1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Owner's Manuals

’ C-ontrol of. a Vehicle
You have three systems ‘that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the ,steering and
,
, .= the &ccelerator. All three systems have‘to do their ‘work
s at the places where the tires meet the road. . ,.
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you- have to decide to push on .the brake pedal.
That’s
perception time. Then you, have to bring up your
€oot and do it.
Thah reaction time.
Average reacbioPz time is-about 3/4 of a second. But
th&s only an average. It might be less. with :one ‘driver
-and as long as two or three seconds or more wid
mother. Age, physical condition, ,alertness, coordination
. I
is i-mportant. “I
. And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly I
’ with the surface of the road (whether it’s’ pavement or
gravel); the condition
of the road.(wet, dry, icy); tire.
tread;
and the bondition of your brakes.
!
I 1
,. ~
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s .
easy to ask more of those controi systems than the tires .~ . 1 ,.
’ . --: and road can provide. That means you can lose control .~ I .*, >.L ... .,
of your vehicle.
L- ._8
8- r- ’ i
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, -. L. . < I - :’ 7
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4-5 -,
:i . .,

~ ~~~~
~ ~~~ ~ Avoid needless heavy braking.
Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear out much faster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes. If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down.
If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist. But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up, it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
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Anti-Lock Brakes
Your
vehicle has anti-lock brakes (ABS). ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to drive away, your anti-lock brake system will check itself. You
may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while
this test is going on, and you may even notice that your
brake pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with the
anti-lock brake system, this
warning light will stay on or
flash. See “Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light” in the Index.

. .. , " .
- + ;;'i; ' ,Here's how anti-lock works. Let's say the road is 'w&.
t' II ,You're driving safely. Suddenly an admaPjumps out in
. front of you.
i ; You slam on the brakes. Here's what happens with ABS.
-. .
: ..
. A computer senses that wheels are slou4.ing down. If one
I - .' .k. of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will '
; --. 1 . separately' work the brakes at each front whed and at the
..
..., rec wheels.
.. 'I
The anti-lock system can change the hrake pressure .
faster than any-driver'could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and ' '
road conditions.. ..
i
You can steer around the obstacle while braking hardK$:,
As you brake, your computer kpeps receiving updates on
wheel. speed and controls braJsiig.pressure accordingly.
'., 4-7

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease stopping distance. 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.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal
down and let anti-lock work for you.
You may feel the
1 system working, or you may notice some noise, but this
~ is normal.
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
See
“Anti-Lock Brake System
Active Light” in the Index.
Braking in Emergencies
Use 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.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops dr the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Variable Assist Steering (Option)
This steering system provides lighter steering effort for
parking and when driving at low speeds. Steering effort
will increase at higher’speeds for improved road feel.
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 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.
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. 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.
--

Passing
The driver of a vehicle about to pass another on a
two-lane highway waits for just the right moment,
accelerates, moves around the vehicle ahead, then goes
back into the right lane again. A simple maneuver?
Not necessarily! Passing another vehicle on a two-lane
highway is a potentially dangerous move, since the
passing vehicle occupies the same lane as oncoming
traffic for several seconds. A miscalculation, an error in
judgment, or a brief surrender to frustration or anger can
suddenly put the passing driver face to face with the
worst of all traffic accidents
-- the head-on collision.
So here are some tips for passing:
“Drive ahead.” Look down the road, to the sides and to
crossroads for situations that might affect
your passing
patterns.
If you have any doubt whatsoever about
making a successful pass, wait for a better time.
Watch for traffic signs, pavement markings and lines.
If you can see a sign up ahead that might indicate a
turn or an intersection, delay your pass. A broken
center line usually indicates it’s
all right to pass
(providing the road ahead is clear). Never cross a solid
line on your side of the lane or a double solid line,
even
if the road seems empty of approaching traflk.
Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you’re awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you’re following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won’t have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.
0 When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and don’t
get too close. Time your move
so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
“running start” that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And
if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.
If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn’t trying to
pass you as you pull out
to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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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.