
To stop  the window  while  it  is lowering, press the  front 
of  the switch. 
To raise  the  window,  press and  hold  the 
front  of the switch. 
On  four-door models,  the driver’s  window  controls also 
include a lock-out  switch.  Press 
LOCK to stop  front  and 
rear passengers  from using  their window  switches.  The 
driver  can still control  all  the windows  with  the lock  on. 
Press  the other  side of the 
LOCK button  for normal 
window  operation. 
Horn 
You  may  press anywhere  on the steering  wheel  pad to 
sound  the horn. 
Tilt Steering  Wheel 
A tilt steering  wheel allows 
you  to adjust the  steering 
wheel  before  you drive. 
You  can also raise it to the 
highest level  to give  your 
legs  more  room  when  you 
exit  and enter  the vehicle. 
To tilt the  wheel,  hold  the  steering wheel  and  pull  the 
lever.  Move  the  steering wheel  to 
a comfortable level, 
then  release  the lever  to lock  the wheel  in  place. 
2-25  

Steering  Wheel  Controls  for  Climate Audio  Systems, 
Control  (Option) 
Your  Delco@ audio  system  has  been  designed  to  operate 
easily  and give  years  of listening pleasure.  You will  get 
You  can control certain  the  most  enjoyment out of it 
if you  acquaint  yourself 
comfort control system  with 
it first. Find out what  your  Delco  system  can do 
functions  using the buttons  and  how to operate  all  its controls,  to  be sure you're 
on  your  steering  wheel.  getting the most  out of the  advanced  engineering  that 
went  into it. 
Setting  the Clock 
S FAN: Press  the up or down  arrows to increase or 
decrease  fan speed. 
TEMP: Press  the up or down arrows to increase or 
decrease temperature.  Press and hold 
HR until 
the correct hour appears. The 
letter 
A or P may  appear on the  display for AM or PM. 
Then, press  and  hold 
MN until the correct minute 
appears'.  The clock  may be set  with the ignition  on 
or 
off. 
3-9  

Disabling  the  Theft-Deterrent  Feature 
Enter your secret code  as follows;  pause no more  than 
15  seconds  between  steps: 
1. Turn the ignition to  the ACC  or RUN position. 
2. Turn the radio off. 
3. Press  the 1 and 4 buttons  together.  Hold  them  down 
until  SEC  shows  on the  display. 
4. Press  MN and 000 will appear  on the  display. 
5. Press  MN again  to  make  the last two digits agree 
with  your  code. 
6. Press HR to  make  the  first  one  or two  digits agree 
7. Press  AM-FM  after you have confirmed that the 
with  your 
code. 
code  matches  the secret code  you have  written  down. 
The  display  will  show 
---, indicating that  the  radio.is 
no  longer secured. 
If the  code entered is incorrect, SEC will appear  on the 
display.  The radio will  remain secured until  the cOrrect 
code  is entered. 
When  battery  power  is given  to a secured radio, the 
radio  won’t  turn on  and 
LOC will appear  on the  display. 
Steering  Wheel  Controls  for  Audio  System 
(Option) 
1 
If your  vehicle  has  this 
feature,  you  can  control 
certain radio functions 
using  the buttons  on  your 
steering  wheel. 
I 
Some steering  wheel controls operate climate controls.’ 
See  “Steering  Wheel Controls  for Climate Control” 
earlier  in this section. 
VOL: Press  the up  arrow  to increase  the  volume  and  the 
down  arrow  to  decrease volume. 
SEEK: Press this button  to  tune to a higher  radio  station. 
When  playing  a cassette  tape  or  compact  disc,  press  SEEK 
to  hear  the  next  selection.  There  must  be  at  least  a 
three-second  gap  between  selections  on  a cassette  tape. 
PROG: Press this  button  to  tune  in  a higher  preset radio 
station.  When playing a cassette tape,  press 
PROG to 
hear  the other  side of a tape  that  is playing. 
3-25  

