
J 
Vehicle Symbols 
These are some of the symbols you may find on  your vehicle. 
For example, these symbols 
are  used on an 
original battery: 
POSSIBLE A 
CAUTION 
INJURY 
PROTECT  EYES  BY 
SHIELDING 
Q 
CAUSTIC 
BURNS AVOID 
SPARKS 
OR 
FLAMES 
SPARK 
OR ,\I/, 
COULD  FLAME 
EXPLODE  BAllERY 
These symbols are important 
for  you  and 
your passengers 
whenever your 
vehicle  is 
driven: 
UNLOCK w. 
FASTEN 
SEAT 
BELTS 
POWER 
WINDOW 
These symbols 
have to  do with 
your lights: 
SIGNALS e e3 
TURN 
RUNNING 
* 0 
DAYTIME 
LAMPS 
FOG  LAMPS 
# 0 
These symbols 
are on some 
of 
your  controls: 
WINDSHIELD 
WIPER 
WINDOW 
DEFOGGER 
These symbols  are  used  on 
warning and 
indicator lights: 
COOLANT 
TEMP 
- 
CHARGING I-1 
BAllERY 
SYSTEM 
BRAKE 
(a) 
COOLANT a 
ENGINE OIL w, 
PRESSURE 
ANTI-LOCK 
(@) 
BRAKES 
Here are some 
other symbols 
you  may  see: 
FUSE 
LIGHTER 
m 
HORN )tr 
SPEAKER 
I@ 
FUEL la  

5. To  tighten  the  belt,  pull  up on the  shoulder  belt  while 
6. Push  and  pull  the child  restraint  in  different 
To remove  the  child  restraint,  just unbuckle  the  vehicle’s 
safety  belt  and  let 
it go  back  all  the  way.  The safety  ,belt 
will  move  freely  again  and  be  ready  to  work  for  an  adult 
or larger  child  passenger.  you  push  down  on  the  child  restraint. 
directions  to  be  sure  it is secure. 
Securing  a  Child  Restraint  in  a  Rear 
Outside  Seat  Position  (4-DOor  Moilels) 
If  you  have  a  two-door  model, ,see “Securing  a  Child 
Restraint  in 
a Rear  Outside  Seat Position  (2-Door 
Models)”  earlier  in this  section: 
You’ll  be  using  the  lap-shoulder  belt.  See  the 
earlier part 
about  the  top  strap  if  the  child  restraint  has  one. 
1. Put  the  restraint  on  the  seat.  Follow  the  instructions 
for  the  child  restraint. 
2. Secure  the child in the  child  restraint  as the 
instructions  say. 
3. Pick  up  the  latch  plate,  and  run  the  lap and  shoulder 
portions  of  the vehicle’s  safety  belt  through  or 
around  the  restraint.  The child  restraint  instructions 
will  show  you  how. 
If  the  shoulder  belt  goes  in front  of  the  child’s  face or 
neck,  put  it behind  the  child  restraint.  

Yneine  Coolant  Heater  (Option) 
In very  cold weather, 
0°F (- 18 O C) or  colder, 
the engine  coolant  heater 
can  help.  You’ll  get 
I 
easier  starting  and better 
fuel  economy  during 
engine  warm-up. 
A CAUTION: 
Plugging  the 
could  cause  an electrical  shock.  Also,  the  wrong 
kind 
of extension  cord  could  overheat  and  cause 
a  fire. 
You could  be  seriously  injured.  Plug  the 
cord  into  a  properly  grounded  three-prong 
110-volt  AC  outlet. 
If the  cord  won’t  reach,  use a 
heavy-duty  three-prong  extension  cord  rated for 
at  least 15 amps. 
Usually,  the  coolant  heater  should  be plugged  in  a 
minimum  of  four hours  prior  to starting  your  vehicle. 
To Use  the  Coolant  Heater 
1. Turn off the  engine. 
2. Open  the  hood  and unwrap  the  electrical  cord. 
3. Plug it into  a  normal,  grounded  110-volt  AC  outlet. 
4. After  you’ve  used  the coolant  heater,  be  sure  to 
store  the  cord  as  it was  before  to keep  it away 
from  moving  engine  parts..  If  you  don’t, it could 
be  damaged. 
How long  should  you  keep  the  coolant  heater  plugged 
in?  The  answer  depends  on  the  outside  temperature,  the 
kind  of  oil you  have,  and  some other  things.  Instead  of 
trying 
to list  everything  here,  we  ask  that  you  contact 
your  Oldsmobile  retailer  in  the  area  where  you’ll  be 
parking  your  vehicle.  The retailer  can give  you  the  best 
advice  for that  particular  area.  

