2003 Oldsmobile Bravada Owner's Manuals

FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than
SECOND (2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud.
If the
selector lever is put in FIRST
(1) while the vehicle
is moving forward, the transmission won’t shift into first
gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your wheels won’t turn, don’t try to drive.
This might happen if you were stuck in very deep
sand or mud or were up against a solid object. You
could damage your transmission. Also, if you
stop when going uphill, don’t hold your vehicle there
with only the accelerator pedal. This could overheat
and damage the transmission. Use your brakes
or shift into
PARK (P) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
Shift Lock Release
This vehicle is equipped with a shift lock release
system. If your vehicle has a dead battery and you need
to have your vehicle towed, there is a shift lock
release lever that will allow you to move the shift lever
out of PARK (P).
I o access the shift lock release lever, do the following:
1. Press on the sides of the boot around the shift
2. Lift up the boot on the shift lever and you will see
lever
to release the boot.
an orange lever.
3. Lift the orange lever up and move the shift lever out
of
PARK (P).
4. Snap the shift lever boot back in place.
All-Wheel Drive
Your vehicle may have this feature. There is no lever or
switch to engage
or disengage the front axle. It is
fully automatic and adjusts as needed for road
conditions. Your vehicle has an active transfer case
allowing two-wheel-drive operation on dry roads.
The transfer case will shift automatically into all-wheel
drive on slippery surfaces. You may feel an extra
shift when the all-wheel drive engages.
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Parking Brake
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right
foot and pull up on the parking
brake lever. If the ignition is on, the brake system
warning light will come on.
Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your parking brake to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage other
parts of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and
you must park on a hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-45. That section
shows what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into Park (P)
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake lever up until you can
press in the button at the end
of the lever. Hold the
button in as you move the parking brake lever all the
way down.
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. If you have 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,
use the steps that follow.
If you’re pulling a
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
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2. Move the shift lever
into PARK (P) like this:
Press and hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of the
vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the key, your vehicle is in
PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
It can be dangerous ,I leave your vehicle --ith
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 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
pressing the button on the console shift lever. If you can,
it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully locked into
PARK (P).
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transmission into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl
in the transmission. 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 2-25.
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 transmission,
so
you can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transmission shift lock
control system. You have to fully apply the regular
brakes before you can shift from PARK (P) when the
ignition is in RUN. See
Automatic Transmission
Operation
on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever. Push the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then press
the shift lever button and move the shift lever into the
gear you want.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to LOCK.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as possible.
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Parking Over Things That Burn Engine Exhaust
Things &..At can burn
cc,.d touch hot exhaust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn. Engine exhaust can ki
It c tains 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
2-28

Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
eve- 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.
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).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-25.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer on
page
4-45.
2-29

Mirrors Mirror Operation
Automatic Dimming Rearview Mirror
with Onstar@ and Compass
Your vehicle may have an automatic-dimming rearview
mirror with a compass and the Onstar@ system.
(!J (On/Off): This is the on/off button for the automatic
dimming feature and compass.
There are three additional buttons for the Onstar@
system. See your dealer for more information on
the system and how to subscribe to Onstar@. See
Onstar@ System on page 2-35 for more information
about the services Onstar@ provides. When
turned on, this mirror automatically dims to the
proper level to minimize glare from any headlamps
behind you after dark.
The automatic dimming feature is turned on and off by
pressing the far left button, located on the lower
part of the mirror face, for up to three seconds.
A light
on the mirror will be lit while the feature
is turned on.
Compass Operation
Press the on/off button once to turn the compass
on or off.
There is a compass display in the window in the upper
right corner of the mirror face. The compass displays
a maximum of two characters. For example,
“NE”
is displayed for north-east.
2-30

Compass Calibration
Press and hold the on/off button down for nine seconds
to activate the compass calibration mode. “CAL” will
be displayed in the compass window on the mirror.
The mirror can be calibrated in one of two ways:
Drive the vehicle in circles at 5 mph (8 km/h) or less
drive the vehicle on your everyday routine. (This
until
the display shows “CAL”, or
method may take longer
to calibrate.)
Compass Variance
Compass variance is the difference between earth’s
magnetic north and true geographic north. The mirror is
set
to zone eight upon leaving the factory. It will be
necessary
to adjust the compass to compensate
for compass variance
if you live outside zone eight.
Under certain circumstances, such as during a
long distance cross-country trip, it will be necessary
to
adjust for compass variance. If not adjusted to
account for compass variance, your compass could give
false readings.
To adjust for compass variance, do the following:
1. Find your current location and variance zone
number on the map.
2. Press and hold the on/off button for six seconds.
Release the button when
“ZONE” is displayed.
The number shown is the current zone number.
3. Scroll through the zone numbers that appear in the
compass/temperature window on the mirror by
pressing the
on/off button. Once you find your zone
number, release the button. After about four
seconds, the mirror will return to the compass
display, and the new zone number will be set.
2-31