2003 Oldsmobile Bravada light

Care of Your CDs and DVDs
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 and DVD 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.
Cleaning the Video Screen
Pour some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth
and gently wipe the video screen. Do not spray
directly onto the screen and do not press
too hard or
too long on the video screen.
Fixed Mast Antenna
The fixed mast antenna can withstand most car washes
without being damaged.
If the mast should ever
become slightly bent, you can straighten it out by hand.
If the mast is badly bent, as it might be by vandals,
you should replace it.
Check occasionally to be sure the mast is still tightened
to the fender. If tightening
is required, tighten by
hand, then with a wrench one quarter turn.
Chime Level Adjustment
The volume level of the vehicle’s chimes can be
controlled by the radio. 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
displayed 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.
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Anti-lock Brake System
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. This is normal.
If there’s a problem with
~ the anti-lock brake system,
~ this warning light will
stay on. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning
Light
on page 3-34.
Along with ABS, your vehicle has a Dynamic Rear
Proportioning (DRP) system. If there’s a DRP problem,
both the brake and ABS warning lights will come on
accompanied by a IO-second chime. The lights
and chime will come on each time the ignition
is turned
on until the problem is repaired. See your dealer for
service. Let’s say the
road is wet and you’re driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you. You slam
on the brakes and continue braking. Here’s what
happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If
one of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer
will separately work the brakes at each front wheel
and at both rear wheels.
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Traction Assist System (TAS)
Your vehicle has a Traction Assist System (TAS) that
limits wheel spin. This is especially useful in slippery
road conditions. The system operates only
if it senses
that one or both of the rear wheels are spinning or
beginning to lose traction. When this happens,
the system reduces engine power to limit wheel spin.
The LOW TRAC light next
to the button will come
on when the TAS is limiting wheel spin. You may feel or
hear the system working, but this is normal.
The Traction Assist System may operate on dry roads
under some conditions. When this happens, you
may notice a reduction in acceleration. This is normal
and doesn’t mean there’s a problem with your vehicle.
Examples of these conditions include a hard
acceleration in a turn, an abrupt upshift or downshift
of
the transmission or driving on rough roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the TAS begins
to limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengage. When road conditions allow you to safely
use it again, you may re-engage the cruise control. See
Cruise Control Light on page 3-40. When the TRAC
OFF light on the button is on, the TAS is off and will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly. The TRAC
OFF light
on the button will come on under
the following conditions:
0 The Traction Assist System is turned off, either by
pressing the TAS on/off button or by turning
off
the automatic engagement feature of the TAS.
The transmission is in FIRST (1) gear; TAS will not
operate in this gear. This is normal.
0 The vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road.
When the vehicle leaves the rough surface,
slows
down or stops, the light will go off and TAS will
be on again. This is normal.
A Traction Assist System, Anti-Lock Brake System
or engine-related problem has been detected and
the vehicle needs service.
The Traction Assist System, as delivered from the factory, will automatically come on whenever you start
your vehicle. To limit wheel spin, especially in
slippery road conditions, you should always leave the
system on. But you can turn the TAS
off if you ever need
to. You shouid turn the TAS
off if your vehicle ever
gets stuck in sand, mud or snow and rocking the vehicle
is required.
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To turn the system on or
off, press the TAS OFF/ON
button located near the
shift lever.
If you used the
button to turn the system
off, the TRAC OFF light on
the button will come on
and stay on.
You can turn the system back on at any time by
pressing the button again. The TRAC OFF light on the
button should go off.
If desired, you can change the TAS automatic
engagement feature
so that the system will not come on
automatically when the engine is started. To do
so:
1.
Park the vehicle with the ignition off and the
2. Turn the ignition to RUN; do not start the engine.
3. Apply the brake pedal, press the accelerator
transmission in
PARK (P).
pedal
to the floor and then press the TAS OFF/ON
button and hold it down for at least six seconds.
4. Release the TAS button and both pedals. The next time you
start your vehicle, the TAS will not
automatically come on. You can restore the automatic
feature by using the same procedure. Whether the TAS
is set
to come on automatically or not, you can always
turn the system on or off by pressing the TAS on/off
button.
Locking Rear Axle
If your vehicle has this feature, your locking rear axle
can give you additional traction on snow, mud, ice, sand
or gravel. It works like a standard axle most of the
time, but when one
of the rear wheels has no traction
and the other does, this feature will allow the wheel with
traction to move the vehicle.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning, you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
5. Turn off the ignition and wait a few seconds.
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An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o’clock positions, you
can turn it a full
180 degrees very quickly without
removing either hand. But you have
to act fast, steer
quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason
to practice defensive driving
at all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find that your right wheels have dropped off the
edge of a road onto the shoulder while you’re driving.
