
With safety  belts, you  slow  down as  the 
vehicle  does. 
You get  more time to stop. 
You stop  over  more distance,  and your 
strongest bones  take the forces.  That’s 
why  safety  belts make such good sense. 
HereAre Questions  Many 
People 
Ask About Safety 
Belts 
- and the Answers 
Q: Won’t  I be  trapped in the  vehicle 
after  an  accident  if  I’m  wearing  a 
safety  belt? 
A: You could be - whether  you’re 
wearing  a  safety belt or not. But  you 
can  easily  unbuckle  a  safety belt, 
even  if you’re  upside down. And 
your  chance  of being  conscious 
during  and after  an accident, 
so you 
can unbuckle  and get out,  is much 
greater if you are belted. 
Q: Why  don’t  they  just  put in air bags 
so people  won’t  have  to wear  safety 
belts? 
A: Air  bags  are  in some vehicles  today 
and  will be in more 
of them  in  the 
future. But they  are supplemental 
systems  only 
- so they work with 
safety  belts, not instead of them.  Every 
air bag  system  ever  offered  for 
sale has required  the use  of safety 
belts.  Even if you’re  in a  vehicle  that 
has  air bags,  you  still  have  to buckle 
up  to  get the  most protection.  That’s 
true  not 
only in frontal  collisions,  but 
especially 
in side  and other 
collisions. 
drive  far  from  home,  why  should  I 
wear  safety  belts? 
A You may  be an excellent  driver,  but 
if you’re in an  accident - even  one 
that  isn’t  your  fault 
- you and your 
passengers  can be hurt. Being  a  good 
driver  doesn’t  protect you from 
things beyond  your control, such  as 
bad drivers. Most accidents occur 
within 
25 miles (40 lun)  of home. 
And  the greatest number 
of serious 
injuries and deaths occur  at speeds 
of  less  than 
40 mph (65 km/h). 
Safety  belts are for  everyone. 
Q: If I’m  a good  driver,  and I never 
Safety  Belt  Reminder  Light 
When  the key  is turned  to Run or Start, 
a  light  will  come on for  about  eight 
seconds  to remind  people to fasten 
their  safety  belts. Unless  the driver’s 
safety  belt is  already  buckled,  a tone 
will  also  sound. 
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Features & Controls 
44 
Here’s How to Move the Arm: 
1. Squeeze the release  handle to free  the 
carrier  arm. 
2. Swing the carrier arm  away  from the 
tailgate.  You  may  need to give  it  a 
slight  tug. 
To  latch  the carrier  arm, swing  it hard 
toward  the tailgate.  The latch has one 
catch, 
so push hard on the  carrier arm 
to  make  sure it has  locked  in place.  If it 
is not  securely  latched, the carrier  will 
swing  freely. 
Glove Box 
Use  the door  key to lock  and unlock  the 
glove  box.  To open, pinch the latch 
release. 
New Vehicle “BreakmIn” 
NOTICE: 
Your  modern  Oldsmobile  doesn’t 
need  an elaborate “break-in.” But it 
will  perform  better in the  long  run 
if you  follow  these guidelines: 
Keep  your  speed  at 55 mph (88 
ltm/h)  or  less for the  first 500 
miles (804 ltm) . 
Don’t  drive at any  one  speed - 
fast or  slow - for the  first 500 
miles (804 ltm) . Don’t  make full- 
throttle  starts. 
Avoid  malting  hard  stops for the 
first 
200 miles (322 lun) or so. 
During this  time  your new brake 
linings  aren’t yet broken in. Hard 
stops with new  linings can mean 
premature wear and  earlier 
replacement.  Follow this 
“breaking-in”  guideline  every 
time  you  get  new brake linings. 
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U 
Ignition  Switch 
With the ignition  key  in the ignition 
switch,  you  can turn  the  switch to five 
positions: 
Accessory: An  “on7’  position in which 
you  can operate  your  electrical  power 
xcessories.  Press in the  ignition  switch 
2s you turn  the  top  of it toward you. 
Lock: The  only  position  in which  you 
:an  remove  the key.  This  locks  your 
steering  wheel,  ignition and 
transmission. 
