2003 Oldsmobile Alero ignition

Interior Lamps
Instrument Panel Brightness
This feature controls the brightness of the instrument
panel lights.
The thumbwheel for this
feature is located on the
instrument panel to the left
of the steering wheel.
Move the thumbwheel up to brighten the lights and
down to dim them.
Entry/Exit Lighting
When you lift the driver’s door handle or open any door,
the lamps inside your vehicle will go on. These lamps
will fade out after about
10 seconds after all of the doors
have been closed or when the ignition is turned to
ON. These lamps will also go on when you press the
trunk release, unlock symbol button or the horn symbol
on the remote keyless entry system transmitter
(if equipped).
The lamps inside your vehicle will stay on for about
10 seconds after your key is removed from the ignition
to provide an illuminated exit.
Dome Lamp
The switch on this lamp has three positions. The ON
position will turn on the light. The DOOR position
will turn on the light whenever a door is opened or when
the instrument panel brightness thumbwheel is moved
up. The
OFF position will shut off the lamp completely,
even when a door is opened.
Trunk Lamp
The trunk lamp comes on when you open your trunk.
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Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a battery run-down protection feature
designed to protect your vehicle's battery.
When any interior lamp (trunk, mirror reading lamps,
dome lamp or glove box) is left on when the ignition is
turned
off, the battery saver system will automatically
shut the lamp
off after 20 minutes. This will avoid
draining the battery.
Accessory Power Outlets
With accessory power outlets you can plug in auxiliary
electrical equipment such as a cellular telephone or
CB radio.
I
To reactivate the interior lamps, do one of the following: I
Lift the driver's door handle,
open any door or
press any remote keyless entry transmitter button
(if equipped),
press the power door lock switch,
press the remote trunk release or
turn the lamp that was left on to off and then to
on again. The accessory power
outlet is located to the left of the
glovebox on the lower side of the instrument panel
and behind a flip-out door.
Notice: When using accessory power outlets the
maximum load should not exceed
15 amps. Be sure
to turn
off any electrical equipment when not in
use. Leaving electrical equipment on for extended
periods can drain the battery.
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Charging System Light
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle,
it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags
in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash.
To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness
light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds 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.
4
The charging system light
will come on when you
turn on the ignition, but the
engine is not running, as
a check to show you it
is working.
When the engine is running, the light should go out.
If it stays on, or comes on while you are driving and you
hear a chime, you may have a problem with the
electrical charging system. It could indicate that you
have a loose generator drive belt or another electrical
problem. Have it checked right away. Driving while
this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain to turn
off all your accessories, such as the radio
2nd 2i!- c93diti9ner.
3-27

Up-Shift Light
SHIFT
If your manual transaxle
vehicle has this feature
this light comes on
when you need to shift to
the next higher gear.
See
Manual Transaxle
Operation on page
2-25.
Brake System Warning Light
Your vehicle’s hydraulic brake system is divided into two
parts. If one part isn’t working, the other part can still
work and stop you. For good braking, though, you need
both parts working well.
If the warning light comes on, there is a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
BRAKE
I I I
United States
Canada This light should
come on briefly when you turn the
ignition key to
ON. If it doesn’t come on then, have it
fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a problem.
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 it stays on after your parking brake is
fully released, it means you have a brake problem.
If the light comes on while you are driving, pull off the
road and stop carefully. You may notice that the pedal is
harder to push. Or, the pedal may go closer to the
floor. It may take longer to stop.
If the light is still on,
have the vehicle towed for service. See
Towing
Your Vehicle on page
4-3 1.
Your brake system r y 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.
I
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Anti-Lock Brake System
Warning Light
ANTI -
LOCK
United States Canada
If your vehicle has the anti-lock brake system, the light
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 aqain while Vou’re drivinq, 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
section.
Brake Sy~Sei~7 Viamj~~ Light O/T page 3-28 earlier in this
The anti-lock brake system warning light will come on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to
ON. This is
normal.
If the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Enhanced Traction System
Warning Light
TRAC
OFF
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this warning light
should come on briefly as
you start the engine.
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 the warning light stays on, or comes on when you’re
driving, there may be a problem with your Enhanced
I raction system ana your venicie may need service.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. -
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The Enhanced Traction System warning light may come
on for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the ETS
button on the center console near the gear
shift lever, 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
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9 for
more information.
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 vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road,
the warning light may come on momentarily but will
go off again when the vehicle leaves the rough
surface.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light comes
on and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on and the parking brake is fully
released, your vehicle needs service.
Enhanced Traction System
Active Light
LOW
TRAC
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this light will
come on when the system
is limiting wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist
if the Enhanced
Traction System active light comes on,
so adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
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
there to tell you when the system is active.
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Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
This gage shows the engine coolant
temperature.
if the gage
pointer moves into the red
area, the light comes
on and you hear a chime,
your engine
is too hot.
It means that your engine
coolant has overheated.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-26.
Low Coolant Warning Light
1
This light comes on
briefly when you turn your
ignition on.
!f this !ight comes on and stays on and you hear a
chime, the coolant level in your vehicle is low.
See
Engine Coolant on page 5-23. If the light is on along
with an overheat warning, you may have a
serious overheating problem. See
Engine Coolant
Temperature Gage on page 3-31
listed previously.
Notice: Damage to your engine from neglected
coolant problems can be costly and is not covered
by your warranty.
See
Engine Overheating on page 5-26 for information
on what
to do. Your vehicle should be serviced as soon
as possible.
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
Service Engine Soon Light in the
United States
or Check Engine Light in
Canada
17
SERVICE
ENGINE
SOON
II I I I
United States Canada
Your vehicle is equipped with a computer which
monitors operation of the fuel, ignition and emission
control systems.
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This system is called OBD I1 (On-Board
Diagnostics-Second Generation) and is intended to
assure that emissions are at acceptable levels for the
life of the vehicle, helping to produce a cleaner
environment. The SERVICE ENGINE SOON or
CHECK
ENGINE light comes on to indicate that there is a
problem and service is required. Malfunctions often will
be indicated by the system before any problem is
apparent. This may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle. This system is also designed to assist your
service technician in correctly diagnosing any
malfunction.
Notices If you keep driving your vehicle with this
light on, after a while, your emission controls
may not work as well, your fuel economy may not
be as good and your engine may not run as
smoothly. This could lead to costly repairs that may
not be covered by your warranty.
Notices Modifications made to the engine,
transaxle, exhaust, intake or fuel system of your
vehicle or the replacement of the original tires with other than those of the same Tire Performance
Criteria (TPC) can affect your vehicle’s emission
controls and may cause this light to come
on.
Modifications to these systems could lead to costly
repairs not covered by your warranty. This may
also result
in a failure to pass a required Emission
Inspection/Maintenance test. 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 “If
the Light Is On Steady’’ following.
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