1995 OLDSMOBILE AURORA tow

If the light and chime come 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, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
Parking Brake Indicator Light
p-l PARK
This light will come
on when
you set your
parking brake, and it
will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t
release
fully. If you try
to drive
off with the
parking brake set, a
chime will also come
on until you release
the parking brake.
This light should also come on briefly as you start the
vehicle.
If it doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready
to remind you if the parking brake hasn’t
released
fully.
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Towing a Trailer
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 part, and see your Aurora
retailer 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 part.
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.
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If You Do Decide To Pull A Trailer
If you do, here are some important points.
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There are many different laws, including speed limit
restrictions, having to do with trailering. M, cl k e 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. You can ask a hitch
retailer about sway controls.
Don’t tow a trailer at all during the first
1,000 miles
( I 600 km) 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 kdh) and
don’t make starts
at full throttle. This helps your
engine and other parts of your vehicle wear
in at the
heavier loads.
Obey speed
limit restrictions when towing a trailer.
Don’t drive fdster than the maximum posted speed
for trailers (or no more than
55 mph (90 km/h)) to
save wear on your vehicle‘s parts. 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 1,000 pounds (450 kg).
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 retailer for
OLI~ trailering information
or advice, or you can write
LIS at:
Customer Assistance Representative
Oldsnlobile Central Office
920 Townsend Street
P.O.
Box 30095
Lansing, MI 48909
In Canada, write to:
General Motors of Canada Limited
Customer Assistance Center
I908 Colonel Sam Drive
Oshawa, Ontario
LIH 8P7.
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Weight of the Trailer Tongue
The tongue load (A) of any trailer is an important
weight to measure because
it affects the total capacity
weight of your vehicle. The capacity weight 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 subtract the tongue
load from your vehicle’s capacity weight 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.
B A
If you’re using a “dead-weight” hitch, the trailer tongue
(A) should weigh 10% of the total loaded trailer weight
(B). If you have a “weight-distributing” 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, YOLI 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
recommended pressure for cold tires. You’ll find these
numbers on the Certification label at the rear edge of the
driver’s door or see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the
Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit
for your vehicle, including the weight of the trailer
tongue.
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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 as
responsive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before
you start, check the trailer hitch and platform
(and attachments), 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 Imnd to be sure
the brakes are working. This lets you check your
electrical connection at the same time.
During your
trip, check occasionally to be sure that the
load is secure, and that the lights and any trailer brakes
are still working.
Following Distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle ahead as you
would when driving your vehicle without a trailer. This
can help you avoid situations that require heavy braking
and sudden turns.
Passing
You'll need more passing distance up ahead when
you're towing a trailer. And, because you're a good deal
longer, you'll need to go much farther beyond the
passed vehicle before
you can return to your lane.
Backing Up
Hold the bottom of the steering wheel with one hand.
Then, to move the trailer to the left, just move that hand
to the left. To move the trailer to the right, move yo~~r
hand to the right. Always back
up slowly and, if
possible. have someone guide you.
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Making Turns
I NOTICE:
Making very sharp turns while trailering could
cause the trailer to come in contact with the
vehicle. Your vehicle could be damaged. Avoid
making very sharp turns while trailering.
When you‘re turning with a trailer, make wider turns
than normal.
Do this so your trailer won’t strike soft
shoulders, curbs, road signs, trees, or other objects.
Avoid jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in
advance.
Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has to have a
different turn signal flasher and extra wiring. The green
arrows on your instrument panel will flash whenever
you signal a turn or lane change. Properly hooked
up,
the trailer lamps will also flash, telling other drivers
you‘re about to turn, change lanes or stop.
When towing
a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even
if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus. you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure
the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear h4for-c 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.
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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.
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Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
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).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
I. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine:
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let LIP on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and ;he Index will
help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it‘s a good
idea to review these sections before you stat your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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Towing Your Vehicle
I
Try to have a GM retailer or a professional towing
service tow your Aurora. 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:
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That your vehicle can only be towed with certain
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 n~ove 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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