1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA belt

Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle’s safety belt will fasten around you, you
should use
it.
But if a safety belt isn’t long enough to Fasten, your
retailer will order
you an extender. It’s free. When you
L eo in to order it, take the heaviest coat you will wear, so
the extender will be long enough for you. The extender
will be just for you, and just for the seat in your vehicle
that you choose. Don’t let someone else use
it, and use it
only for the seat it is made to fit. To wear it, just attach it
to the regular safety belt.
Checking Your Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder light
and all your belts, buckles, latch plates, retractors and
anchorages are working properly. Look for any other
loose or damaged safety belt system parts.
If you see
anything that might keep
a safety belt system from
doing its job, have
it repaired.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is
torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken air bag covers, and
have them repaired or replaced. (The air bag system
does not need regular maintenance.)
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
If you’ve had a crash, do you need new belts‘?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be necessary.
But if the belts were stretched, as they would be if worn
during a more severe crash, then you need new belts.
ACAUTION I
To help avoid personal
injury, belt assembly
must
be replaced if this vehicle is
in a collision or if “Replace
Belt” appears below. See
Owner’s Manual for more
information.
If you ever see a label on
the driver’s or the right
front passenger’s safety belt
that
says to replace the belt,
be sure to do
so. Then the
new belt will be there to
help protect you
in a
collision. You would see
this label on the belt near
the door opening.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them. Collision
damage
also may mean you will need to have safety belt
or seat parts repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs
may be necessary even
if the belt wasn’t being used at
the time of the collision.
If an air bag inflates, you’ll need to replace air bag system
parts. See the part on the air bag system earlier in this section.
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Door Locks
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.
Passengers
-- especially children -- can easily
open the doors and fall out. When a door is
locked, the inside handle won't open it.
Outsiders can easily enter through an unlocked
door when you slow down
or stop your vehicle.
This may not be
so obvious: You increase the
chance of being thrown out
of the vehicle in a
crash if the doors aren't locked. Wear safety belts
properly, lock your doors, and you
will be far
better off whenever you drive your vehicle.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
You can use the Keyless Entry System, if you have
this option.
You can use your key to unlock your door
from
the outside.
To lock your door from the inside, slide the lever on
your inside door down.
To unlock the door, slide the
lever on your inside door
up. You will see a red area
on the lever.
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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 may 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 chime 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 chime 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 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 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.
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
1 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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Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored
in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLN to indicate
that you have used your tape player for
50 hours without
resetting the tape clean timer.
If this message appears on
the display, your cassette tape player needs to be
cleaned.
It will still play tapes, but you sh0~11d clean it as
soon as possible to prevent damage to your tapes and
player.
If you notice a reduction in sound quality, try a
known good cassette to see if it is the tape or the tape
player at fwlt.
If this other cassette has no improvement
in sound quality. clean the tape player.
The recommended cleaning method for your cassette
tape player is the use of a scrubbing action,
non-abrasive cleaning cassette
with pads which scrub
the tape head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn.
The recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your retail facility
(GM Part No. 12344789).
When using a scrubbing action, non-abrasive cleaning
cassette,
it is normal for the cassette to eject because
your
unit is equipped with a cut tape detection feature
and
a cleaning cassette may appear as a broken tape. If
the cleaning cassette ejects, insert the cassette at least
three times to ensure thorough cleaning.
YOU may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses
a cassette with a fabric belt to clean
the tape head. This type
of cleaning cassette will not
eject on its own.
A non-scrubbing action cleaner may
not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type cleaner.
The use
of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type cleaning
cassette is not recommended.
After you clean the player, press and hold EJECT for
five seconds to reset the CLN indicator. The radio will
display
--- to show the indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is
in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
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Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start
with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See "Safety Belts"
in the Index.)
Defensive driving really means "be ready for anything."
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
"always expect the unexpected."
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what
they might
do. Be ready
for their mistakes.
Rear-end collisions are about the most preventable
of accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance.
It's the best defensive driving
maneuver,
in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle
in front of yo11 is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you
are holding the steering wheel at ’
the recommended 9 and 3 o’clock positions, you can
turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level
of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to one-quarter turn
until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway.
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Controlling your vehicle is the key to successful
off-road driving. One of the best ways
to control your
vehicle
is to control your speed. Here are some things to
0
0
0
0
keep in mind. At higher speeds:
-
you approach things faster and you have less time
to scan
the terrain for obstacles.
you have less time to react.
you have more vehicle bounce when you drive
over obstacles.
you’ll need more distance for braking, especially
since you’re on an unpaved surface.
’ A CAUTION:
When you’re driving off-road, bouncing and
quick changes in direction can easily throw you
out of position. This could cause you to lose
control and crash.
So, whether you’re driving on
or off the road, you and your passengers should
wear safety belts.
Scanning the Terrain
Off-road driving can take you over many different kinds
of terrain. You need to be familiar with the terrain and its
many different features. Here are some things
to consider.
Sutface Conditicm. Off-roading can take you over
hard-packed dirt, gravel, rocks, grass, sand, mud, snow or
ice. Each of these surfaces affects the steering, acceleration
and braking
of your vehicle in different ways. Depending
upon the kind of surface you are on, you may experience
slipping, sliding, wheel spinning, delayed acceleration,
poor traction and longer braking distances.
Swfc/ce Ubstcrcles. Unseen or hidden obstacles can be
hazardous.
A rock, log, hole, rut or bump can startle you if
you’re not prepared for them. Often these obstacles are
hidden by grass, bushes, snow or even the rise and fall of
the terrain itself. Here are some things
to consider:
Is the path ahead clear?
0 Will the surface texture change abruptly up ahead?
0 Does the travel take you uphill or downhill? (There’s
more discussion of these subjects later.)
0 Will you have to stop suddenly or change
direction quickly?
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