
The 1996 Oldsmobile  Cutlass  Supreme  Owner’s  Manual 
Seats  and  Restraint  Systems ............................................................. 
This section tells you  how  to  use  your seats and  safety  belts  properly.  It also explains  the  “SRS”  system. 
This  section  explains  how to 
start and  operate  your  Oldsmobile. 
This  section  tells  you  how to  adjust  the  ventilation  and  comfort  controls  and  how to operate  your 
audio  system. 
Here  you’ll  find  information  and  tips  about  the  road  and  how to drive  under  different  conditions. 
This  section  tells  you  what  to  do 
if you  have  a  problem  while  driving,  such  as  a  flat  tire  or 
overheated  engine,  etc. 
ServiceandAppearanceCare ............................................................ 
Here  the  manual  tells  you  how  to keep  your  Oldsmobile  running  properly  and  looking  good. 
Maintenance  Schedule .................................................................. 
This  section  tells  you  when to perform  vehicle  maintenance  and  what  fluids  and  lubricants to use. 
Customer  Assistance  Information ........................................................ 
This section  tells  you  how  to  contact  Oldsmobile  for  assistance  and \
 how to get  service  and owner publications. 
It also gives  you  information.on  “Reporting  Safety  Defects”  on  page\
 8-7. 
Index ........................................................................\
.......... 
Here’s  an  alphabetical  listing  of almost  every  subject  in  this  manual.  You can  use  it to quickly  find 
something  you  want  to read. 
FeaturesandControls .................................................................. 
Comfort  Controls  and  Audio  Systems .................. ’. .................................. 
YourDrivingandtheRoad .............................................................. 
ProblemsontheRoad .................................................................. 
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i  

1 
To remove the child restraint,  just unbuckle  the vehicle’s 
safety  belt.  It 
will be  ready to work  for an adult or  larger 
child  passenger. 
Securing  a  Child  Restraint  in  the  Right 
Front  Seat  Position 
1 Your  vehicle  has a right front,passenger  air  bag. Never 
put a rear-facing  child  restraint in  this  seat.  Here’s  why: 
L 
A CAUTION: 
A child  in  a  rearfacing  child  restraint  can  be 
seriously  injured  if  the  right  front  passenger’s  air 
bag  inflates.  This  is  because  the  back  of  a 
CAUTION:  (Continued)  rear-facing  child  restraint  would  be  very  close  to 
the  inflating  air  bag.  Always  secure  a  rear-facing 
child  restraint  in  the  rear  seat. 
You’ll  be using  the lap-shoulder  belt.  See the earlier part 
about  the top  strap  if  the child restraint  has  one. 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4 .. 
Because your vehicle has a  right  front passenger air 
bag,  always  move  the seat as  far back  as  it will go 
before  securing  a forward-facing  child restraint. (See 
“Seats”  in  the  Index.) 
Put 
the restraint  on  the seat. Follow the instructions 
for  the  child  restraint. 
Secure  the child  in the child restraint  as the 
instructions  say. 
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. 
1-46  

To replace  your  batteries: 
1. . Insert a flat  object  like  a dime  into  the  slot  on  the  back 
of the  transmitter.  Gently pry apart  the  front  and  back. 
2. Gently  pry  the  batteries out of the transmitter. 
3. Put the  new batteries into the  transmitter as shown 
on  the  transmitter. 
Use Duracell@ batteries,  type 
DL20 16, or equivalent. 
4. Put the two  halves  back  together. Make sure  the 
halves  are  together  tightly 
so water  won’t  get  in. 
5. Test the transmitter. 
Trunk 
It can  be dangerous to drive  with the trunk  open 
because  carbon monoxide  (CO)  gas 
can come into 
your  vehicle.  You can’t  see  or smell  CO. 
It can 
cause  unconsciousness  and even  death. 
If you must  drive  with the trunk  open or if 
electrical  wiring or other  cable  connections 
must  pass through the  seal  between  the body 
and  the trunk: 
Make  sure all  windows  are shut. 
Turn the  fan on your heating  or cooling 
system  to its highest  speed  with  the setting 
on 
UPPER. That  will  force  outside air into 
your  vehicle.  See  “Comfort Controls”  in 
the  Index. 
instrument  panel,  open  them  all the  way. 
If you  have air outlets  on,or under  the 
See  “Engine Exhaust”  in the  Index.  

