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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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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52
2. Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to Lock.
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
P (Park).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your vehicle
is in
P (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before
you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
P (Park) position, hold the regular
brake pedal down. Then, see
if you can
move the shift lever away
from P (Park)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into
P (Park).
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Features & Controls
80
I Warning Lights, Gages and
Indicators
This section describes the warning
lights and gages that may be on your
vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that
something is wrong before it becomes
serious enough to cause an expensive
repair or replacement. Paying attention
to your warning lights and gages could
also save you or others from injury.
Warning lights go on when there may
be or is a problem with one of your
vehicle's functions.
As you will see in
the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come on briefly when
you turn the ignition key just to let you
know they're working.
If you are
familiar with this section, you should
not be alarmed when this happens. Gages
can indicate when there may be
or is a problem with one of your
vehicle's functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together to let you
know when there's a problem with
your vehicle.
When one of the warning lights comes
on and stays on when you are driving,
or when one of the gages shows there
may be a problem, check the section
that tells you what to do about it.
Please follow the manual's advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-
and even dangerous. So please get to
know your warning lights and gages.
They're a big help.
F I
I
I' I Speedometer (STANDARD CLUSTER)
our speedometer lets you see your
jeed in both miles per hour (mph) and
ilometers per hour (ldh).
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Qccording to the American Medical
Qssociation, a 180-pound (82 kg)
?erson
who drinks three 12-ounce (355
nl) bottles of beer in an hour will end
~p with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent.
The person would reach the same
BAC
)y drinking three 4-ounce (120 ml)
glasses of wine or three mixed drinks if
?ach had 1-1/2 ounces (45 ml) of a
iquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
It’s the amount
of alcohol that counts.
?or example,
if the same person drank
:hree double martinis
(3 ounces or 90
nl of liquor each) within an hour, the
?erson’s
BAC would be close to 0.12
sercent.
A person who consumes food
ust before or during drinking
will have
slightly lower
BAC level.
r
~ ~~
rhe law in most U.S. states sets the
legal
lirnit at a BAC of 0.10 percent. In
Canada the
limit is 0.08 percent, and in
some other countries
it’s lower than
that. The
BAC will be over 0.10 percent
after three to
six drinks (in one hour).
Of course, as we’ve seen, it depends on
how much alcohol’is in the
drinks, and
how quickly the person drinks them. But
it’s very
important to keep in mind
that the ability to drive
is affected well
below
a BAC of 0.10 percent. Research
shows that the driving skills
of many
people are impaired at
a &IC
approaching 0.05 percent, and that the
effects are worse at night.
All drivers are
impaired at
BAC levels above 0.05
percent. Statistics show that the chance
of being in an accident increases sharply
for drivers who have a BAC of 0.05
percent or above. A driver with a BAC
level of -0.06 percent (three beers in one
hour for a 180-pound or
82 kg person)
has doubled
his or her chance of having
an accident.
At a BAC level of 0.10
percent, the chance
of that driver
having
an accident is six times greater;
at a level
of 0.15 percent, the chances
are twenty-five times greater! And, the
body takes about an hour to rid itself
of
the alcohol in one drink. No amount of
coffee or number of cold showers will
speed that up.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to
successful off-road driving. One of the
best ways to control your vehicle is to
control your speed. Here are some
things to keep in mind. At higher
speeds:
you approach things faster and you
have less time to scan the terrain for
obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when
you drive over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking,
especially since you’re on an unpaved
surface.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over
many different kinds of terrain.
You
need to be familiar with the terrain and
its many different features. Here are
some things to consider.
Surface Conditions
Off-roading can take you over hard-
packed
dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand,
mud, snow or ice. Each
of these surfaces
affects the steering, acceleration, and
braking of your vehicle in different ways.
Depending upon the kind of surface you
are on, you may experience slipping,
sliding, wheel spinning, delayed
acceleration, poor traction, and longer
braking distances.
Surface Obstacles
Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous. A rock, log, hole, rut, or
bump can startle you
if you’re not
prepared for them. Often these obstacles
are hidden by grass, bushes, snow or
even the rise and
fall of the terrain itself.
Here are some things to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
Will the surface texture change
Does the travel take you uphill or
abruptly
up ahead?
downhill? (There’s more discussion of
these subjects later.)
change direction quickly?
Will you have to stop suddenly or
When you drive over obstacles or rough
terrain, keep a firm grip on the steering
wheel. Ruts, troughs, or other surface
features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or
other obstacles, your wheels can leave
the ground. If this happens, even with
one or two wheels, you can’t control the
vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved
surface, it’s especially important to
avoid sudden acceleration, sudden
turns, or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a
different kind of alertness from driving
on paved roads and highways. There are
no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights.
You have to use your own
good judgment about what is safe and
what isn’t.
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Probkms on the Road
140
I Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and rear
turn signal lights will flash on and off.
But they won’t flash if you’re braking. Press
the button in to make your front
md rear turn signal lights flash on and
3ff.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
natter what position your key is in, and
wen if the key isn’t in.
To turn off the flashers, pull out on the
collar.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won’t work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (1 00 m) behind your vehicle.
Jump Starting
If your battery has run down, you may
want to use another vehicle and some
jumper cables to start your Oldsmobile.
But please follow the steps below to do
it safely.
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