1995 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE parking brake

Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s an easy target for joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
New Vehicle ''Break-in"
When you park your Oldsmobile and open the driver’s
door’ you’ll hear a chime reminding you to remove your
key from the ignition and take it with you. Always
do
this. Your steering wheel will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
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?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your glove
box or locking storage bin.
Lock the storage bin.
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:
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.
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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FIRST GEAR (1): This position gives you even more
power,
but lower fuel economy, than SECOND (2). You
can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If
the selector lever is put in FIRST
(1), the transaxle
won’t shift into first gear until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
_-
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud
or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also, if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle.
Use your brakes or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. If the ignition is on, the
brake system warning light will come on. See “Brake
System Warning Light” in the Index.
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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.
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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).
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Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Uldsmobile has braketransaxle shift interlock.
You have to fully uppZy your regular brake before you
can shift from PARK (P), when the ignition is in the
RUN position. See “Shifting the Automatic Transaxle”
in
the Index.
~f you cmot wt out of PARK e), ,&e pressure on
the shift lever A- push the shift lever all the way into
PARR (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you want. If you ever
hold
the brake pedal down but still can’t shift out of’
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake til the end of Step 4.
PARK (P), try this:
3. shift to NEUTRAL m.
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you
5. Have the vehicle €ixd as soon as you can.
want.
Parking Over Things That Burn
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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.)
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.
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake system, this light will come on
when you start your engine and it will
stay on for three
seconds. That’s normal. If the light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a
problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving, you don’t have
anti-lock brakes and there could be
a problem with your
regular brakes. 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.
Have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your
Vehicle” in
the Index.)
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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. Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet.
2. Have someone place chocks under the trailer whe
3. When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load. els.
Parking on Hills
You really should
not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on
a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
4. Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift to PARK
(P).
5. Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking
on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
0 Start your engine;
0 Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is cl
ear 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, belts, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each
of these is covered in this manual, and the Index
will help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s
a good idea to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Check periodically to see that
all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
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NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty. Trying to start your Oldsmobile by
pushing or pulling
it won’t work, and it could
damage your vehicle.
To Jump Start Your Oldsmobile
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a 12-volt
battery with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be sure the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are, it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able to
start your Oldsmobile, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems. You
could be injured if the vehicles roll. Set the
parking brake firrnly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in
PARK (P) or a manual
transaxle in
NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lamps that aren’t needed, and radios. This will avoid
sparks and help save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
L
NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
4. Open the hoods and locate the batteries.
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