
Q;;= 
LOW 
SERVICE 
ENGINE  SOON (BRAI 
la 
Air Bag  Readiness  Light 
There is an  air  bag  readiness  light on 
the  instrument  panel, which shows 
AIR 
BAG. The system  checks for electrical 
malfunctions,  and  the  light tells you 
if 
there  is a problem. 
You  will  see this  light flash for  a few 
seconds  when  you turn  your  ignition  to 
Run or Start. Then the light  should go 
out, which  means  the  system  is ready. 
Remember, 
if the  air bag  readiness  light 
doesn’t  come 
on when you start  your 
vehicle,  or stays 
on, or comes on when 
you  are driving,  your air bag  system 
may  not  work  properly. Have your 
vehicle  serviced  right away. 
27 
ProCarManuals.com 

 
Here  you  can  learn  about  the  many standard  and  optional  features  on 
your  Oldsmobile.  and  information  on 
starting.  shifting  and  braking 
. Also 
explained  are  the  instrument  panel 
and  the  warning  systems  that  tell you 
if everything  is working  properly - 
and  what to do  if you have  a 
problem 
. 
Part 2 
Features & Controls 
Keys ........................................................................\
................................................... 44 
Front  Doors 
........................................................................\
....................................... 45 
Remote  Lock  Control 
........................................................................\
........................ 48 
Liftgate 
........................................................................\
............................................... 56 
Starting  Your  Engine 
........................................................................\
........................ 58 
Engine Coolant  Heater ........................................................................\
...................... 61 
Loclts 
........................................................................\
.................................................. 45 
Sliding Door 
........................................................................\
...................................... 51 
Ignition ........................................................................\
.............................................. 58 
Shifting  the Transaxle 
........................................................................\
....................... 62 
Parking  Brake 
........................................................................\
.................................... 65 
Shifting  into Park 
........................................................................\
.............................. 66 
Horn ........................................................................\
................................................... 69 
Tilt  Steering  Wheel 
........................................................................\
............................ 69 
Windows 
........................................................................\
............................................ 69 
Turn  Signal  and  Lane  Change Indicator 
.................................................................. 71 
Cruise  Control ........................................................................\
................................... 72 
Headlights 
........................................................................\
.......................................... 74 
Interior  Lights 
........................................................................\
................................... 76 
Windshield Wipers 
........................................................................\
............................ 77 
Windshield  Washer 
........................................................................\
........................... 78 
Mirrors 
........................................................................\
............................................... 86 
Glove 
Box and  Storage  Compartments .................................................................... 88 
Luggage  Carrier ........................................................................\
................................. 92 
Instrument  Panel 
........................................................................\
............................... 96 
Warning  Lights, Gages  and  Indicators 
................................................................... 100 43 
ProCarManuals.com 

you won't  be able  to set  the  door  lock 
with  the power  door lock switch  or  the 
remote  transmitter.  This  security 
feature  is designed  to help  keep  you 
from  locking your  keys in your vehicle. 
Lock Delay 
The  lock  delay  feature  can  be operated 
using  either  the  remote  key chain 
transmitter  or  the power  door locks 
switch  (see 
Power Door Locks earlier in 
this  section). 
For  the lock  delay  feature  to work,  the 
ignition  and the interior  lights control 
to  the  left of the  instrument  panel 
cluster  must be  off. 
If  any  door  is open  when 
you press B or 
the  rear  of either  power  door lock 
switch,  a  chime will sound  three  times. 
This  indicates  that 
all doors  and  the 
liftgate  will lock  about  five seconds  after 
the  last  door  has  been  closed. 
To override the lock  delay  feature,  press 
the  lock  symbol  or  the  rear of either 
power  door lock switch again,  and  the 
doors  and  liftgate will lock immediately. 
To cancel  the lock  delay  feature, press 
the  unlock symbol  or the  front  of either 
power  door lock switch. 
Remote  Operation of Power  Sliding 
Door 
If you have  the optional  power sliding 
door  (see 
Power Sliding Door later in 
this  section),  your remote  transmitter 
will  have  a  third  button  labeled 
.' . 
Press it to  open  or  close the sliding 
door. 
If the  sliding  door is locked,  first press 
a twice to unlock  all doors,  then  press 
You can  operate  the power sliding  door 
with  the  remote  transmitter  only when 
the  power sliding  door  enable  switch  on 
the  overhead console 
is in the ON 
position. 
= to  open  the  sliding door. 
Matching  Transmitter@) To Your 
Vehicle 
Each key chain  transmitter  is coded  to 
prevent  another  transmitter  from 
unlocking your vehicle.  If a  transmitter 
is  lost  or  stolen,  a  replacement  can be 
purchased  through  your dealer. 
Remember  to bring  the remaining 
transmitters  with  you when  you  go 
to 
your dealer.  When the dealer  matches 
the  replacement  transmitter to your 
vehicle,  the remaining  transmitters 
must  also  be matched.  Once the new 
transmitter  is  coded, the lost 
transmitter  will not unlock your  vehicle. 
You  can  match 
a transmitter  to as many 
different vehicles  as you  own,  provided 
they  are equipped  with 
exactly  the 
same  model  system. 
(General  Motors 
offers  several different models  of these 
systems  on  their vehicles.) Each vehicle 
can  have  up  to four  transmitters 
matched  to it. 
See your dealer  to match  transmitters  to 
another  vehicle. 
49 
ProCarManuals.com 

