Seats &Restraint Systems
24
I
AIRBAO
I
I CHECK
9ir Bag Readiness Light
rhere is an air bag readiness light on
;he instrument panel, which shows
AIR
BAG. The system checks for electrical
nalfunctions, and the light tells you
if
;here is a problem.
fou will see this light flash for a few
;econds when you turn your ignition to
Run or Start. Then the light should go
)ut, which means the system is ready.
Xemember,
if the air bag readiness light
ioesn’t come on when you start your
rehicle, or stays on, or comes on when
~OU are driving, your air bag system
nay not work properly. Have your
rehicle serviced right away.
How The Air Bag System Works
Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of
the steering wheel.
When is an air bag expected to
inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in
moderate to severe frontal or near-
frontal crashes. The air bag will only
inflate if the velocity
of the impact is
above the designed threshold level.
When impacting straight into a wall that
does not move or deform, the threshold
level for most
GM vehicles is between 9
and 15 mph (14 and 23 ltrn/h).
However, this velocity threshold
depends on the vehicle design and may
be several miles-per-hour faster or
Seats & Restraint Svsterns
26
Let only qualified technicians work
on your air bag system. Improper
service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your
dealer for service.
NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the
driver’s air bag, it may not work
properly. You may have to replace
the air bag on the steering wheel.
Do not open or break the air bag
cover.
Is the smoke from an air bag inflation
harmful?
The particles emitted during air bag
inflation are not harmful to most
people. Some people with respiratory
ailments may experience difficulty
breathing
if they stay in the vehicle with
the windows closed after air bag
inflation.
So, if your air bag inflates, you
and any passengers should exit the
vehicle
if and when it is safe to do so. If
you or your passengers can’t get out of
the vehicle, try to get fresh air by
opening a window, turning on the fan,
or opening a door.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped
Oldsmobile
The air bag affects how your
Oldsmobile should be serviced. There
are parts of the air bag system in several
places around your vehicle.
You don’t
want the system to inflate while
someone is working on your vehicle.
Your Oldsmobile dealer and the
1994
Cutlass Supreme Service Manual have
information about servicing your
vehicle and the air bag system. The air
bag system does not need regular
maintenance.
joy riders or professional thieves - so
don’t do it.
When you park your Oldsmobile and
open the driver’s door, you’ll hear a
tone reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you.
Always do this. Your steering wheel will
be locked, and
so will your ignition and
transaxle. And remember to lock the
doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows
and lock your vehicle. Remember to
keep your valuables out of sight. Put
them in
a storage area, or take them
with you.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will
be watching your vehicle, it’s best to
lock it up and take your keys. But what
if you have to leave your ignition key?
What if you have to leave something
valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area,
like your trunk or glove box.
Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
Then take the door key with you.
PASS-Key@ll
Your vehicle is equipped with the
PASS-ICey@II (Personalized
Automotive Security System) theft
deterrent system. PASS-ICey@II is a
passive theft deterrent system. This
means you don’t have to do anything
different to arm or disarm the system. It
worlts when you insert or remove the
ltey from the ignition. PASS-I
that matches a decoder in your vehicle.
When the PASS-Keys11 system senses
that someone is using the wrong ltey, it
shuts down the vehicle’s starter and fuel
systems. For about three minutes, the
starter won’t work and fuel won’t go to
the engine. If someone tries to start
your vehicle again or uses another key
during this time, the vehicle will not
start. This discourages someone
from
randomly trying different keys with
different resistor pellets in an attempt to
make
a match. The
ignition key must be clean and dry
before it’s inserted in the ignition
or the
engine may not start. If the engine does
not start and the
SECURITY light is
on, the key may be dirty or wet. Turn
the ignition
off.
Clean and dry the ltey. Wait about three
minutes and try again. The security
light may remain on during this time. If
the starter still won’t work, and the ltey
appears to be clean and dry, wait about
three minutes and try the other ignition
ltey. At this time, you may also want to
check the fuses (see
Fuses G Circuit
Breakers
in the Index). If the starter
won’t work with the other ltey, your
vehicle needs service. If your vehicle
does start, the first ignition key may be
faulty. See your Oldsmobile dealer
or a
locksmith who can service the PASS-
I
damaged or missing resistor pellet, the
starter won’t work, and the
SECURITY light will come on. But you
don’t have to wait three minutes before
trying one
of the other ignition keys.
55
ACCES
U
I Ijyzition Switch
NOTICE:
If your ltey 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
ltey
only with your hand. Using a
tool to force it could break the ltey
or the ignition switch. If none of
this worlcs, then your vehicle needs
service.
7ith the ignition key in the ignition
vitch, you can turn the switch to five
ositions:
ccessory: An ‘‘on” position in which
3u can operate your radio and windshield wipers.
Press in the ignition
switch as you turn the top
of it toward
you.
Lock: The only position in which you
can remove the ltey. This locks your
steering wheel, ignition and transaxle.
Off Unloclts the steering wheel,
ignition, and transaxle, 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.
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 instru-
ment panel warning lights.
Start: Starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the ltey. 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.
Starting Your Engine
Engines start differently. The 8th digit
of your Vehicle Identification Number
(VIN) shows the code letter or number
for your engine. You will find the VIN
at the top left of your instrument panel.
(See
Vehicle Identification Number in
the
Index.) Follow the proper steps to
start the 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 transaxle.
Shift to
P (Park) only when your
vehicle is stopped.
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Features & Controls
62
Automatic Transaxle
Your automatic transaxle may have a
shift lever located on the steering
column or on the console between the
seats. Both are shown above.
Maximum engine speed is limited on
automatic transaxle vehicles when
you're in
D (Overdrive) or N (Neutral),
to protect driveline components from
improper operation. There are
seven shift positions. In this
manual, these are referred to
by the
commonly used symbols in the right
column below:
Park P
Reverse R
Neutral
N
Overdrive D
Third 3
Second 2
First 1
Park
P (Park) : This locks your front
wheels. It's
the best position to use
when
you start your engine because
your vehicle can't move easily.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the
horn symbols on your steering wheel.
Tilt Steering Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to
adjust.the steering wheel before you
drive.
You can also raise it to the highest level
to give your legs more room when you
exit and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering
wheel and pull the lever. Move the
.
steering wheel to a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
Windows
On a vehicle with manual. windows, use
the window crank to open .and close
each window.
71
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)
Steering Wheel Touch Controls
for Climate Control
(OPTION)
Some heating and cooling controls can
be adjusted at the steering wheel. These
touch controls also operate some audio
controls. See the
Index under Steering
Wheel
Touch Controls for Audio
System.
FAN: Press the upper part of the
control to increase the fan speed; press
the lower part to reduce the fan speed.
TEMP: Press the upper part of the
control to raise the inside temperature
setting; press the lower part to lower
the setting.
b
ECTRONIC
TE CONTROL I lW1,
Rear Window Defogger
R. DEFOG: Press to warm the
defogger grid on the rear window. The
indicator light will glow while the rear
window defogger is operating. The rear
window defogger will turn
off
automatically after about 10 minutes of
use. If you turn it on again, the defogger
will operate for about five minutes only.
You can also turn the defogger off by
turning off the ignition or pressing the
R. DEFOG switch again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle
license across the defogger grid on the
rear window.
NOTICE:
Don’t use a razor blade or
something else sharp on the inside
of the rear window.
If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming
grid, and the repairs wouldn’t be
covered by your warranty.
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