2002 OLDSMOBILE AURORA brake

2-74
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 you try to drive off with the parking brake set,
a chime will also come on until you release the parking
brake. If the light stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
A PARK BRAKE SET message will be displayed on
the Driver Information Center (DIC) while the parking
brake is set and the vehicle is moving. The message will
not come on if the transaxle is in PARK (P).
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
With the anti-lock
brake system, the light(s)
will come on when your
engine is started and may
stay on for several seconds.
That's normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if
the light comes 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 regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.
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.
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2-75 Traction Control System Warning Light
(If Equipped)
United States Canada
This warning light should come on briefly when the
engine is started.
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 TC button
located on the center 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.
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2-84
To turn off messages on the DIC (except LOW OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET, STARTING DISABLED and the HOT...STOP
ENGINE warning), press the RESET button.
Pressing the SELECT right arrow button will allow you
to access the following modes, DATE/ET, FUEL,
ECON, OIL and GAGE. While in any of these modes,
warning messages can interrupt and take over the
display until you acknowledge the message, or the
condition causing the problem goes away.
English/Metric
The DIC can display information in either English or
metric. To change the display, press and hold the
ON/OFF button for about three seconds. This will also
change the digital screen for the climate control system
between English and metric.
Date/Elapsed Time
Pressing the SELECT down arrow while in DATE/ET
mode will allow you to choose between the date and the
elapsed time menus.Date
To set the date, press and hold the RESET button for
about three seconds while the date is being displayed on
the DIC. When the date set mode is entered the display
will show the following:
YEAR?_____ MM/DD/00
The year will be flashing. To increase the item that is
flashing press SELECT right arrow. To decrease the
item that is flashing press SELECT down arrow.
When you reach the current year press the RESET
button. The DIC will ask for the month. The month will
flash the same as the year. Use the SELECT buttons to
reach the current month and press RESET. The DIC will
then ask for the day. The day will flash the same as the
year. Use the SELECT buttons to reach the current day.
Press the RESET button again and the set display will
stop flashing and go back to the normal operation mode.
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2-95 DIC Warnings and Messages
Other messages or warnings may appear in the DIC
display. For Canadian drivers, in addition to the DIC
message your DIC will display EXP with a number after
it which reflects the following messages:
EXP (Export ID) Warning Message. . . . . . . . . . . .
1 AIR BAG PROBLEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 CHANGE OIL SOON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4 CHECK CHARGE SYSTEM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5 CHECK OIL LEVEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6 TRANS HOT...IDLE ENG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7 CONFIRM TIME & DATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8 DRIVERS DOOR AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9 ENGINE HOT...A/C OFF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10 HOT...REDUCE ENG RPM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11 HOT...STOP ENGINE *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
12 THEFT SYSTEM FAULT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13 LEFT REAR DOOR AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14 LOW BRAKE FLUID *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15 LOW ENGINE COOLANT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 LOW FUEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17 LOW OIL PRESSURE *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 LOW TIRE PRESSURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
19 LOW WASHER FLUID. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20 PARK BRAKE SET *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21 PASSENGER DOOR AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22 RIGHT REAR DOOR AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
23 SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24 TURN SIGNAL ON?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
25 THEFT ATTEMPTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26 SERV STABILITY SYS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
27 HEADLAMPS SUGGESTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
28 TRUNK AJAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
29 BATTERY SAVER ACTIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32 HOT...IDLE ENGINE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
33 STARTING DISABLED *. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36 CHECK GAS CAP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42 STABILITY ACTIVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The EXP codes are used to make translation from
English to other languages easier.
Pressing the RESET button will remove the above
messages or warnings from the DIC display, unless
noted by an asterisk (*).
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2-96
CHECK OIL LEVEL - 5: If you ever see the
CHECK OIL LEVEL message, it indicates that the
engine oil level is 1 to 1 1/2 quarts (0.9 L to 1.4 L) low.
The message will appear only if the engine is running
and it has been at least eight minutes since the engine
was last running. If the message appears, check the oil
dipstick level. If it reads low, your oil level should be
brought up to the proper level (see ªEngine Oilº in the
Index). After bringing the oil to the proper level, the
ignition must be off for eight minutes to allow the
majority of oil to drain into the oil pan.
SERV STABILITY SYS
- 26: If you ever see the
SERV STABILITY SYS message, it means there may
be a problem with your stability enhancement system. If
you see this message, try to reset the system (stop; turn
off the engine; then start the engine again). If the SERV
STABILITY SYS message still comes on, it means there
is a problem. You should see your dealer for service.
Reduce your speed and drive accordingly.STABILITY ACTIVE
- 42: You may see the
STABILITY ACTIVE message on the Driver
Information Center. It means that an advanced,
computer
-controlled system has come on to help your
vehicle continue to go in the direction in which you're
steering. This stability enhancement system activates
when the computer senses that your vehicle is just
starting to spin, as it might if you hit a patch of ice or
other slippery spot on the road. When the system is on,
you may hear a noise or feel a vibration in the brake
pedal. This is normal.
When the STABILITY ACTIVE message is on, you
should continue to steer in the direction you want to go.
The system is designed to help you in bad weather or
other difficult driving situations by making the most of
whatever road conditions will permit. If the STABILITY
ACTIVE message comes on, you'll know that
something has caused your vehicle to start to spin, so
you should consider slowing down.
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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.
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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.
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4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine and begin to drive away,
your anti
-lock brake system will check itself. You may
hear a momentary motor or clicking noise while this test
is going on, and you may even notice that your brake
pedal moves a little. This is normal.
If there's a problem with
the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay
on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in
the Index.
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