1996 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE light

To Cancel the Sliding Door Lock
1. Unlock the sliding door from the inside and open the
door from the outside.
2. Move the security lock lever all the way down.
The sliding door lock will now work normally.
Liftgate
Open the liftgate using the handle above the license plate.
Once slightly opened,
the liftgate will rise by itself. Lamps
in the liftgate will come on, illuminating the rear cargo
area (see “Rear Interior Lamps”
in the Index).
I NOTICE:
If you want to open the sliding door when the security
lock is on, unlock the sliding door from the inside and
open the door
from the outslde.
If you have the optional power sliding door, slide the
power sliding door
ON/OFF switch to the ON position.
Press either
PWR DOOR switch.
You should let adults and older children know how the
security lock works, and how to cancel the lock. If you
don’t, adults or older children who ride in the rear won’t
be able to open the sliding door from the inside when
the security lock feature is in use.
Be sure there are no overhead obstructions, such
as a garage door, before you open the liftgate.
You could slam the liftgate into something and
break the glass.
4 2-19
ProCarManuals.com

To close the liftgate, pull down on the handle, then
firmly shut the liftgate. Don’t drive with the liftgate
open, even slightly. See“Engine Exhaust”
in the Index.
A light on your instrument panel will warn you if the
liftgate is not completely closed (see “Liftgate Ajar
Warning Light”
in the Index).
2-
It can be dangerous to drive with the liftgate
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 liftgate open or if electrical
wiring or other cable connections must
pass through
the seal between the body and the liftgate:
0 Make sure all windows are shut.
lhrn the fan on your heating or cooling
system to
its highest speed with the setting
on BI-LEV (Bi-Level) or
UPPER. That will
force outside air into your vehicle. See
“Comfort Controls” in the Index.
If you have air outlets on or under the
instrument panel, open them all the way.
See “Engine Exhaust” in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

Liftgate Lock Theft
J
To unlock the liftgate, insert the door key and turn the
lock clockwise. The liftgate will automatically lock
when you close
it.
If you have the optional power door locks or the Remote
Lock Control system, the liftgate will lock and unlock
differently. See “Power
Door Locks” in the Index. Vehicle theft is big business, especially
in some cities.
Although your Oldsmobile has a number
of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put
on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you
can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders
or professional thieves -- so
don’t do it.
When
you park your Oldsmobile and open the driver’s
door, you’ll hear a chime reminding
you to remove your
key from the ignition and take
it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
.~ 2-21
ProCarManuals.com

Ignition Positions
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions.
C
A E
ACCESSORY (A): An on position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press in the
ignition switch
as you turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): This is the only position in which you can
remove
the key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition
and transaxle.
OFF (C): This position unlocks the steering wheel,
ignition and transaxle, but does not send electrical
power to any accessories. Use this position
if your
vehicle must be pushed
or towed, but never try to
push-start your vehicle. A warning chime will sound if
you open the driver’s door when the ignition is
OFF and
the key is
in the ignition.
RUN (D): An on position to which the switch returns
after
you start your engine and release the switch. The
switch stays
in the RUN position when the engine is
running. But
even when the engine is not running, you
can use the
RUN position to operate your electrical
power accessories, and to display some instrument panel
warning lights.
START (E): This position starts the engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return
to the RUN position for normal driving.
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

Ttrrn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the turn
is finished, the lever will return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t
see your turn signal.
If a bulb
is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If
the arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers’’ in the Index).
If you have a trailer towing option with added wiring for
the trailer lamps,
a different turn signal flasher is used.
With this flasher installed, the signal indicator will flash
even
if a turn signal bulb is burned out. Check the front
and rear turn signal lamps regularly
to make sure they
are working.
Headlamp High/Low Beam Changer
To change the headlamps
from high to low beam, or
low to high, simply pull the
turn signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are on, a light on the instrument
cluster will also be on.
ProCarManuals.com

WindsL'-.'3 Wipers
The windshield wiper and washer controls are located to
the right of the instrument cluster.
For a single wiper cycle: Press the switch marked
MIST and release. For more cycles, press and hold
the switch.
For pulse delay wiper cycles: The pulse delay cycle
system allows you to set the wiper speed as slow as
20 seconds between cycles, or faster. Pulse delay cycles
are very useful in light rain
or snow. Slide the upper
control to the
DELAY area. The lower the position, the
slower the cycle; the higher the position, the faster
the cycle.
For steady wiper cycles: Slide the upper control either
to the
LO or HI position, depending on the wiper speed
you want.
To turn the wipers off: Slide the upper control to the
OFF position.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent
you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid damage,
be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before
using them. If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them. If your blades do become damaged,
get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload.
ProCarManuals.com

Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
0 Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed
you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll
go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot
off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going
up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going downhill,
you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down.
Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
0 Step lightly on the brake pedal; OR
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
ProCarManuals.com