Experienced driver or beginner, each of  us  is subject to 
the  same  laws 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. 
Speed limit signs  near curves  warn  that  you  should 
adjust  your  speed.  Of course,  the posted  speeds  are 
based  on  good  weather  and  road  conditions. Under less 
favorable conditions you’ll  want 
to go  slower. 
If you  need  to reduce your  speed as you  approach  a 
curve,  do it before  you enter  the curve,  while  your  front 
wheels  are straight ahead. 
Try to adjust  your  speed so you can “drive” through  the 
curve.  Maintain  a reasonable,  steady  speed.  Wait  to 
accelerate until  you are out  of the curve,  and  then 
accelerate  gently into the straightaway. 
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  problem. 
Your  Oldsmobile  can perform  very  well in  emergencies 
like these. First  apply  your brakes. (See  “Braking  in 
Emergencies”  earlierin this section.)  It  is better  to 
remove  as  much  speed  as  you  can from a  possible 
collision. Then  ste.er around  the problem,  to the left  or 
right depending  on  the space available. 
4-9  

. 5. . ' Ari emergency like this reqtiires dose: 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,  shier  quickly,  and 
' .I. - just , as  quickly spaighten'the  wheel once you have ! 
4.- I avoidec€,the  object. 
, . The  fact  that such  emergency  situations are  always 
.I 
., (possible is a good  reason to practice defensive  driving 'at 
''L ' all times and wear  safety  belts prpperly. .- ..- . 
! " 
If the  level  of  the  shoulder.  is only slightly below  the . ' 
pavement,  recovery  shbuld be f&ly  easy.  Ease off the. '. 
acceierator  and  theb, if there is nothing ,in the  way,  steer so 
that  your  vehicle  straddles  the  edge of the  pavement. You 
can turn the  steering'wheel  up  to  one-quarter turn until  the 
right  hnt 
tire. contacts  the  pavement  edge.'  Then turn your 
steerhg  wheel  to go straight  down  the .. roadway. 
--  

0 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.) 
0 Try not  to  pass  more  than  one  vehicle  at  a  time  on 
two-lane  roads.  Reconsider  before  passing  the 
next  vehicle. 
0 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. 
0 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.  

Driving on Snow or Ice 
Most of the  time,  those  places  where  your  tires  meet  the 
road  probably  have  good  traction. 
However, 
if there  is  snow  or  ice  between  your  tires  and  the 
road,  you  can  have  a  very  slippery  situation.  You’ll  have  a\
 
lot  less  traction  or  “grip”  and  will  need  to  be  very  ca\
reful. 
What’s  the  worst  time  for this? “Wet  ice.”  Very  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 
least  traction  ofiall.  You can  get  wet  ice when  it’s  about 
freezing 
(32 OF; 0” C) and  freezing  rain  begins  to fall. 
Try  to  avoid  driving  on  wet  ice until  salt  and  sand  crews 
can  get  there. 
Whatever  the  condition 
-- smooth  ice,  packed,  blowing 
or  loose  snow 
-- drive  with  caution. Accelerate  gently. 
Try  not  to  break  the  fragile traction. 
If you  accelerate 
too  fast,  the  drive  wheels  will  spin  and  polish  the  surface’\
 
under  the  tires  even  more. 
Your  anti-lock  brakes  improve  your  vehicle’s  stability 
when  you  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  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 under  bridges. 
Sometimes  the  surface  of  a  curve  or an  overpass  may 
remain  icy  when  the  surrounding  roads  are clear.  If 
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. 
4-24  

Before you start, check the trailer hitch  and platform 
(and  attachments), safety chains, electrical  connector, 
lamps, tires  and mirror adjustment. 
If the trailer  has 
electric brakes,  start your  vehicle and trailer  moving  and 
then  apply  the trailer brake controller  by  hand  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 lamps  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  your 
hand  to the  right.  Always  back 
up slowly  and, if 
possible, have someone guide you. 
Making  Turns 
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’tstrike  soft 
shoulders, curbs,  road signs, trees or other objects. 
Avoid  jerky or sudden  maneuvers.  Signal well 
in  advance. 
4-33