
The 1998 Oldsrnobile  Silhouette  Owner’s  Manual 
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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. 
Comfort  Controls  and  Audio  Systems 
This section tells  you  how to adjust the  ventilation  and  comfort controls  and  how to operate your audio system. 
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  loolung good. 
Maintenance  Schedule 
This section tells  you  when to perform vehicle maintenance  and  what fluids and lubricants to  use. 
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. 
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. 
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Your instrument  panel  is designed  to  let  you know at a  glance how your  vehicle  is running.  You’ll know how fast 
you’re  going,  how much  fuel  you’re  using,  and many other  things  you’ll need to  drive  safely 
and economically. 
Refer  to  the  accompanying diagram  of your  instrument  panel to locate  the  components listed below. 
A. Side Vents 
B. Front  Vent 
C.  Turn  SignalMultifunction  Lever 
D. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch 
E. Instrument  Cluster 
F. Center Vents 
G.  Audio  System 
H. Side Vents 
I. Lamps Switch 
J. Hood Release 
K. Steering  Wheel Touch  Controls  (Option) 
L. Horn 
M. Ignition Switch 
N. Steering  Wheel Touch  Controls  (Option) 
0. Climate Controls 
P.  Rear Fan  Controls (Option) 
Q. Accessory Power  Outlet 
R.  Storage  Bin 
S. Remote CD Player (Option) 
T. Instrument  Panel  Switchbank 
U. LightedAshtray 
V.  Glove Box 
W.  Front  Vents 
X, Fuse  Panel 
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Section 3 Comfort  Controls  and Audio Systc-; 
In  this  section,  you’ll  find  out how to  operate  the  comfort  control  and audio systems offered  with your vehicle.  Be 
sure  to  read  about the  particular  systems  supplied  with your vehicle. 
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3-5 
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3-8 
3-9  3-10 
3-  14  Comfort  Controls 
Air  Conditioning 
Heating 
Defogging  and Defrosting 
Rear Window  Defogger 
Rear  Climate  Control  (If Equipped) 
Ventilation  System 
Setting  the  Clock  for  All  Systems 
AM-FM  Stereo with Cassette  Tape Player  and 
Automatic  Tone Control 
AM-FM  Stereo with Compact Disc Player  and 
Automatic  Tone Control 
(If Equipped)  3-18 
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3  -24 
3  -25 
3  -25 
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3-27 
3  -27 
3-27  Rear  Seat 
Audio 
(If Equipped) 
Remote  Compact Disc  Player (If Equipped) 
Theft-Deterrent  Feature  Audio  Steering  Wheel  Controls 
(If Equipped) 
Understanding  Radio Reception 
Tips About  Your Audio  System 
Care  of  Your  Cassette  Tape Player 
Care  of  Your  Compact Discs 
Care  of  Your  Compact  Disc Player 
Integrated  Windshield Antenna 
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Ventilation Tips 
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow  or 
any other obstruction  (such as leaves).  This will 
allow  the heater and defroster  to work much better, 
reducing the  chance of fogging  the  inside of 
your windows. 
When  you enter a vehicle in cold weather,  turn the 
blower  fan to 
5 for a few moments before driving 
off.  This  helps clear the intake ducts  of snow and 
moisture, and reduces the chance  of fogging the 
inside  of your windows. 
instrument panel console and the  air path under the 
front seats  clear of objects.  This helps  air  to circulate 
throughout your vehicle. 
Keep the area around the base of the center 
In cold weather, operating  the system  in the 
OUTSIDE  AIR mode will improve the time it takes 
to  warm  the vehicle. 
Audio Systems 
Your Delco Electronics  audio system has been designed 
to operate easily and  give years 
of listening pleasure. 
You  will get the most enjoyment  out of it if  you  acquaint 
yourself  with it first. Find out what your Delco 
Electronics  system can  do and  how  to  operate all its 
controls, to be sure you’re getting the most  out of the 
advanced engineering that went  into it. 
Setting  the Clock for All Systems 
Press and hold  HR  until the correct hour appears. Press 
and hold 
MN until the correct minute appears. 
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AM-FM Stereo  with  Cassette Tape Player 
and  Automatic  Tone  Control 
Playing  the  Radio 
PWR-VOL: 
Press  this knob  to turn the system on and 
off. To increase  volume, turn the knob  to the  right.  Turn 
it  to  the left 
to decrease volume.  The knob is  capable of 
rotating continuously. 
RECALL: Press this button to recall the station being 
played. 
If you  press the button when the ignition  is off, 
the clock  will show  for a few  seconds. 
SCV: Your system has a feature called 
Speed-Compensated-Volume (SCV). With 
SCV, your 
audio  system  adjusts  automatically  to make up  for road 
and wind noise as 
you drive. Set the  volume  at  the 
desired level. Move  the control  ring behind the upper 
knob  to the right  to adjust the  SCV. Then,  as 
you drive, 
SCV automatically  increases  the volume, 
as necessary, 
to  overcome noise  at any particular  speed.  The volume 
level should always sound  the  same  to you as you  drive. 
If you don’t  want to  use SCV,  turn the control all  the 
way  down. Each notch 
on the control  ring  allows  for 
more volume compensation at  faster vehicle speeds. 
Finding  a  Station 
AM-FM: 
Press  this button  to  switch  between AM, FM1 
and FM2. The display shows your selection. 
TUNE: Press  this  knob lightly so it extends. Turn it to 
choose  radio  stations.  Push the knob back  into  its stored 
position when you’re not using 
it. 
SEEK: Press the right  or left arrow to go to  the 
next higher  or lower station.  The sound will mute 
while seeking. 
