How to Use this Manual
MANY PEOPLE READ THEIR OWNER t’S
manual from beginning to end when
they first receive their new vehicle.
This
will help you learn about the
features and controls for
your vehicle.
In this manual, you’ll find that
pictures and words work together
to explain things quickly.
There are nine
parts with color-tabbed
pages to help you find each of the
parts of this manual. Each part begins
with a brief list of contents,
so you
can usually tell at
a glance if that part
contains the information you want.
YOU can bend the manual slightly to
reveal the color tabs that
help you
find
a part.
Part 1: Seats & Sa fety Belts
This part tells
you how to use your
seats and safety belts properly.
Part 2: Features & Controls
This part explains how to start and
operate your Oldsmobile.
Part 3: Comfort Controls & Audio Systems
This part tells you how to adjust the
ventilation and comfort controls and
how to operate your audio system.
Part 4: Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information
and tips about the road and how
to
drive under different conditions.
Part 5: Problems on the Road
This part tells you what to do if you
have
a problem while driving, such as
a flat tire or engine overheating.
6
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Features & Controls
94
Glove Bo&forage Compattmenf
(CONT.)
To open the glove box, pinch the latch
release.
The fuse panel is located inside the
glove box door. See the
Index under
Fuses & Circuit Breakers.
Cup Ho/ders/Ashfmy/ligh@r I I 1 NOTICE Two cup holders, an ashtray and a
lighter are located in the center
instrument panel console.
The
foam cup holder liners can be
removed for cleaning. Should the liners away
from the heating element
ever become damaged, see your dealer when it’s ready. That can make
for replacements. overheat, damaging the lighter and
To use the ashtray, lift the
lid.
To remove the ashtray for cleaning,
close the lid, then grasp the rear edge of
the ashtray with your fingertips and pull
up and out, in a rocking motion.
To use the lighter, push it in all the way
and let go. When it’s ready, it
will pop
back by itself.
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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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' A It can be dangerous to drive
monoxide
(CO) gas can come into
your vehicle. You can't
see or
smell CO. It can cause uncon-
sciousness and even
death.
If you must drive with the liftgate
open:
Make sure all windows are shut.
* Turn the fan on your heating or
cooling system to its highest
speed with the setting on BI-
LEV (Bi-Level) or UPPER.
That will force outside air into
your vehicle.
See the Index under
Comfort Controls.
If you have air vents on or under
the instrument panel, open them
all
the way.
SLIDING DOOR
GATE AJAR
-
I U2173
Sliding Door Ajar Warning Light
With the optional power sliding door,
the SLIDING DOOR light on your
instrument panel will come on if your
sliding door 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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1 Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting out
for the open road, you’ll want to get
to
know your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel of handling and braking with the
added weight of the trailer. And always
keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and
not nearly
so responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes,
start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
If you have a rear-most
window open and you pull a
mler with your‘vehicle, carbon
monoxide (CO) could come into
your vehicle. You can’t see or
smell CO. It can cause
unconsciousness or death (see the
Inh under Engine Exhausb). To I
maximize your safety when towing
a trailer:
@ Have your exhaust system
inspected for leaks, and Make
necessary yirs before starting
on your trip.
closed.
If exhaust does corne into your
vehicle through a window in the
fear or another opening, drive
with your front, main heating or
cmling system on and with the
fan on any speed. This WU bring
fresh, outside air into your
vehicle.
Do not use RECIRC
because it only recirculates the
air imide ywr vehick, See the
Index under Comfort &m&.
e KWP the =-most windows
During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
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Your Driving and the Road
Driving with a Trailer (CONT.)
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
to the
left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand to the right. Always
back up slowly and, if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider
turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different
turn signal flasher
and extra wiring. The green arrows on
your instrument panel will flash
whenever you signal
a turn or lane
change. Properly hooked up, the trailer
lights will also flash, telling other
drivers you’re about to
turn, change
lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when
they are not. It’s important to check
occasionally to be sure the trailer bulbs
are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade.
If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer
work well.
On a long uphill grade,
shift down and
reduce your speed to around
45 mph
(70 Wh) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transaxle overheating. If
your vehicle has a 3800 V6 engine, you
should also drive in
D instead of
Overdrive when towing a trailer on
fairly level roads. This will help your
engine and transaxle run cooler in
this
condition, too.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more
than 1,000 pounds (454 kg), and
you have an automatic transaxle with Overdrive, you may prefer to drive in
D
instead of Overdrive (or, as you need to,
a lower gear).
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.....
Here you'll find what to do about
some problems that
can occur on the
road .
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers .... ............................... 186
Jumpstarting .................................................... 187
Towing Your Oldsmobile ........................................... 191
Engine Overheating ............................................... 195
If a Tire Goes Flat ................................................ 203
ChangingaFlatTire
.............................................. 204
Compact Spare Tire
............................................... 212
If You're Stuck: In Sand, Mud. Ice or Snow ............................ 213
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