2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette brake light

Notice:If your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly, or if it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle
system sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged. So, if this happens, have
your vehicle serviced right away. Until then, you can
use SECOND (2) when you are driving less than
35 mph (55 km/h) and THIRD (3) for higher speeds.
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
shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transaxle will not
downshift into ®rst gear until the vehicle is going slow
enough.
Notice:Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in
one place on a hill using only the accelerator
pedal may damage the transaxle. If you are stuck,
do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill,
use the brakes to hold the vehicle in place.
Parking Brake
The parking brake is
located under the
instrument panel on
the driver's side of
the vehicle.
To set the parking brake, hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot and push down on the parking
brake pedal with your left foot.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will come on. See
Brake System Warning Light
on page 3-46.
2-37

To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down with your right foot while you push down on
the parking brake pedal with your left foot. To release
the tension on the parking brake cable, you will need to
apply about the same amount of pressure to the
parking brake pedal as you did when you set the parking
brake. When you remove your foot from the parking
brake pedal, it will pop up to the released position.
Notice:Driving with the parking brake on can
overheat the brake system and cause premature
wear or damage to brake system parts. Verify that
the parking brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off before driving.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on any hill,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-38. That section shows
what to do ®rst to keep the trailer from moving.
Shifting Into Park (P)
{CAUTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake ®rmly 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 will not move,
even when you are on fairly level ground, use
the steps that follow. If you are pulling a trailer,
see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-38.
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake with your left foot.
2. To move the shift lever into PARK (P), do the
following:
2-38

Instrument Panel Overview...............................3-4
Hazard Warning Flashers................................3-6
Other Warning Devices...................................3-7
Horn.............................................................3-7
Tilt Wheel.....................................................3-7
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever.........................3-8
Exterior Lamps.............................................3-16
Interior Lamps..............................................3-18
Switchbanks.................................................3-23
Instrument Panel Switchbank..........................3-23
Overhead Console Switchbank.......................3-24
Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist (URPA)............3-24
Accessory Power Outlets...............................3-27
Climate Controls............................................3-28
Climate Control System.................................3-28
Dual Climate Control System..........................3-31
Outlet Adjustment.........................................3-34
Rear Climate Control System
(Without Entertainment System)...................3-34
Rear Climate Control System
(With Entertainment System).......................3-36
Passenger Compartment Air Filter...................3-39
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators.............3-41
Instrument Panel Cluster................................3-42
Speedometer and Odometer...........................3-43Safety Belt Reminder Light.............................3-44
Air Bag Readiness Light................................3-45
Brake System Warning Light..........................3-46
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light.............3-47
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light...........................................3-47
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage..................3-48
Malfunction Indicator Lamp.............................3-49
Fuel Gage...................................................3-52
Message Center.............................................3-53
Service Traction System
Warning Message......................................3-53
Traction Active Message................................3-54
Engine Coolant Temperature
Warning Message......................................3-54
Charging System Indicator Message................3-55
Low Oil Pressure Message............................3-55
Change Engine Oil Message..........................3-56
Power Sliding Door Warning Message.............3-57
Door Ajar Warning Message...........................3-57
Rear Hatch Ajar Warning Message..................3-58
PASS-Key
žIII Security Message....................3-58
All-Wheel Drive Disable
Warning Message......................................3-59
Low Fuel Warning Message...........................3-59
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-1

Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
To pass another vehicle while using cruise control, use
the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Of course,
applying the brake takes you out of cruise control. Many
drivers ®nd this to be too much trouble and do not
use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
To turn off the cruise control, do one of the following:
·Step lightly on the brake pedal.
·Move the cruise switch to OFF.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
3-15

Daytime Running Lamps/Automatic
Headlamp System
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
®rst sold in Canada.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work, so be sure it isn't covered. The DRL
system will make your front parking and turn signal
lamps come on in daylight when:
·The ignition is on.
·The exterior lamps control is off.
·The parking brake is released.
When the DRL are on, only your front parking and turn
signal lamps will be on. Your instrument panel will
not be lit up.When it is dark enough outside, the exterior lamps will
come on automatically. When it is bright enough
outside, the exterior lamps will turn off and the DRL will
turn on. Of course, you may still turn on the headlamps
any time you need to.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage, the automatic
headlamp system will come on immediately. Once
you leave the garage, it will take approximately
one minute for the automatic headlamp system to
change to DRL if it is light outside. During that delay,
your instrument panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure your instrument panel brightness
control is in the full bright position. See ªInstrument
Panel Brightness Controlº under
Interior Lamps
on page 3-18.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL and automatic
headlamp control off, set the parking brake while the
ignition is in OFF or LOCK. Then start the vehicle.
The DRL and automatic headlamp control will stay off
until you release the parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
3-17

If an object is detected at a REVERSE (R) speed of
less than 3 mph (5 km/h), one of the following will occur:
Description English Metric
amber light 5 ft. 1.5 m
amber/amber lights 40 in. 1.0 m
amber/amber/red lights
& continuous chime20 in. 0.5 m
amber/amber/red
lights ¯ashing &
continuous chime1 ft 0.3 m
A chime will sound the ®rst time an object is detected
between 20 inches (0.5 m) and 5 feet (1.5 m) away.
URPA cannot detect objects that are above liftgate level.
In order for the rear sensors to recognize an object, it
must be within detection range behind the vehicle.
When the System Does Not Seem to Work
Properly
The light may ¯ash red when the vehicle is in
REVERSE (R) if the ultrasonic sensors are not kept
clean. So be sure to keep your rear bumper free of mud,
dirt, snow, ice and slush. Other conditions that may affect
system performance include things like the vibrations
from a jackhammer or the compression of air brakes on a
very large truck. If after cleaning the rear bumper and
then driving forward at least 15 mph (25 km/h), the
display continues to ¯ash red, see your dealer.
If a trailer was attached to your vehicle, or a bicycle or
an object was on the back of, or hanging out of your
liftgate during your last drive cycle, the light may
also ¯ash red. The light will continue to ¯ash whenever
in REVERSE (R) until your vehicle is driven forward
at least 15 mph (25 km/h) without any obstructions
behind the vehicle.
For cleaning instructions, see
Cleaning the Outside
of Your Vehicle on page 5-95.
3-26

Brake System Warning Light
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will 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.
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 could be a brake
problem. Have your brake system inspected right away.This light should come on brie¯y when you turn the
ignition key to RUN. If it doesn't come on then, have it
®xed so it will be ready to warn you if there's a 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 ¯oor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. See
Anti-Lock
Brake System Warning Light on page 3-47andTowing
Your Vehicle on page 4-31.
{CAUTION:
Your brake system may 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
have pulled off the road and stopped carefully,
have the vehicle towed for service.
United States
Canada
3-46

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
Your vehicle may have this
light. If it does, the
anti-lock brake system
warning light should come
on for a few seconds
when you turn the ignition
key to RUN.
If the anti-lock brake system warning light stays on
longer than normal after you've started your engine, turn
the ignition off. Or, if the light comes on and stays 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 again
while you're driving, the anti-lock brake system needs
service and you don't have anti-lock brakes.
The anti-lock brake system warning light should come
on brie¯y when you turn the ignition key to RUN. If
the light doesn't come on then, have it ®xed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Traction Control System (TCS)
Warning Light
Your vehicle may have a traction control system
warning light. The traction control system warning light
may come on for the following reasons:
·If you turn the system off by pressing the TCS
button located in the instrument panel switchbank
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
Traction
Control System (TCS) on page 4-8for more
information.
United StatesCanada
3-47