2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner's Manuals

TP CD (Tape): Press this button to play a cassette
tape or a CD when listening to the radio. Press TP CD
to switch between the tape and compact disc
if both
are loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely
inside the radio for future listening. The display will
show the
TAPE and CD symbols.
4 (Eject): Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may
be activated with either the ignition or radio
off. CDs
may be loaded with the radio and ignition
off if this
button is pressed first.
Compact Disc Messages
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio
display and the disc comes out,
it could be one of the
following reasons:
You’re driving on a very rough road. When the road
The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.
0 The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
becomes
smoother, the disc should play.
try again.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or
if an error can’t be
corrected, contact your dealer.
If your radio displays an
error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
(Non-RDS Radios)
THEFTLOCK@ is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning
a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If
the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOC will be displayed.
With THEFTLOCK@ activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen.
Theft-Deterrent Feature
(RDS Radios)
THEFTLOCK@ is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning
a portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
It
the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOCKED will be displayed.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK@ is armed.
With THEFTLOCK@ activated, your radio will not operate
if stolen.
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Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise
if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km).
Tall buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals,
causing the sound to come and go.
XMTM Satellite Radio Service
XMTM Satellite Radio gives you digital radio reception
from coast to coast. Just as with FM, tall buildings
or hills can interfere with Satellite radio signals, causing
the sound to come and
so. Your radio may display
“NO SIGNAL” to indicate interference.
DAB Radio
DAB gives you digital radio reception. Just as with FM,
tall buildings or hills can interfere with radio signals,
causing the sound to come and go. Your radio
may display “NO
SIGNAL” to indicate interference,
Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
A tape player that is not cleaned regularly can cause
reduced sound quality, ruined cassettes or a damaged
mechanism. Cassette tapes should be stored in their
cases away from contaminants, direct sunlight and
extreme heat.
If they aren’t, they may not operate
properly or may cause failure of the tape player.
Your tape player should be cleaned regularly after every
50 hours of use. Your radio may display CLEAN
PLAYR to indicate that you have used your tape player
for 50 hours without resetting the tape clean timer.
If
this message appears on the display, your cassette tape
player needs to be cleaned. It will still play tapes, but
you should clean
it as soon as possible to prevent
damage to your tapes and player.
If you notice a
reduction in sound quality, try a known good cassette to
see
if the tape or the tape player is at fault. If this
other cassette has no improvement in sound quality,
clean the tape player.
For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealership.
WGUI III ty baaacttc VVILI I paua VVI IILI I X,IUIJ LI te tape nlhnn;,..r* ,-..-..-.--++e ... :rL ...-A- ..,L:-L *I- - I-.- -
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The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from
being ejected, use the following steps.
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TP CD button for five seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to
clean the tape head. This type
of cleaning cassette will
not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type
cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type
cleaning cassette is not recommended.
After you clean the player, press and hold the eject
button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN PLAYR
indicator. The radio will display CLEANED to show the
indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your CDs
Handle discs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct sunlight
and dust.
If the surface of a disc is soiled, dampen
a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent solution
and clean
it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling discs. Pick up discs by grasping the outer
edges or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaner discs is not advised, due to
the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
Backglass Antenna
Your AM-FM antenna is integrated with your rear
window defogger, located in the rear window. Be sure
that the inside surface of the rear window is not
scratched and that the lines on the glass are not
damaged.
If the inside surface is damaged, it could
interfere with radio reception.
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Notice; Do not try to clear frost or other material
from the inside
of the rear window with a razor blade
or anything else that
is sharp. This may damage
the rear defogger grid and affect your radio’s ability
to pick up stations clearly. The repairs wouldn’t
be covered by your warranty.
Because this antenna is built into your rear window,
there is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes
and vandals.
If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your
vehicle, and the antenna needs to be attached to the
glass, be sure that you do not damage the grid lines for
the AM-FM antenna. There is enough space between
the lines to attach a cellular telephone antenna
without interfering with radio reception.
XM Satellite Radio Antenna System
Your XMTM Satellite Radio antenna is located on the
roof of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of
snow and ice build up for clear radio reception.
The performance of your
XM system may be affected if
your sunroof is open.
DAB Radio Antenna System
Your DAB antenna is located on the roof of your
vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice build
up for clear radio reception.
If your vehicle is purchased in Canada and driven into
the United Stated the DAB radio antenna system will
not function. DAB radio reception is available in
Canada only.
The performance of your DAB antenna may be affected
if your sunroof is open.
Chime Level Adjustment
Chime level adjustment is only available on RDS radios.
The radio is the vehicle chime producer. The chime is
produced from the driver’s side front door speakers.
To change the volume level, press and hold
pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power
off. The chime volume level will change from the normal
level to loud, and
LOUD will be displaved on the
radio. To change back to the default or normal setting,
press and hold pushbutton
6 again. The chime level
will change from the loud level to normal, and
NORMAL
will be displayed. Each time the chime volume is
changed, three chimes will sound as an example of the
new volume selected.
Removing the radio and net
replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.
3-67

Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle .......... 4-2
Defensive Driving
........................................... 4.2
Drunken Driving
............................................. 4.2
Control of a Vehicle
........................................ 4-5
Braking
......................................................... 4-6
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) ..................... 4-9
Steering
...................................................... 4-10
Off-Road Recovery
....................................... 4-12
Passing
....................................................... 4-13
Loss of Control
............................................. 4-14
Driving at Night
............................................ 4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
.................. 4-17
City Driving
.................................................. 4.20 Freeway
Driving
.......................................... -4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
....................... 4-22
Highway Hypnosis
....................................... -4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-23
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4-25
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
.............................................. 4-29
lowing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-31
Recreational Vehicle lowing
........................... 4-31
Loading Your Vehicle
.................................... 4-34
lowing a Trailer
........................................ 4-36
Towing
.......................................................... 4-31
4- 1

Your Driving, the Road, and
Your Vehicle
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
Safety Belts: They Are for
Everyone on page
1-9.
Defensive driving really means “be ready for anything.”
On city streets, rural roads or freeways, it means
“always expect the unexpected.”
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.
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving is
a national tragedy. It’s the number one contributor to
the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive a
vehicle:
Judgment
0 Muscular Coordination
Vision
0 Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was
drinking and driving.
In recent years, more than
16,000 annual motor vehicle-related deaths have been
associated with the use of alcohol, with more than
300,000 people injured.
4-2

Many adults - by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under
21,
it’s against the law in every US. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.
The obvious way
to eliminate the leading highway
safety problem is for people never to drink alcohol ana
then drive. But what
if people do? How much is “too
much”
if someone plans to drive? It’s a lot less
than many might think. Although it depends on each
person and situation, here
is some general information
on the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who
is drinking depends upon four things:
The amount of alcohol consumed
The drinker’s body weight
0 The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
consume the alcohol.
The !P“”+h Y” * c!! time It hss t2:kc:: tbz drifiker :G
According to the American Medical Association, a 180 Ib
(82 kg) person who drinks three 12 ounce (355 ml)
bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a BAC
of about
0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4 ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks
if each had 1 - 1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.
I
It’s the amount of alcohol that counts. For example, if
the same person drank three double martinis (3 ounces
or
90 mi of liquor each) within an hour, the person’s
BAC would be close to
0.1 2 percent. A person
who consumes food just before or during drinking will
ha\le a s~mev~lciat Iwv~~ BAC ievei.
4-3