1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Owner's Manuals

headlights), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching
lights.
Keep your windshield and all the glass
on your vehicle clean
- inside and out.
Glare at night is made much worse by
dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the
glass can build up a film caused by dust.
Dirty glass makes lights dazzle and
flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils-
of your eyes contract
repeatedly.
Remember that your headlights light
up
far less of a roadway when you are in a
turn
or curve. Keep your eyes moving;
that way, it’s easier to pick
out dimly
lighted objects.
Just as your headlights
should be checked regularly for proper
aim,
so should your eyes be examined
regularly. Some drivers suffer from
night blindness -the inability to see
in
dim light - and aren’t even aware of it. It’s wise
to keep your wiping equipment
in good shape and keep your windshield
washer tank filled. Replace your
windshield wiper inserts when they
show signs
of streaking or missing areas
on the windshield, or when strips of
rubber start to separate from the
inserts.
Driving in the Rain
Rain and wet roads can mean driving
trouble. On a wet road
you can’t stop,
accelerate or turn as well because your
tire-to-road traction isn’t as good as on
dry roads. And, if your tires don’t have
much tread left, you’ll get even less
traction. It’s always wise to go slower
and be cautious
if rain starts to fall
while you are driving. The surface may
get wet suddenly when your reflexes are
tuned for driving on dry pavement.
The heavier the rain, the harder it is to
see. Even if your windshield wiper
blades are in good shape, a heavy rain
can make it harder
to see road signs and
traffic signals, pavement markings, the
edge of the road, and even people
walking.
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I Your Driving and the Road
136
Driving too fast through large water
puddles or even going through some car
washes can cause problems, too. The
water may affect your brakes. Try to
avoid puddles.
But if you can’t, try to
slow down before you hit them.
Hydroplaning
Hydroplaning is dangerous. So much
water can build up under your tires that
they can actually ride
on the water. This
can happen if the road is wet enough
and you’re going fast enough. When
your vehicle is hydroplaning, it has little
or no contact with the road.
Hydroplaning doesn’t happen often.
But it can
if your tires haven’t much
tread or
if the pressure in one or more is
low. It can happen if a lot of water is
standing on the road. If you can see
reflections from trees, telephone poles,
or other vehicles, and raindrops
“dimple” the water’s surface, there
could be hydroplaning.
Hydroplaning usually happens at higher
speeds. There
just isn’t a hard and fast
rule about hydroplaning; The best
advice is to slow down when it is
raining.
Some .Other Rainy Weather Tips
Turn on your low-beam headlights -
not just your parlcing lights - to help
make you more visible to others.
Besides slowing down, allow some
extra following distance. And be
especially careful when you pass
another vehicle. Allow yourself more
clear room ahead, and be prepared to
have your view restricted by road
spray.
Have good tires with proper tread
depth. (See
Tires in the Index.)

