1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme warning

Your Driving and the Road
134
steering, acceleration, or braking
(including engine bralting by shifting to
a lower gear). Any sudden changes
could cause the tires to slide. You may
not realize the surface is slippery until
your vehicle is skidding. Learn to
recognize warning clues
- such as
enough water, ice or packed snow on
the road to make a “mirrored surface”
- and slow down when you have any
doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock braking system (ABS) helps avoid only the
braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than
day driving. One reason is that some
drivers are likely to be impaired
- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to
reduce the glare from headlights
behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may
need to slow down and keep more
space between you and other vehicles.
speed roads. Your headlights can light
Slow down, especially on higher up
only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a
safe place and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the
daytime. But as we get older these
differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as
much light to see the same thing at
night as
a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also
affect your night vision. For example,
if
you spend the day in bright sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to
night. But if you’re driving, don’t wear
sunglasses at night. They may cut down
on glare from headlights, but they also
make a lot of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by
approaching lights. It can take a second
or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When
you are faced with severe glare (as from
a driver who doesn’t lower the high
beams, or a vehicle with misaimed
i

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
L

' 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.

Here you’ll find what to do about
some problems that can occur on the
road
.
Part 5
Problems on the Road
Hazard Warning Flashers ........................................................................\
............... 150
Jump Starting ........................................................................\
.................................. 150
Towing
Your Oldsmobile ........................................................................\
............... 154
Engine Overheating ........................................................................\
........................ 158
If a Tire Goes Flat ........................................................................\
........................... 165
Changing a Flat Tire
........................................................................\
....................... 166
Compact Spare Tire
........................................................................\
........................ 172
If You’re Stuck: In Sand. Mud. Ice or Snow ......................................................... 173
c
149

Problems on the Road
150
4 Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you
warn others. They also let police know
you have a problem. Your front and real
turn signal lights will flash on and
off.
4 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.
-
Slide the switch up to make your front
and rear turn signal lights flash on and
off.
Your hazard warning flashers work no
matter what position your key is in, and
even
if the key isn't in.
To turn off the flashers, slide the switch
down.
When the hazard warning flashers are
on, your turn signals won't work.
4 Other Warning Devices
If you carry reflective triangles, you can
set one up at the side of the road about
300 feet (100 m) behind your vehicle.

Problems on the Road
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and
wheel damage by driving slowly to a
level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers. The
following steps will tell-you how to
use the jack and change a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is in the
trunk.
1. Pull the carpeting from the floor of
the trunk.
2. Turn the center retainer bolt on the
compact spare tire housing
countercloclmise to remove it, then
lift the tire cover.

cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder. If
your vehicle has this option, see
Engine
Coolant Heater
in the Index.
What to Do wifh Used Oil
Did you know that used engine oil
contains certain elements that may be
unhealthy for your skin and could even
cause cancer? Don’t let used oil stay on
your skin for very long. Clean your skin
and nails with soap and water, or a
good hand cleaner. Wash or properly
throw away clothing or rags containing
used engine oil.. (See the manufacturer’s
warnings about the use and disposal of
oil products.)
Used oil can be areal threat to the
environment. If you change your own
oil, be sure to drain all free-flowing oil
from the filter before disposal. Don’t
ever dispose of oil by putting it in the
trash, pouring it on the ground, into
sewers, or into streams or bodies of
water. Instead, recycle it by taking it to
a place that collects used oil. If you
have a problem properly disposing of
your used oil, ask your dealer, a service
station or a local recycling center for
help.
Air Cleaner
Refer to the Maintenance Schedule to
determine when to replace the air filter
and the crankcase ventilation filter.
See
Scheduled Maintenance Services i3
the
Index.
NOTICE:
If the air cleaner is off, a backfire
can cause a damaging engine fire.
And, dirt can easily get into your
engine, which will damage
it.
Always have the air cleaner in place
when you’re driving.
To Check or Replace the Air Filter:
1. Remove the four screws and pull off
the cover.
187

Twin Dual Cam 3.4L V6: Ad,ding
Automatic
Transaxle Fluid
I Engine .Coolant
The follciwing explains your cooling
system and how to add coolant when it
is low. If
you have a problem with
engine overheating or
if y0.u need to add
coolant to your radiator,
see Engine
Overheating in the Index.
The proper coolant for your Oldsmobile
will:
Give freezing protection down to-34”F
Give boiling protection up to 262°F
Protect againstrust and corrosion.
(-37°C).
(128°C).
Help keep the proper engine
Let the warning lights work as they
What to Use
temperature.
should.
Use
a mixture of one-half dean-water
(preferably distilled) and one-half
antifreeze that meets
“GM Specificatkm
1825-M,” which won’t damage
aluminum parts.
You can also use a
recycled coolant conforming
to GM
Specification 1825-M with
a complete coolant
flush and refill.
If you use this
mixture, you don’t need to add
anything
else.