1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA brake light

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.
markings, and lines. If you can see a
sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your
Watch for traffic signs, pavement pass.
A broken
center line usually
indicates it’s all right to pass
(providing the road ahead
is clear).
Never cross a solid line on your side
of the lane or a double solid line, even
if the road seems empty of
approaching traffic.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you
want to pass while you’re awaiting an
opportunity. For one thing, following
too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially
if you’re following a larger
vehicle.
Also, you won’t have
adequate space
if the vehicle ahead
suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
When it looks like a chance to pass is
coming up, start to accelerate but stay
in the right lane and don’t get too close.
Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to
move into the other lane. If the way is
clear to pass, you
will have a “running
start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping
back. And
if something happens to
cause you to cancel your pass, you need
only slow down and drop back again
and wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a
slow vehicle, wait your turn. But take
care that.someone isn’t trying to pass
you as you pull out to pass the slow
vehicle. Remember to glance over your
shoulder and check the blind spot.
Check your mirrors, glance over your
shoulder, and start your left lane
change signal before moving out of the
right lane to pass. When you are far
enough ahead of the passed vehicle to
see its front in your inside mirror,
activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane.
(Remember that your right outside
mirror is convex. The vehicle you just
passed may seem to be farther away
from
you than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle
at a time on two-lane roads. Reconsider
before passing the next vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving
vehicle
too rapidly. Even though the
brake lights are not flashing, it may be
slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy
for the following driver to get ahead of
you. Perhaps you can ease a little to
the right.
113
ProCarManuals.com

Driving Uphi//
Once you decide you can safely drive
up the hill, you need to take some
special steps.
Use a low gear and get a firm grip on
the steering wheel.
Get a smooth start up the hill and try
to maintain your speed. Don’t use
more power than you need, because
you don’t want your wheels to start
spinning or sliding.
Try to drive straight up the hill if at all
possible. If the path twists and turns,
you might want to find another route.
Ease up on your speed as you
approach the top of the.hill..
Attach a flag to the vehicle to make
you more visible to approaching
traffic on trails or hills.
Sound the horn as you approach the
top of the hill to let opposing traffic
know you’re there.
Use your headlights even during the
day. They make you more visible to
oncoming traffic.
Q: What should I do if my vehicle
stalls,
or is about to stall, and I
can’t make it up the hill?
A: If this happens, there are some
things you should
do, and there are
some things you must not do. First,
here’s what you
should do:
Push the brake pedal to stop the
vehicle and keep it from rolling
backwards. Also, apply the parking
brake.
the transmission into reverse,
release the parking brake, and
slowly back down the hill in reverse.
If your engine has stopped running,
you’ll need
to restart it. With the
brake pedal depressed and the
parking brake still applied, shift the
transmission to
P (Park) and
restart the engine. Then, shift to
reverse, release the parking brake,
and slowly back down the hill as
straight as possible in reverse.
As you are backing down the hill,
put
your left hand on the steering
wheel at the
12 o’clock position.
This way, you’ll be able to tell if
your wheels are straight and
maneuver
as you back down. It’s
best that you back down the hill
with your wheels straight rather
than in the left or right direction.
Turning the wheel too far
to the
left or right will increase the
possibility
of a rollover.
If your engine is still running, shift
119
ProCarManuals.com

