open: 
Make  sure all  window 
Turn  the  fan  on  your  heatinl 
cooling  system  to  its  high--* 
speed 
with the  setting on 
LEV (Bi-Level) or UPPER 
That  will  force  outside  air ir 
your  vehicle.  See 
the Index under I 
Comfort Controls. 
If you have  air vents  on or under 
the  instrument  panel,  open  the1 
all  the  way. 
I 
four modern Olasmobile  doesnt 
need 
an elaborate  “break-in.”  But 
it  will 
perform better  in the long 
run  if  you  follow  these  guidelines: 
Don’t  drive at any one speed- 
fast or slow-for the first 500 
miles (804 km). Don’t make full- I 
throttle starts. 
Avoid  making  hard stops for the 
first 
200 miles (322 km) or so. 
During this time your new brake 
linings  aren’t  yet  broken  in. Hard 
stops  with  new  linings  can mean 
I 
premature  wear and earlier 
I 
lgnition  Switch 
With  the  ignition key in the  ignition  switch, 
you can turn the switch  to  five  positions: 
Accessory: An  “on”  position  in  which 
you can  operate  your  electrical  power 
accessories. Press  in the  ignition  switch 
as  you  turn the  top of it  toward  you. 
Lock: The  only  position in which  you 
can  remove  the key.  This  locks  your 
steering  wheel, ignition  and  transaxle. 
Off: Unlocks the  steering  wheel, 
ignition,  and  transaxle,  but  does  not 
send  electrical  power  to  any  accessories. 
Use  this  position  if  your  vehicle  must  be 
pushed  or towed,  but  never  try to  push- 
start your vehicle. A warning  chime will 
sound  if 
you open  the  driver’s  door 
when  the ignition  is off  and  the  key is  in 
the  ignition. 
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Your 
i 
Anti-Lock Brakes (CONE) 
This  light  on  the  instrument  panel  will 
go  on  when  you  start  your  vehicle. 
Your  anti-lock  brake  system  has 
a two- 
part  system  check: 
When  you  start  your  vehicle  and  begin 
to  drive  away  you  may  hear  a 
momentary  motor  or clicking  noise 
and  you  may  even  notice  that  your 
brake  pedal  moves  a  little while  this  is 
going  on.  This  is  the 
ABS system 
testing  itself.  (You  may 
also hear this 
noise if  you  leave  the  ignition  in the 
Run position  for  about  four  seconds 
before  starting  the  vehicle.) 
If you  have  your  foot on the  brake 
pedal,  this  check  won’t  happen  until 
the  vehicle  goes  about 
4 mph (6 Wh) 
or  until  you  take  your  foot off the 
brake  pedal. 
You’ll  also  hear  a  clicking  noise  the 
next  time  the vehicle  goes  about 
4 
mph (6 Wh). 
If there’s  a  problem  with  the  anti-lock 
brake  system,  the  anti-lock  brake  system 
warning  light  will  stay  on 
or flash.  See 
the 
Inda under Anti-Lock  Brake  System 
Warning  Light. 
Here’s  how  anti-lock  works.  Let’s  say 
the  road  is wet.  YOU’E  driving  safely. 
Suddenly 
an animal jumps  out in front 
You 
slam on  the  brakes.  Here’s  what 
happens  with 
ABS. 
A computer  senses  that  wheels are 
slowing  down.  The  computer  separately 
works  the  brakes  at each  front  wheel 
and  at the  rear  wheels. 
The  anti-lock  system  can  change  the 
brake  pressure  faster  than  any driver 
could.  The computer  is  programmed  to 
make  the  most  of  available tire and  road 
conditions. 
of you. 
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YOUP Driving and the Road 
Ofi-Road Recovery 
You  may find  sometime  that  your  right 
wheels  have  dropped 
off the  edge of a 
road  onto  the  shoulder  while  you’re 
driving. 
If the  level  of the shoulder  is only 
slightly  below  the  pavement,  recovery 
should  be  fairly  easy.  Ease 
off the 
accelerator  and  then, 
if there is nothing 
in the  way, steer 
so that  your  vehicle 
straddles  the  edge 
of the  pavement.  You 
can  turn  the  steering  wheel  up to 
?4 turn 
until the  right  front  tire contacts  the 
pavement  edge.  Then 
turn your  steering 
wheel 
to go straight  down  the roadway. 
If the  shoulder  appears  to  be  about  four 
inches 
(100 mm) or  more  below  the 
pavement,  this  difference  can  cause 
problems. 
If there is  not  enough  room  to  pull  entirely  onto  the  shoulder  and  stop, 
then  follow  the  same  procedures.  But 
if 
the 
right  front  tire scrubs  against  the 
side  of the  pavement,  do 
not steer  more 
sharply. 
With too much  steering  angle, 
the  vehicle  may jump  back  onto  the  road 
with 
so much  steering  input  that it 
crosses  over  into  the oncoming  traffic 
behre  you  can  bring 
it back  under 
control.  Instead,  ease 
off again  on  the 
accelerator  and  steering  input, straddle 
the  pavement  once  more,  then 
try again. 
Passing 
The  driver of a  vehicle  about  to  pass 
another 
on a  two-lane  highway  waits  for 
just  the right  moment,  accelerates, 
moves  around  the  vehicle  ahead,  then 
goes  back  into  the right  lane again. 
A 
simple  maneuver? 
Not  necessarily!  Passing  another  vehicle 
on  a  two-lane  highway  is a  potentially 
dangerous  move,  since  the  passing 
vehicle  occupies  the  same  lane  as 
oncoming  traffic  for  several  seconds. 