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SCV Your system  has a feature  called 
Speed-Compensated-Volume  (SCV). With  SCV, your 
audio  system  adjusts  automatically  to make up for road 
and wind  noise as you  drive.  Set  the volume at the 
desired  level.  Move  the  control  ring  behind the upper 
knob  to the right  to  adjust  the  SCV. Then,  as you  drive, 
SCV  automatically  increases  the  volume, as necessary, 
to  overcome  noise at any  particular  speed.  The  volume 
level  should  always  sound  the  same  to you as you  drive. 
If you  don’t  want to use SCV,  turn the  control  all the 
way  down.  Each  notch on the  control  ring  allows  for 
more volume compensation  at  faster  vehicle speeds. 
Finding a Station 
AM-FM: Press this button  to  switch between AM,  FMl 
and FM2.  The display  shows your  selection. 
TUNE: Press  this knob lightly  so  it  extends. Turn it to 
choose  radio  stations.  Push the knob back into  its  stored 
position when  you’re not using 
it. 
SCAN: Press  one  of the  SEEK  arrows  for  two seconds, 
and  SCAN  will appear  on the  display.  Use SCAN  to 
listen  to  stations  for  a few seconds.  The  radio  will go 
to 
a station,  stop  for  a few  seconds,  then go on to the next 
station.  Press  SEEK  again to  stop  scanning.  The  sound 
will mute  while  scanning. 
PUSHBUTTONS: The six numbered  pushbuttons  let 
you return  to your  favorite  stations.  You can set up  to 
18 stations (six AM,  six  FM1 and six FM2). Just: 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
SEEK: Press  the  right  or left arrow to  go to  the  next  higher  or 
lower  station.  The sound  will  mute  while  seeking. 
6. 
Turn the radio  on. 
Press  AM-FM  to  select the band. 
Tune in the desired  station. 
Press AUTO  TONE  to select the equalization that 
best  suits  the  type  of station  selected. 
Press and hold  one of the six numbered buttons.  The 
sound will  mute. When  it returns,  release  the  button. 
Whenever 
you press  that numbered button,  the 
station  you set will return and  the AUTO 
TONE 
equalization  that you  selected will also  be 
automatically  selected  for  that  button. 
Repeat  the  steps  for  each pushbutton. 
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If you  turn  off the ignition  or  radio with a disc  in  the 
player, it will stay in  the player. When you  turn on the 
ignition  or system, the  disc will start playing where  it 
was  stopped. 
If you press EJECT but  don’t  remove the 
disc, the player will pull the  disc back in  to protect  it 
after about one minute.  If you  leave  a compact  disc 
in  the player while listening  to  the radio,  it may 
become warm.  This  feature 
allows rear seat passengers  to listen to a 
different music  source than the  front  seat  passengers 
including AM-FM automatic tone control,  cassette tapes 
or 
CDs. For example,  rear seat passengers  may listen to 
a cassette  tape or CD through headphones while the 
driver listens  to the radio through the  front speakers. 
The  rear  seat passengers have  control of the volume  for 
each headphone. Be aware that  the  front seat audio 
controls  always override the  rear  seat audio controls. 
Note  that 
this feature  is  intended  for  rear  seat  passengers. 
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PWR: Press this  button  to  turn  the  rear  seat audio system 
on or off. The rear  speakers  will  be muted  when  the  power 
is  turned  on.  You may  operate  the  rear  seat  audio  functions 
even  when  the  primary  radio  power  is 
off. 
VOL: Press  this knob lightly so it  extends.  Turn the 
knob  to  the  right to  increase  volume and  to the  left  to 
decrease  volume. Push  the knob back  into  its stored 
position  when you’re not using 
it. The upper VOL knob 
controls  the upper headphone  and the lower 
VOL knob 
controls  the lower  headphone. 
AM-FM: Press  this  button to  switch  between AM,  FMl 
and FM2.  If the  front  passengers  are  already listening 
to 
AM-FM,  the  rear  seat  audio  controller  will not switch 
between  the bands and  cannot  change  the  frequency. 
SEEK: Press the up arrow  to tune  to  the  next higher 
station and  stay there.  Press  the  down arrow  to  tune  to 
the  next  lower  station and stay there.  The sound will 
mute  while  seeking.  The  SEEK  button is  inactive 
if the 
AM-FM  mode on the  front  radio  is in use. 
If your vehicle  is equipped  with the AM-FM  Stereo with 
Cassette  Tape Player  and Automatic Tone  Control,  while 
listening  to  a cassette  tape,  press the up arrow  to  hear the 
next selection  on  the  tape.  Press  the down arrow to 
go 
back to  the  previous  selection.  The  SEEK  button is 
inactive  if the  cassette  mode  on the  front  radio  is  in use. 
If your vehicle is equipped with the AM-FM  Stereo with 
Compact Disc  Player and Automatic Tone  Control  or the 
Remote Compact Disc Player, while listening 
to a 
compact  disc, press  the up arrow 
to hear  the  next 
selection 
on the compact  disc.  Press the down arrow to 
go back to the  previous  selection.  The  SEEK  button is 
inactive if the  CD  mode  on the  front  radio  is in use. 
P.SET  PROG: The  front  passengers  must be listening 
to  something different  for  each 
of these  functions 
to  work: 
Press this button  to seek through your preset  radio 
stations  set  on your primary radio  pushbuttons. 
When a cassette  tape  is  playing, press this button  to 
go  to  the  other  side  of the tape. 
TAPE CD: With a  cassette  tape in the  player  and the 
radio  playing, press  this button to play a  cassette  tape. 
Press  TAPE  CD to switch between the  tape and compact 
disc 
if both  are  loaded.  Press  AM-FM to return to the 
radio  when a  cassette  tape  or  compact disc is playing. 
The inactive  tape  or  CD will remain safely  inside the 
radio  for  future  listening. 
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