1998 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE Owners Manual

Side Window Latches
The rear of each side window swings open.
To open, push the latch
forward to release it, then
swing the window outward.
Press the center of the latch
to secure the window in the
open position.
To close, pull the center of the latch forward and then
close the latch. Press the center of the latch to secure the
window in the closed position.
Power Rear Quarter Windows
This button, located in the
overhead console
switchbank, is used for
opening and closing the
rear quarter windows.
Press the top ribbed side of the button to open the
windows; both windows will open. The windows can be
opened fully
or only a portion depending on how long
the button is pushed.
Press the bottom symbol side of the button to close
both windows.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbols on
your steering wheel.
2-51
ProCarManuals.com

Tilt Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before
you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when you exit
and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the
steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering
wheel to a comfortable
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
1
Icr
I
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Headlamp HighLow Beam Changer
Windshield Wiper and Washer Control
0 Cruise Control
2-52
ProCarManuals.com

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 retwn 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.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrow
flashes faster than normal, 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 arrows don’t go on at all when you
signal a turn, check for burned-out bulbs and check the
fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the Index). If
you have a trailer towing option with added wiring for
the trailer lamps, the signal indicator will flash at a
normal rate even
if a turn signal bulb is burned out.
Check the front and rear turn signal lamps regularly to
make sure they are working.
Turn Signal On Chime
If either turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound to let the driver know to
turn it off.
If the you need to leave the signal on for more than
3/4 mile (1.2 km), turn off the signal and then turn it
back on.
Headlamp HigWLow Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from high to low beam, or low
to high, simply pull the turn signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, this light on the
instrument cluster will also
be on.
2-53
ProCarManuals.com

Windshield Wipers Windshield Washer
You control the windshield wipers by turning the band
marked
WIPER.
For a single wiping cycle, turn the band to MIST. Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The wipers will
stop after one cycle.
If you want more cycles, hold the
band on mist longer.
For delayed wiping cycles, you can set the wiper speed
for a long or short delay between wipes. This can be
very useful in light rain or snow. Turn the band to
choose the delay time. The closer to LOW, the shorter
the delay time.
For steady wiping cycles, at low speed, turn the band
away from you to the
LOW position. For high-speed
wiping, turn the band further to
HIGH. To stop the
wipers, move the band to
OFF.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough to drive safely. To avoid damage,
be sure to clear ice and snow
fiom the wiper blades before
using them.
If they’re frozen to the windshield, carefidly
loosen or thaw them.
If your blades do become damaged,
get new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent an overload. To
wash your windshield, press and hold the windshield
washer paddle. The washers and wipers will operate.
When you release the paddle, the washers will stop, and
the wipers will continue to operate for two cycles, unless
your wipers had already been on. In that case, the wipers
will resume the wiper speed you had selected
earl+.
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
2-54
ProCarManuals.com

Rear Window Washermiper
7
C
C
C
(
L
The rear window
wiper switch is located
in the instrument
panel switchbank.
I
Push the wiper symbol on the bottom of the button to
turn on the intermittent wiper. To turn
off the wiper,
gently push the top
of the button.
To wash and wipe the rear window, push in the washer
symbol on the top of the button. Washer fluid will spray
as long as the button is held in. When the top of the
button is released, the wiper will continue to cycle three
more times. To
wash the rear window when the rear wiper
is already
on, push on the top
of the button with the wash symbol
on it. Push in the bottom
of the button to continue the
intermittent wiper cycle after the washing cycle
is completed.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 kdh) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator. This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control disengages.
2-55
ProCarManuals.com

A CAUTION:
0
0
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at
a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle
is in cruise control when the optional
traction control system begins
to limit wheel spin, the
cruise control will automatically disengage. (See
“Traction Control System” in the Index.) When road
conditions allow you to safely use
it again, you may turn
the cruise control back on. Setting Cruise Control
- CAUTION:
If you
leave your crulse control switch on when
you’re not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch off until you want to use
it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
2-56
ProCarManuals.com

3. Push in the SET button at the end of the lever and
release it
.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course, shuts off
the cruise control. But you don’t need to reset it. Once
you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more, you can
move the cruise control switch from
ON to
RESUME/ACCEL
@/A) for about half a second.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the switch at
R/A longer than half a second,
the vehicle will keep going faster until
you release the
switch or apply the brake.
So unless you want to go
faster, don’t hold the switch at WA.
2-57
ProCarManuals.com

Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
0 Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher speed.
Push the
SET button at the end of the lever, then
release the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Move the cruise switch from ON to WA. Hold it
there until you get up to the speed you want, and
then release the switch.
(To increase your speed in
very small amounts, move the switch
to WA for
less than half a second and then release it. Each time
you do this, your vehicle will go about
1 mph
(1.6 krn/h) faster.)
The accelerate feature will work whether or not you
have set an initial cruise control speed.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce speed while using
cruise control:
0 Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach the lower speed you want, then release
it.
0 To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go
1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal; or
Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
2-58
ProCarManuals.com