Page 68 of 340

New Vehicle 4LBreak-In” Parking at Night 
Park  in  a lighted spot, close all windows  and lock  your 
vehicle.  Remember  to keep your valuables  out 
of sight. 
Put  them 
in a storage area,  or take them with  you. 
, Parking Lots 
If you park in  a  lot where someone will  be watching 
your vehicle,  it’s best  to  lock  it  up  and take  your  keys. 
But what 
if you have  to  leave your ignition  key?  What  if 
you have  to  leave something  valuable in your vehicle? 
0 Put your valuables in  a  storage area, like your  trunk 
or  glove  box. 
0 Lock  the glove box. 
0 Lock all the doors except  the driver’s. 
0 Then  take  the  door key with you. 
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: 
0 Don’t  drive at any  one  speed -- fast or 
slow 
-- for  the  first 500 miles (804 km). 
Don’t  make  full-throttle  starts. 
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. 
0 Don’t tow a trailer  during  “break-in.”  See 
(‘Towing 
a Trailer’’  in  the  Index  for  more 
information. 
0 Avoid  making  hard  stops  for  the  first 
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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.  This  clears the extra 
gasoline  from the engine.  If the vehicle  starts briefly 
but then stops  again, do the  same  thing,  but this time 
keep  the pedal  about  one-quarter 
of the way down 
for  five 
or six  seconds. 
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 retailer. 
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 
3.1 Liter  engine: 
I. Without pushing  t.he accelerator pedal, turn your 
ignition  key to 
START. When the  engine  starts,  let 
go  of the  key.  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 your engine  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. 
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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 retailer. 
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. 
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. 
Engine  Coolant  Heater (Option) 
In very  cold weather, 0” F (- 18 O 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. 
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): If your automarlc 
transaxle  has 
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE, this position 
is for normal  driving. If you  need  more power  for 
passing,  and  you’re: 
Going  less  than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your 
accelerator  pedal about  halfway  down. 
Going  about 35 mph (55 km/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  an 
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 SECOND 
(2) when  you  are 
driving  less than 
35 mph (55 kmk) and 
OWRDRIVE 
(0) for  higher  speeds. 
DRIVE (D) or  THIRD (3): 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 (@), 
THIRD (3) is like  OVERDRIVE (@), but you never  go 
into  OVERDRIVE 
(@). 
Here  are some times you  might  choose  THIRD (3) 
instead of OVERDRIVE (a): 
When driving  on  hilly,  winding roads. 
When towing  a  trailer, so there is less shifting 
between  gears. 
When  going  down  a  steep hill. 
SECOND (2): This position gives you more  power but 
lower 
fuel economy. You can  use  SECOND (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. 
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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. 
To release the parking 
brake 
hold  the regular 
brake pedal down. Pull 
the 
BRAKE 
RELEASE lever. 
I 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 a hill see 
“Towing  a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows 
what  to  do  first  to  keep the trailer 
from moving. 
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Shifting  Out  of  PARK (P) 
(Automatic  Transaxle) 
Your Oldsmobile  has a brake-transaxle  shift  interlock. 
You have to apply your  regular  brakes before you can 
shift  from  PARK (P) when the ignition is  in the 
RUN 
position.  See “Automatic  Transaxle” in the  Index. 
If you  cannot  shift  out of PARK (P), ease  pressure  on 
the  shift  lever 
-- push  the shift  lever  all  the  way into 
PARK  (P) 
-- as you  maintain  brake  application.  Then 
move  the shift  into  the gear  you wish.  (Press  the  shift 
lever  button  before  moving  the shift  lever.) 
3. Shift  to NEUTRAL (N). 
4. Start  the vehicle  and  then shift  to  the  drive  gear  you 
want. 
5. Have  the vehicle  fixed as soon  as you  can. 
Parking  Your Vehicle (Manual  Transaxle) 
Before you get  out of your  vehicle,  put  your manual 
transaxle  in REVERSE  (R)  and firmly  apply the parking 
brake. 
If  your  vehicle  is equipped  to tow  a trailer, 
see “Towing 
a  Trailer”  in  the  Index. 
If  you  ever hold the  brake  pedal  down but still can’t 
shift  out  of  PARK  (P), try this: 
1. Turn the key  to OFF, not LOCK. 
2. Apply  and hold the  regular  brake until the  end  of 
step 
4. 
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Running  Your  Engine  While  You’re 
Parked 
(Automatic Transaxle) 
It’s  better  not to park with  the  engine  running.  But if you 
ever  have  to, here  are  some  things  to  know. 
Follow  the proper steps to be  sure 
your vehicle won’t 
move.  See “Shifting  Into 
PARK (P)” in the Index. 
If you  are parking  on a hill and if you’re  pulling a 
trailer,  also  see  “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. 
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        Page 118 of 340

Brake  System  Warning Light 
FASTEN )i 
BELTS #e* 
BRAKE 
Your Oldsmobile’s 
hydraulic  brake  system  is 
divided  into  two  parts.  If 
one  part  isn’t  working,  the 
other  part  can  still  work  and  stop  you.  For  good 
braking,  though,  you  need 
both  parts  working  well.  If  the  light  comes 
on while  you are driving,  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.  If  the  light  is  still on, or if  the 
anti-lock  brake  system  warning  light is flashing,  have 
the  vehicle  towed  for service.  (See  “Anti-Lock  Brake 
System  Warning  Light”  and  “Towing  Your  Vehicle”  in 
the  Index.) 
If the  warning  light  comes  on,  there  could  be  a  brake 
problem.  Have  your  brake  system  inspected  right  away. 
This  light  should  come  on  briefly  as  you  start  the 
vehicle.  If 
it doesn’t  come on then,  have  it fixed  so  it 
will  be  ready  to  warn  you  if  there’s  a  problem. 
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. 
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