1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme brake

/1 Features & Controk
76
down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you .out of cruise control. Many
drivers find this to be too much trouble
and don’t use cruise control on steep
hills
*
To Get Out of Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the
cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
To Erase Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or
the ignition, or shift into
P (Park), your
cruise control set speed memory is
erased.
Pulse 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.
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.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your
wipers.
A circuit breaker will stop them
until the motor cools. Clear away snow
or ice to prevent an overload.
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.

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Rotate the knob to -:a- to turn on the
zeadlights, together &th the:
b Parking Lights
Running Lights
D ‘Taillights
b Instrument Panel Lights
3otate the hob to
OEF. to turn the
ights off.
9perafion.of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system-
(headlights, parlung lights, fog lamps,
side marker lights and taillights) meets
311 applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states and
provinces may apply thek own lighting
:egulations that may require special attention
before
you op~erate these
lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may
require that you operate your fog lamps
only when your lower beam headlights
are
also on, or that‘ headlightsbe turned
on whenever you must .use your
windshield wipers. In addition, mo.st
jurisdictions prohibit driving solely with
parking lights, especially at dawn or
dusk. It
is recommended that you check
with your
own state or provincial
highway authority for applicable
lighting regulations.
Ligk On Reminder
If you open the door while leaving the
lights on, you will hear a warning tone.
Daytinre. Rurmjng DgMs
(CANADA ONLY)
.The Canadian Federal Government has
decided that “Daytime Running Lights”
(DRL) are a useful feature, in that DRL
can make your vehicle more visible to
pedestrians and other drivers during
daylight hours.
DRL are required on
.new vehicles sold in Canada. Your
DIU work
with a light sensor on
top
of the instrument panel. Don’t
cover it up.
The low :beam headlights will come on
at reduced brightness in daylight when:
The ignition is on
*‘ The head,light switch is off, and
‘The parking brake is released.
At dusk, the exteriorlights will come on
automatically and the low beams will
change
to full brightness. At dawn, the
exterior lights will go out and the low
beams will change
to the reduced
brightness of
DRL (if the headlight
switch is
off).
Of course, you may still turn on the
headlights any time you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL,
off,
set the parling brake while the ignition
is in the
Off or Loch position. Then
start the vehicle. The DRL will stay off
until
you: release the parking brake.

3. Horn
The Instrument Panel-
Your Information System
Your instrument panel is designed to let
you lmow at a glance how your vehicle
is running. You’ll how how fast you’re
going,
how much fuel you’re using, and
.many other things you’ll need to drive
safely and economically.
The main components
of your
instrument panel are:
1. Light Controls
2. Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
4. Instrument Cluster
5. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
6. Ignition Switch
7. Gearshift Lever
8. Audio System
9. Glove Box/Fuse Panel
IO. Vents
1 1. Vents
12. Climate Control/Rear Window
Defogger
13. Ashtray and Lighter
14. Vents
15. Audio System Steering Wheel
16. Remote Trunk Release (Option)
17. Parking Brake
18. Climate Control Steering Wheel
19. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
20. Hood Release (on floor by driver’s
Touch Controls
Touch Controls
door)

Features & Controh
96
s
BRAKE (a)(@)
1
closer to the floor. It may take lang-er-to
stop. Ifthe light
is 'still -on, or-if.the anti-
lock brake system warning light is
flashing, have the vehicle towed .far
service. (See Anti-Lock Brake System
WarningLight
.and Towilzg .Your
Vehicle inthe Index.)

