1994 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA Owners Manual

Power Tailgate Window Release
From inside the vehicle, press the REAR
WINDOW button, located to the left of
the radio, to unlock the tailgate window.
Your shift lever must be in
P (Park) or
N (Neutral).
Tailgate-Mounted Spare Tire
Carrier
(OPTION)
You must move the carrier arm out of
the way to open the tailgate window.
r
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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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Engine Coolant Heater (Engine
Block Heater)
(OPTION)
In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or
colder, the engine coolant heater can
help.
You’ll get easier starting and
better fuel economy during engine
warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater
should be plugged in a minimum of four
hours prior to starting your vehicle.
To use the coolant heater:
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-
electrical cord.
volt outlet.
NOTICE:
After you’ve used the coolant
heater, be sure to store the cord as
it was before to keep it away from
moving engine parts. If you don’t, it
could be damaged. How long
should you keep the coolant
warmer plugged in? The answer
depends on the weather, the kind of oil
you have, and some other things.
Instead of trying to list everything here,
we ask that you contact an Oldsmobile
dealer
in the area where you’ll be
parking your vehicle. The dealer can
give you the best advice for that
particular area. I
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Features & Controls
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Automatic Transmission
There are several different positions for
your shift lever.
Park P
Reverse R
Neutral N
Overdrive ID]
Drive D
Second 2
First 1
Park
P (Park): This loclts your rear wheels.
It’s the best position to use when you
start your engine because your vehicle
can’t move easily.
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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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Features & Controls
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Forward Gears
ID1 (Automatic Overdrive): This
position is for normal driving.
If you
need more power for passing, and
you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (56 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about
halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 ltm/h) or
more, push the accelerator pedal all
the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and
have more power.
D (Third Gear): This position is like
(Dl, but you never go into Overdrive.
Here are some times you might choose
D instead of [D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less
When going down a steep hill.
2 (Second Gear): This position gives
you more power but lower fuel
economy.
You can use 2 on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes off
and on.
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or
mud.
If the shift lever is put in 1, the
transmission won’t shift into first gear
until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
shifting between gears.
NOTICE:
If
your rear wheels can’t rotate,
don’t try to drive. This might
happen if you were
stuck in very
deep sand or mud or were up
against a solid object.
You could
damage your transmission or
transfer case or both. Also, if you
stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the
accelerator pedal. This could
overheat and damage the
transmission.
Use your brakes or
shift into P (Park) to hold your
vehicle in position on
a hill.
Locking Rear Axle
Your rear axle can give you additional
traction on snow, mud, ice, sand or
gravel. It works like a standard axle
most
of the time, but when one of the
rear wheels has no traction and the
other does, the locking feature will
allow the wheel with traction to move
the vehicle.
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