Driving In Water
Light rain causes no special off-road
driving problems. But heavy rain can
mean flash flooding, and flood waters
demand extreme caution.
Find
out how deep the water is before
you drive through it. If it’s deep enough
to cover your wheel hubs, axles, or
exhaust pipe, don’t
try it - you
probably won’t get through.
Also, water
that deep can damage your axle and
other vehicle parts.
If the water isn’t too deep, then drive
through it slowly. At fast speeds, water
splashes on your ignition system and
your vehicle can stall. Stalling can also
occur
if you get your tailpipe under
water.
And, as long as your tailpipe is
under water, you’ll never be able to
start your engine. When you go through
water, remember that when your brakes
get wet, it may take you longer to stop.
After OtY-Road Driving
Remove any brush or debris that has
collected on the underbody, chassis or
under the hood. These accumulations
can be a fire hazard.
After operation
in mud or sand, have
the brake linings cleaned and checked.
These substances can cause glazing and
uneven braking. Check the body
structure, steering, suspension, wheels,
tires, and exhaust system for damage.
Also, check the fuel lines and cooling
system for any leakage.
Your vehicle
will require more frequent
service due to off-road use. Refer to the
Maintenance Schedule for additional
information.
L
123
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
130
Winter Driving
Here are some tips for winter driving:
Have your Oldsmobile in good shape
for winter. Be sure your engine
coolant mix is correct.
You may want to put winter
emergency supplies in your vehicle.
Include an ice scraper,
a small brush or
broom,
a supply of windshield washer
fluid,
a rag, some winter outer clothing,
a small shovel, a flashlight, a red cloth,
and a couple of reflective warning
triangles. And, if you will be driving
under severe conditions, include a small
bag of sand, a piece of old carpet or a
couple
of burlap bags to help provide
traction. Be sure you properly secure
these items in your vehicle.
Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where
your tires meet the road probably have
good traction.
However,
if there is snow or ice
between your tires and the road, you
can have a very slippery situation.
You’ll have a lot less traction or “grip”
and will need to be very careful.
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet
ice.” Very cold snow or ice can be slick
and hard to drive on. But wet ice can be
even more trouble because it may offer
the least traction of all. You can get
“wet ice” when it’s about freezing
(32°F; 0.C) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until
salt and sand crews can get there. Whatever
the condition
- smooth ice,
packed, blowing or loose snow
- drive
with caution.
Accelerate gently. Try not to break the
fragile traction. If you accelerate too fast,
the drive wheels will spin and polish the
surface under the tires even more.
Your anti-lock brakes improve your ability to make a hard stop on
a slippery
road. Even though you have an anti-lock
braking system, you’ll want to begin
stopping sooner than you would on dry
pavement. See
Anti-Lock in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on
any slippery road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road
might be fine until you hit a spot
that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may
appear in shaded areas where the sun
can’t reach: around clumps of trees,
behind buildings, or under bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or
an overpass may remain icy when the
surrounding roads are clear.
If you see
a patch of ice ahead of you, brake
before you are on it. Try not to brake
while you’re actually on the ice, and
avoid sudden steering maneuvers.
ProCarManuals.com

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.
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.
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 strilte soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.
LI
ProCarManuals.com

Your Driving and the Road
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 km/h) to reduce the possibility of
engine and transmission overheating.
If you are towing a trailer that weighs
more than
3,000 pounds (1 350 kg), it’s
best to drive in
D instead of Overdrive
(or, as you need to, a lower gear). This
will minimize heat build-up and extend
the life of your transmission.
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle,
with a trailer attached, on a hill.
If
something goes wrong, your rig could
start to move. People can be injured,
and both your vehicle and the trailer
can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on
a hill, here’s how to do it:
1. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t
shift into
P (Park) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under
the trailer wheels.
3. When the wheel chocks are in place,
release the regular brakes until the
chocks absorb the load.
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then
apply your parking brake and then
shift to
P (Park).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave
After Parking on
a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold
the pedal down while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear
4. Stop and have someone pick up and
of
the chocks.
store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more
often when you’re pulling a trailer. See
the Maintenance Schedule for more on
this. Things that are especially
important in trailer operation are
automatic transmission fluid (don’t
overfill), engine oil, axle lubricant, belt,
cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these is covered in this manual,
ProCarManuals.com

and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good
idea to review these sections before
you
start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch
nuts and bolts are tight.
See the next section,
Trailer Wiring
Harness.
Trailer Wiring Harness (OPTION)
Your Bravada is equipped with a 7-wire
trailer harness with a 30-amp battery
feed wire. It’s stored under the vehicle
along the rear frame crossmember.
Since connectors for trailers vary, no
connector is provided.
You will need to
obtain one for the trailer
you want to
pull. Have it wired to the harness by a
qualified service technician.
When wiring the harness to a
connector, disconnect the battery before
removing the tape from the wire. The
wire applications are:
White-Ground
Dark green-Right turn signal
Yellow-Left turn signal
Brown-Rear lamps
Light green-Back-up lamps
Red-Battery charging
Blue-Trailer brakes, auxiliary
In use, tape or tie the harness to your
vehicle’s frame rail. Leave enough slack
so the wiring doesn’t bend or break, but
not
so much that it drags on the
ground.
When it’s not in use, fold the harness
neatly and wrap or tie it. Store in the
original place along the frame
crossmember.
137
ProCarManuals.com

NOTICE:
~~
Ignoring these steps could result in
costly damage to your vehicle that
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Trying to start your
Oldsmobile by pushing or pulling it
won’t work, and it could damage
your vehicle.
To Jump Start Your Oldsmobile:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have
a 12-volt battery with a negative
ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt
system with a negative ground,
both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the
jumper cables can reach, but be sure
the vehicles aren’t touching each
other. If they are, it could cause a
ground connection you don’t want.
You wouldn’t be able to start your
Oldsmobile, and the bad grounding
could damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured if the vehicles roll.
Set the parking brake
firmly on each
vehicle. Put an automatic transmission
in P (Park) or a manual transmission in
N (Neutral).
3. Turn off the ignition on both
vehicles. Turn
off all lights that aren’t
needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries.
And it could save your radio!
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could
be badly damaged. The repairs
wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the
batteries. Find the positive
(+) and
negative
(-) terminals on each
battery.
II
141
ProCarManuals.com