If the anti-lock brake system warning
light stays on longer than normal after
you’ve started your engine, turn the
ignition
off. Or, if the light comes on
and stays on when you’re driving, stop
as soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the,engine again to reset
the system. If the light still stays on, or
comes on again while you’re driving,
your Oldsmobile needs service. If the
light
is on but not flashing and the
regular brake system warning light isn’t
on, you still have brakes, but you don’t
have anti-lock brakes.
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
Malfunction. Indicator Lamp
(Service Engine Soon Light)
A computer monitors operation of your
fuel, ignition and emission control
systems. This light should come on
when the ignition is on, but the engine
is not running, as a check to show you
it is working.
If it does not come on at
all, have it fixed right away. If it stays
on, or it comes on while you are driving,
the computer is indicating that you
have a problem.
You should take your
vehicle in for service soon.
97

Here you’ll find information about driving on different kinds of roads
and
in varying weather conditions .
We’ve also . included many other
useful tips on driving
.
Part 4
Your Driving and the Road
Defensive Driving ........................................................................\
............................ 126
Drunken Driving
........................................................................\
............................ 126
Control of a Vehicle
Braking
........................................................................\
......................................... 128
Anti-Lock Brakes
........................................................................\
......................... 129
Steering Tips
........................................................................\
................................ 130
Steering in Emergencies
........................................................................\
.............. 131
Passing ........................................................................\
......................................... 132
Driving
at Night ........................................................................\
............................... 134
Driving in the Rain ........................................................................\
.......................... 135
City Driving 137
Freeway Driving ........................................................................\
............................. 137
Hill and Mountain Roads
........................................................................\
............... 139
Winter Driving
........................................................................\
................................ 140
Towing a Trailer
........................................................................\
............................... 143
.. ........................................................................\
......................................
125

Your Driving,and the,Road
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about
driving is: Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety
device in your Oldsmobile: Buckle up.
(See
Safety BeZts in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means “be
ready for anything.” On city streets,
rural roads, or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
Assume that pedestriansor other
drivers are going to be careless and
make mistakes. Anticipate what they
might do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most
preventable of accidents. Yet they are
common. Allow enough following
distance. It’s the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural
driving.
You never know when the
vehicle in front
of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with
drinking and driving is a national
tragedy. It’s the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands
of victims every year.
Alcohol takes away three things that
anyone needs to drive a vehicle:
Judgment
Muscular Coordination
+ Vision
Police records show that almost half of
all motor vehicle-related deaths involve
alcohol
- a driver, a passenger or
someone else, such as a pedestrian, had
been drinking. In most cases, these
deaths are the result
.of someone who
was drinking and driving. About
20,000
motor vehicle-related deaths occur each
year because of alcohol, and thousands
of people are injured.
Just how much alcohol is too much if a
person plans to drive? Ideally, no one
should drink alcohol and then drive.
But
if one does, then what’s “too
much”? It can be a lot less than many
might think. Although it depends on
each person and situation, here is some
general information on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of
someone who is drinking depends upon
four things:
How much alcohol is in the drink.
The drinker’s body weight.
The amount of food that is consumed
before and during drinking.
The length of time it has taken the
drinker to consume the alcohol.

Your Driving and the Road
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when
you need to. With anti-lock, you can
steer and brake at the same time. In
many emergencies, steering can help
you more than even the very best
braking.
130
You can steer around the obstacle while
braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps
receiving updates on wheel speed and
controls braking pressure accordingly.
Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change
the time you need to get your foot up to
the brake pedal.
If you get too close to
the vehicle in front of you, you won’t
have time to apply your brakes
if that
vehicle suddenly slows or stops. Always
leave enough room up ahead to stop,
even though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the
brake pedal down and let anti-lock
work for you.
You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise,
but this
is normal.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist
because the engine stops or the system
is not functioning, you can steer but it
will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a
reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control”
accidents mentioned on the news
happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of
us is subject to the same laws of physics
when driving on curves. The traction of
the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its
path when you turn the front wheels. If
there’s
no traction, inertia will keep the
vehicle going in the same direction. If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on
wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve
depends on the condition of your tires
and the road surface, the angle at which
the curve is banked, and your speed.
While you’re in a curve, speed is the one
factor you can control.
Suppose you’re steering through a
sharp curve. Then you suddenly
accelerate. Both control systems
-
steering and acceleration - have to do
their work where the tires meet the
road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much of those places.
You can lose control.
What should you do
if this ever
happens? Ease
up on the accelerator
pedal, steer the vehicle the way you
want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that
you should adjust your speed. Of
course, the posted speeds are based on
good weather and road conditions.