1998 Oldsmobile Aurora ignition

Ignition Positions
C
I
A E
With the ignition key in the ignition, you can turn the
switch to five positions:
ACCESSORY (A): In this position 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 position locks your
ignition, steering wheel and transaxle. It’s a
theft-deterrent feature.
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine
but still turn the steering wheel. It doesn’t lock the steering wheel like
LOCK and it doesn’t send any
electrical power
to the accessories. Use OFF if you
must have your vehicle in motion while the engine
is not running.
RUN (D): This is the position that the switch returns
to after you start your engine and release the switch.
This
is the position for driving. Even when the engine
is not running, you can
use RUN to operate your
electrical power accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning lights.

START (E): This position starts your engine. When the
engine starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to
RUN for normal driving.
FNOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn
it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? If it is, then turn the
steering wheel left and right while you turn the
key hard. But turn the key only with your hand.
Using
a tool to force it could break the key or the
ignition switch.
If none of this works, then your
vehicle needs service.
Key Reminder Warning
If you leave your key in the ignition, with the engine off,
you will hear a warning chime when you open the
driver’s door.
Retained Accessory Power
After you turn the ignition off and remove the key, you
will still have electrical power to such accessories
as the
radio, power windows, and sunroof (if equipped) for up
to
10 minutes. But if you open a door, power is shut off.
Always leave your key in
LOCK. If you leave your key
in any other position than
LOCK, you battery will
discharge prematurely.
Starting Your Engine
Move your shift lever to PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Your engine won’t start in any other position -- that’s a
safety feature.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use NEUTRAL
(N) only.
NOTICE:
~ ~ ~~
Don’t try to shift to PARK (P) if your Aurora is I
moving. If you do, you could damage the
transaxle. Shift to PARK
(P) only when your
vehicle is stopped.

Starting Your 4.0L Engine
1. Without pushing the accelerator pedal, turn your
ignition key to START. When the engine starts, let
go of the key. The idle speed will go down as
your
engine gets warm.
I 1
I NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage
your starter motor. I
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three seconds at a time until your
engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between each
try to help avoid draining your battery or damaging
your starter.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops), it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds.
If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again,
do the same thing.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories,
you could change the way
the engine operates, Before adding electrical
equipment, check with
your retailer. If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle”
in the Index.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s
the best position
to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily. 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.
Ensure the shift lever
is fully in the PARK (P)
range before starting the engine. Your vehicle has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You have to fully
apply
your regular brakes bcfore you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in RUN.
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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.
Parking Brake
Press the button on your shift lever so that it’s either in
the NORMAL or the
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.
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.
If you try to drive with the parking brake on, the parking
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:
Shifting Into PARK (P)
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.
1
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.
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 PARK (P) as follows:
Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way down toward the front
of your vehicle.
3. Turn 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).
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 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).

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 vehicle 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 RUN. 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. Turn the ignition key to OFF. Open and close the
driver’s door
to turn off the retained accessory
power feature.
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. Take your vehicle to an authorized service center
as soon as you can.