Off: Unlocks  the steering  wheel, 
ignition,  and transmission,  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. 
Run: An “on”  position  to which  the 
switch  returns  after you start  your 
engine and  release the switch. The 
switch  stays in the 
Run position  when 
the  engine  is running.  But  even  when 
the  engine 
is not  running,  you can use 
Run to operate  your  electrical  power 
accessories,  and to display  some 
instrument  panel warning  lights. 
Start: Starts the engine.  When the 
engine  starts, release  the key.  The 
ignition switch  will return  to 
Run for 
normal  driving. 
Note  that even  if the  engine is  not 
running,  the positions 
Accessory and 
Run are  “on”  positions  that allow  you 
to  operate  your  electrical  accessories, 
such  as  the  radio. 
NOTICE: 
If your  key  seems  stuck in Lock 
and you  can’t  turn  it,  be sure  it is 
all  the  way  in. 
If it is, then  turn  the 
steering  wheel  left  and right while 
you  turn  the  key hard.  But turn  the 
key  only  with your  hand.  Using  a 
tool  to force  it could  break  the key 
or  the  ignition  switch. If none  of 
this works, then  your  vehicle  needs 
service. 
Starting Your Engine 
Move  your  shift  lever to P (Park)  or 
N (Neutral).  Your  engine  won’t  start in 
any  other  position 
- that’s  a safety 
feature. To restart  when you’re  already 
moving,  use 
N (Neutral)  only. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t try to shift  to P (Park)  if your 
Oldsmobile  is  moving.  If you  do, 
you  could  damage  the transmission. 
Shift  to 
P (Park)  only when  your 
vehicle  is  stopped. 
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Features & Controh 
46 
1. Without pushing the accelerator 
pedal,  turn your  ignition  key  to 
Start. 
When the engine  starts, let go  of  the 
key.  The idle  speed  will  go  down  as 
your  engine  gets  warm. 
NOTICE: 
Holding  your key in Start for  longer 
than 
15 seconds  at a time will  cause 
your  battery  to be  drained much 
sooner.  And the excessive  heat can 
damage  your  starter motor. 
2. If it  doesn’t  start right  away,  hold  your 
key  in 
Start. If  it  doesn’t  start in three 
seconds,  push  the accelerator  pedal 
about  one-quarter  of the  way  down  for 
12 more  seconds,  or until  it  starts, 
3. If your  engine  still  won’t  start (or 
starts  but  then  stops),  it could  be 
flooded  with too much  gasoline.  Try 
this:  Wait 
15 seconds  to let  the 
starter  motor cool down.  Then  push 
your  accelerator  pedal  all  the way  to 
the  floor.  Hold  it there. Then, 
hold 
the key  in Start for no more  than  ten 
seconds.  This clears  the extra 
gasoline  from  the engine.  If 
the  engine  still  doesn’t  start, wait 
another 
15 seconds  and  do it  all  again. 
When  the engine  starts, let  go of the 
key  and  the accelerator  pedal. 
NOTICE: 
Your  engine  is  designed  to work 
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  vehicle  towed, see the 
part  of this  manual  that tells  how  to 
do  it without  damaging  your 
vehicle.  See 
Towing Your Truck in 
the 
Index. 
Driving llzrough Deep 
Standing  Water 
NOTICE: 
If  you  drive  too quickly  through 
deep  puddles  or  standing  water, 
water  can  come  in  through  your 
engine’s  air  intake and badly  damage 
your  engine.  If you  can’t  avoid  deep 
puddles  or standing  water,  drive 
through  them  very  slowly. 
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Reverse 
R (Reverse): Use this gear  to back up. 
NOTICE: 
Shifting  to R (Reverse)  while  your 
vehicle  is moving  forward  could 
damage  your transmission.  Shift 
to 
R (Reverse)  only  after your vehicle 
is stopped. 
To rock  your  vehicle  back and  forth  to 
get  out 
of snow,  ice or sand  without 
damaging  your transmission, 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. 
NOTICE: 
Damage to your  transmission 
caused 
by shifting  out of P (Park) 
or N (Neutral) with  the engine 
racing  isn’t  covered  by your 
1 warranty. 