A 
miscalculation,  an  error in judgment, or 
a  brief  surrender  to  frustration  or anger 
can  suddenly  put  the  passing  driver  face 
to face  with  the worst  of all traffic 
accidents-the  head-on  collision. 
So here are some  tips  for  passing: 
“Drive  ahead.” Look down the road, 
to 
the sides,  and  to  crossroads  for 
situations  that  might  affect  your 
passing  patterns. 
If you  have any doubt 
whatsoever  about  making 
a successful 
pass,  wait  for  a  better  time. 
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Sewice & Appearance Care 
250 
Buying New Tires 
To find  out  what  kind  and  size of tires 
you  need,  look  at  the Certification/Tire 
label. The  tires  installed  on your  vehicle 
when  it  was  new  had  a Tire Performance 
Criteria  Specification  (TPC Spec) 
number 
on each  tire’s  sidewall.  When 
you  get  new  tires, get ones  with  that 
same 
TPC Spec  number.  That way,  your 
vehicle  will  continue  to  have  tires that 
are  designed  to  give  proper endurance, 
handling,  speed  rating,  traction, ride 
and  other  things  during  normal  service 
on  your  vehicle. 
If your  tires  have  an  all- 
season  tread  design, the TPC  number 
will  be  followed  by a 
“MS” (for  mud 
and  snow). 
If 
you ever  replace  your  tires  with  those 
not  having  a 
TPC Spec  number,  make 
sure  they  are the  same  size,  load  range, 
speed  rating  and  construction  type  (bias, 
bias-belted  or radial) 
as your  original 
tires.  Mixing  tires  could 
cause 
you 
to  lose  control  while  driving. 
If  you  mix  tires of different  sizes 
or  types  (radial  and  bias-belted 
tires), the  vehicle may  not  handle 
properly,  and  you could  have a 
crash.  Be sure  to  use  the same  size 
and  type  tires  on  all  four  wheels. 
It’s  all  right 
to drive with your 
compact  spare, though. 
It was 
developed  for  use  on your  vehicle. 
Uniform  Tire  Quality 
Grading 
The  following  information  relates  to  the 
system  developed  by the  United  States 
National  Highway  Traffic  Safety 
Administration  which  grades  tires  by 
treadwear,  traction  and temperature 
performance.  (This applies  only  to 
vehicles  sold 
in the  United  States.) 
u 
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Replacing  Safety  Belts ............ 42 
Replacing  Tires 
................ 249 
Replacing  Windshield  Wipers 
..... 245 
Replacing  Wheels 
.............. 252 
Restraint,  Head 
................. 16 
Restraints.  Child ................ 35 
Roadside  Assistance 
............. 303 
RoadSigns 
.................... 140 
Color 
...................... 140 
Shape 
...................... 141 
Symbols 
.................... 142 
Traffic  Lights 
................ 142 
Your  Own  Signals 
............. 143 
Roads.  Hill  and  Mountain 
........ 170 
Rocking  Your  Vehicle ............ 213 
Rotation.  Tire 
.................. 249 
safety  Belts 
.................... 21 
Adults 
....................... 25 
Center  Passenger  Position 
....... 33 
Checking 
.................... 42 
Children 
................. .34,  40 
Child  Restraints 
............... 35 
Cleaning .................... 258 
Driver  Position 
............... 25  Extender 
..................... 42 
How  to  Wear 
................. 25 
Passenger  Belts 
................ 30 
Questions 
& Answers . .24,  27.  41.  43 
Lap-Shoulder  Belt 
............. 26 
Pregnancy,  Use  During 
.......... 29 
Rear  Safety  Belts 
.............. 30 
Reminder  Light 
............... 25 
Right  Front.  Adult  Passenger 
..... 30 
Replacement 
.................. 42 
Smaller  Children  and  Babies 
.... -34 
Top  Strap 
.................... 36 
Torn 
........................ 43 
Twisted ..................... -29 
Why  You  Should  Wear  Safety  Belts  21 
Safety  Belt  Extender 
............. 42 
Scheduled  Maintenance  Services ... 278 
Seat  Adjustment 
................. 14 
Seat  Belts  (see 
Safety Belts) 
Seat  Controls ................... 14 
Head  Restraint 
................ 16 
Manual  Front  Seat 
............. 14 
Manual  Reclining  Seatback 
...... 15 
Manual  Seat.  Four-Way .......... 14 
Power  Seat.  Six-Way 
............ 15 
Safety  Defects.  Reporting ......... 302  RearSea 
ts .................... 17 
Adjusting 
................... 19 
Removing 
.................. 18 
Replacing 
................. -20 
Third 
Row Entry ............. 17 
Reclining  Seatback 
............. 15 
“Service  Engine  Soon”  Light ...... 110 
Service  Information 
............. 216 
Service  Manuals  Order  Form 
..... 309 
Service 
Parts Identification 
Label 
...................... 263 
Service  Publications 
............. 304 
Service  Publications  Order 
Form ....................... 307 
Service  Station  Information 
....... 320 
Setting 
the Clock ............... 122 
Setting  the  Trip  Odometer 
........ 104 
Shifting  Into 
P (Park) ............. 69 
Shifting  the  Transaxle 
........... -65 
Six-Way  Power  Seat 
.............. 15 
Signaling  Turns ........ .74, 143,  182 
Signs,  Road 
................... 140 
Skidding 
...................... 158 
Sliding  Door ................... 53 
Snowstorm,  If  You’re 
Caught  in  a 
.................. 175 
317 
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