2003 OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE weight

Heated Seats
Your vehicle may have this
feature. If it does, the
heated seat switches are
located
in the instrument
panel switchbank.
This feature will heat the lower cushions and lower back
of the driver’s and front passenger’s seats for added
comfort.
The left switch is for the driver’s seat and the right switch is for the front passenger’s seat. Press the bottom
of the switch
to turn the heater on. The indicator light
on the switch will be lit. Press the top of the switch
to turn the heater
off. The heated seat switch will turn
off when the ignition is turned to OFF and will resume
operation when the ignition is turned to
RUN, unless the
switch
is manually turned off.
Reclining Seatbacks
To adjust the manual seatback, pull up on the lever
located on the outboard sides of both the driver’s and
the front passenger’s seat.
It is easier to recline the seat
if you lean forward, taking your weight off the seatback.
If your vehicle has the eight-way power seats, there
is a power recliner. See
Eight-Way Power Seats
on page 1-3.
1 -4

Folding or Reclining the Seatbacks
If the seatback isn’t locked, it could move
forward in
a sudden stop or crash. That could
cause injury to the person sitting there. Always
press rearward on the seatback to be sure it
is locked.
.
To recline the seatback, lift up on the recliner lever,
located on the outboard side of the seat. Use the recliner
lever to move the seatback to the desired position.
It is easier to raise or lower the seatback
if you
lean forward, taking the weight
off the seatback.
The seatbacks on the second row captain’s chairs also
fold forward to put items behind the left and right seats.
Lift up on the recliner lever and fold the seatback
forward. The seatback will lock into place when
you
push it back to the upright position.
The armrests can be lowered or raised for entering or
exiting the vehicle.

Q: What are the different types of add-on child
restraints?
A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
children with special needs. Newborn infants
need complete support,
including support for
the head and neck.
This is necessary because a newborn infant’s
neck is weak and its head weighs
so much
compared with the rest
of its body. In a crash,
an infant
in a rear-facing seat settles into
the restraint,
so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body,
the back and shoulders. Infants
always should
be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
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Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
transaxle into PARK (P) properly, the weight of the
vehicle may put too much force on the parking pawl in
the transaxle. 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 lnto Park (P)
on page 2-40.
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 transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock
control system. You have to fully
apply your regular
brakes
before you can shift from PARK (P), when
the ignition is in RUN.
As you step on the brake pedal, while in PARK (P),
you may hear a click from the solenoid of the system.
This ensures that the system is operating properly.
See
Automatic Transaxle Operation on page 2-36.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever by pushing the shift lever all the way into
PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then try
to 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 ignition key to OFF
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of Step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the engine and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
2-42

When you carry cargo on the luggage carrier of a
proper size and weight, put it on the slats, as far fowa
as you can. Then slide the crossrail up against the
rear of the load, to help keep it from moving. You can
then tie it down.
Don’t exceed the maximum vehicle capacity when
loading your vehicle. For more information on vehicle
capacity and loading, see
Loading Your Vehicle on
page
4-34.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo as you’re driving,
check now and then to make sure the luggage
carrier and cargo are still securely fastened. .rd
Notice: Loading
cargo that weighs more than
150 Ibs. (68 kg) on the luggage carrier may damage
your vehicle.
2-57

I
I’
4. Put the tray sill, located on the back of the
convenience center, in the upright position.
5. Slide the convenience center in and align it so that
the forks, located on the bottom rear of the
convenience center, slide into the seat anchors.
6. PESS dc>jc? c?n the frnnt cf the ccnv~nience center
so the center locates on the sill mounting bracket.
7. Turn the hand knob clockwise until it is tight.
8. Pull up on the convenience center to make sure it
is locked into place. The
tray sill can be folded down onto the stowable seat
to close the space between the two when the stowable
seat
is folded down. To do this, flip the sill plate up
and over toward the stowable seat.
The cover of the convenience center can be left in its
upright position while the vehicle is moving.
The convenience center has six hooks on the inside
cover for hanging items on. The prop rods can hold
up to
49 Ibs. (21.8 kg) on the cover of the convenience
center while in its upright position.
The convenience center and the stowable seat both
have a maximum weight capacity of
400 Ibs. (181.6 kg).
Nofice: Your warranty does not cover parts or
components that fail because
of overloading.
2-6 1

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
Muscular Coordination
Vision
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. 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 U.S. 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
and 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
0 The drinker’s body weight
e The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking
consume the alcohol.
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4-3

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. It’s
the amount
of alcohol that counts. For example,
if the same person drank three double martinis
(3 ounces or 90 ml of liquor each) within an hour,
the person’s BAC would be close to
0.12 percent.
A person who consumes food just before or during
drinking will have a somewhat lower BAC level.
There is a gender difference, too. Women generally
have a lower relative percentage of body water
than men. Since alcohol is carried in body water, this
means that a woman generally will reach a higher
BAC level than a man of her same body weight when
each has the same number of drinks.
The law in an increasing number of
U.S. states, and
throughout Canada, sets the legal limit at 0.08 percent.
In some other countries, the limit is even lower. For
example, it is 0.05 percent in both France and Germany.
The BAC limit for all commercial drivers in the United
States is 0.04 percent.
The BAC will be over
0.10 percent after three to
six drinks (in one hour). Of course, as we’ve seen,
it depends on how much alcohol is in the drinks,
and how quickly the person drinks them.
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