2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue brake

2-36
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 three ways to cancel the cruise control:

Step lightly on the brake pedal,

press CLEAR on the steering wheel or

press the CRUISE button on the instrument panel.
Erasing Cruise Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.Exterior Lamps
The lamp controls are located on the multifunction lever on
the left of the steering wheel. They control these systems:

Headlamps

Taillamps

Parking Lamps

License Lamps

Sidemarker Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights

2-37
: Turn the end of the lever to this symbol to turn on
the headlamps and other operating lamps.
: Turn the end of the lever to this symbol to
turn on the parking and other operating lamps without
the headlamps.
Turn the end of the lever to OFF to turn off the lamps.
A warning chime will sound if you open the driver's
door when you turn the ignition switch to OFF or ACC
with the lamps on.
Daytime Running Lamps / Automatic
Headlamp Control
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 turn signal lamps
come on when:

The ignition is on,
the headlamp switch is off and

the parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your front turn signal lamps
will be on. The headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker and
other lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel won't
be lit up either.
When it's dark enough outside, your front turn signal
lamps will turn off and your headlamps and parking
lamps will turn on.
When it's bright enough outside, your headlamps will go
off and your front turn signal lamps will come on.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL or automatic
headlamps off, set the parking brake while the ignition is
in OFF. Then start your vehicle. The DRL, headlamps
and parking lamps will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
To turn off the automatic headlamp feature when it's
dark outside, move the exterior lamp control to the
parking lamp position. Your parking lamps will remain
illuminated and your headlamps will turn off. The fog
lamps (if equipped) will also be lit if they were on when
you switched to the parking lamp position.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

2-57 Charging System Light
The charging system light
will come on briefly when
you turn the ignition key to
ON as a check to show you
it's working. Then it should
go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you're driving, you
may have a problem with the charging system. It could
indicate that you have a loose drive belt or another
electrical problem. Have it checked right away. Driving
while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn off all your accessories, such as the radio
and air conditioner.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle's hydraulic brake system is divided into
two parts. If one part isn't working, the other part can
still work and stop you. For good braking, though, you
need both parts working well.If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to ON. If it doesn't come on then, have it
fixed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See ªTowing Your Vehicleº
in the Index.)

2-58
CAUTION:
Your brake system may not be working properly
if the brake system warning light is on. Driving
with the brake system warning light on can lead
to an accident. If the light is still on after you've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also come on when you set your parking brake. The
light will stay on if your parking brake doesn't release
fully. If it stays on after your parking brake is fully
released, it means you have a brake problem.
A warning chime will sound if your parking brake is set
and the gear shift is not in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
With the anti
-lock brake system, this light will come on
when you start your engine and it will stay on for
three seconds. That's normal.
If the anti
-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you've started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays on
when you're driving, stop as soon as possible and turn
the ignition off. Then start the engine again to reset the
system. If the light still stays on, or comes on again
while you're driving, your vehicle needs service. If the
light is on and the regular brake system warning light
isn't on, you still have brakes, but you don't have
anti
-lock brakes. Adjust your driving accordingly.
The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.

2-59 Traction Control System Warning
Light (Option)
This warning light should
come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem. If it
stays on, or comes on when you're driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system and your
vehicle may need service. When this warning light is on,
the system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your
driving accordingly.The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the
TRACTION CONTROL button located on the
console, the warning light will come on and stay on.
To turn the system back on, press the button again.
The warning light should go off. (See ªTraction
Control Systemº in the Index for more information.)

If there's a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on. If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off and
the warning light will come on.
If the traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.

2-60 Precision Control System (PCS) Warning
Light (Option)
This light should come on
briefly as you start your
engine. If the light doesn't
come on then, have it
serviced so it will be ready
to warn you if there's
a problem.
If the PCS warning light comes on, it means there may
be a problem with your Precision Control System. When
this light comes on, so will the TRAC OFF light and
both the Precision Control System and the Traction
Control System will not be functioning. If these lights
come on, try to reset the system (stop; turn off the
engine; then start the engine again). If the PCS and
TRAC OFF lights remain on, it means there is a
problem and you should see your dealer for service.
Reduce your speed and drive accordingly.
Low Traction Active (LOW TRAC) Light
Your LOW TRAC
(Low Traction Active) light
may come on for one of the
following reasons:

The Precision Control System (PCS) (if equipped) is
active and is adjusting brake pressure to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you
are steering. The PCS activates when the computer
senses that your vehicle is starting to spin, as might
happen if you hit a patch of ice or other slippery
surface on the road, and assists the driver by
selectively applying any one of the vehicle's brakes.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most
of whatever road conditions will allow. When the
system is on, you may hear a noise or feel a vibration
in the brake pedal. This is normal.

4-2
Defensive Driving
The best advice anyone can give about driving is:
Drive defensively.
Please start with a very important safety device in your
vehicle: Buckle up. (See ªSafety Beltsº in the Index.)Defensive driving really means ªbe ready for anything.º
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
ªalways expect the unexpected.º
Assume that pedestrians or other drivers are going to be
careless and make mistakes. Anticipate what they might
do. Be ready for their mistakes.
Rear
-end collisions are about the most preventable of
accidents. Yet they are common. Allow enough
following distance. It's the best defensive driving
maneuver, in both city and rural driving. You never
know when the vehicle in front of you is going to brake
or turn suddenly.
Defensive driving requires that a driver concentrate on the
driving task. Anything that distracts from the driving
task
-- such as concentrating on a cellular telephone call,
reading, or reaching for something on the floor
-- makes
proper defensive driving more difficult and can even cause
a collision, with resulting injury. Ask a passenger to help
do things like this, or pull off the road in a safe place to do
them yourself. These simple defensive driving techniques
could save your life.

4-6
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator. All three systems have to do their work
at the places where the tires meet the road.
Sometimes, as when you're driving on snow or ice, it's easy
to ask more of those control systems than the tires and road
can provide. That means you can lose control of your vehicle.
(Also see ªTraction Control Systemº in the Index.)
Braking
Braking action involves perception time and
reaction time.
First, you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's reaction time.
Average reaction time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness, coordination
and eyesight all play a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration. But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60 mph (100 km/h) travels 66 feet (20 m).
That could be a lot of distance in an emergency, so
keeping enough space between your vehicle and others
is important.
And, of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
gravel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy); tire
tread; the condition of your brakes; the weight of the
vehicle and the amount of brake force applied.