1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS key

Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. 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 sensor, the air
bag modules, the wiring
and the crash sensing and
diagnostic module. For more information on the air
bag system, see “Air Bag” in the Index.
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
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
ON. 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
indicator light will come
on when you turn
on the
ignition, but the engine is
not running, as a check to
show you it is worhg.
Then it should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and
you hear
a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose 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.
BRAKE
This light should come on
briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
ON. If it
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed
so it will be ready to
warn you if there’s
a
problem.
If the light and chime come 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.)
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.
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I
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine
may not run as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered by your warranty.
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running.
If the light doesn’t come on, have it repaired.
This light will
also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:
Light Flashing -- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service is required.
Light On Steady -- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Retailer or qualified service center diagnosis and service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:
Reducing vehicle speed.
Avoiding hard accelerations.
Avoiding steep uphill grades.
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.
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Check Oil Light Passlock Warning Light
CHECK
OIL
If the light
comes on and
you hear a chime or stays on after starting your vehicle,
your engine oil level should
be checked.
THEFT
SYSTEM
This light will come on
briefly when
you turn
the ignition on. The light
will stay on until the
engine
starts.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut
off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring
it to the proper level. See “Engine Oil” in the Index.
NOTE:
A false CHECK OIL light may be generated
when parking on steep grades.
The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between key on and engine
crank.
It does not monitor engine oil level when the
engine is running. Additionally, an oil level check is
only performed if the engine has been turned
off for a
considerable period
of time allowing the oil normally in
circulation
to drain back into the oil pan.
If the light flashes for several seconds, the Passlock
system has entered a tamper mode.
If the vehicle fails
to start, see “Passlock” in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system.
Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your retailer.
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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:
0 Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
0 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 1,
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:
0 The amount of alcohol consumed
0 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
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
consume the alcohol.
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Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. Ths
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine
off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
Towing Your Vehicle from the Front
There are two ways to tow your vehicle from the front.
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m
To tow your vehicle with a dolly, follow these steps:
1. Put the front wheels on a dolly.
2. Put the vehicle in PARK (P).
3. Set the parking brake and then remove the key.
4. Clamp the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position
with a clamping device designed for towing.
5. Release the parking brake.
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To tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground,
follow these steps:
7 ---
1. Position the vehicle to tow and then secure it.
2. Turn the ignition switch to OFF.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Remove the following fuses from the left side
instrument panel fuse block:
A) Radio, B) Wiper,
H) Powertrain Control Module and K) Body
Function Control Module, Cluster. This will
prevent your battery
form draining while towing.
See “Instrument Panel Fusle Block-Left” in
Section
6 for location of the fuses.
5. Turn the ignition switch to ACC.
6. Shift your transaxle to NEUTRAL (N).
7. Release the parking brake.
Remember
to replace the fuse once you reach your
destination. To replace the fuse:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Replace the fuse.
I NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
55 mph (90 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.
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Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning flashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front and
rear turn signal lamps will flash on and
off.
Press the switch once to
turn your hazard flashers
on. The switch will flash
when activated.
Your hazard warning flashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even
if the key isn’t in.
To turn
off the flashers, press the switch again.
When the hazard warning flashers are on, your turn signals won’t work.
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