1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette instrument panel

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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.Exterior Lamps
Turning the dial to this setting turns on:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

Instrument Panel Lights

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Turning the dial to this setting turns on the
headlamps, together with:

Parking Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

Instrument Panel Lights
Turning the dial to this setting turns off all the lamps
and lights.
Lamps On Reminder
If the driver's door is opened and you turn the ignition
to OFF or LOCK while leaving the lamps on, you will
hear a warning chime.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn't covered. The DRL system
will make your front parking and turn signal lamps
come on in daylight when:

The ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is off and

the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your front parking and turn
signal lamps will be on. Your instrument panel won't be
lit up.
When it's dark enough outside, the exterior lamps will
come on automatically. When it's bright enough outside,
the exterior lamps will go out and the DRL will turn on.
Of course, you may still turn on the headlamps any time
you need to.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, set the parking
brake while the ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start
the vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

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Fog Lamps
The fog lamps switch is
located in the instrument
panel switchbank. Push the
fog lamp symbol on the
button to turn on the lamps.
The green indicator light will glow. Push the ribbed part
of the switch to turn them off. The indicator light will
go off.
Your parking lamps or headlamps must be on for your
fog lamps to go on.When your DRL are on, the headlamps switch must first
be turned from the off position before the fog lamps can
be turned on. At night, when DRL automatically turns
on your headlamps, the fog lamps can be turned on
when the headlamps switch is in any position.
Your fog lamps will go off when you switch to
high beams. Using your high beams in fog is
not recommended.
Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Intensity Control
Turn the control, located below the headlamps switch,
clockwise to increase the brightness of the instrument
panel lights, and counterclockwise to decrease the
brightness. Turn the control all the way
counterclockwise to turn them off.
Interior Lamps Control
Turn the dial all the way clockwise to turn on the
interior lamps, if the interior lamps override switch is
off. Turn the dial counterclockwise to turn the lamps off.

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Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward.
In the rearward position, they will fold almost flush with
the vehicle. This feature is particularly useful in
automatic car washes.
Your mirrors have a blue tint to reduce glare while
driving at night.
Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder before
changing lanes.
Heated Outside Mirrors
The left and right outside mirrors are heated when you
activate the rear window defogger. See ªRear Window
Defoggerº in the Index.
Storage Compartments
Your vehicle's large carrying capacity can store many
items. If you have the extended wheelbase version, you
can carry things as large as a 4
x 8
piece of plywood.
You can also use the floor pins that are used to attach the
seats, to secure larger loads. This section also describes
storage areas for specific items like sunglasses and cups.
Glove Box
Your vehicle has a glove box below the instrument
panel. To open the glove box, lift the latch release. Use
the key to lock or unlock the glove box.
The glove box door has a detent to prevent the door
from lowering too far. Open the glove box until the door
is partway open, then pull the door down if you need it
fully open. To close the glove box, the door must be
pushed up past the detent.
In the door of the glove box, you will find a tissue pack
holder and clip for a pen or pencil.

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At the base of the center instrument panel console, there
is a storage bin. To open the bin, lift the latch release
and the door will fold down.
Inside the bin, you will find a tray that slides out. Slide
the tray all the way toward the rear of the vehicle until
the tray locks onto the plastic tabs at the end of the guide
rails. The tray holds CDs or cassettes in the center area.
You can also store cassettes in the left side area. The
right side area can hold either the coinholder, which lifts
out, or another cassette. The tray can be removed for
cleaning or when you want to replace the selection of
CDs or cassettes. Slide the tray back into the storage bin
before closing the bin door. The tray can also be placed
in the glove box for locked storage if desired.Removing and Replacing the Tray
To remove the tray, slide it almost all the way out. Don't
let the tray lock over the plastic tabs at the end of the
guide rails (A). Lift the tray out of the guide rails. The
rubber mat under the tray also lifts out for cleaning.
When the rubber mat is replaced, be sure the tabs at the
back of the mat are seated in the slots at the back of the
storage bin.

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After removing the tie-downs or other equipment, be
sure to reinstall the piece of bumper strip that was cut.
Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
The ashtray and cigarette lighter are located in the
middle section of the instrument panel, below the
switchbank. Pull out the drawer to use the ashtray.
To remove the ashtray for cleaning, grasp the edge of
the ashtray with your fingertips and pull up and out, in a
rocking motion.
To use the lighter, push it in all the way and let go.
When it's ready, it will pop back by itself.
NOTICE:
Don't hold a cigarette lighter in with your hand
while it is heating. If you do, it won't be able to
back away from the heating element when it's
ready. That can make it overheat, damaging the
lighter and the heating element.

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The Instrument Panel -- Your Information System

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The main components of the instrument panel are:
A. Side Vents
B. Front Vents
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
D. Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
E. Instrument Panel Cluster
F. Center Vents
G. Audio System
H. Side Vents
I. Lamp Switch
J. Hood Release
K. Steering Wheel Touch Controls (Option)
L. HornM. Ignition Switch
N. Steering Wheel Touch Controls (Option)
O. Climate Controls
P. Rear Fan Controls (Option)
Q. Accessory Power Outlet
R. Storage Bin
S. Remote CD Player (Option)
T. Instrument Panel Switchbank
U. Ashtray and Cigarette Lighter
V. Glove Box
W. Front Vents
X. Instrument Panel Fuse Block