1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme lock

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~ ~~~ ~ 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:

. 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.
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A cornering skid and an acceleration skid are best
handled by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
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.
Driving at Night
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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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
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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

Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide)
gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can’t see it or smell it,
so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that
is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time
to time to be sure snow
doesn’t collect there.
Open a window just
a little on the side of the
vehicle that’s away
from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
s_o until help comes.
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Total Weight on Your Vehicle’s Tires
Be sure your vehicle’s tires are inflated to the
recommended pressure for cold tires. You’ll find these
numbers on the Tire-Loading Information label (found
inside the
trunk lid) or see “Loading Your Vehicle”
in the Index. Then be sure you don’t go over the
GVW limit for your vehicle, including the weight of
the trailer tongue.
Hitches
It’s important to have the correct hitch equipment.
Crosswinds, large trucks going by and rough roads are a
few reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. Here are
some rules to follow:
0
a
Will you have to make any holes in the body of your
vehicle when you install a trailer hitch? If you do,
then be sure to seal the holes later when you remove
the hitch.
If you don’t seal them, deadly carbon
monoxide
(CO) from your exhaust can get into your
vehicle (see “Carbon Monoxide” in the Index). Dirt
,and water can, too.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for
hitches.
Do not’attach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use only a
frame-mounted hitch that does not attach to
the bumper.
Safety Chains
You should always attach chains between your vehicle
and your trailer. Cross the safety chains under the tongue
of the trailer
so that the tongue will not drop to the road
if it becomes separated from the hitch. Instructions
about safety chains may be provided by the hitch
manufacturer or by the trailer manufacturer. Follow the
manufacturer’s recommendation for attaching safety
chains and do not attach them to the bumper. Always
leave just enough slack
so you can turn with your rig.
And, never allow safety chains to drag on the ground.
Trailer Brakes
Because you have anti-lock brakes, do not try to tap into
your vehicle’s brake system. If you do, both brake
systems won’t work well, or at all.
Driving with a Trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certaifi amount of experience.
Before setting out for the open road, you’ll want to get
to know your rig. Acquaint yourself with the feel of
handling and braking with the added weight of the
trailer. And always keep in mind that the vehicle you are
driving is now a good deal longer and not nearly as
responsive as your vehicle
is by itself.