1995 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE tow

Ignition Switch
ACCE
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions.
ACCESSORY An ON position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press
in the
ignition switch
as you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK: The only position in which you can remove the
key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle.
OFF: This position unlocks the steering wheel, ignition,
and transaxle, but does not send electrical power to any
accessories. Use this position
if your vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never try
to push-start your
vehicle. A warning chime will sound if
you open the
driver’s door when the ignition is off and the key is in
the ignition.
RUN: An ON position to which the switch returns after
you start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays in
the RUN position when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
RUN to operate your electrical power accessories, and
to display some instrument panel warning lights.
2-23
ProCarManuals.com

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 it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START.
If it doesn’t start in three seconds (or starts
but then stops), push the accelerator pedal about
one-quarter of the way down for
12 more seconds, or
until it starts.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could
be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try this:
Wait
15 seconds to let the starter motor cool down.
Then push your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor. Hold it there. Then hold the key in START.
This clears the extra gasoline from the engine. When
the engine starts, let
go of the key and the accelerator
pedal.
If the engine still doesn’t start, wait another
15 seconds and repeat this step.
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 3800 V6 Engine
1. Without pushing the 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.
2-25
ProCarManuals.com

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 it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START
for about three to five seconds at a time until
your engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between
each try to help avoid draining your battery.
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. 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. After
waiting about
15 seconds, repeat the normal starting
procedure.
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
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.
, properly.
2-26
ProCarManuals.com

NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
1 NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle causedby shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
Forward Gears
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): If your automatic
transaxle has AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a), this
position
is for normal driving. If you need more power
for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 kmh), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator
all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
2-30
ProCarManuals.com

If your automatic transaxle has OVERDRIVE (@),
NOTICE: THIRD (D) is like OVERDRIVE (D), but you never go
into Overdrive. Here are some times you might choose
This NOTICE applies only if you have the 3800 THIRD (D) instead of OVERDRIVE (@):
V6 engine and the automatic overdrive transaxle.
If your vehicle is so equipped, and if it seems to 0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
start up rather slowly, or if it seems not to shift
far that way, your vehicle can be damaged. So, if
When going down a steep hill. with a transaxle system sensor. If you drive very
between gears. gears as you go faster, something may be wrong
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
this happens, have your vehicle serviced right SECOND GEAR (2): This position
gives you
away. Until then, you can use SECOND (2) when more power, but lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND
(2) on hills. It can help control your speed as you are driving less than 35 mph (56 km/h) and you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would
OVERDRIVE (0) for higher speeds. also want to use your brakes off and on.
THIRD GEAR (D): If your automatic transaxle does
not have
OVERDRIVE (@), this position is for normal
driving, at all speeds, in most street and highway
situations. NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 5 miles
(8 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (D)
(OVERDRIVE (a) or THIRD (D) if your vehicle
has OVERDRIVE
(a)) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than 65 mph
(105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
2-31
ProCarManuals.com

To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot while you push down
on the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
(To
release the tension on the parking brake cable, you will
need to apply about the same amount of pressure to the
parking brake pedal as you did when you set the parking
brake.) When
you remove your foot from the parking
brake pedal, it will pop up
to the release position.
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.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with
your left foot.
what to do first to keep the trailer
from moving.
2-33
ProCarManuals.com

2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position like
this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
0 Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to the LOCK position.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is
in PARK (P).
2-34
ProCarManuals.com

Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the PARK (P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. Then, see if
you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK
(P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) 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 PARK (P). This
is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat.
To find out how, see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P) 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 PARK (P).
2-35
ProCarManuals.com