1997 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE brake

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.
II
I
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) position
like this:
0 Pull the lever toward you.
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Move the lever up as far as it will go.
3. Move the ignition key to the LOCK position.
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).
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.
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 the PARK
(P)
position, hold the regular brake pedal down. 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 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 Oldsmobile has Brake-Transaxle Shift Interlock
(BTSI). You have to fully
apply your regular brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P), when the ignition
is
in the RUN position. See “Automatic Transaxle
Operation”
in the Index.
As you step on the brake pedal, while in PARK (P), you
may hear a click from the solenoid of the BTSI. This
ensures that the
BTSI is operating properly.
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 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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Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
3ver have to, here are some things to know.
A CAUTION:
Idling the engine with the air system control
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle (see the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan switch is at the highest setting. One
place this can happen
is a garage. Exhaust -- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. (See
“Blizzard” in the Index.) 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.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you’ve 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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. 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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Rear Window Wiper and Washer
\-
I The rear window wiper
switch
is located in
the Instrument Panel
switchbank.
Push the wiper symbol on the bottom
of the button to
turn on the intermittent wiper. To turn off the wiper,
gently push the top
of the button.
To wash and wipe the rear window, push in the washer
symbol on the top
of the button. Washer fluid will spray
as long as the button is held
in. When the top of the
button is released, the wiper will continue to cycle three
more times.
To wash the rear window when the rear wiper is already on,
push on the top
of the button with the wash symbol on it.
Push in the bottom of the button to continue the intermittent
wiper cycle after the washing cycle is completed.
Cruise Control (Option)
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help
on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 kmh).
When you apply your brakes,
the cruise control
shuts
off.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous on
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Resuming a Set Speed Use the SET button to reset cruise (see “Setting Cruise
Control” earlier in this section).
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts
off the cruise control.
But you don’t need to reset it.
Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 kmk) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from
ON to
RESUME/ACCEL (R/A) for about half a second.
You’ll
go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the switch at R/A longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until you release the
switch or apply the brake. You could be startled and
even lose control.
So unless you want to go faster, don’t
hold the switch at R/A.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
0 Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and
the accelerator pedal. You’ll
now cruise at the higher speed.
0 Move the cruise switch from ON to R/A. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch. (To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch
to R/A for
less than half a second and then release
it. Each
time you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph
( 1.6 km/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will work whether or not you
have set an initial cruise control speed.
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Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
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 kmh) 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:
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.
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A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn’t covered. The DRL system
will make your front parWturn signal lamps come
on in
daylight when:
The ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off, and
the parking brake is released.
When the
DRL are on, only your front park/turn signal
lamps will be on. Your instrument panel won’t be
lit up.
When it’s dark enough outside, the exterior lamps will
come on automatically. When it’s bright enough outside,
the exterior lamps will go
out and the DRL will turn on.
Of course, you may still turn on the headlamps any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL or exterior lamps off,
set the parking brake while the ignition is
in the OFF or
LOCK position. Then start the vehicle. The DRL will
stay off until you release
the parking brake,
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need
it.
Fog Lamps
r
v-
I The fog lamps switch is
located
in the Instrument
Panel switchbank.
Push the fog
on the rockel
on the lights. lamp symbol
- button to
turn
I J
The green indicator light will glow. Push the ribbed part
of the switch to turn them off. The indicator light will
go off.
Your parking lamps or headlamps must be on for your
fog lamps to go on.
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