If the level of the shoulder
is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease
off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way,
steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of
the pavement.
You can turn the steering wheel up to
one-quarter turn until the right front tire contacts
the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel
to go
straight down the roadway.
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When you drive over obstacles or rough terrain, keep a
firm grip on the steering wheel. Ruts, troughs or
other surface features can jerk the wheel out of your
hands
if you’re not prepared.
When you drive over bumps, rocks, or other obstacles,
your wheels can leave the ground.
If this happens,
even with one or two wheels, you can’t control
the vehicle as well or at all.
Because you will be on an unpaved surface, it’s
especially important
to avoid sudden acceleration,
sudden turns or sudden braking.
In a way, off-road driving requires a different kind of
alertness from driving on paved roads and highways.
There are no road signs, posted speed limits or
signal lights.
You have to use your own good judgment
about what is safe and what isn’t.
Drinking and driving can be very dangerous on any
road. And this is certainly true for off-road driving. At the
very time you need special alertness and driving
skills, your reflexes, perceptions and judgment can be
affected by even a small amount of alcohol.
You
could have a serious - or even fatal - accident if you
drink and drive or ride with a driver who has been
drinking. See
Drunken Driving on page 4-2.
Driving on Off-Road Hills
Off-road driving often takes you up, down or across a
hill. Driving safely on hills requires good judgment
and understanding of what your vehicle can and can’t
do. There are some hills that simply can’t be driven, no
matter how well bui he vehicle.
Man) ills are ~..-.ply .,o steep for any vehicle.
If you drive up them, you will stall. If you drive
down them, you can’t control your speed.
If you
drive across them, you
will roll over. You could
be seriously injured or killed. If you have any
doubt about the steepness, don’t drive the hill.
Approaching a Hill
When you approach a hill, you need to decide if it’s one
of those hills that’s just
too steep to climb, descend
or cross. Steepness can be hard to judge. On a very
small hill, for example, there may be a smooth, constant
incline with only a small change in elevation where
you can easily see all the way to the top. On a large hill,
the incline may get steeper as you near the top, but
you may not see this because the crest
of the hill
is hidden by bushes, grass or shrubs.
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Q: Suppose, after stalling, I try to back down the
hill and decide
I just can’t do it. What
should
I do?
A: Set the parking brake, put your transmission in
PARK (P) and turn
off the engine. Leave the
vehicle and go get some help. Exit on the uphill
side and stay clear of the path the vehicle would
take
if it rolled downhill.
Driving Downhill
When off-roading takes you downhill, you’ll want to
consider a number of things:
How steep is the downhill? Will I be able to maintain
vehicle control?
What’s the surface like? Smooth? Rough? Slippery?
Are there hidden surface obstacles? Ruts? Logs?
Hard-packed dirt? Gravel?
Boulders?
What’s at the bottom of the hill? Is there a there a
hidden creek bank or even a river bottom with
large rocks?
If you decide you can go down a hill safely, then
try to
keep your vehicle headed straight down, and use a
low gear. This way, engine drag can help your brakes
and they won’t have
to do all the work. Descend slowly,
keeping your vehicle under control at all times.
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Heavy braki.., when going down a hill can
cause your brakes to overheat and fade. This
could cause
loss of control and a serious
accident. Apply the brakes lightly when
descending a hill and use a low gear to keep
vehicle speed under control.
Q: Are there some things I should not do when
driving down
a hill?
A: Yes! These are important because if you ignore
them you could
lose control and have a serious
accident.
When driving downhill, avoid turns that take you
across the incline
of the hill. A hill that’s not too
steep to drive down may be too steep to drive
across. You could roll over
if you don’t drive straight
down.
Never go downhill with the transmission in
NEUTRAL (N). This is called “free wheeling”. Your
brakes will have to do all the work and could
overheat and fade.

Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired
- by
alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by fatigue. Here are
some tips on night driving.
Drive defensively.
Don’t drink and drive.
Since you can’t see as well, you may need to slow
down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.
Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only
so much road ahead.
In remote areas, watch for animals.
If you’re tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But
as we get older these differences increase.
A
50-year-old driver may require at least twice as much
light to see the same thing at night as a 20-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your
night vision. For example,
if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your
eyes will have less trouble adjusting to night. But
if
you’re driving, don’t wear sunglasses at night. They may
cut down on glare from headlamps, but they also make a lot of things invisible.
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