
How to Use this Manual 
These  symbols  are on some of your 
controls: 
Windshield  Wipers 
Windshield  Washer 
w 
Windshield  Defroster 
Rear  Window  Defogger 
Rear  Window  Wiper 
Rear  Window  Washer  Ventilating  Fan 
Power  Window 
10 
3f 
These  symbols  are  used on warning 
and indicator  lights: 
Engine  Coolant  Temperature 
Battery  Charging 
System 
Fuel 
Engine 
Oil Pressure 
Brake 
AntXock  Brakes 
p3 
Here  are  some  other symbols you 
may  see: 
Fuse 
Lighter 
Horn 
Speaker 
Hood  Release 
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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. 
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Engine Cooknt  Heater 
(Engine 
Block Heater) 
(OPTION) 
In  very  cold  weather, 0°F (-18°C) or 
colder,  the engine  coolant  heater  can 
help.  You’ll  get easier  starting  and 
better  fuel economy  during engine 
warm-up.  Usually, the coolant  heater 
should  be  plugged  in  a minimum  of four 
hours  prior to starting  your vehicle. 
To use  the  coolant  heater: 
1. Turn off the  engine. 
2. Open  the hood  and unwrap  the 
3. Plug it  into  a  normal,  grounded 110- 
electrical  cord. 
volt  outlet. 
NOTICE: 
After you’ve used  the coolant 
heater,  be sure  to  store  the  cord as 
it  was before  to keep  it away  from 
moving  engine parts. If you  don’t,  it 
could  be damaged.  How 
long should  you keep  the  coolant 
heater  plugged  in?  The  answer  depends 
on  the  weather,  the  kind 
of oil  you 
have,  and some  other  things.  Instead 
of 
trying to list everything  here, we ask 
that 
you contact  an Oldsrnobile dealer 
in  the  area  where  you’ll be parking your 
vehicle.  The dealer  can give  you  the best 
advice for  that particular  area. 
41 
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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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The Instrument  Panel-Your 
Information  System 
Your  instrument  panel is designed to let 
you  know  at 
a glance how your vehicle 
is running.  You’ll know how fast you’re 
going,  how much fuel  you’re using, and 
many  other  things  you’ll need 
to drive 
safely 
and economically. 
Refer  to  the  accompanying diagram 
of 
your instrument  panel to locate  the 
components  listed below. 
1. Side Vents 
2. Light  Controls 
3. Turn Signal/Multifunction  Lever 
4. Tilt Steering Wheel  Lever 
5. Instrument Cluster 
6. Gearshift Lever 
7. Wipermasher  Controls 
8. Center  Vents 
9. Storage Compartment 
IO. Side Vents 
11. Circuit Brealter/Relay Panel 
12. Glove Box/Fuse  Panel 
13. Audio  System 
14. Rear Fan Controls 
15. Cup Holders/Ashtray 
16. Locking  Storage Bin 
17. Lighter 
18. Interior  Lights Override Switch 
19. Traction  Control Switch 
20. Climate Controls 
21. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch 
22. Ignition Switch 
23. Horn 
24. Steering  Wheel Touch Controls 
(Option) 
97 
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Speedometer  and  Odometer 
Your speedometer  lets  you see your 
speed  in  both  miles per hour  (mph)  and 
kilometers per  hour  (ltm/h). Your 
odometer  shows how far your vehicle 
has  been  driven,  in either  miles (used in 
the 
U.S.) or kilometers  (used  in 
Canada). 
Tamper  Resistant  Odometer 
Your Oldsmobile  has  a  tamper  resistant 
odometer. 
If you  see silver  lines 
between  the numbers,  you’ll know that 
someone  has probably tried  to  turn it 
back, 
so the  numbers  may not  be  true. 
You may wonder  what  happens if your 
vehicle  needs  a  new odometer  installed. 
If the new  one  can  be set  to  the  mileage 
total  of the  old odometer,  then  it  must 
be.  But  if it  can’t,  then  it’s set at zero 
and  a  label must  be put  on  the  driver’s 
door  to show  the old  mileage  reading 
when  the new  odometer  was installed. 
\‘ 4 
4 
Tachometer 
The tachometer  displays the engine 
speed in  revolutions  per minute  (rpm). 
NOTICE: 
Do not  operate  the  engine with  the 
tachometer  in the  red  area,  or 
engine damage  may occur. 
[o I 2 0 531 
UNLEADED  FUEL ONLY 
Trip Odometer 
The trip  odometer  can  tell you how far 
your vehicle  has  been driven since 
you 
last  set it to  zero.  To set it to zero,  push 
the  reset  button  located above  the fuel 
gage. 
99 
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Features & Controls 
100 
Warning Lights,  Gages  and 
Indicators 
This section describes  the warning 
lights and  gages that may  be on  your 
vehicle. The pictures  will help  you 
locate  them. 
Warning lights  and gages  can signal  that 
something 
is wrong before  it becomes 
serious  enough  to  cause  an expensive 
repair  or  replacement.  Paying attention 
to  your warning lights  and gages  could 
also save  you or  others  from injury. 
Warning lights  go on  when  there may 
be  or is a problem  with  one  of your 
vehicle's  functions.  As  you  will  see in 
the  details on  the  next few pages, some 
warning  lights  come  on briefly  when 
you  turn  the  ignition key just  to  let you 
know  they're working.  If you  are 
familiar  with  this  section,  you should 
not  be  alarmed when  this  happens. 
Gages can indicate when  there may  be 
or 
is a problem with  one of your 
vehicle's  functions.  Often  gages and 
warning lights work  together to let  you 
know when  there's  a problem with your 
vehicle.  When 
one of the  warning lights comes 
on and  stays  on when  you are driving, 
or  when  one 
of the gages  shows  there 
may  be a problem, check  the section 
that  tells  you what  to  do  about  it.  Please 
follow  the manual's  advice. Waiting  to 
do  repairs  can be  costly 
- and  even 
dangerous. 
So please  get to know  your 
warning lights  and gages.  They're  a big 
help. 
- UNLtADtU  FUtL 
- 
I 
loo= , 
fuel Gage 
Your  fuel  gage  tells you about  how 
much  fuel you  have left, when  the 
ignition  is 
on. When  the gage  first 
indicates 
E (Empty), you still  have  a 
little  fuel left,  but you  should  get more 
soon. 
Here  are four things  that some  owners 
ssk about.  None of these  show a 
problem  with your fuel  gage: 
At the  service  station,  the gas  pump 
shuts  off before  the gage  reads 
F 
(Full) . 
It takes  a  little more  or less  fuel  to fill 
up  than  the  gage indicated. For 
example,  the gage  may  have  indicated 
the  tank  was half full,  but it actually 
took  a little more  or less  than  half the 
tank's  capacity  to 
fill the  tank. 
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