1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass ignition

yellowblue
2-56 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine
coolant temperature. If the
gage pointer moves into the
red area, the light comes on
and you hear a chime, your
engine is too hot! 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 ªProblems on the Road,º this manual shows what to
do. See ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index.
Low Coolant Warning Light
This light comes on
briefly when you turn
your ignition on.
If this light comes on and stays on and you hear a chime,
the vehicle should promptly be pulled off the road and
the coolant level checked.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index. If there are visible
signs of steam, see ªEngine Overheatingº in the Index
before opening the hood. Have your vehicle serviced as
soon as you can.

yellowblue
2-57 Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(Check Engine Light)
Your vehicle is equipped
with a computer which
monitors operation of the
fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
This system is called OBD II (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 CHECK ENGINE light comes on 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.
NOTICE:
Modifications made to the engine, transaxle,
exhaust or fuel system of your vehicle or the
replacement of the original tires with other than
those of the same Tire Performance Criteria
(TPC) can affect your vehicle's emission controls
and may cause the CHECK ENGINE light to
come on. Modifications to these systems could
lead to costly repairs not covered by your
warranty. This may also result in a failure to pass
a required Emission Inspection/Maintenance test.

yellowblue
2-58
This light should come on, as a check to show you it is
working, when the ignition is on and the engine is not
running. If the light doesn't come on, have it repaired.
This light will also come on during a malfunction in one
of two ways:

Light Flashing
-- A misfire condition has been
detected. A misfire increases vehicle emissions and
may damage the emission control system on your
vehicle. Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis
and service may be required.

Light On Steady
-- An emission control system
malfunction has been detected on your vehicle.
Dealer or qualified service center diagnosis and
service may be required.
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.If the light stops flashing and remains on steady, see ªIf
the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.
If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully install
the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. The
diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap has been
left off or improperly installed. A loose or missing fuel
cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the atmosphere. A
few driving trips with the cap properly installed should
turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

yellowblue
2-59
Have you recently changed brands of fuel?
If so, be sure to fuel your vehicle with quality fuel (see
ªFuelº in the Index). Poor fuel quality will cause your
engine not to run as efficiently as designed. You may
notice this as stalling after start
-up, stalling when you
put the vehicle into gear, misfiring, hesitation on
acceleration or stumbling on acceleration. (These
conditions may go away once the engine is warmed up.)
This will be detected by the system and cause the light
to turn on.
If you experience one or more of these conditions,
change the fuel brand you use. It will require at least one
full tank of the proper fuel to turn the light off.
If none of the above steps have made the light turn off,
have your dealer or qualified service center check the
vehicle. Your dealer has the proper test equipment and
diagnostic tools to fix any mechanical or electrical
problems that may have developed.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
If you have a low engine oil
pressure problem, this light
will stay on after you start
your engine, or come on
and you will hear a chime
when you are driving.
This indicates that your engine is not receiving enough
oil. The engine could be low on oil, or could have some
other oil problem. Have it fixed immediately.
When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you turn the
engine is running. If it doesn't come on with the ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or bulb. Have
it fixed right away.

yellowblue
2-61 Passlock

Warning Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn
the ignition on. The
light will stay on until
the engine starts.
If the light flashes for several seconds, the Passlock
system has entered a tamper mode. If the vehicle fails to
start, see ªPasslockº in the Index.
If the light comes on continuously while driving and
stays on, there may be a problem with the Passlock
system. Your vehicle will not be protected by Passlock,
and you should see your dealer.
Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
Low Washer Light
The LOW WASH light will
come on briefly when you
turn on the ignition.
It will also come on, chime and stay on if the fluid
reservoir is less than one
-third full.

yellowblue
2-62 Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on
briefly when you turn
on the ignition.
It will stay on if it detects a problem on the vehicle, such
as a DRL or an ALC malfunction. If this happens, see
your dealer service department as soon as possible.
Door Ajar Light
When the ignition is on, this
light will stay on until all
doors are closed and
completely latched.
You will hear a brief chime if a door is unlatched after
the engine is started and the vehicle is not in PARK (P)
or NEUTRAL (N).
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left, when the ignition
is on. When the indicator
nears empty, the light will
come on and you will hear a
chime. You still have a little
fuel left, but you should get
more soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show a problem with your fuel gage:

At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads full.

It takes a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank's capacity to fill
the tank.

The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.

The gage goes back to empty when you turn off
the ignition.

yellowblue
3-5
If you select RECIRCULATION while in the VENT,
BI-LEVEL or FLOOR modes, humid air can recirculate
inside the vehicle and allow moisture to form on the
windows. If this happens, either press the A/C button to
on or select DEFROST or the DEFOG modes.
Your vehicle is equipped with side window defogger
outlets. The side window defogger outlets are located on
the outside of the side instrument panel outlets. To defrost
the side windows turn the temperature control knob all
the way in the red area. Use FLOOR and adjust the fan to
the highest speed. To control fogging of the windows turn
the temperature control knob all the way to the red area.
Use DEFOG and adjust the fan to the highest speed.
To defog the side windows while using air conditioning
use BI
-LEVEL and adjust the fan to the highest speed
and press the A/C button. For added airflow to the side
windows aim the side vents toward the windows and
close the center outlets.
RECIRCULATION will not work in DEFROST and
DEFOG. This is done to prevent recirculation of humid
inside air and allow the system to work properly.
Rear Window Defogger (If Equipped)
The rear window defogger
uses a warming grid to
remove fog from the
rear window.
Press the defogger switch. The indicator light will glow.
The rear window defogger will turn itself off after about
10 minutes after the first time the button is pressed,
and after 5 minutes each additional time the button is
pressed. You can turn the defogger off by pressing the
button again or turning off the ignition.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license across the
defogger grid on the rear window.

yellowblue
3-7

Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air circulate throughout
your vehicle.

To prevent circulation of outside air, press the
RECIRCULATION button. This will close all
outside outlets.
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
Press and hold HR until the correct hour appears.
The letter A or P may appear on the display for AM
or PM. Then, press and hold MN until the correct
minute appears. The clock may be set with the ignition
on or off.
AM-FM Stereo
Playing the Radio
PWR
-VOL: Press this knob to turn the system on and
off. To increase volume, turn the knob clockwise. Turn
it counterclockwise to decrease volume.