
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. 
To start  your 3100 V6 engine 
(Code D) : 
1. Without  pushing  the accelerator 
pedal,  turn your ignition  key to 
Start. 
When  the engine  starts, let go of the 
ltey.  The idle speed  will  go  down  as 
your engine gets warm. 
NOTICE: 
Holding your  key  in Start for longer 
than 
15 seconds  at a time  will cause 
your  battery  to be  drained  much 
sooner.  And the excessive  heat can 
damage your  starter  motor. 
2. If it doesn’t  start  right away, hold 
your  key in 
Start. If it  doesn’t  start  in 
three  seconds  (or  starts  but  then  stops),  push  the  accelerator  pedal 
about  one-quarter  of the  way  down 
for 
12 more  seconds,  or  until it starts. 
3. If your engine  still won’t  start  (or 
starts  but  then  stops),  it could 
be 
flooded with  too much gasoline.  Try 
this:  Wait 
15 seconds  to let  the 
starter  motor cool down.  Then push 
your accelerator pedal  all the  way  to 
the  floor. Hold  it  there.  Then  hold the 
key  in 
Start. This  clears  the  extra 
gasoline from  the engine.  When the 
engine  starts, let go 
of the  key  and 
the  accelerator pedal.  If the  engine 
still  doesn‘t  start, wait another 
15 
seconds  and  do  Step 2 again. 
NOTICE: 
Your engine  is designed  to work 
with  the  electronics in your vehicle. 
If you add electrical  parts  or 
accessories,  you could change  the 
way  the fuel injection system 
operates.  Before adding  electrical 
equipment,  check with your dealer. 
If you don’t,  your engine  might not 
perform properly.  If you  ever  have 
to  have your  vehicle towed, see the 
part 
of this  manual  that tells  how  to 
do  it without  damaging your 
vehicle. See 
Towing Your Vehicle 
in the Index. 
To start  your 3800 V6  engine 
(Code L): 
1. Without  pushing the accelerator 
pedal,  turn your ignition  key to 
Start. 
When  the engine  starts, let go of the 
ltey.  The  idle speed  will  go  down  as 
your engine gets  warm. 
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Features & Controls 
60 
NOTICE: 
Holding your key in Start for longer 
than 
15 seconds  at a time  will cause 
your  battery  to  be  drained  much 
sooner.  And the excessive  heat  can 
damage your  starter  motor. 
2. If it  doesn’t  start  right away, hold 
your  key in 
Start for about  three  to 
five seconds  at a time until your 
engine  starts. Wait about 
15 seconds 
between  each try to help  avoid 
draining your battery. 
3. If  your engine  still won’t  start  (or 
starts  but  then  stops),  it could  be 
flooded with  too much  gasoline.  Try 
pushing your accelerator pedal  all the 
way  to  the  floor and holding  it there 
as  you  hold  the key  in 
Start for about 
three  seconds. 
If the vehicle  starts 
briefly  but  then  stops  again, do  the 
same  thing,  but  this  time keep the 
pedal  down  for  five 
or six seconds. 
This clears  the  extra gasoline from 
the  engine. After waiting  about 
15 
seconds,  repeat  the normal starting 
procedure. 
NOTICE: 
Your  engine  is designed  to work 
with  the electronics  in your vehicle. 
If you  add electrical  parts or 
accessories, you could change  the 
way  the fuel  injection system 
operates.  Before adding electrical 
equipment,  check with your dealer. 
If you don’t, your engine  might not 
perform  properly. 
If you  ever  have 
to  have your  vehicle towed, see the 
part  of this  manual  that tells  how  to 
do  it without  damaging your 
vehicle.  See 
Towing Your Vehicle 
in the Index. 
I Driving  Through Deep 
Standing  Water 
NOTICE: 
If you  drive  too quickly  through 
deep  puddles  or standing  water, 
water  can  come in through  your 
engine’s air  intake  and badly 
damage your engine. 
If you  can’t 
avoid  deep puddles or  standing 
water,  drive through  them very 
slowly. 
ProCarManuals.com 

Features & Controls 
64 
R NoD2l 
Forward Gears 
(Automatic Overdrive): 
If your  automatic  transaxle  has 
automatic  overdrive,  this position  is  for 
normal driving.  If you need more power 
for passing,  and you’re: 
Going less  than  about 35 mph (56 
km/h),  push  your accelerator pedal 
about  halfway  down. 
