1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass Owner's Manuals

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 a brake-transaxle shift interlock.
You have to apply your regular brake before you can
shift
from PARK (P) when the ignitian is in the RUN
position. See “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 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
1. Turn the key to ACC.
2. Apply and hold the regular brake until the end of
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Turn the key to ON, to start the vehicle.
5. Shift to the drive gear you want.
6. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
shift out
of PARK
(P), try this:
Step 5.

Parking Over Things That Burn
Things that can E TI could touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves,
dry grass or other things that
can burn.
I
Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can’t see or
smen. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in
if:
0
0
0
0
0
0
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
different.
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in
a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
blow
out any
CO; and

Running Your Engine While
You’re Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are
some things to know.
Idling the engine with the climate control
system 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.)
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
ove. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
JI you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also see “Towing a Trailer’’ in the Index.
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Windows
Manual Windows
On a vehicle with manual windows, use the window
crank to open and close each window.
Power Windows (If Equipped)
The power window switches are located on the armrest
of the driver’s door.
In addition, each passenger door has
a switch for its own window.
Auto-Down switch
The driver’s window switch has an auto-down feature.
This switch is labeled AUTO. Push the switch back
partway, and the driver’s window will open a small
amount.
If the switch is pushed all the way back, the
window will go all the way down.
To stop the window while it
is lowering, move the
switch forward. To raise the window, move and hold the
switch forward.
Lock Out Switch
The driver’s power window controls also include a lock
out switch. Press
LOCK OUT to stop front and reat
passengers from using their window switches. The
driver can still control all the windows with the lock
on. Press the LOCK OUT button again for normal
window operation.
P .. ,.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbol on
your steering wheel.
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I Tilt Wheel
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Turn and Lane Change Signals
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a
turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When the
turn is finished, the lever will return automatically.
An arrow on the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
A warning chime signal will come on if you have left
your turn signal on for more than
3/4 mile (1 km).
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrow
flashes rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and
other drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident.
If the arrow doesn’t go on at all when you
signal a
turn, check for burned-out bulbs and then check
the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers” in the Index).
Headlamp HighLow Beam
To change the headlamps .
from low beam to high
beam, push forward on the
turn signal/multifunction
lever.
I I
To change the headlamps fkom high beam to low beam,
pull the
turn signal lever backward. When the high
beams
are on, a light on the instrument panel will also
be on.
Flash to Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of
you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them
off.

Windshield Wipers
You control the windshield wipers by moving the stalk
with the wiper symbol
on it up or down.
For a single wiper cycle, push the stalk down to
MIST, then release it. For more cycles, hold the stalk
down longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, move the stalk up to the
LO position. For high-speed wiping, move the stalk up
hrther, to
HI. To stop the wipers, move the stalk to OFF.
You can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay between
wipes.
This can be very useful in light rain or snow.
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Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipex motor. A
circuit breaker will stop ,the motor until it c.o.01~. Clear
away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
Windshield Washer In freezing weather, don't use your washer until
the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, bl'ocking
When you release the button, the washers will stop,
but the wipers will continue to wipe for about three
times or will either stop or will resume the speed you
were using before.
To wash your windshield, push in the button at the end
of the stalk until the washers begin.
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