switch on  the  side of the  overhead 
console.  (If  you have the  standard 
compact overhead  console,  this switch 
is  located  between  the reading lights.) 
The sliding  door must  be unlocked for 
the  power sliding  door to operate.  The 
ignition  does  not  have to be  on,  and  the 
key  does  not  have to be  in the  ignition. 
To prevent  accidental  operation 
of the 
sliding  door, disable  the power sliding 
door  by placing  the power sliding  door 
enable switch  in  the 
OFF position.  The 
power sliding  door will only  open  if 
the  transaxle  is in 
P (Park).  The 
transaxle  does  not  have to be  in 
P 
(Park)  to  close the  door.  If the  enable 
switch  is 
ON and  the  power sliding 
door  is open  or  in the  process 
of closing 
when  you shift  out of 
P (Park), a 
buzzer  will sound  and  the '- -. light on 
your  instrument  panel will flash  (see the 
Index under Sliding Door Ajar  Warning 
Light). 
This  is  a  warning  that  the sliding 
door 
is not  completely closed. 
c 
53 
ProCarManuals.com 

Raising the Liftgate 
Open  the liftgate using  the handle 
above  the license  plate.  Then,  step  back 
and  the  liftgate will rise by itself. Lights 
in  the  liftgate  will come  on, illuminating 
the  rear  cargo  area  (see  the 
Index under 
Rear  Interior  Lights). 
NOTICE: 
Be sure  there  are  no  overhead 
obstructions,  such  as a garage  door, 
before  you open  the liftgate.  You 
could  slam the liftgate  into 
something  and  break  the glass. 
To  close  the liftgate,  pull down  on  the 
strap,  then  firmly shut  the  liftgate. 
Don’t  drive with  the  liftgate open, even 
slightly  (see the 
Index under Exhaust). 
A light  on your  instrument  panel will 
warn  you 
if the liftgate  is  not completely 
closed  (see the 
Index under Warning 
Lights,  Liftgate  Ajar). 
New Vehicle “Break-In” 
NOTICE: 
Your modern  Oldsmobile  doesn’t 
need  an  elaborate  “break-in.”  But it 
will  perform  better  in  the  long run 
if  you  follow  these guidelines: 
Don’t  drive at any  one  speed - 
fast  or  slow - for the  first 500 
miles (804 km) . Don’t  make full- 
throttle  starts. 
Avoid  making  hard  stops  for the 
first 
200 miles (322 km)  or so. 
During  this  time  your new brake 
linings  aren’t yet broken  in.  Hard 
stops  with  new linings  can mean 
premature  wear and earlier 
replacement.  Follow this 
“breaking-in”  guideline every 
time  you  get  new  brake linings. 
57 
ProCarManuals.com 

Features & Con&oli 
58 
U 
I Ignition  Switch 
With the ignition  key in the  ignition 
switch,  you can turn  the  switch to five 
positions: 
Accessory: An “on” position  in which 
you  can operate  your electrical power 
accessories. 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  loclts  your 
steering wheel, ignition  and  transaxle. 
Off Unlocks 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. 
A warning chime  will 
sound 
if you  open  the driver’s  door  the 
ignition. 
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 
instrument  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. 
NOTICE: 
If your key 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 
key  only  with your  hand. Using  a 
tool 
to force  it could  break  the key 
or  the  ignition switch.  If none  of 
this  works,  then  your vehicle  needs 
service. 
I 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. 
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. 
71 
ProCarManuals.com 

74 
Features & Controls 
To slow down  in very  small  amounts, 
push  the  button  for less  than  half 
a 
second.  Each time you do  this,  you'll 
go 
1 mph (1.6 ltm/h)  slower. 
Passing  Another  Vehicle  While 
Using  Cruise  Control 
Use  the accelerator pedal  to increase 
your  speed.  When  you  take your foot  off 
the  pedal,  your  vehicle  will  slow  down 
to  the  cruise control speed  you set 
earlier. 
Using  Cruise  Control  on Hills 
How  well  your  cruise control  will work 
on  hills  depends  upon your speed, load, 
and  the  steepness  of the  hills.  When 
going  up steep  hills,  you  may  have  to 
step  on  the  accelerator pedal  to 
maintain your speed. When  going 
downhill, 
you may  have  to brake or 
shift  to a lower  gear  to keep your speed 
down.  Of course,  applying  the brake 
takes 
you out  of cruise control.  Many 
drivers  find this to be  too  much trouble 
and  don't  use cruise control  on steep 
hills. 
To Get  Out of Cruise  Control 
There  are two  ways  to  turn off the 
cruise control: 
Step  lightly  on  the  brake pedal; OR 
Move the cruise switch  to OFF. 
If your  vehicle has the optional traction 
control  system 
(TCS), the cruise 
control  will shut 
off when TCS is 
actively  controlling  wheel spin. See the 
Index under Traction  Control  System. 
To Erase  Cruise  Speed  Memory 
When you turn off the  cruise control  or 
the  ignition, your cruise control set 
speed  memory  is  erased. If you  have  the 
3800 V6 engine, cruise control  memory 
will  also be erased when  you  place the 
transaxle  in 
P (Park). 
Headlights 
Push the p$ switch  to  turn  on: 
Parking Lights 
Side Marker  Lights 
Taillights 
Instrument Panel  Lights 
Pull  the switch  to  turn 
off the lights. 
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