1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme weight

can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t
fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into
P (Park)
properly, the weight of the vehicle may
put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transaxle. You-may find it
difficult to pull the shift lever out.of
P
(Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into
P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see Shifting Into.
P (Park) in the.Index.
When you are ready to drive; move the
shift lever out of
P (Park) BEFORE you
release the parking brake.
If “torque lock” does occur, you may
need to have another vehicle push yours
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the transaxle,
so you can
pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Parking Over Things .That
Burn Engine Exhaust
L
69

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
146
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trailer.
Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer
so that the tongue
will not drop to the road if it becomes
separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by
the hitch manufacturer or by the trailer
manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for
attaching safety chains. Always leave
just enough slack
so you can turn with
your rig. And, never allow safety chains
to drag
on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes,
don’t try to tap into your vehicle’s brake
system at all.
If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well or
at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to laow your rig. Acquaint yourself with
the feel
of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly
so responsive
as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer hitch
and platform, safety chains, electrical
connector, lights, tires and mirror
adjustment.
If the trailer has electric
brakes, start your vehicle and trailer
moving and then apply the trailer brake
controller by hand to be sure the brakes
are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally to
be sure that the load is secure, and that
the lights and any trailer brakes are still
working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations that
require heavy braking and sudden
turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance up
ahead when you’re towing a trailer.
And, because you’re a good deal longer,
you’ll need to go much farther beyond
the passed vehicle before you can return
to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel
with one hand. Then, to move the
trailer to the left, just move that hand to
the left. To move the trailer to the right,
move your hand
to the right. Always
back up slowly and,
if possible, have
someone guide you.
Making Turns
When you’re turning with a trailer,
make wider turns than normal. Do this
so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or
other objects. Avoid jerky or sudden
maneuvers. Signal well in advance.

270
Flash-to-Pass ................................... 79
High/Low Beam Changer
............... 79
Pulse Windshield Wipers
................ 76
Turn
& Lane Change Indicator ...... 73
Turn Signal Indicator
...................... 73
Windshieid Washer
......................... 77
Windshield Wipers
.......................... 76
Underhood Electrical
Unleaded Gasoline
........................... 177
Khicle Identification Number
Center
............................ 220. 224.
225
Upholstery Care
............................... 212
(VIN)
............................................. 219
Vehicle Loading
............................... 205
Vehicle Storage
............................... : 196
Ventilation
................................ 104, 110
VIN
................................................... 219
Visor Vanity Mirrors
.......................... 83
Voltmeter ............................................. 95
Warning Flashers. Hazard
............ 150
Warning Lights Anti-Lock Brake System
................. 96
Battery
............................................. 98
Brake
................................................ 96
Fasten Belts
..................................... 18
Low Coolant .................................... 94
Coolant
Temperature
...................... 94 Oil
.................................................... 94
Safety Belt
....................................... 15
Sewice Engine Soon
....................... 97
Washer. Windshield
........................... 77
Weight Gross Axle Rating (GAWR)
......... 205
Gross Vehicle Rating (GVWR)
.... 205
wheel^ Alignment & Tire Balance ... 210
Wheel Covers.
How to Remove ....... 167
Wheel Nut Torque
................... 171. 228
Wheel Nuts
....................................... 167
Wheel Replacement
......................... 210
Windows Passenger Lockout Switch .............. 72
Power
............................................... 72
Standard
.......................................... 71
Windshield Washer
............................ 77
Fluid
................................................. 191
.Windshield Wipers
............. 76. 216. 226
Windshield Wiper Replacement
...... 205
Winter Driving
................................. 140
If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Deep
Snow
........................................... 173
If You’re Caught in a Blizzard ...... 142
Wrecker Towing
............................... 154