1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE brake

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
CAUSTIC
BURNS
SPARK
OR ,\I/,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BAllERY
These symbols are important for you and
your passengers
whenever your
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
SEAT
BELTS
These symbols have to
do with
your lights:
SIGNALS TURN
FOG LAMPS
# 0
These symbols
are
on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN
These symbols are used on
warning and
indicator lights:
ENGINE k
COOLANT - t6
TEMP -
CHARGING I-1
BAllERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
h
COOLANT
ENGINE OIL
e,
PRESSURE
ANTI-LOCK
(@)
BRAKES
Here are some
other symbols
you may see:
FUSE
P
LIGHTER n
HORN b
SPEAKER
b
FUEL e3
V
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What
if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your glove
box
or locking storage bin.
Lock the storage bin.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
0 Then take the door key with you.
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern Oldsmobile doesn’t need an
elaborate “break-in.” But it will perform better
in the long run if you follow these guidelines:
Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow
-- for the first 500 miles (804 km). Don’t
make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
0 Don’t tow a trailer during break-in. See
“Towing a Trailer” in the Index for more
.
information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
2-22
ProCarManuals.com

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. Ensure
the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before
starting the engine. Your Oldsmobile has
Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock (BTSI). You must fully
apply your regular brakes before you can shift from
PARK
(P) when the ignition key is in the RUN position.
As you step on the brake pedal, while in PARK (P), you
may hear a click from the solenoid of the
BTSI. This
Automatic Transaxle Operation
ensures that the BTSI is operating properly.
If you cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on
PARK (P) as
you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. See
“Shifting Out of PARK (P)” in this section.
There are several
different positions for your shift lever. the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily.
2-27
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
It is dangerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to PARK
(P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer’’ in
the Index. REVERSE
(R): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting
to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle. Shift
to REVERSE
(R) only after your vehicle is stopped.
I ~~ ~
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL
(N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
2-2s
ProCarManuals.com

I NOTICE:
r
~~~ ~ ~
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
1
Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running at high speed) is
dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL
(N) while your engine is racing. AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and
you’ re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your
accelerator pedal about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 kmh) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the
next gear and have more power.
THIRD (D): This position is also used for normal
driving but it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0).
accelerator all the way down.
Here are some times
you might choose THIRD (D)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads.
0 When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears.
When going down a steep hill.
ProCarManuals.com

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power, but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control
your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your
brakes off and on.
NOTICE:
~ ~~ ~~~ ~~~~
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(41 km), or at speeds over 55 mph (88 km/h), or
you
can damage your transaxle. Use THIRD (D) or
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(0) as much as
possible. Don’t shift into SECOND (2) unless you
are going slower than
65 mph (105 km/h) or you
can damage your engine.
NOTICE:
If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly,
or if it seems not to shift gears as you go faster,
something may be wrong with a transaxle system
sensor.
If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you
can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving less
than
35 mph (55 kmh) and THIRD (D) for
higher speeds.
ProCarManuals.com

FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower
fuel economy) than SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep hills, or
in deep snow or mud. If the selector
lever
is put in FlRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift into
first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes
or shift into PARK (P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. If the ignition is on,
the
brake system warning light will come on. See “Brake
System Warning Light” in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot while you push down
on the parking brake pedal with your left foot.
(To
release the tension on the parking brake cable, you will
need to apply about the same amount of pressure to the
parking brake pedal as you did when you set the parking
brake.) When you remove your foot from the parking
brake pedal, it will pop up to the release position.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on can cause
your rear brakes to overheat. You may have to
replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That section shows
what to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into PARK (P)
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake
firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
ProCarManuals.com