Inside Daymight Rearview Mirror Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger’s side mirror is convex.
A convex mirror’s surface is curved so you can see more
from the driver’s seat.
To reduce glare from lights behind you, pull the lever
toward you, to the night position.
To return the mirror to
the day position, push the lever away from
you.
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Power Remote Control Mirrors Convenience Net (Option)
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The control
on the driver’s door controls both outside
rearview mirrors. Turn the control to the left to select
the driver’s side rearview mirror, or
to the right to select
the passenger’s side rearview mirror.
Then use the
control to adjust each mirror
so that you can just see the
side of your vehicle when you are sitting in a
comfortable driving position.
Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward. In
the rearward position, they will fold flush with the vehicle.
This feature is particularly useful in automatic car washes
and when maneuvering your vehicle in narrow spaces. The optional
convenience net
is designed to help keep
small loads, like grocery bags, from falling over during
sharp turns or quick stops and starts.
Install the convenience net at the rear of your vehicle,
just inside the liftgate. Attach the upper loops to the
posts on either side of the liftgate opening (the label on
the net should be in the upper righthand corner). Attach
the lower loops
to the hooks on the floor.
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Bun Visors Cupholders/Ashtray/Lighter
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors. You
can also remove them from the center mount and swing
them
to the side.
Visor Vanity Mirrors
Lift the cover to expose the vanity mirror.
Two cupholders, an ashtray and a lighter are located in
the center instrument panel console.
The foam cupholder liners can be removed for cleaning.
Should the liners ever become damaged, see your
retailer
for replacements.
To use the ashtray, lift the lid.
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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder, 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 time on
two-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the next
vehicle.
Don’t overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
If you’re being passed, make it easy for the
following driver
to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
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 escape route or area of 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 possible.
The three types of skids correspond
to 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.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you have the traction control
system, remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid. If
you do not have traction control, or if the system
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is off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
Driving at Night
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 when 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 not 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. Night
driving
is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
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Here are some tips on night driving.
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Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need
to slow
down and keep more space between you and other
vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull
off the road in a safe place
and rest.
Night Vision
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What
you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine
you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes will
have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you’re
driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night.
They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot
of things invisible.
You can be temporarily blinded by approaching lights. It
can take a second or two, or even several seconds, for
your eyes to readjust to the dark. When you are faced
with severe glare (as from a driver who doesn’t lower
the high beams, or a vehicle with misaimed headlamps),
slow down a little. Avoid staring directly into the
approaching lights.
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The most important advice on freeway driving is: Keep
up with traffic and keep to the right. Drive at the same
speed most
of the other drivers are driving. Too-fast or
too-slow driving breaks
a smooth traffic flow. Treat the
left lane on
a freeway as a passing lane.
At
the entrance there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway.
If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin
to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder
as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once
you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it’s slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave
the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn’t another vehicle
in your
“blind” spot. Once
you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow
a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.
When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane
well in advance. If you miss your exit do not, under
any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to the
next exit.
The
exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense
of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you’re ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you’re not fresh
-- such as after a day’s
work
-- don’t plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive
in.
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Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it’s ready to go. If it needs
service, have
it done before starting out. Of course,
you’ll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile retail facilities all across North America.
They’ll be ready and willing
to help if you need it.
Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Windshield WLzslzer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine OiL, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lcmys: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are
the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What’s the weather outlook
along your route? Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system‘?
Maps: Do you have up-to-date maps‘?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as “highway hypnosis?’
Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack
of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with the
same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the road,
the drone of the engine, and the rush
of the wind against
the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don’t
let it happen
to you! If
it does, your vehicle can leave the road in less
than u second, and you could crash and be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
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comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and
to
the sides. Check your mirrors and your instruments
frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull
off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take
a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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