Going about 35 mph (56 Itm/h)  or 
more,  push the accelerator  all the  way 
down. 
You’ll  shift down 
to the next  gear and 
have more power. 
NOTICE: 
This  NOTICE  applies only if you 
have  the 
3800 V6 engine  and the 
automatic  Overdrive transaxle. If 
your vehicle 
is so equipped,  and  if it 
seems  to  start  up  rather  slowly, or if 
it  seems  not  to  shift  gears as you  go 
faster,  something  may 
be wrong 
with  a  transaxle  system sensor.  If 
you  drive  very far that  way,  your 
vehicle  can be damaged. 
So, if this 
happens,  have your vehicle serviced 
right away. Until  then, you can use 
2 (Second  Gear) when you are 
drivin  less  than 
35 mph (56 ltm/h) 
and 
d D (Overdrive) for higher 
speeds. 
D (Third  Gear): If your  automatic 
transaxle  does not have Overdrive,  this 
position  is for normal driving,  at all 
speeds,  in most  street  and  highway 
situations. 
If your  automatic  transaxle  has 
Overdrive, 
D is  like m, but  you  never 
go  into  Overdrive.  Here  are some times 
you  might choose 
D instead  of m: 
When driving  on hilly,  winding roads. 
When  towing  a  trailer, so there is less 
When  going  down  a  steep hill. 
2 (Second  Gear): This position  gives 
you  more power  but lower  fuel 
economy.  You can use 
2 on hills. It can 
help  control  your speed  as you  go down 
steep  mountain  roads,  but  then  you 
would also want  to use your brakes 
off 
and on. 
shifting between gears. 
NOTICE: 
Don’t drive in 2 (Second  Gear) for 
more  than 
5 miles (8 ltm),  or  at 
speeds over 
55 mph (88 ltm/h),  or 
you  can damage your  transaxle. 
Use 
D (m or D if your vehicle  has 
Overdrive)  as much  as possible. 
Don’t  shift into 
2 unless  you are 
going  slower  than 
65 mph (105 
ltm/h),  or  you can damage your 
engine. 
1 (First Gear): This position  gives  you 
even  more power  (but lower  fuel 
economy)  than 
2. You can use  it on 
very  steep  hills, or  in deep snow  or 
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ud. If the  selector  lever is  put  in 1, thc 
ansaxle  won’t shift into first gear  unti 
le  vehicle  is  going  slowly  enough. 
NOTICE: 
If your  front  wheels  can’t  rotate, 
don’t  try to drive. 
This might 
happen 
if you  were  stuck  in  very 
deep  sand or mud  or  were  up 
against  a  solid object. 
You could 
damage your  transaxle. Also, 
if you 
stop  when  going uphill,  don’t hold 
your  vehicle  there  with  only the 
accelerator  pedal. This could 
overheat  and  damage the transaxle. 
Use  your  brakes  or  shift into 
P 
(Park)  to hold your vehicle  in 
position  on a hill. 
Parking Brake 
To Set the  Parking  Brake: 
Hold  the regular  brake pedal down  with 
your right foot.  Push down  the  parking 
brake  pedal with  your  left foot.  If the 
ignition  is on,  the  brake  system warning 
light  will  come 
on. See  the Index under 
Brake System Warning Light. 
To Release the  Parking Brake: 
Hold  the regular  brake pedal down with 
your  right foot while  you push  down  on 
the  parking  brake  pedal with your  left 
foot.  (To  release  the  tension  on  the 
parking  brake  cable, you  will  need to 
apply  about  the  same  amount  of 
pressure  to  the parking  brake  pedal as 
you  did  when you set the  parking 
brake.)  When  you  remove  your  foot from 
the parking  brake  pedal, it will  pop 
up  to  the  release  position. 
NOTICE: 
Driving  with  the  parking  brake  on 
can  cause  your rear  brakes  to 
overheat. 
You may  have  to replace 
them,  and  you could also damage 
other  parts  of your  vehicle. 
If You are Towing a Trailer  and  are 
Parking  on 
Any Hill: 
See the Index under Towing a Trailer. 
That  section  shows what  to  do  first to 
keep  the trailer from  moving. 
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Follow the proper  steps  to be  sure  your 
vehicle  won’t move.  See 
Shifting Into P 
(Park) in the Index. 
