The 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue Owner’s Manual
1-1
2- 1
Seats and Restraint Systems
This section tells you how to use your seats and safety belts properly. It also explains the “SRS” system.
Features and Controls
This section explains how to start and operate your vehicle.
3- 1 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
This section tells you how to adjust the ventilation and comfort controls and how\
to operate your audio system.
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5-1
6-1
7-1
Your Driving and the Road
Here you’ll find helpful information and tips about the road and how to drive under different conditions.
Problems on the Road
This section tells what to do if you have a problem while driving, such as a flat tire or overheated engine, etc.
Service and Appearance Care
Here the manual tells you how to keep your vehicle running properly and looking good.
Maintenance Schedule
This section tells you when to perform vehicle maintenance and what fluids and lubricants to use.
8-1 Customer Assistance Information
This section tells you how to contact Oldsmobile for assistance and how to get service and owner publications.
It also gives you information on “Reporting Safety Defects” on page 8-8.
9- 1 Index
Here’s an alphabetical listing of almost every subject in this manual. You can use it to quickly find
something you want to read.
i
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To Use the Engine Coolant Heater
1. Turn off the engine.
2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord. The
cord is located near the air cleaner assembly.
3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.
IN:
I-
-
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet
could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong
kind
of extension cord could overheat and cause
a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the
cord into
a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet.
If the cord won’t reach, use a
heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for
at least
15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could
be damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind
of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of
trying to list everything here, we ask that
you contact
your retailer
in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle.
The retailer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
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SECOND (2): This position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy. You can use
SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you
go down steep
mountain roads, but then
you would also want to use
your brakes
off and on.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles
(40 km) at speeds over 55 mph (88 kmk), or you
can damage your transaxle. Use DRIVE
(D) or
THIRD (3) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into SECOND
(2) unless you are going
slower than
65 mph (105 km/h), or you can
damage your engine.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
(but lower fuel economy) than
SECOND (2). You can
use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put
in FIRST (l), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle
is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also, if
you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use
your brakes or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your
vehicle in position on
a hill.
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
L
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).
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).
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Low Traction Light
LOW
TRAC
When your anti-lock system
is adjusting brake pressure
to help avoid a braking skid,
this light will come on.
If you have
the Enhanced Traction System, this light will
also come on when the system is limiting wheel spin. You
may feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
Slippery road conditions may exist if the low traction light
comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly. The light
will stay
on for a few seconds after the anti-lock system
stops adjusting brake pressure or the Enhanced Traction
System stops limiting wheel spin.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it will
be there to tell you when the anti-lock brake system or
Traction Control System is active.
Slippery road conditions may exist
if the low traction
light comes on,
so adjust your driving accordingly.
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
\C
You have a gage that shows
the engine coolant
temperature. If
the gage
moves into the red area,
your engine
is too hot.
The low traction light also comes on briefly when you
turn the ignition key to ON. If the light doesn’t come on
then, have
it fixed so it will be there to tell you when the
anti-lock brake system or Enhanced Traction System
is active.
For the optional Traction Control System, the low
traction light comes on briefly when you turn the
ignition to ON. That
reading means the same thing
as the warning light.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated. If you
have been operating your vehicle under normal driving
conditions, you should pull
off the road, stop your
vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
In “Problems on the Road,” this manual shows what to
do. See “Engine Overheating” in the Index.
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Low Coolant Warning Light
If this light comes on, your
system is low on coolant
and the engine may
overheat. See “Engine
Coolant” in the Index and
have your vehicle serviced
as soon as you can.
This light will come on briefly when the ignition is
turned to
ON.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service
Engine
Soon Light)
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
Your vehicle is equipped
monitors operation
of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
~ with a computer which This system
is called OBD
I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to assure
that emissions are at acceptable levels for the life of the
vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner environment. The
SERVICE ENGINE SOON light comes on and a chime
will sound to indicate that there is a problem and service
is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the
system before any problem is apparent. This may prevent
more serious damage to your vehicle. This system
is also
designed to assist your service technician in correctly
diagnosing any malfunction.
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after
a while, your emission controls may not
work as well, your fuel economy may not be as
good and your engine may not run
as smoothly.
This could lead to costly repairs that may not be
covered
by your warranty.
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Turn Signals When Towing a Trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle may need a
different turn signal flasher and/or extra wiring. Check
with your Oldsmobile retailer. The green arrows
on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you signal a turn
or lane change. Properly hooked up, the trailer lamps
will also flash, telling other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash for turns even if the bulbs on
the trailer are burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signal when they are not. It’s
important to check occasionally to be sure
the trailer
bulbs are still working.
Driving On Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before you
start down a long or steep downgrade. If you don’t
shift down, you might have to use your brakes
so much
that they would get hot and no longer work well.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and reduce your
speed to around
45 mph (70 Mh) to reduce the
possibility of engine and transaxle overheating. If
you have overdrive, you may have to drive in
THIRD
(3) instead of DRIVE (D) (or , as you need
to a lower gear).
Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached, on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here’s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK
(P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and then shift
to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
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When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
1. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine;
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let up on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, drive belts, cooling system and brake
adjustment. Each of these
is covered in this manual,
and the Index will help you find them quickly. If you’re
trailering, it’s a good idea to review this information
before you start your trip.
Check periodically to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
Engine Cooling When Trailer Towing
Your cooling system may temporarily overheat during
severe operating conditions. See “Engine Overheating”
in the Index.
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