fuel OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1995 User Guide
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Here are four things that some owners ask about. None
of these show
a problem with your fuel gage:
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At the service station, the gas pump shuts off before
the gage reads
“F” (Full).
It takes
a little more or less fuel to fill up than the
gage indicated. For example, the gage may have
indicated the tank was half
full, but it actually took a
little more or less than half the tank’s capacity to fill
the tank.
The gage moves a little when you turn a corner or
speed up.
The tank is not necessarily empty when the pointer is
over the “E” (Empty) mark. There is a reserve of up
to 1.5 gallons (5.6 L) in the tank. You should still get
more fuel as soon as possible.
Driver Information Center
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The Driver Information Center (DIC) displays
information in either English or metric. When the
system is on or off, hold the
OFF button down for five
seconds to change the display between English and
metric. This
will also change the digital screen for the
climate control system between English and metric.
In addition to the functions described in this part, the
DIC also displays various warning messages under
appropriate conditions.
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Turn on the system by pressing any button except
RESET, ENTER or
OFF. When you turn on the ignition,
the Driver Information Center will be
in the mode last
displayed when
the engine was turned off. Keep in mind
that this also applies to the
OFF mode.
To turn off messages
on the DIC (except LOW OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings), press any button on
the
DIC.
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You will need to open the cover to access the control
buttons.
To open the cover, push the button located to
the right of the cover.
To close the cover, push it down to its closed position.
Fuel Economy
The ECON button displays average fuel economy and
instantaneous fuel economy calculated for
your specific
driving conditions. Press
ECON to display average fuel
economy, such as:
25.2 AVG MUGAL or
9.3 AVG L/ 100 KM
Press
ECON again to display instantaneous fuel
economy, such as:
28 TNST MUGAL or
8.4 INST L/ 100 KM
Press again to return to average fuel economy.
The average
fuel economy is viewed as a long-term
approximation
of your overall driving conditions.
If you press RESET in this mode while you’re driving,
the system will begin figuring fuel economy from that
point
in time.
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Fuel
Press FUEL to see how much fuel has been used since
you last pressed the reset button. The display will show
a reading such as:
10.4 GALLONS USED or
39.4 LITERS USED
To learn how much fuel will be used from a specific
starting point, first press FUEL to display fuel used, then
press RESET.
Don’t confuse fuel used with the amount of fuel in your
tank.
Fuel Range
RANGE calculates the remaining distance you can drive
without refueling. It’s based on fuel economy and the
fuel remaining
in the tank. The display will show a
reading such as:
FUEL RANGE
235 MI or
FUEL RANGE
378 KM
If the range is less than 50 miles (80 km), the display
will read LOW
FUEL RANGE. The
fuel economy data used to determine fuel range
is
an average of recent driving conditions. As your driving
conditions change, this data is gradually updated.
Resetting
fuel range causes the fuel economy data to be
updated immediately.
To reset fuel range, press
RANGE, then RESET.
Average Speed
The calculation for average speed begins when SPEED
is reset. Press SPEED to display the average speed, such
as:
AVG SPEED
56 MPH or
AVG SPEED 90 KM/H
To reset the average speed, press SPEED and then
RESET.
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Air Conditioning
The air conditioner cools, dehumidifies, and filters the
air for the inside of the vehicle.
The air conditioner compressor
is enabled in all modes.
However, when the outside temperature is below
42" F
(6"C), the compressor will not operate. When the air
conditioner is on, you may sometimes notice slight
changes
in your vehicle's engine speed and power. This
is normal, because the system is designed to cycle the
compressor
on and off to keep the desired cooling and
help fuel economy.
The air conditioning is always enabled
in defog or
defrost. In any other mode,
you can select or shut off the
air conditioning as desired by pressing
A/C ON. The
indicator light will glow while the air conditioning is
enabled. For maximum
continued cooling, press the blue
temperature button repeatedly until the display reads
60" F (16°C) and press the A/C ON button. Using the
upper vents will cause
you to feel cooler more quickly.
The direction of
the cool air can be controlled by
adjusting, or turning off, the outlets in the dash. Aiming
them over your shoulder will benefit both front and rear
passengers. Back seat passengers can also redirect air
flow using the vents at the rear
of the center console.
On hot days, open the windows long enough to let the
hot inside air out. This reduces the time the air
conditioner's compressor will have to run, which should
help fuel economy.
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Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your
foot up to the brake pedal. 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 01-
stops. Always leave enough 1-0om up ahead to stop. even
though you have anti-lock brakes.
To Use Anti-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
and let anti-lock work for you. You may hear
a motor or
clicking noise during a hard stop. but this is normal.
Traction Control System
Your vehicle has a traction control system 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 front wheels are spinning or beginning to
lose traction. When this happens, the system works the
front brakes and reduces engine power (by shutting off
fuel injectors and managing engine spark) to
limit wheel
spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE light will come on when
your traction control system
is limiting wheel spin. See
"Traction Control System Active Light"
in the Index.
You may feel the system working, or you may notice
some noise, but this is normal.
If yo~~r vehicle is in
cruise control when the traction control system 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"
in the Index.)
