2001 Oldsmobile Aurora air condition

Your Driving and the Road
Table of Contents (cont'd)
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of Vehicle
Braking
SteeringDriving Tips for Various Road Conditions
Recreational Vehicle Towing
Loading Your Vehicle
Towing a Trailer Heating and Air Conditioning
Setting the Radio Clock
Radio/Cassette Player/CD PlayerRadio Theft-Deterrent Feature
Steering Wheel Controls
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your VehicleEngine Overheating
Changing a Flat Tire
If You're Stuck
Problems on the Road
Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
Section
3
Section
4
Section
5
iii

2-72 Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the
engine coolant temperature.
If the gage pointer moves
into the red warning zone,
your engine is hot.
To prevent engine overheating, the air conditioning
compressor will turn off automatically, a fast
-pulsed
chime will sound, and the message ENGINE HOT...A/C
OFF will appear in the Driver Information Center (DIC).
As the engine cools down, the air conditioning
compressor will automatically turn back on.If the coolant temperature is over 262
F (128
C),
the message HOT...IDLE ENGINE will appear. It means
you should reduce the engine load and speed to prevent
the engine from overheating.
If the coolant temperature is over 268
F (131
C),
the message HOT...STOP ENGINE will appear.
It means that your engine coolant has overheated.
You should pull off the road, stop your vehicle and
turn off the engine as soon as possible.
Your vehicle is equipped with an Overheated Engine
Protection Operating Mode. See ªEngine Overheatingº
in the Index for more information.
If your coolant level is low, the message LOW ENGINE
COOLANT will appear on the Driver Information
Center. Check your coolant level as soon as possible.
See ªEngine Coolantº in the Index.

2-74
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.

2-75
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.
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.Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs
Some state/provincial and local governments have
or may begin programs to inspect the emission
control equipment on your vehicle. Failure to pass
this inspection could prevent you from getting a
vehicle registration.
Here are some things you need to know in order to
help your vehicle pass an inspection:
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the CHECK
ENGINE light is on or not working properly.
Your vehicle will not pass this inspection if the OBD
(on-board diagnostic) system determines that critical
emission control systems have not been completely
diagnosed by the system. The vehicle would be
considered not ready for inspection. This can happen
if you have recently replaced your battery or if your
battery has run down. The diagnostic system is designed
to evaluate critical emission control systems during
normal driving. This may take several days of routine
driving. If you have done this and your vehicle still
does not pass the inspection for lack of OBD system
readiness, see your dealer or qualified service center
to prepare the vehicle for inspection.

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle.
Be sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Automatic Electronic Climate Control
3
-6 Air Conditioning
3
-7 Heating
3
-7 Defogging and Defrosting
3
-8 Rear Window Defogger
3
-8 Passenger Temperature Control (Option)
3
-9 Ventilation System
3
-10 Steering Wheel Controls for Climate Control
3
-10 Audio Systems
3
-10 Setting the Clock3
-11 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Programmable
Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)
3
-20 Trunk-Mounted CD Changer (Option)
3
-24 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-24 Audio Steering Wheel Controls
3
-25 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-25 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-26 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-27 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-27 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-27 Diversity Antenna System
3
-28 Chime Level Adjustment

3-5
Manual Operation
You may override the automatic airflow distribution by
turning the AUTO
-PUSH knob. After you turn this
knob, the comfort setting will be displayed for five
seconds, then the outside temperature will be displayed.
The fan control will remain in the automatic control
mode unless you turn the AUTO FAN knob to select
a manual fan speed.
PANEL: This setting directs airflow through the
upper air outlets located in the instrument panel.
BI-LEVEL: This setting directs the airflow
through both the panel air outlets and the lower floor
outlets. There is also a small amount of air directed to
the front defroster and the side window defrosters.
FLOOR: This setting directs most of the airflow
to the lower floor outlets with some airflow directed to
the side window defrosters. There is also a small amount
of airflow directed to the front defroster.
DEFOG: This setting directs the majority of
the airflow to the lower floor outlets and the front
defroster. A small amount of airflow is directed to the
side window defroster outlets. This mode can be useful to remove the moisture from the inside of the windshield
when the outside temperature is cold or the humidity is
high. Be sure the A/C indicator light comes on to allow
the air compressor to come on automatically to help
dehumidify the air.
DEF (Defrost): This setting directs the majority
of the airflow to the windshield with some airflow to
the side window defrosters and lower floor outlets.
To increase the fan speed, turn the AUTO FAN knob
clockwise. If defrost is selected from AUTO mode,
your automatic electronic climate control system will
automatically increase the defrost outlet temperature
and fan speed. For maximum front defrost performance
under extreme icing or frosting conditions, increase the
temperature setting to 90
F (33
C) and increase
the fan speed to high.
Even though A/C is not selected, in front defrost
mode the A/C compressor will run automatically
at temperatures over approximately 40
F (4
C) to
improve windshield clearing performance. This
dehumidifies the air to help dry the windshield.
Even though the compressor may be running,
the A/C indicator light will not come on in front
defrost unless you select A/C.

