1998 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA ESP

Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts -- and the Answers
Won’t I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I’m wearing a safety belt?
A: You could be -- whether you’re wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even
if you’re upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident,
so
you cmz unbuckle and get out, is rnuch greater if
you are belted.
&= If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A: Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only;
so they work rt;ith
safety belts -- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use
of
safety belts. Even if you’re in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That’s true not only
in frontal collisions,
but especially
in side and other collisions.
Q: If I’m a good driver, and I never drive far from
home, why should
I wear safety belts?
A: You may be an excellent driver, but if you’re in an
accident
-- even one that isn’t your fault -- you
and your passengers can be hurt. Being
a good
driver doesn‘t protect you from things beyond your
control, such as bad drivers.
Most accidents occur within
25 miles (40 km) of
home. And the greatest number of serious injuries
and deaths occur at speeds of less than
40 mph
(65 km/h).
Safety belts are for everyone.
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If something is between an occupant and an air
bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person. The path
of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. Don’t
put anything between an occupant and an air
bag, and don’t attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering.
When should an air bag inflate?
An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system‘s designed
“threshold level.’’ if your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn‘t move or deform, the threshold level is about
14 to 18 mph (23 to 29 km/h). The
threshold level
can vary, however,
with specific vehicle design, so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such
as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed
to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts or rear impacts, because intlation would not
help the occupant.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal or
near-frontal impacts.
The air bag system is designed to work properly under
a
wide range of conditions, including off-road usage.
Observe safe driving speeds, especially on rough terrain.
As always, wear your safety belt. See “Off-Road
Driving”
in the index for more tips on off-road driving.
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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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To replace the battery in the keyless entry transmitter:
1. Insert a dime in the slot between the covers of the
transmitter housing near the key ring hole. Remove
the bottom by twisting the dime.
2. Remove and replace the battery with a three volt
CR2032 or equivalent battery, positive (+) side up.
3. Align the covers and snap them together
4. Resynchronize the transmitter.
5. Check the operation of the transmitter.
Resynchronization
Resynchronization may be necessary due to the security
method used by this system. The transmitter does not
send the same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver
will not respond to a signal it has been sent previously.
This prevents anyone from recording and playing back
the signal from the transmitter.
To resynchronize your transmitter, stand close to your
vehicle and simultaneously press and hold the
LOCK
and UNLOCK buttons on the transmitter for not more
than five seconds. The door locks should cycle to
confirm synchronization. If the locks do not cycle, see
your retailer for service.
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The liftgate and glass will automatically lock when shut.
To
lock the power lock system from the outside, insert
the key
in the lock button and turn it to the right. All
doors will lock.
Remote Liftgate Glass Release
This button on the
passenger’s side
of the
steering column allows you
to release the liftgate glass
from inside
the vehicle.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it’s an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don’t do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear
a tone reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition
and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel
will be locked, and so will your
ignition and transmission. And remember to lock
the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember
to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put
them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Your shift lever must be
in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N)
for the release to work.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle
has a number of theft-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put
on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can help.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock
it up and take your keys.
But what
if you have to leave your ignition key‘? What if
you have to leave something valuable in your vehicle?
Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver’s.
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To idle your vehicle with the automatic headlamp
system off, set the parking brake while the ignition is
off. Then start your vehicle. The automatic headlamp
system
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.
Lamps On Reminder
A reminder tone will sound when your headlamps or
parking lamps are manually turned on and your ignition
is
in OFF, LOCK or ACCESSORY. To turn the tone off, turn
the knob all the way to the left.
In the automatic mode, the
headlamps
turn off once the ignition key is in OF.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful
in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
The DRL system will
make your headlamps come on at
reduced brightness when:
the ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is in automatic headlamp mode and
0 the parking brake is released. When the
DRL are on, only your headlamps will be on.
The taillamps, sidemarker and other lamps won't be on.
The instrument panel won't be
lit up either.
When
it begins to get dark, the headlamps will
automatically switch from DRL
to the regular headlamps.
When you turn the headlamp switch off, the regular lamps
will go off, and your headlamps will change to the reduced
brightness of DRL provided
it is not dark outside.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake. 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
Use your fog lamps for better vision in foggy or misty
conditions. Your low-beam headlamps must be
on for
your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp switch is
on the instrument panel under
the lamps switch. Press the switch to turn the fog lamps
on. Press the switch again to turn them off.
A light will
glow
in the switch when the fog lamps are on.
Fog lamps will go off whenever your high-beam
headlamps come on. When the high beams go off, the
fog lamps
will come on again.
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Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble
to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tcd1
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until
it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes
of sound. Sound that seems normal can be loud
and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio
to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to
it.
To help avoid hearing loss or damage:
Adjust the volume control to the lowest setting.
Increase volume slowly until you hear comfortably
and clearly.
NOTICE:
Before you add any sound equipment to your
vehicle
-- like a tape player, CB radio, mobile
telephone or two-way radio
-- be sure you can
add what
you want. If you can, it's very
important to do it properly. Added sound
equipment may interfere with the operation
of
your vehicle's engine, Delco Electronics radio or
other systems, and even damage them. Your
vehicle's systems may interfere with the
operation
of' sound equipment that has been
added improperly.
So, before adding sound equipment, check with
your retailer and be sure to check Federal rules
covering mobile radio amd telephone units.
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But the ability to drive is affected well below a BAC
of
0.10 percent. Research shows that the driving skills
of many people are impaired at a BAC approaching
0.05 percent, and that the effects are worse at night. All
drivers are impaired at BAC levels above
0.05 percent.
Statistics show that the chance of being
in a collision
increases sharply for drivers who have a BAC of
0.05 percent or above. A driver with a BAC level of
0.06 percent has doubled his or her chance of having a
collision. At a BAC level of 0.10 percent, the chance
of this driver having
a collision is 12 times greater; at a
level of 0.15 percent, the chance is 25 times greater!
The body takes about an hour
to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up.
“I’ll be careful” isn’t the
right answer. What
if there’s an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision. There’s
something else about drinking and driving that
many people don’t know. Medical research shows that
alcohol
in a person’s system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person’s chance
of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than
if the person had not been drinking.
I
A cA,rra,J:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous. Your
reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and judgment
can be affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You can have a serious
-- or even fatal -- collision
if you drive after drinking. Please don’t drink and
drive or ride with
a driver who has been drinking.
Ride home in
a cab; or if you’re with a group,
designate a driver who
will not drink.
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