TRACTION
OFF
When the system is on, the TRACTION OFF warning
light
will come on to let you know if there's a problem
with your traction control system. See "Traction Control
System Warning Light"
in the Index. When this warning
light is on, the system
will not limit wheel spin. Adjust
your driving accordingly.
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Here are some things you can check before a trip:
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Wi~~clsl~ield Wcuher F11,fid: Is the reservoir full? Are
all windows clean inside and outside?
Wiper Blcrdes: Are they in good shape?
Fuel, Engine Oil, Other. Fluicls: Have YOLI checked
all levels?
Lunlps: Are they all working? Are the lenses clean?
Tires: They are vitally important to a safe,
trouble-free trip.
Is the tread good enough for
long-distance driving? Are the tires all inflated to the
recommended pressure'?
Weatl?er Forecnsts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should
you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?
Mcrps: Do you have up-to-date maps'?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as "highway nypnosis"?
Or is
it just plain fdling asleep at the wheel? Call it
highway hypnosis, lack of awareness, or whatever.
There
is something about an easy stretch of road with
the same scenery, along with the
hum of the tires on the
road, the drone of the engine, and the rush of the wind
against the vehicle that can make you sleepy. Don't let it
happen to you!
If it does, your vehicle can leave the
road
in less tlml u second, and you could crash and be
injured.
What can you do about highway hypnosis? First, be
aware that
it can happen.
Then here are some tips:
0 Make sure your vehicle is well ventilated, with a
comfortably cool interior.
Keep your eyes moving. Scan the road ahead and to
the sides. Check your rearview mirrors and your
instruments frequently.
0 If you get sleepy, pull off the road into a rest, service,
or parking area and take
a nap, get some exercise, or
both. For safety, treat drowsiness on the highway as
an emergency.
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Run your engine only as long as YOLI must. This saves
fuel. When you
run the engine, make it go a little faster
than just idle. That is, push the accelerator
slightly. This
o
uses less fuel for the heat that you get and it keeps the
battery charged. You will need a well-charged battery t
restart the vehicle. and possibly for signaling later on
with your headlamps. Let the heater run for awhile.
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Then, shut the engine off and close the window almost
all the way to preserve the heat. Start the engine again
and repeat this only when you feel really uncomfortabl e
from the cold.
But do it as little as possible. Preserve the
fuel
as long as you can. To help keep warm? you can get
out of the vehicle and
do some fairly vigorous exercises
every half hour or
so until help comes.
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Page 194 of 372
Towing a Trailer
NOTICE:
Pulling a trailer improperly can damage your
vehicle and result in costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
To pull a trailer correctly, follow
the advice in this part, and see your Aurora
retailer for important information about towing
a trailer with your vehicle.
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To identify what the
vehicle trailering capacity is for your vehicle,
you
should read the information in "Weight of the Trailer"
that appears later
in this section. But trailering is
different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes
in handling, durability, and
fuel economy. Successful, safe trailering takes correct
equipment, and
it has to be used properly.
That's the reason for this part.
In it are many
time-tested, important trailering tips and safety rules.
Many
of these are important for your safety and that of
your passengers. So please read this section carefully
before
you pull a trailer.
Load-pulling components such as the engine, transaxle,
wheel assemblies, and tires are forced to work harder
against the drag
of the added weight. The engine is
required to operate at relatively higher speeds and under
greater loads, generating extra heat. What's more, the
trailer adds considerably
to wind resistance, increasing
the pulling requirements.
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@ Section 6 Service and Appearance Care
Here you will find information about the care of your
Aurora. This section begins with service and fuel
information, and then it shows how to check important
fluid and lubricant levels. There is
also technical
information about your vehicle, and a part devoted to its
appearance care.
Service
Your Aurora retailer knows your vehicle best and wants
you
to be happy with it. We hope you’ll go to your
retailer for
all your service needs. You‘ll get genuine
GM parts and GM-trained and supported service people. We
hope you’ll want
to keep your GM vehicle all GM.
Genuine
GM parts have one of these marks:
Doing Your Own Service Work
If you want to do some of your own service work, you’ll
want to get the proper Aurora Service Manual. It tells
you much more about how to service your Aurora than
this manual can.
To order the proper service manual, see
“Service Publications’‘
in the Index.
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Your vehicle has an air bag system. Before attempting to
do your own service work, see “Servicing Your Air
Bag-Equipped Aurora” in the Index.
You should keep a record with all parts receipts and list
the mileage and the date of any service work you
perform. See “Maintenance Record” in the Index.
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If you try to do your own service work without
knowing enough about it, your vehicle could be
damaged.
Fuel
Use premium unleaded gasoline rated at 91 octane or
higher. It should meet specifications ASTM D48 14 in
the United States and CGSB 3.5-92 in Canada. These
fuels should have the proper additives,
so you should not
have to add anything to the fuel.
In the United States and Canada, it’s easy
to be sure you
get the right kind of gasoline (unleaded). You’ll see
UNLEADED right on the pump. And only unleaded
nozzles will fit into your vehicle’s filler neck.
Be sure the posted octane is at least 91. If the octane is
less than
91, you may get a heavy knocking noise when
you drive. (In an emergency, you may be able to use
lower octane
-- as low as 87 -- if heavy knocking does
not occur.) If you’re using 91 or higher octane unleaded
gas and
you still get heavy knocking, your engine needs
service.
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