2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manuals

Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Enm‘ne Running
-L can be ..mgerous tc -3ave your vehicle \II .-.I
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And,
if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your automatic transaxle model
vehicle with the engine running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set
before you leave it. After you’ve moved the shift lever
into PARK (P), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then,
see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
automatic transaxle into PARK
(P) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking
pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque
lock.“ To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
Park (P)
on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
If your vehicle has an automatic transaxle it has an
automatic transaxle shift lock control system. You have
to apply your regular brake before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition is in
ON. See Automatic
Transaxle Operation
on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. (Press
the shift lever button before moving the shift lever.)
2-28

If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift Parking Over Things That Burn
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACCESSORY.
2. Apply and hold the regular brake until the end of
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle.
5. Shift to the drive gear you want.
6. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Step
5.
Parking
Your Vehicle/Key Removal
Before leaving your manual transaxle model vehicle,
fully press the clutch pedal in, move the shift lever into
REVERSE
(R) and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed in REVERSE
(R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the
ignition key to
OFF, remove the key and release the
clutch. See
Manual Transaxle Operation on page 2-25.
-, ,,,rigs that can burn COLJ touc,, .rot ex..,ust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn.
2-29

Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see
or smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and
death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris. different.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust
is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
blow out any
CO; and
Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things
to know.
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
- with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
“Winter Driving” in the Index.
2-30

It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To
be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
I
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-27.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a trailer,
also see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-36.
2-31

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
The mirror can be adjusted two ways. First, to adjust
the height
of the mirror, adjust the arm that connects the
mirror to the windshield. Second, adjust the angle
of
the mirror, by moving the mirror to a position that allows
you to see out
of the back window.
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, move the
lever toward you to the night position. To return the
mirror
to the daytime position, move the lever away
from you.
Outside Remote Control Mirror
The outside rearview mirror should be adjusted so you
can see a little
of the side of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Adjust the driver’s outside mirror with the control lever
on the driver’s door.
To adjust your passenger’s mirror, sit in the driver’s seat
and have a passenger adjust the mirror for you.
2-32

Outside Power Mirrors
If your vehicle has power
mirrors these controls
are located on the
driver’s door.
To choose the mirror you want to adjust by moving the
selector switch located above the four-way control
pad to the right or to the left. Then use the arrows on
the control pad
to move the mirror in the desired
direction. Adjust each mirror
so that you can see a little
comfortable driving position.
VI LI IG JIUG VI YVUl VGIIlblG VVIIbII YVU Ulb QlLLlllLJ Ill U n$ +hn nidn n$ .,nsnr n,nh:nIn %a,hnw. nrn -;++in- ;n n
Outside Convex 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.
A convex mirror can make things (like o ?r
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.
2-33

Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open, pull the glove box latch toward you.
Cupholder(s)
Pull down the door on the rear of the center console to
use the rear seat cupholders.
Center Console Storage Area
The center console has two separate storage areas. To
open, pull up on the lid.
2-34

Sunroof
If your vehicle has this feature, the switch is located on
the headliner between the sun visors. The sunroof
will only operate when the ignition is in
ON.
The sunroof can be opened to a vent position or it can
be express-opened all of the way.
To open the sunroof to the vent position, you must first
open the sunshade by hand. Then push the switch
back and release it.
To fully open the sunroof, push the switch back again
and release it. In
both the vent and fully open positions, the air
flow
can be adjusted for driving comfort by pushing and
holding the switch forward until the sunroof moves to
the desired position.
To close the sunroof, push the switch forward and hold
it until the sunroof
is closed. The sunroof will stop if
the switch is released during operation. Remember to
close the sunshade by hand.
The sunroof glass panel cannot be opened or closed
if
your vehicle has an electrical failure.
Notice: Do not attempt to force the sunshade
forward of the sliding glass panel. Damage will
occur and the sunroof may not open or close
properly.
2-35