1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme steering

Steering Wheel Touch Controls (Option) 8S FAN: Press the up or down arrows to increase or
decrease fan speed.
TEMP: Press the up or down arrows to change the
temperature setting for the driver.
VOL: Press the up or down arrows to increase or
decrease volume.
SEEK: Press the button to tune to the next radio station.
If a tape or compact disc is playing, the player will
advance to the next selection.
’ PROG: Press to play a station you have programmed on
the radio preset buttons.
You
can control certain comfort control and audio -
system functions using the buttons on your steering
wheel.
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Remember: Anti-iock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal.
If you get too
close to the .vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time
to apply your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly. slows or
stops. Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though
you have anti-lock brakes.
,_ Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops
or the system is not, functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
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To Use Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel the system
working, or you may notice some noise, but this is
normal. When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake
pressure to help avoid a braking skid, the LOW TRAC
light will come’on., See “Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light”
in the Index.
Braking .,in Emergencies
Usti your anti-lock braking system when you’need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
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Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the samelaws of physics when driving on curves. The
traction of the tires against the road surface makes it
possible for the vehicle to change its path when you
turn
the front wheels. If there’s no traction, inertia will keep
the vehicle going in the same direction. If you’ve ever
tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, $the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.

Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
--
steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Adding the sudden acceleration
can demand too much of those places. You can lose
control.
What should you do if’this ever happens? Ease up on the
accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way you want it
to go, and slow down.
Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly pulls
out from nowhere, or a child darts out
from between
parked cars and stops right in front of,you. You can
avoid these problems by braking
-- if’you can stop in
time. But sometimes you can’t; there isn’t room. That’s
the time for evasive action
-- steering around the
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should problem.
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds are
Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies
based on good weather and road conditions. Under less like these. First apply your brakes. It is better to remove
favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
as much speed as you can from a possible collision.
If you need to reduce your speed as’you approach a Then steer around the problem, to the left or right’
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front depending
on the, space available.
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to .adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
cye. Maintain a reasonabie, steady speed. Wait
to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a '
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions, you .can
turn it a
full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
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The fact. that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason
to practice defensive driving at
all times
and wear safety belts properly.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoklder, and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far’enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right$ lane ,change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror
is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be,farther away from
you
than it really is.)
Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a tihe on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lights are not flashing, it.may
be slowing down or starting tu turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
cmease a,little to the right.
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Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what ’
happens when the three control systems (brakes, steering
and acceleration) don’t have enough friction where the
tires meet .the road
to do what ‘the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer and constantly seek an es-c-gpe route or area
.~f less
danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possibk.
The three types of skids correspondjo your
Oldsmobile’s three control systems. In the braking skid
your wheels aren’t rolling.
In the steering or cornering
skid, too much speed or steering in
a curve causes tires
to slip and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid too much throttle causes the driving wheels to,spin.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the acce1,erator pedal.
If your. vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the ’’
accelerator pedal and’ quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough,.your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if
it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced vvhen water, snow, ice,
gravel,
or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will ,be longer and
vehicle‘ control more limited.
While driving-on
a surface with reduced traction, try .
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may
pot realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface” -- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti-lock brake system
(ABS) helps
avoid,only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
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Night driving is rnore’dangerous than day driying. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired-
--
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by .
fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.
0 Drive defensively. -
’ Don’t drink and drive.
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Driving on Snow or Ice
Most of the time, those places where your tires meet the
road probably have good traction. least traction
of all.
You can get “wet ice” when it’s
about freezing
(32°F; OOC) and freezing rain begins to
fall. Try to avoid driving on wet ice until salt and sand
crews can get there.
road.
Watch for slippery spots. The road might be fine
until you
hit a spot that’s covered with ice. On an
otherwise clear road, ice patches may appear in
shaded areas where the sun can’t reach: around
clumps of trees, behind buildings, or urider bridges.
Sometimes the surface of a curve or an averpass may
remain icy when the. surrounding roads
are clear. If
too. fast, the drive wheels will spin and polish the surface
under the tires even more.
‘Your anti-lokk brakes improve your ability to make a
hard stop
on a slippery road. Even though you have the
anti-lock braking system, you’ll want to begin stopping
sooner than you would on dry pavement. See
“Anti-Lock”
in the Index.
Allow greater following distance on any slippery
What’s the worst time for this? “Wet ice.”
V&y cold
snow or ice can be slick and hard to drive on. But wet
ice can be even more, trouble because
it may offer the you
see a-patch of ice ahead of you, brake before you
are on it. Try not
to brake while you’re actually on
the ice, and avoid‘sudden steering maneuvers.
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Driving with a Trailer Following Distance
Towing a trailer requires a certain amount
of experience. Stay at least twice as far behind the vehicle .ahead as- you - .
Before setting out for the open road, you'll want to get would when driving your veh\
icle without a trailer. This$,
to know your rig. AcquQint yourself with the feel of can help you avoid situations that require heavy br-it
and sudden turns.
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 . Passing
responsive as your vehicle is by itself. You'll need more passing distance up ahead when
Before you start, check the.trailer hitch and platform you're' towing a trailer. And, because you're a good deal
(and attachments), safety chains, electrical connector, longer, \
you'll need to go much farther beyond the
lights, tires and mirror adjustment.
If the trailer has passed vehicle before you can return to your \
lane.
electric brakes, start your vehicle and trailer moving and
the brakes are working. This lets you check ,your Hold the bottom
of the steering wheel with one hand.
electrical connection at the same time. Then, to move the trailer
to the left, just move that hand
During your
trip, check occasionally to' be sure that the to the left.
To move the trailer to the right, move your
load is secure, and that the lights and any trailer brakes hand to the right. Always back up slowly and, if
are still working. possible. have someone guide you.
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then apply the trailer brake controller by hand to be sure Backing Up
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