City Driving
One of the biggest problems with city
streets is the amount of traffic on them.
You'll want
to watch out for what the
other drivers are doing and pay
attention to traffic signals.
Here are ways to increase your safety in
city driving:
IOnow the best way to get to where
you are going. Get a city map and
plan your trip into an unknown part
of the city just as you would for a
'cross-country trip.
Try to use the freeways that rim and
cris.scross most large cities. You'll
save time and energy. (See the next
section,
Freeway Driving.)
Treat a green light as a warning
signal.
A traffic light is there because
the corner is busy enough to need it.
When
a light turns green, and just
before you start to move, check both
ways for vehicles that have not
cleared the intersection or may be
running the red light.
..
4 Freeway Driving
Mile for mile, freeways (also called
thruways,~ parkways, expressways,
turnpikes, or superhighways) are the
safest of all roads. But they have their
own special rules.
The most important advice on freeway
driving is: Keep up with traffic and keep
to the right. Drive at the same speed
most of the other drivers are dtiving.
roo-fast
or too-slow dri,ving breaks a
smooth traffic flow. Treat the left lane
on akeeway as a passing lane. -
At the entrance there is usually a ramp
that leads to the freeway.
If you have a
clear view of the freeway as you drive
along the entrance ramp, you should
begin to check traffic.
Try to determine
where you expect to blend with the
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Your Driving and the Road
The exit sp leed is usu.alll J posted.
Reduce your speed according to your
speedometer, not to your sense
of
motion. After driving for any distance at
higher speeds, you may tend to think
you are going slower than you actually
are.
4 Before Leaving on a Long
Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well
rested.
If you must start when you’re
not
fr&- such as after a day’s work
- don’t plan to make too many miles
that first part of the journey. Wear
comfortable clothing and shoes
you can
easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If
you keep it serviced and maintained, it’s
ready
to go. If it needs service, have it
done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service
experts in Oldsmobile dealerships all
across North America. They’ll be ready
and willing to help
if you need it.
Here are some things you can check
before a trip:
a
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the
reservoir full? Are all windows clean
inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have
Lights: Are they all working? Are the
shape?
you checked all levels?
lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally impartant to a
safe, trouble-free trip.
Is the tread
good enough far long-distance
driving? Are the tires all inflated
to
the recommended pressure?
weather outlook along your route?
Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid
a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the
I Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as
“highway hypnosis”? Or is it just plain
falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of~awareness, or
whatever.

There is something about an easy
stretch
of road with the same scenery,
along with the hum
of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the
rush of the wind against the vehicle that
can make you sleepy. Don’t let it
happen to
you! If it does, your vehicle
can leave the road in
less than a
second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway
hypnosis? First, be aware that it can
happen.
Then here are
some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well
ventilated, with a comfortably cool
interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road
ahead and to the sides. Check your
rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into
a rest, service, or parking area and
take
a nap, get some exercise, or both.
For safety, treat drowsiness on the
highway as an emergency.
Hill and Mountain Roads
Driving on steep hills or mountains is
different from driving in flat or rolling
terrain.
If you drive regularly in steep country,
or
if you’re planning to visit there, here
are some tips that can make your trips
safer and more enjoyable.
Keep your vehicle in good shape.
Check all fluid levels and also the
brakes, tires, cooling system and
transaxle. These parts can work hard
on mountain roads.
Know how to go down hills. The most
important thing to lmow is this: let
your engine do some
of the slowing
down. Shift to
a lower gear when you
go down a steep or long hill.
Ihow how to go uphill. You may
want to shift down to a lower gear.
The lower gears kelp cool
your engine
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' Your Driving and the Road
and transaxle, and you can climb the
hill better.
Stay in your own lane when driving
on two-lane roads in hills or
mountains. Don't swing wide or cut
across the center
of the road. Drive at
speeds that let you stay in your
own
lane.
As you go over the top of a hill, be
alert. There could be something in
your lane, like a stalled car or an
accident.
You may see highway signs on
mountains that warn of special
problems. Examples are long grades,
passing
or no-passing zones, a falling
rocks area, or winding roads. Be alert
to these and take appropriate action.
I 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 trunk.
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; O’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 the anti-
lock braking system, you’ll want to
begin stopping sooner than you would
on dry pavement. See
Anti-Lock Brakes
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.
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Your Driving and the Road
142
mats - anything you can wrap around
yourself or tuck under your clothing to
keep warm.
You can run the engine to keep warm,
but be careful.
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard
If you are stopped by heavy snow, you
could be in a serious situation.
You
should probably stay with your vehicle
unless you know for sure that you are
near help and you can hike through the
snow. Here are some things to do
to
summon help and keep yourself and
your passengers safe: Turn on your
hazard flashers. Tie a red cloth to your
vehicle to alert police that you’ve been
stopped
by the snow. Put on extra
clothing or wrap a blanket around you.
If you have no blankets or extra
clothing, make body insulators from
newspapers, burlap bags, rags, floor