Page 181 of 340

Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you start
down a long
or steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your brakes
so much that
they would get
hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, use the highest gear possible.
If
you cannot maintain posted speeds, driving at a lower
speed may help avoid overheating your engine and
transaxle.
If you have a manual transaxle with fifth gear,
it’s better
not to use fifth gear. Just drive in fourth gear (or, as
you
need to, a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if
you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how
to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet, or into gear for a manual transaxle.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are
in place, release the
regular brakes until
the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK
(P), or REVERSE (R)
for a manual transaxle.
Release the regular brakes.
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Page 189 of 340
Towing Your Vehicle
Try to have a GM retailer or a professional towing
service tow your Oldsmobile. The usual towing
equipment is:
(A) Sling-type tow truck
(B) Wheel-lift tow truck
(C) Car carrier If
your vehicle has been changed or modified since it
was factory-new by adding aftermarket items like fog
lamps, aero skirting, or special tires and wheels, these
instructions and illustrations may not be correct.
Before you do anything, turn
on the hazard warning
flashers.
When
you call, tell the towing service:
0
0
0
0
0
That your vehicle cannot be towed from the front or
rear with sling-type equipment, as described later in
this section.
That your vehicle has front-wheel drive.
The make, model and year
of your vehicle.
Whether you can still move the
shift lever.
If there was an accident, what was damaged.
When the towing service arrives, let the tow operator
know that this manual contains detailed towing
instructions and illustrations. The operator may want to
see them.
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Page 190 of 340
When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service. Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake released.
Don’t have your vehicle towed
on the front wheels,
unless you must. If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t go more than
35 mph (56 kmh) or
farther than
50 miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.
Page 191 of 340
Front Towing
Before hooking up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information on “Towing Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
1. Attach T-hook chains
into the
slots in the
bottom
of the floor pan,
just behind the front
wheels, on both sides.
NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or
fascidfog lamp damage will occur. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment. Additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment.
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Page 192 of 340
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage
a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment.
To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance
is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using
car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
2. Attach a separate safety chain around the
outboard end
of each
lower control arm.
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Page 193 of 340

Rear Towing
TOW LIMITS - 35 MPH (56 KPH), 50 MILES
(80 KM)
Before hooiung up to a tow truck, be sure to read all the
information on “Towing
Your Vehicle” earlier in this
section.
Also be sure to use the proper hook-up for your
particular vehicle.
1. Attach T-hook chains on
both sides, in the slotted
holes in the bottom of
the fiame rail,
just ahead
of the rear wheels.
I NOTICE:
Do not tow with sling-type equipment or rear
bumper valance
will be damaged. Use wheel-lift
or car carrier equipment (additional ramping
may be required for car carrier equipment).
Use safety chains and wheel straps.
NOTE: The ignition must be in the OFF position to
keep automatic door locks from locking during
tow.
NOTICE:
Towing a vehicle over rough surfaces could
damage a vehicle. Damage can occur from vehicle
to ground or vehicle to wheel-lift equipment. To
help avoid damage, install a towing dolly and
raise vehicle until adequate clearance is obtained
between the ground and/or wheel-lift equipment.
Do not attach winch cables or J-hooks to
suspension components when using car carrier
equipment. Always use T-hooks inserted in the
T-hook slots.
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Page 202 of 340

If a Tire Goes Flat
It’s unusual for a tire to “blow out” while you’re driving,
especially if you maintain your tires properly. If air goes
out of a tire, it’s much more likely to leak out slowly.
But if you should ever have a “blowout,” here are a few
tips about what
to expect and what to do:
If a front tire fails, the flat tire will create a drag that
pulls the vehicle toward that side. Take your foot off the
accelerator pedal and grip the steering wheel firmly.
Steer to maintain lane position, then gently brake to a
stop well out of the traffic lane.
A rear blowout, particularly on a curve, acts much like a
skid and may require the same correction you’d use
in a
skid. In any rear blowout, remove your foot from the
accelerator pedal. Get the vehicle under control by
steering the way you want
the vehicle to go. It may be
very bumpy and noisy, but you can still steer. Gently
brake to a stop, well off the road if possible.
If a tire goes flat, the next part shows how
to use your
jacking equipment to change a flat tire safely.
Changing a Flat Tire
If a tire goes flat, avoid further tire and wheel damage
by driving slowly to a level place. Turn on your hazard
warning flashers.
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Page 203 of 340
The following steps will tell you how to use the jack and
change a tire.
The equipment you’ll need is in the trunk.
1. Turn the center retainer nut on the compact spare tire
housing counterclockwise to remove it, then lift the
tire cover.
You will find the jacking instructions label
on the underside of the tire cover.
2. Remove the wing bolt securing the compact spare
tire and spacer by turning it counterclockwise. Then
lift
off the spacer and remove the spare tire.
3. The jack and wheel wrench are stored in a foam tray
by the compact spare tire.
4. Using the wheel wrench, remove the wheel nut caps
(if your vehicle has them) and loosen all the wheel
nuts. Don’t remove them yet. On some models, a
cover plate must be removed to find the wheel nuts.
Carefully use the wedge end of the wheel wrench to
pry it
off.
5-21