1997 Oldsmobile Aurora Owner's Manuals

Automatic Transaxle Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily.
‘ 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.
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Ensure the shift lever is fully in the PARK (P) range
before starting the engine. Your Aurora has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You have to fully
apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in RUN. If you cannot shift out
of PARK (P), ease pressure on the shift lever -- push the
shift lever all the way into PARK
(P) and also release
the shift lever button on floor shift console models as
you maintain brake application. Then move the shift
lever into the gear you wish. (Press
the shift lever button
before moving the shift lever on floor shift console
models.) See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)” in this section.
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.
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.
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.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a): This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
e Going less than approximately 35 mph (56 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
accelerator all the way down.
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a). Here
are some times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(a):
When driving on hilly, winding roads,
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
between gears,
or
When going down a steep hill.
SECOND
(2): This position gives you more power
but lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE
(@) or THIRD (3). 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. 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 FIRST
(l), the transaxle
won’t shift into FIRST
(1) until the vehicle is going
slowly enough.
I 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.
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Selectable Shift
This button lets you change from a normal driving mode
to a power mode.
For general driving conditions, use the
normal mode.
Press the button
on your shift lever so that it’s either in
the
NORMAL or POWER position. When it’s in the
NORMAL position, the line on the button will be
showing. When in POWER, the line is not showing.
In the NORMAL position, the transaxle shifts at lower
engine speeds. For increased performance,
you may
choose the POWER mode.
Parking Brake
Setting the parking brake: Hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot. If the ignition is on, the
parking brake indicator light will come
on.
Releasing the parking brake: You will need to use the
PUSH
TO RELEASE parking brake pedal. Hold the
regular brake down and push the parking brake pedal with your left foot. This will unlock the pedal. When
you lift your left foot, the parking brake pedal will
follow
it to the released position.
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If you try to drive with the parking brake on, the parkin
brake indicator light stays
on. The PARK BRAKE SET
message will appear in the Driver Information Center,
and a chime will sound until you release the parking
brake or recycle the ignition.
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 part 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 by pushing down the parking
brake pedal with your left
foot.
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2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
as
follows:
Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with the
engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the
ehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have to.
Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key
in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK
(P).
If you have to leave your vehicle with the engine
running, be sure your vehicle is in PARK (P) and your
parking brake is firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into PARK
(P), hold the
regular brake pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pushing
the button.
If you can,
it means the shift lever wasn’t fully locked
into PARK
(P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the shift
lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque lock.”
To
prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and then shift
into PARK (P) properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how,
see “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in
the Index.
When you are ready
to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK (P)
before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some
of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out
of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Aurora has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have
to fully apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is
in the RUN
position. See “Shifting the Automatic Transaxle” in
the Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. Press the
shift lever button before moving the shift lever.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out
of PARK (P), try this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the ignition key to OFF. Open and close the
driver’s door to turn off
the Retained Accessory
Power feature.
Apply and hold the brake until
the end of Step 4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the vehicle fixed as
soon as you can.
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Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
t
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust
parts under
your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass
or other things that
can burn.
A CAUTION:
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road
or over
road debris.
or
different.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
modified improperly.
blow
out any CO; and
I
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