2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette wheel

Table of Contents
Windows
Keys and Door Locks
Remote Keyless Entry (Option)
Automatic Transaxle
Parking Brake
Tilt Wheel
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
Windshield Wipers
Cruise Control
Exterior and Interior LampsMirrors
Storage Compartments
Convenience Net (Option)
Accessory Power Outlets
OnStar® System (If Equipped)
HomeLink® Transmitter (Option)
Instrument Panel, Warning Lights and Gages
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Option)
Rear Parking Assist (Option) Seats and Seat Controls
Safety BeltsAir Bag Systems
Restraint Systems for Children
Section
1
Section
2
Seats and Restraint Systems
Features and Controls
ii

Table of Contents (cont'd)
Defensive Driving
Drunken Driving
Control of a 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 (If Equipped)
Hazard Warning Flashers
Jump Starting
Towing Your VehicleEngine Overheating
Changing a Flat Tire
If You're Stuck
Problems on the Road
iii
Section
3
Section
4
Section
5
Your Driving and the Road Comfort Controls and Audio Systems

Table of Contents (cont'd)
Maintenance Schedule Service and Appearance Care
Section
7
Section
6
Scheduled Maintenance
Owners Checks and Services
Periodic Maintenance InspectionsRecommended Fluids and Lubricants
Maintenance Records
Fuel
Checking Fluids and Lubricants
GM Oil Life System™
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter
Passenger Compartment Air Filter
Brakes
Bulb ReplacementWindshield Wiper Blade Replacement
Tires and Wheels
Appearance Care
Electrical System/Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Capacities and Specifications
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts
iv

1-25 Why Safety Belts Work
When you ride in or on anything, you go as fast as it goes.
Take the simplest vehicle. Suppose it's just a seat on wheels.
Put someone on it.

1-41 How the Air Bag Systems Work
Where are the air bags?
The driver's frontal air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.
The right front passenger's frontal air bag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger's side.
The driver's side impact air bag is in the side of the
driver's seatback closest to the door.

1-42
The right front passenger's side impact air bag is in the
side of the passenger's seatback closest to the door.
CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, the bag might not inflate properly or
it might force the object into that person.
The path of an inflating air bag must be kept
clear. Don't put anything between an occupant
and an air bag, and don't attach or put anything
on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other
air bag covering and don't let seat covers block
the inflation path of a side impact air bag.

1-43
When should an air bag inflate?
The driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags
are designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near
-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system's designed
ªthreshold level.º
If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that
doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is
about 12 to 19 mph (19 to 31 km/h). The threshold
level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that it can be somewhat above or below this range.
If your vehicle strikes something that will move or
deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be
higher. The driver's and right front passenger's frontal
air bags are not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
The side impact air bags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes. A side impact air bag
will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's
designed ªthreshold level.º The threshold level can
vary with specific vehicle design. Side impact air bags are not designed to inflate in
frontal or near
-frontal impacts, rollovers or rear
impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant.
A side impact air bag will only deploy on the side of the
vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal air bags, inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and near
-frontal impacts. For side impact
air bags, inflation is determined by the location and
severity of the impact.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both
frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates
the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware
are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering
wheel, instrument panel and the side of the front
seatbacks closest to the door.

1-44
How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle. The air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal
air bags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers, rear impacts, and side impacts,
primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward
the air bag. Side impact air bags would not help you in
many types of collisions, including frontal or near
frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts, primarily
because an occupant's motion is not toward those air
bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near
-frontal collisions for
the driver's and right front passenger's frontal air bags,
and only in moderate to severe side collisions for the
driver's and right front passenger's side impact air bags.What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After an air bag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inflated. Some components of the air bag module
-- the
steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag, the instrument
panel for the right front passenger's bag, the side of the
seatback closest to the door for the driver and right front
passenger's side impact air bags
-- will be hot for a short
time. The parts of the bag that come into contact with
you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation doesn't prevent the
driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle,
nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have breathing problems but can't get out of the
vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get fresh air
by opening a window or a door.