1997 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA key

2. hlove the shift lever into PARK (P) position like this: 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 vehicle 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.
0 Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of
the vehicle.
3. TLIIII the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with YOLI. If you can
remove the key and
leave your vehicle, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
If you have to leave your vehicle. with the engine
running,
be s111-e to firndy set your parking brake and
shifi into PARK (P) before you leave it. After you’ve
n~oved the shift lever into the PARK (P) position, hold
the reg~~lar brake pedal ckwn. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from PARK (P) without first pulling
it toward you. If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t
FLIIIY locked into PARK (P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK
(P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force
on the parking pawl in
the transmission. 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) h If torque lock does occur, yo^^ may need to have another
vehicle push yo~~rs
a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from
the parking pawl in the transmission, so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your vehicle has a brake-transmission 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 “Automatic Transmission Operation”
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 press
the shift lever button and move the shift lever into the
gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL(N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
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Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages that
may be
on your vehicle. The pictures will help you
locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could
also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there may be or is
a
problem with one of your vehicle’s functions. As you
will see
in the details on the next few pages, some
warning lights come
on briefly when you start the
engine just to let you
know they’re working. If you are
familiar with this section, you should not be alarmed
when this happens.
Gages can indicate when there may be or
is a problem
with one
of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
warning lights work together
to let you know when
there’s a problem
with your vehicle.
When one
of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving,
or when one of the gages shows
there [nay be
a problem, check the section that tells you what
to do about
it. Please follow this manual’s advice.
Waiting to do repairs can be costly
-- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They’re a big help.
Your vehicle also has
a driver information system that
works along
with the warning lights and gages. See
“Driver Information System”
in the Index.
Safety Belt Reminder Light
When the key is turned to RUN or START, a tone will
come on for about eight seconds to remind people to
fasten their safety belts, unless the driver’s safety belt is
already buckled.
The safety belt
light will
also come on and stay on
for about
20 seconds, then it
will flash for about
55
seconds. If the driver’s belt
is already buckled, neither
the tone nor the light will
come on.
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Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the
air bag’s electrical system for malfunctions. The light
tells
you if there is an electrical problem. The system
check includes
the air bag sensors, the air bag module,
the wiring and the diagnostic module.
For more
information on the air bag system, see
“Air Bag” in
the Index.
AIR
BAG
This light will come on
when you start your engine,
and
it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
engine or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may
not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away. The air
bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to
RUN. If the
light doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there is a problem.
Charging System Indicator Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn on the ignition, but
the engine is not running,
as a check
to show you it
is working.
It should go out once the engine is running. If it stays
on, or comes
on while you are driving, you may have a
problem with the charging system.
It could indicate that
you have problems with a generator drive belt, or
another electrical problem. Have
it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
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Brake System Warning Light
Your Oldsmobile’s hydraulic brake system is divided
into two parts.
If one part isn’t working, the other part
can still work and stop you. For good braking, though,
you need both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there could be a brake
problem. Have
your brake system inspected right away.
This light should come on
briefly when you
turn the
ignition key to
RUN. If it
doesn’t come on then,
have
it fixed so it will be
ready
to warn you if there’s
a problem.
A CAUTION:
-
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light
is still on after you’ve
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed
for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light
will stay on if your parking brake doesn’t release
fully.
If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on
while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
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Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock brake
system, this light
will come
on when you start your
ANTI - LOCK engine and may stay on for I
If the light stays on, or comes on when you’re driving,
your Oldsmobile needs service.
If the regular brake
system warning light isn’t on, you still have brakes, but
you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If the regular brake
system warning light is also
on, you don’t have anti-lock
brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes.
See “Brake System Warning Light” earlier in
this section.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn
the ignition key to RUN. If the
light doesn’t corne on then, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you
if there is a problem.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
I
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature.
If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, your engine
is
too hot!
TEMP
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull off the road, stop your
vehicle and turn
off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows you what
to do. See ”Engine Overheating’‘
in the Index.
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If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
0 Reducing vehicle speed.
0 Avoiding hard accelerations.
0 Avoiding steep uphill grades.
0 If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see
“If
the Light Is On Steady” following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key
off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine.
If the light remains on steady, see “If the Light
Is On Steady” following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
retailer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle‘?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel
cap has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere.
A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out.
A few driving trips should turn the light off.
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Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to the
highway death toll, claiming thousands
of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects
four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:
Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
Vision
0 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half
of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol.
In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving.
In recent years, some 17,000 annual motor
vehicle-related deaths have been associated
with the use
of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under
2 I , it’s
against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws. The
obvious way to solve this highway safety problem
is for people never to drink alcohol and then drive. But
what if people do? How much is “too much” if the
driver plans
to drive? It’s a lot less than many might
think. Although
it depends on each person and situation,
here is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
e The drinker‘s body weight
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association,
a
180-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC
by drinking three 4-ounce ( 120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks
if‘ each had 1 - 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
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