1994 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE weight

Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your vehicle
is in
P (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
P
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from
P (Park)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you 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 nings That
Burn
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NOTICE:
Loading cargo that weighs more
than
125 pounds (56 kg) on the
luggage carrier may damage your
vehicle. When you carry cargo
on
the luggage carrier of a proper size
and weight, put it
on the slats, as
far forward as
you can. Then slide
the crossrail up against the rear of
the load, to help keep it from
moving. You can then tie it down. Don’t
exceed the maximum vehicle
sapacity when loading your Oldsmobile.
For more information
on vehicle
capacity and loading, see the
Index
under Loading Your Vehicle.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo as
you’re driving, check now and then to
make sure the luggage carrier and cargo
are still securely fastened.
Your luggage carrier has release hobs
set in the ends of each crossrail. Turn
the release hobs counterclockwise,
then slide the crossrails forward or
back, as needed, to accommodate loads
of varying size.
After repositioning the crossrails, be
sure to tighten the release hobs by
turning them clockwise, locking the
crossrails in place.
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Features & Controls
94
Use the adjustable tiedown loops in the
side rails
to help secure large loads.
Reposition the tiedowns by turning
them counterclockwise, then slide them
along the side rail. Turn the tiedowns
cloclnvise
to tighten them in place.
Tiedowns may be removed and used in
the adjustable tapped plates in the
crossrails.
You may also use these
tapped plates to secure bicycle or ski
racks.
Electronic Level Control (OPTION)
With this option, the rear of the vehicle
automatically adjusts to changes in load
weight. (See the
Index under Loading
Your Vehicle.)
You may hear the compressor operating
when you load or unload your vehicle,
and periodically
as the system self-
adjusts. This is normal. The compressor
should operate for brief
periods of time. If the sound continues
for an extended period
of time, your
vehicle needs service. To keep your
battery from being drained, you may
want to pull the 20-amp
ELC fuse in the
fuse control panel until you can get
your vehicle serviced (see the
Index
under Fuses G Circuit Breakers).
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Your Driving and the Road
132
I 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 Belts 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 pedestrians or 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.
I 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.
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Towinga Trailer
L
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and result in
costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. To pull a trailer correctly,
follow the advice in this section,
and see your Oldsmobile dealer for
important information about
towing a trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you should
read the information in
Weight of the
Trailer that appears later in this section.
But trailering is different than just
driving your vehicle by itself. Trailering
means changes in handling, durability,
and fuel economy. Successful, safe
trailering takes correct equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That’s the reason for this section. In it
are many time-tested, important
trailering tips and safety rules. Many of
these are important for your safety and
that of your passengers.
So please read
this section carefully before you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the
engine, transaxle, wheel assemblies, and
tires are forced to work harder against
the drag of the added weight. The
engine is required to operate at
relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat.
What’s more, the trailer adds
considerably to wind resistance,
increasing the pulling requirements.
If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important
points.
There are many different laws having
to do with trailering. Make sure your
rig will be legal, not only where you
live but
also where you’ll be driving. A
good source for this information can
be state or provincial police.
Consider using a sway control if your
trailer will weigh
2,000 pounds (900
kg) or less. You should always use a
sway control if your trailer will weigh
more than
2,000 pounds (900 kg).
You can ask a hitch dealer about sway
controls.
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Your Driving and the Road
152
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the
first
500 miles (800 ltm) your new
vehicle is driven. Your engine, axle or
other parts could be damaged.
. Then, during the first 500 miles (800
km) that you tow a trailer, don’t drive
over
50 mph (80 lun/h) and don’t
make starts at full throttle. This helps
your engine and other parts of your
vehicle wear in at the heavier loads.
Three important considerations have to
do with weight:
Weight of the Trailer
How heavy can a trailer safely be? It should never
weigh more than 1,400
pounds (630 kg) with up to six
occupants or more than 2,000 pounds
(900 kg) with up to two occupants
unless you have the optional trailer-
towing package. With the trailer-towing
package (available only with the 3800
V6 engine), your vehicle can tow up to
2,400 pounds
(1 090 kg) with up to six
occupants or
up to 3,000 pounds (1 360
kg) with up to two occupants. But even
that can be too heavy.
It depends on how you plan
to use your
rig.
For example, speed, altitude, road
grades, outside temperature and how much
your vehicle is used to pull a
trailer are all important. And, it can also
depend
on any special equipment that
you have on your vehicle.
You can
ask your dealer for our
trailering information or advice, or you
can write
us at:
Oldsmobile Customer Assistance
P.O.
Box 30095
Lansing, MI 48909
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center 1908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario L1H 8P7
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I
I I
Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an
important weight to measure because it
affects the total
or gross weight of your
vehicle. The
gross vehicle weight
(GVW) includes the curb weight of the
vehicle, any cargo you may carry in it,
and the people who will be riding in the
vehicle. And if you will tow a trailer,
you must add the tongue load to the
GVW because your vehicle will be
carrying that weight, too. See
Loading
Your Vehicle in the Index for more
information about your vehicle’s
maximum load capacity.
I If you’re using a “dead-weight’’ hitch, 1 the trailer tongue (A) should weigh
i 10% of the total loaded trailer weight
’ (B). If you have a “weight-distributing”
I
hitch, the trailer tongue (A) should
weigh
12% of the total loaded trailer
weight
(B) .
After you’ve loaded your trailer, weigh
the trailer and then the tongue,
separately, to see
if the weights are
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able
to get them right simply by moving
some items around in the trailer.
Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated
to the limit for cold tires. You’ll find
these numbers on the Certification/Tire
label at the rear edge
of the driver’s
door or see
Tire Loading in the Index.
Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle.
Hifches
It’s important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right hitch.
Here are some rules to follow:
If you’ll be pulling a trailer that, when
loaded, will weigh more than
2,000
pounds (900 kg), be sure to use a
properly mounted, weight-distributing
hitch and sway control of the proper
size. This equipment is very important
for proper vehicle loading and good
handling when you’re driving.
Will you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then
be sure to seal the holes later when
you remove the hitch. If you don’t
seal them, deadly carbon monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into
your vehicle (see
Engine Exhaust in
the
Index). Dirt and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not
intended for hitches.
Do not attach
rental hitches or other bumper-type
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Your Driving and the Road
154
hitches to them. Use only a frame-
mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
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
If your trailer weighs more than 1,000
pounds (450 kg) loaded, then it needs
its own brakes
- and they must be
adequate. Be sure to read and follow
the instructions for the trailer brakes
so
you’ll be able to install, adjust and
maintain them properly. Because
you have anti-lock brakes, do
not try to tap into your vehicle‘s brake
system. 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 know 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.
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