Have  you recently changed brands  of fuel? 
If so, be  sure to fuel your  vehicle  with quality fuel (see 
“Fuel”  in the Index).  Poor fuel quality  will cause  your 
engine  not to  run  as efficiently  as designed.  You may 
notice this  as stalling after  start-up, stalling when  you 
put  the vehicle  into gear,  misfiring, hesitation  on 
acceleration or stumbling  on acceleration. (These 
conditions  may go away  once the  engine 
is warmed  up.) 
This  will be detected  by the system  and cause 
the light 
to turn  on. 
If  you  experience 
this condition, change  the  fuel brand 
you  use. 
It will  require at  least  one full tank of the 
proper  fuel to turn the light 
off. 
If none  of the  above steps have  made the light  turn off, 
have  your retailer or qualified service center check  the 
vehicle.  Your  retailer has the proper test equipment  and 
diagnostic tools  to fix  any  mechanical or electrical 
problems that  may have developed. 
Oil Warning  Light c 
If  you  have a problem  with 
your  oil, this light  may  stay 
on  after  you start  your 
engine, or come  on  when 
you  are driving. 
This  indicates  that oil  is  not  going  through  your  engine 
quickly  enough to keep  it lubricated.  The engine could 
be  low  on oil or  could  have some other oil  problem. 
Have it fixed right  away. 
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0 
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When  the  ignition is on  but  the  engine is not  running, 
the  light  will  come  on  as  a  test  to  show  you  it is 
working,  but  the  light  will  go out  when  you  turn  the 
ignition  to 
START. If it doesn’t  come  on  with the 
ignition on, you  may  have  a  problem  with  the fuse  or 
bulb.  Have  it fixed  right  away. 
If  you  make  a  hard 
stop, the  light  may  come on for  a 
moment.  This  is normal. 
A 
I 
Don’t  keep  driving  if the  oil pressure is low. If 
you  do, your  engine  can  become so hot  that  it 
catches  fire. 
You or others  could  be  burned. 
Check  your  oil as soon 
as possible  and  have  your 
vehicle  serviced. 
I NOTICE: 
Damage  to  your  engine  from  neglected oil 
problems  can  be  costly and is not  covered  by 
your  warranty.  

-. In . .,> 
Low'Oil Level Eight 
LOW OIL 
LEVEL 
Your engine  is equipped 
with  an  oil, level  monitoring 
system.  When the i,gnition 
key  is  turned on, the 
LOW 
OIL LEVEL light will 
briefly  flash. 
If the light . 
.does not flash, have  it  fixed 
so it will  be  ready  to warn 
you if there's a problem. 
.' only  performed  if the  engine has  been turned off for a ' 
, . considerable period  of time, allowing the oil normally in .. circulation to drain  back into-the  oil  pan. 
,\' .. ,. 
Security  Light 
SEC.URITY 
1 i 
I 
This light will  come  on 
when 
you turn the  key  to i 
START and st.ay on until the '. i 
vehicle starts. .It will also I 
come  on  and  stay on if your i 
key is too  dirty  or wet,.for 
the  PASS-Key 
11 system  to ~ 
I I 
I I 
read the resistor  pellet. 
I 
If the resistor pellet  is damaged  or  missing, the light 
will 'flash. 
If' you're  driving  and the security light  comes  on  and 
remains  on; your  PASS-Key 
11 system  is not  working 
properly.  Your vehicle  is not  protected.  by  PASS-Key 
11, .. 
and you should see  your  retailer. 
..  

Care of Your Cassette  Tape Player 
A tape player  that is not  cleaned regularly can cause 
reduced  sound  quality,  ruined cassettes or a damaged 
mechanism.  Cassette tapes should be  stored  in their 
cases  away from contaminants, direct sunlight  and 
extreme heat. 
If they  aren’t,  they  may  not  operate 
properly  or may  cause  failure  of the  tape  player. 
Your  tape player  should be cleaned regularly after every 
50 hours of use.  Your  radio  may display  CLN  to  indicate 
that  you  have used  your  tape player  for 
50 hours  without 
resetting the tape clean  timer. If  you  notice  a reduction 
in  sound  quality, 
try a  known  good .cassette to  see if the 
tape  or the tape  player is at  fault.  If this other cassette 
has  no  improvement  in sound  quality,  clean the 
tape  player. 
Cleaning  may be done  with a scrubbing action, 
non-abrasive cleaning cassette  with  pads  which  scrub. 
the tape  head as the  hubs  of the  cleaner cassette turn. It 
is  normal  for the cassette  to eject while cleaning. Insert 
the cassette at least three times  to ensure thorough 
cleaning. 
A scrubbing  action cleaning cassette  is 
available through  your Oldsmobile retailer.  You  may 
also choose  a.non-scrubbing  action, wet-type 
cleaner  which  uses  a cassette with a fabric  belt  to clean 
the tape  head. This type  of cleaning cassette  will  not 
eject.  It may  not  clean as  thoroughly  as  the scrubbing 
type  cleaner. 
Cassettes are subject  to  wear  and the sound  quality  may 
degrade  over  time.  Always  make  sure that  the  cassette 
tape is  in  good  condition before  you have  your tape 
player  serviced. 
Care of Your  Compact  Discs 
Handle discs  carefully. Store them  in  their original cases 
or  other  protective cases  and  away from direct sunlight 
and  dust.  If the  surface  of a disc  is soiled,  dampen a 
clean, soft cloth  in a mild,  neutral  detergent  solution and 
clean it,  wiping from the center  to the edge. 
Be sure  never  to  touch  the signal surface  when handling 
discs.  Pick  up  discs by grasping  the outer  edges or the 
edge  of the hole  and the outer edge. 
  

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. 
I ! 
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.  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: 
0 Windshield  Washer 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? 
0 Lamps: Are they  all  working?  Are  the  lenses  clean? 
0 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? 
along  your  route?  Should  you  delay  your  trip a  short 
time  to avoid  a  major  storm  system? 
0 Weather  Forecasts: What’s  the  weather  outlook 
Maps: Do you  have  up-to-date  maps? 
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