Center  Console Convenience  Net  (Option) 
To open  the  storage  area,  press 
up on  the  latch  on  the 
front edge  and lift the  cover.  The console  has  a 
cupholder,  cassette tape and compact  disc  storage 
and  a  coinholder. 
Rear Door Cupholders 
You  may  have a cupholder  in  each rear door.  Your 
vehicle  may  have  a  convenience  net.  You’ll  see  it 
on  the  back  wall  of the  trunk. 
Put  small  loads, like  grocery  bags,  behind  the  net.  It  can 
help  keep  them  from  falling over  during  sharp  turns  or 
quick  starts and  stops. 
The  net  isn’t  for  larger,  heavier  loads.  Store  them  in  the 
trunk  as  far forward  as you can. 
You can  unhook  the  net so that  it will  lie  flat when 
you’re  not  using  it. 
You can  also  push  the  net  down  and 
hook  it under  the  plastic  hooks. 
2-38  

. Loading ' Your' Vehicle 
Tm OCCUPANTS VEHICLE .CAP. WT, 
TIRE-LOADING  INFORMATION 
FRT. CTR. RR. TOTAL LBS. KG 
MAX. LOADING & GVWR  SAME  AS  VEHICLE 
CA.PAClTY  WEIG'HT 
XXX COLD  TIRE 
TIRE 
SIZE SPEED  PRESSURE. 
RTG 
PSI/KPa 
FRT. 
RR. 
SPA. 
IF TIRES  ARE  HOT,  ADD 4PSV28KPa. 
SEE OWNER'S  MANUAL FOR ADDITIONAL 
INFORMATION 
i 
 A 
Two labels  on  your  vehicle  show  how  much  wei.ght  it 
may  properly  carry.  The  Tire-Loading  Information  label  is  inside  the 
trunk lid.  The  label  tells  you  the  proper  size, 
speed  rating  and  recommended  inflation  pressures'for 
the  tiies  on your  vehicle.  It  also  gives  you  important 
. 
information  about  the  number  of  people  that  can  be in 
your  vehicle  and the total  weight  you,  can  carry. This 
includes,  the  weight  'of all occupants,  ,cargo  and all 
nonfactory-installed  options. 
r I 
mi 
I. 
MFD'BY  GENERAL MOTORS CORP 
DATE  GVW8  GAWR  FRT 
. GAWR RR 
'THIS  VEHICLE  C-ONFORMS TO ALL APPLI- 
CABLE  U.S.  FEDERAL 
MOTOR VEHICLE 
SAFETY,  BUMPER,  AND THEFT  PREVENTION 
STANDARDS 
IN EF,FECT ON THE  DATE Of 
MANUFACTURE  SHOWN ABOVE. 
L 1 
The  other  label is the Certification  label,  found  on  the 
rear  edge 
of the  driver's  door. It  tells  .you  the gross 
weight  aqacity of your  vehicle,  called  the GVWR 
(Gross\Vehicle  Weight  Rating).  The  GVWR  includes 
the  weight 
of the  vehicle,  all  occupantS,  fuel  and  cargo. 
Never:  exceed  the 
GVWR for  your  vehicie  or the Gross 
Axle  Weight  Rating  (GAWR)  for  either,  the  front or 
'rear  axle. 
If you  do  have  a  heavy bad, spread  it  out.  Don't carry 
more  than 167 lbs. (75 kg) in your trunk:  

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.  

9. Tighten  the  wheel nuts 
firmly in  a  crisscross 
sequence 
as shown. 
Incorrect  wheel nuts  or  improperly  tightened 
wheel  nuts  can  cause the wheel  to  become loose 
and  even  come 
off. This  could  lead  to  an accident. 
Be  sure  to  use  the  correct  wheel  nuts.  If you  have 
to  replace  them,  be  sure  to get new 
GM original 
equipment  wheel nuts. 
Stop  somewhere  as soon 
as you  can  and  have  the 
nuts  tightened  with 
a torque  wrench  to 100 lb-ft 
(140 Nom). 
NOTICE: 
Improperly  tightened  wheel nuts  can  lead to 
brake  pulsation  and  rotor  damage. 
To avoid 
expensive  brake  repairs,  evenly tighten  the  wheel 
nuts  in the  proper  sequence  and  to  the  proper 
torque  specification. 
Don’t  try  to put  the  wheel  cover 
on your  compact  spare 
tire.  It  won’t  fit.  Store  the  wheel  cover  in  the  trunk  unt\
il 
you  have  the  flat  tire  repaired  or replaced. 
NOTICE: 
Wheel  covers  won’t fit on  your  compact  spare.  If 
you  try  to  put 
a wheel  cover  on  your  compact 
spare,  you could  damage  the  cover  or  the  spare. 
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Storing  the  Flat  Tire  and Tools 
b 
Storing  a  jack,  a  tire  or  other  equipment  in  the 
passenger  compartment 
of the  vehicle  could 
cause  injury. 
In a  sudden  stop  or  collision,  loose 
equipment  could  strike  someone.  Store  all  these 
in  the  proper  place. 
After  you’ve  put  the  compact  spare  tire  on  your  vehicle 
you’ll  need  to  store  the  flat  tire  in your  trunk.  Use  the 
following  procedure  to  secure  the flat  tir6in  the  trunk. 
Put  the  flat tire  in  the  trunk 
so the  side  that  faces  out 
when  it is  on  the  vehicle  is facing  down.  The full-size 
tire  will  not  fit down  into the  well.  Place  it’so the front is 
in the  well  and  the  rear  is out  of  the  well.  Put  the  bolt  through 
one of  the  wheel  nut  holes,  install 
the  retainer  over the bolt,  then  install  the  wing  nut.  Put 
the  spacer  and  nut  next  to  the  tire  in  the  well.  Store the 
cover  as far  forward  as  possible. 
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