If you  are parking  on a hill  and  you’re 
pulling a  trailer, 
also see Towing a 
Trailer 
in  the Index. 
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. 
Manual Windows 
Use  the manual  crank  to open  and  close 
the  front  windows. 
69 
ProCarManuals.com 

0 
Turn Signal  and  Lane  Change 
lndicafor 
The  turn  signal has  two  upward  (for 
Right)  and  two  downward  (for Left) 
positions.  These  positions  allow  you to 
signal  a  turn  or a  lane  change. 
To signal a  turn,  move the lever  all  the 
way  up  or  down. When  the  turn is 
finished,  the lever  will return 
automatically. 
? 
0 - I)’ 1 
A green  arrow  on  the  instrument  panel 
will  flash  in the  direction  of the  turn  or 
lane  change. 
To signal  a  lane  change,  just  raise or 
lower  the lever  until  the  green arrow 
starts  to flash. Hold  it  there  until  you 
complete your  lane  change.  The  lever 
will  return  by  itself  when you release  it. 
As you  signal  a  turn  or a  lane  change, if 
the  arrows  don’t  flash but just  stay  on,  a 
signal  bulb may be  burned  out  and 
other  drivers won’t see your  turn signal.  If 
a bulb  is  burned  out,  replace it to help 
avoid  an accident.  If the  green  arrows 
don’t  go on  at  all when  you signal  a 
turn,  check  the fuse  (see  the 
Index 
under Fuses G Circuit Breakers) and 
for  burned-out  bulbs. 
If  you  have  a trailer towing  option  with 
added wiring for  the trailer lights,  a 
different  turn signal flasher  is used. 
With  this flasher installed,  the signal 
indicator  will flash  even 
if a  turn  signal 
bulb  is burned  out.  Check the  front  and 
rear  turn  signal  lights  regularly  to make 
sure  they  are  working. 
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Features & Controls 
104 
closer to the floor. It may  take  longer  to 
stop.  If the  light  is  still  on, have  the 
vehicle towed for service.  (See 
Towing 
Your Vehicle in  the Index.) 
The brake  system  warning  light  will  also 
come  on when 
you set your parking 
brake,  and  it will  stay  on if your parking 
brake  doesn’t release  fully. If it stays  on 
after  your parking brake  is  fully 
released,  it means  you have 
a brake 
problem. 
L Wb 
Anti-Lock Brake System  Warning 
Light 
With anti-lock,  this light  will  go  on 
when  you start  your engine  and  it will 
stay  on for  three  seconds.  That’s 
normal.  If the  light  doesn’t come  on, 
have  it  fixed 
so it  will  be ready  to warn 
you  if there  is a problem. 
If  the  light  flashes when you’re driving, 
you  don’t  have anti-lock brakes  and 
there’s  a  problem with your regular 
brakes.  Pull off the  road and  stop 
carefully. 
You may  notice  that  the  pedal 
is  harder  to push.  Or,  the  pedal may  go 
closer  to  the floor. It  may take  longer  to 
stop.  Have  the vehicle towed for 
service.  (See 
Towing Your Vehicle in 
the 
Index.) 
I 
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 
i 
and stays  on when you’re driving,  stop ! 
as soon  as possible  and  turn  the  ignition 
off.  Then  start  the  engine again to reset 
! I 
the  system.  If the  light  still stays  on, or j 
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. 
ProCarManuals.com 

Here  you’ll  find infoimation 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  DrlWg  132 
Dmnken  Driving 
........................................................................\
............................. 132 
Control 
of a  Vehicle 
Braking 
........................................................................\
.......................................... 134 
Anti-Locls:  Brakes 
........................................................................\
.......................... 135 
Traction  Control  System 
........................................................................\
.............. 137 
Steering Tips 
........................................................................\
................................. 138 
Steering  in Emergencies ........................................................................\
............... 139 
Passing 
........................................................................\
.......................................... 140 
Driving  at Night 
........................................................................\
.............................. 142 
Driving  in  the Rain ........................................................................\
.......................... 143 
City  Driving 
........................................................................\
..................................... 145 
Freeway  Driving 
........................................................................\
.............................. 145 
Hill  and  Mountain  Roads 
........................................................................\
................ 147 
Winter  Driving 
........................................................................\
................................. 148 
Towing  a Trailer 
........................................................................\
.............................. 151 
.. ........................................................................\
............................ 
.. 
131 
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