2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE wheel

Rear Reading Lamps
There may be two reading lamps in the third row
headliner.
To turn on or
off either reading lamp, press the lens
of the lamp.
There is also a reading lamp
in the second row,
integrated with the dome lamp. To turn on or
off
either reading lamp, press the button next to the
lamp lens.
These lamps will not turn on
if the interior lamps
override switch is on. See “Interior Lamps Override”
earlier in this section.
Cargo Lamp
The cargo lamp is located in the rear of your vehicle,
above the liftgate opening, and does not have a switch.
The cargo lamp will come on each time you open a
door, unless you turn on the interior lamps override.
See “Interior Lamps Override” earlier in this section.
Battery Run-Down Protection
Your vehicle has a feature to help prevent you from
draining the battery, in case you accidentally leave the
interior lamps on. If
you leave any interior lamps on
while the ignition is in LOCK or
OFF, they will
automatically turn
off after 10 minutes. The lamps won’t
come back on again until you do one of the following:
0 Turn the ignition to RUN or ACCESSORY,
turn the interior lamps thumbwheel all the way to
the right, then slightly back to the left, or
open (or close and reopen) a door that is closed.
If your vehicle has less than
15 miles (25 km) on
the odometer, the battery saver will turn
off the lamps
after only three minutes.
3-20

Message Center
The message center is located in the instrument
panel cluster.
It gives you important safety and
maintenance facts.
Service Traction System Warning
Message
SERVICE
TRACTION
SYSTEM
United States
I I
Canada When
this message is displayed, the traction control
system will not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving
accordingly.
The message may appear for the following reasons:
If there’s a brake system problem that is specifically
related to traction control, the traction control
system will turn
off and the warning message will
come on.
e If your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn
off and the warning message will
come on until your brakes cool down.
engine-related problem, the system will turn off
and the warning message will come on.
If the traction control system warning message comes
on and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
If the traction control system is affected by an
If your vehicle has the traction control system and this
message is displayed when you’re driving, there may be
a problem with your traction control system. Your vehicle
may need service.
3-52

Traction Active Message
TRACTION ACTIVE
United States Canada
If your vehicle has the traction control system, the
TRACTION ACTIVE message will appear when the
traction control system is limiting wheel spin. You may
feel or hear the system working, but this is normal.
Slippery road conditions may exist
if this message
appears,
so adjust your driving accordingly.
The message will stay on for a few seconds after
the traction control system stops limiting wheel spin.
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Message
I 1 I
HOT
COOLANT
TEMP
United States Canada
This message will come on when your engine gets
too hot.
If this message comes on, it means that your engine
coolant has overheated. If you have been operating your
vehicle under normal driving conditions, you should
pull
off the road, stop your vehicle and turn off the
engine as soon as possible.
See
En-qine Overheatinq on page 5-26.
3-53

All-Wheel Drive Disable Warning
Message
AWD
DISABLE
I I I I
United States Canada
Your vehicle may have this message. If
it does, it will
come on when there is a spare tire on the vehicle, or
when the anti-lock brake system warning light comes on,
or when the rear differential fluid is overheating. This
message will go out when the differential fluid cools.
The all-wheel-drive system will be disabled until the
compact spare tire is replaced by a full-size tire.
If the warning message is still on after putting on the
tull-slze tire, you need to reset the warning message.
To reset the warning message, turn the ignition
off
and then back on again. If the message stays on,
see your dealer right away. See
All-Wheel Drive
(A WD)
System on page 4-1 I for more information.
Low Fuel Warning Message
I
United States Canada
If your fuel is low, the warning message will come on
and stay on until you add fuel.
If the warning message is still on after adding fuel,
you need to reset the warning message. To reset the
warning message, turn the ignition off and then back on.
If the message stays on, see your dealer.
3-59

Audio Steering Wheel Controls
If your vehicle has this feature, you can control certain
radio functions using the buttons on your steering wheel.
A SEEK v : Press the up or the down arrow to seek
to the next or to the previous station. When playing
a cassette tape
or compact disc, press the up arrow to
hear the next selection.
PROG (Program): Press this button to choose AM,
FM1 or FM2.
PRESET: Press this button to scan you preset stations.
The radio will scan to a preset station, play for a few
seconds, then go on to the next preset station. The
display will show your selections. Press this button again
to stop scanning preset stations.
A VOL (Volume) v : Press the up or the down arrow
to increase or to decrease volume.
PLAY: Press this button to play a loaded cassette tape
or compact disc when listening to the radio.
MUTE: Press this button to silence the system. Press it
again to turn on the sound. This button may be used
when listening to the radio, a cassette tape or a
compact disc.
3-1 02

Section Driving Your Vehicle
Your
Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle .......... 4-2
Defensive Driving
........................................... 4.2
Drunken Driving
............................................. 4.3
Braking
......................................................... 4.6
Traction Control System (TCS)
....................... 4.10
Steering
...................................................... 4.12
Off-Road Recovery
....................................... 4.14
Passing
........................................ .... 4.14
Loss of Control
.................................. .... 4.16
Driving at Night
......................................... 4.17
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
.............. 4-18
Control of a Vehicle ........................................ 4-6
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) System
....................... 4-1 1 City Driving
.................................................. 4.21
Freeway Driving
............................... ..... 4.22
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
....................... 4-23
Highway Hypnosis
........................................ 4-24
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4.26
Ice or Snow
.............................................. 4-30
Towing .......................................................... 4-32
Towing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-32
Recreational Vehicle Towing
........................... 4-32
Loading Your Vehicle
.................................... 4-34
Towing a Trailer
.............................. ..... 4-36
Hill
and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-24
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
4- 1

The anti-lock system can change the brake pressure
faster than any driver could. The computer
is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
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 wheel. As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates
on wheel speed and controls braking pressure
accordingly.
4-8

Remember: Anti-lock doesn’t change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always
decrease stopping distance.
If you get too close to the
vehicle in front of you, you won’t have time to apply
your brakes
if that vehicle suddenly slows or stops.
Always leave enough room up ahead to stop, even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
Using Anti-Lock
Don’t pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise,
but this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
At some time, nearly every driver gets into a situation
that requires hard braking.
If you have anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the
same time. However,
if you don’t have anti-lock,
your first reaction
- to hit the brake pedal hard
and hold it down
- mav be the wronq thina to do. Your
wheels can stop rolling. Once they do, the vehicle
can’t respond to your steering. Momentum will carry
it in whatever direction it was headed when the wheels
stopped rolling. That could be off the road, into the
very thing you were trying to avoid, or into traffic.
If you don’t have anti-lock, use a “squeeze” braking
technique. This will give you maximum braking while
maintaining steering control. You can do this by pushing
on the brake pedal with steadily increasing pressure.
In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze
the brakes hard without locking the wheels. If you hear
or feel the wheels sliding, ease
off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control.
If you do have
anti-lock, it’s different. See “Anti-Lock Brakes.”
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
4-9