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ProCarManuals.com 

If the green arrows don’t go on at all 
when 
you signal  a  turn, check  the fuse 
(see  the 
Index under Fuses G Circuit 
Breakers) and for burned-out  bulbs. 
If you  have  a  trailer towing  option with 
added  wiring  for the  trailer lights,  a 
different  turn signal  flasher  is  used. 
With this  flasher installed,  the signal 
indicator  will  flash  even  if a turn  signal 
bulb  is  burned  out. Check  the front  and 
rear  turn  signal  lights  regularly  to make 
sure  they  are working. 
Windshield  Wipers 
You control  the windshield  wipers  by 
turning  the  band marked  WIPER. 
For  a  single  wiping  cycle,  turn  the band 
to 
MIST. Hold it  there until the wipers 
start,  then  let go.  The  wipers  will stop 
after  one cycle.  If you  want more  cycles, 
hold  the band  on 
MIST longer.  You 
can set the  wiper  speed  for  a  long 
or  short  delay  between  wipes. This can 
be  very  useful  in light  rain or snow. 
Turn  the  band to choose  the delay  time. 
The  closer  to 
LO, the shorter  the delay. 
For  steady  wiping  at low  speed,  turn the 
band  away from you 
to the LO position. 
For  high  speed  wiping,  turn  the band 
further,  to 
HI. To  stop  the  wipers, move 
the  band  to 
OFF. 
Remember  that damaged  wiper  blades 
may  prevent  you from  seeing  well  enough 
to  drive  safely. 
To avoid  damage,  be  sure 
to  clear  ice  and snow  from  the wiper 
blades  before  using  them. 
If they’re 
frozen 
to the  windshield,  carefully  loosen 
or  thaw  them. 
If your  blades  do become 
damaged,  get  new  blades  or  blade  inserts. 
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ProCarManuals.com 

The oil  light  could  also flash  on in three 
other  situations: 
. When  the ignition  is on  (in  the Run 
position)  but  the engine is not 
running,  the light  will  come on  as a 
test  to show  you it is working,  but  the 
light  will 
go out  when  you turn  the 
ignition  to 
Start. If it doesn't  come on 
with  the ignition  on, you  may  have  a 
problem  with the fuse. Have it  fixed 
right  away. 
Sometimes  when  the engine is  idling 
at  a stop,  the  light  may  flash  on  and 
off.  This is normal. 
If you  make a hard  stop,  the light  may 
come  on for  a moment.  This  is  normal. 
0- 
A \ 
Voltmeter (ELEcmoNIc  CLUSTER) 
Your  charging  system  gage  will  show 
the  rate  of charge  when  the  engine is 
running. When  the engine 
is not 
running but  the ignition  is  on  (in the 
Run position),  the  display measures  the 
voltage  output 
of your battery, and  will 
flash  until you turn  the  ignition to 
Start. 
The reading  will change  as the  rate  of 
charge  changes  (with engine  speed, 
etc.),  but readings  between  the warning 
zones indicate  the normal  operating 
range.  Readings  in  either warning zone 
indicate a  possible  problem  with your 
charging  system.  Have your  Oldsmobile 
serviced  immediately.  You 
also  have  a warning light. 
A box 
around  the battery  symbol  will  flash 
when  the charging  system  needs 
service. 
If it comes  on while you are  driving,  you 
may  have  a loose  belt  or  other problem 
with  the electrical  charging  system. 
Have it  checked  right away.  Driving 
while  this light  is  on could  drain your 
battery. 
If 
you must  drive a short distance with 
the  light  on, be certain  to  turn  off all 
your  accessories, such  as  the radio and 
air conditioner. 
U 
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Features & Controk 
88 
Engine  Coolant  Temperature Gage 
pcmoNIc CLUSTER) 
This  gage  has bars  that show  the engine 
coolant temperature. 
A box  around  the  temperature  symbol 
will  flash  when 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 ProbZems 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  comes  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. 
If  the  light  comes  on while  you  are 
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 
Towing 
Your Truck in the Index.) 
The  brake  system  warning  light  will  also 
come  on  when  you  set  your  parking 
brake, and it  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. 
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