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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.
Are you low on fuel?
As your engine starts to run out of fuel, your engine may
not run as efficiently as designed since small amounts of
air are sucked into the fuel line causing a misfire. The
system can detect this. Adding fuel should correct this
condition. Make sure to install the fuel cap properly. See
ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index. It will take a few
driving trips to turn the light off.
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.
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The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control. See ªCruise
Controlº in the Index.
Low Washer Fluid Light
This light will come on
when your ignition is on to
check the bulb and will
come on when your washer
fluid is low.
Fuel Gage
Your fuel gage tells you
about how much fuel you
have left when the ignition
is on.
When the indicator nears E (EMPTY), you still have a
little fuel left, but you should get more soon.
Here are four things that some owners ask about. All
these things are normal and do not indicate that anything
is wrong with your fuel gage:
At the gas station, the gas pump shuts off before the
gage reads F (FULL).
It takes more (or less) fuel to fill up than the gage
reads. For example. the gage reads half full, but it
took more (or less) than half of the tank's capacity to
fill it.
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The gage pointer may move while cornering, braking
or speeding up.
The gage may not indicate E (EMPTY) when the
ignition is turned off.
Low Fuel Light
If your fuel is low, the
warning light near the fuel
gage will go on.
It will also come on for a few seconds when you first
turn on the ignition as a check to show you it's working.
If it doesn't come on then, have it fixed.
Service Vehicle Soon Light
This light will come on
briefly when the ignition is
turned to ON to show that
the bulb is working.
This light indicates problems with your vehicle that are
not related to emissions.
These problems may not be obvious and may affect
vehicle performance or durability. Consult a qualified
Oldsmobile dealer for necessary repairs to maintain
vehicle performance.
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automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40F (4.5C). (Even when the
compressor is running, you can control the temperature.)
DEFROST: This setting directs most of the air
through the defrost and side window vents. Some of the air
goes to the floor ducts. The air conditioning compressor will
run automatically in this setting unless the outside
temperature is below 40F (4.5C). (Even when the
compressor is running, you can control the temperature.)
Air Conditioning Compressor Button
Press the A/C button to operate the air conditioning
compressor. The indicator light on the button will flash
briefly and stay on solid to let you know your air conditioning
will come on. If the light on the A/C button turns off after
flashing has stopped your air conditioning will not come on.
Your air conditioning will not come on for two reasons:
the outside temperature is below 40F (4.5C),
or the refrigerant is too low or too high.
If the outside temperature is above 40F (4.5C) see
ªAir Conditioning Refrigerantsº in the Index.
Recirc Button
This button is used to recirculate much of the air
inside your vehicle. This setting is not available in defog.Outside Air Button
This button is used to bring in outside air.
Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool
-down on very hot days, use
RECIRCULATE with the temperature knob all the way
in the blue area. If this and the A/C button pushed
setting is used for long periods of time, the air in your
vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use UPPER with the
temperature knob in the blue area. With the A/C button
pushed in and outside air button pushed in, the system
will bring in outside air and cool it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEVEL with the temperature knob in
the middle with the A/C button pushed in and the
outside air button pushed in. The system will bring in
outside air and direct it to your upper body, while
sending slightly warmed air to your lower body. You
may notice this temperature difference more at some
times than others.
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Air Conditioning
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to let
hot, inside air escape. This reduces the time the
compressor has to run, which should help fuel economy.
For quick cool
-down on very hot days, use RECIRC. If
this setting is used for long periods of time, the air in
your vehicle may become too dry.
For normal cooling on hot days, use UPPER with the
A/C button pushed in. The system will bring in outside
air and cool it.
On cool but sunny days, the sun may warm your upper
body, but your lower body may not be warm enough.
You can use BI
-LEV with the A/C button pushed in.
The system will bring in outside air and direct it to your
upper body, while sending slightly warmed air to your
lower body. You may notice this temperature difference
more at some times than others.Heating
On cold days use LOWER. The system will bring in
outside air, heat it and send it to the floor ducts.
If your vehicle has an engine coolant heater, you can use
it to help your system provide warm air faster when it's
cold outside (0F (
-18C) or lower). An engine coolant
heater warms the coolant your engine and heating
system use to provide heat. See ªEngine Coolant
Heaterº in the Index.
Ventilation
For mild outside temperatures when little heating or
cooling is needed, use UPPER to direct outside air
through your vehicle. Your vehicle also has the
flow
-through ventilation system described later in this
section.
Defogging and Defrosting
Your system has two settings for clearing the front and
side windows. To defrost the windows quickly, use your
front DEFOG button. To warm passengers while
keeping the windows clean, use DEFOG by pressing the
MODE button.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?
Lamps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble
-free trip. Is the tread good enough for
long
-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure?
Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway
hypnosisº? Or is it just plain falling asleep at the wheel?
Call it highway hypnosis, lack of awareness,
or whatever.
There is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it
happen to you! If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road in less than a second, and you could crash and
be injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service
or parking area and take a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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CAUTION:
Snow can trap exhaust gases under your vehicle.
This can cause deadly CO (carbon monoxide) gas
to get inside. CO could overcome you and kill
you. You can't see it or smell it, so you might not
know it is in your vehicle. Clear away snow from
around the base of your vehicle, especially any
that is blocking your exhaust pipe. And check
around again from time to time to be sure snow
doesn't collect there.
Open a window just a little on the side of the
vehicle that's away from the wind. This will help
keep CO out.
Run your engine only as long as you must. This saves
fuel. When you run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator slightly. This
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well
-charged battery to
restart the vehicle, and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for a while.
Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortable
from the cold. But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel as long as you can. To help keep warm, you can get
out of the vehicle and do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or so until help comes.
Recreational Vehicle Towing
You can tow your vehicle behind another vehicle for use
at your destination. Be sure to use the proper towing
equipment designed for recreational towing. Follow the
instructions for the towing equipment.
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The other label is the Certification label, found on the
rear edge of the driver's door. It tells you the gross
weight capacity of your vehicle, called the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). The GVWR includes
the weight of the vehicle, all occupants, fuel and cargo.
Never exceed the GVWR for your vehicle or the Gross
Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for either the front or
rear axle.
If you do have a heavy load, spread it out. Don't carry
more than 167 lbs. (75 kg) in your trunk.
CAUTION:
Do not load your vehicle any heavier than the
GVWR, or either the maximum front or rear
GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can
break, and it can change the way your vehicle
handles. These could cause you to lose control
and crash. Also, overloading can shorten the life
of your vehicle.
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