3-6
RECIRC: Press this button to limit the amount
of outside air entering your vehicle. This is helpful when
you are trying to cool the interior of the vehicle quickly
or limit the amount of outside air entering your vehicle
for some other reason. The RECIRC button and the
AUTO
-PUSH knob may be selected at the same time.
The system will remain in RECIRC until the ignition
is turned off, then the system will return back to the
previously selected mode. RECIRC may be selected
in all manual airflow modes except front defrost.
When the weather is cool or damp, operating in
RECIRC for extended periods of time may cause
fogging of the vehicle's windows. To clear the fog,
switch back to outside air by turning off RECIRC,
select either DEFOG or front defrost mode and increase
the fan speed. To avoid refogging of the windows,
minimize your use of RECIRC under these conditions
and turn the A/C on to help dehumidify the air.
A/C: Press this button to turn the air conditioning
compressor on and off. If the system is operating in
the automatic mode, the A/C indicator light will
automatically illuminate. In the auto mode, the
A/C compressor will only operate when the system
determines it is needed.OFF: Turn the AUTO
-PUSH knob to OFF. Turning
the system off will cause the fan to turn off and the
airflow to be directed out the lower floor outlets. The
system will still try to keep the interior of the vehicle
at the previously chosen comfort setting. The outside
temperature will show in the display when the system
is set to OFF.
Air Conditioning
The air conditioner cools and dehumidifies the air for
the inside of the vehicle.
The air conditioning compressor is enabled in all
modes unless the A/C button is in the off position
(the indicator light will not be illuminated). However,
the air conditioning compressor will not operate when
the outside temperature is below 34
F (1
C). When
the air conditioner is on, you may sometimes notice
slight changes in your vehicle's engine speed and power.
This is normal, because the system is designed to cycle
the compressor on and off to keep the desired cooling
and help fuel economy.

3-7
On very hot days, open the windows long enough to
let the hot air out. This reduces the time required to
cool the interior of the vehicle to a comfortable level.
If the system is in the automatic mode (AUTO
-PUSH
knob indicator light is on), during very hot days the
system will automatically go to the RECIRC mode and
the temperature door will initially be at the full cold
position for maximum cooling. You can choose the
extreme comfort setting of 60
F (16
C), but the
system will not cool any faster by choosing the extreme
comfort setting.
Heating
In cold weather, if the automatic mode is selected
(AUTO
-PUSH knob indicator light is on), the system
will automatically direct the airflow out of the lower
floor outlets and the temperature door will initially be
positioned at the full hot position. You can choose the
extreme comfort setting of 90
F (32
C), but the
system will not warm up any faster by selecting the
extreme comfort setting.In cold weather, the system will delay turning on the
fan to avoid blowing cold air. The length of the delay
depends on the engine coolant temperature and the
outside temperature. The fan speed will increase as the
temperature of the engine coolant increases. Turning the
AUTO FAN knob will override this delay by turning
off the automatic fan control mode and changing the
fan speed.
Defogging and Defrosting
On cool, humid days, use the defog setting to keep
the windows clear while also providing heat through the
lower outlets. Turn the AUTO
-PUSH knob clockwise to
DEF to quickly remove fog or ice from the windshield.
For maximum front defrost performance under extreme
icing or frosting conditions, increase the temperature
setting to 90
F (33
C) and increase the fan speed
to high.