tow OLDSMOBILE SILHOUETTE 1994 User Guide

Reverse
R (Reverse): Use this gear to back up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to R (Reverse) while your
vehicle is moving forward could
damage your transaxle. Shift to
R
only after your vehicle is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to
get out of snow, ice or sand without
damaging your transaxle, see the
Index
under If You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice
or Snow .
Neutral
N (Neutral):In this position, your
engine doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re already moving,
use N (Neutral) only.
Also, use N when
your vehicle is being towed.
NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused
by shifting out
of P(Park) or N
(Neutral) with the engine racing
isn’t covered by your warranty.
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Features & Controls
64
R NoD2l
Forward Gears
(Automatic Overdrive):
If your automatic transaxle has
automatic overdrive, this position is for
normal driving. If you need more power
for passing, and you’re:
Going less than about 35 mph (56
km/h), push your accelerator pedal
about halfway down.
Going about 35 mph (56 Itm/h) or
more, push the accelerator all the way
down.
You’ll shift down
to the next gear and
have more power.
NOTICE:
This NOTICE applies only if you
have the
3800 V6 engine and the
automatic Overdrive transaxle. If
your vehicle
is so equipped, and if it
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
2 (Second Gear) when you are
drivin less than
35 mph (56 ltm/h)
and
d D (Overdrive) for higher
speeds.
D (Third Gear): If your automatic
transaxle does not have Overdrive, this
position is for normal driving, at all
speeds, in most street and highway
situations.
If your automatic transaxle has
Overdrive,
D is like m, but you never
go into Overdrive. Here are some times
you might choose
D instead of m:
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less
When going down a steep hill.
2 (Second Gear): This position gives
you more power but lower fuel
economy. You can use
2 on hills. It can
help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you
would also want to use your brakes
off
and on.
shifting between gears.
NOTICE:
Don’t drive in 2 (Second Gear) for
more than
5 miles (8 ltm), or at
speeds over
55 mph (88 ltm/h), or
you can damage your transaxle.
Use
D (m or D if your vehicle has
Overdrive) as much as possible.
Don’t shift into
2 unless you are
going slower than
65 mph (105
ltm/h), or you can damage your
engine.
1 (First Gear): This position gives you
even more power (but lower fuel
economy) than
2. You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or
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ud. If the selector lever is put in 1, thc
ansaxle won’t shift into first gear unti
le vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate,
don’t try to drive.
This might
happen
if you were stuck in very
deep sand or mud or were up
against a solid object.
You could
damage your transaxle. Also,
if you
stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the
accelerator pedal. This could
overheat and damage the transaxle.
Use your brakes or shift into
P
(Park) to hold your vehicle in
position on a hill.
Parking Brake
To Set the Parking Brake:
Hold the regular brake pedal down with
your right foot. Push down the parking
brake pedal with your left foot. If the
ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come
on. See the Index under
Brake System Warning Light.
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 release position.
NOTICE:
Driving with the parking brake on
can cause your rear brakes to
overheat.
You may have to replace
them, and you could also damage
other parts of your vehicle.
If You are Towing a Trailer and are
Parking on
Any Hill:
See the Index under Towing a Trailer.
That section shows what to do first to
keep the trailer from moving.
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Features & Controls
66
I Sh@ing Into P (Park)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your
right
foot and set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park)
position like this:
Pull the lever toward you.
Move the lever up as far as it will I I
go.
3. Move the ignition key to Lock.
4. Remove the key and take it with you.
If you can walk away from your
vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in
P (Park).
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Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Engine Running
If you have to leave your vehicle with
the engine running, be sure your vehicle
is in
P (Park) and your parking brake is
firmly set before you leave it. After
you’ve moved the shift lever into the
P
(Park) position, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move
the shift lever away from
P (Park)
without first pulling it toward you.
If you can, it means that the shift lever
wasn’t fully locked into
P (Park).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you
don’t shift your transaxle into
P (Park)
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
P
(Park). This is called “torque lock.” To
prevent torque lock, set the parking
brake and then shift into
P (Park)
properly before you leave the driver’s
seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
P (Park) in the Index.
When you are ready to drive, move the
shift lever out of
P (Park) 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 transaxle,
so you can
pull the shift lever out of
P (Park).
Parking Over nings That
Burn
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Follow the proper steps to be sure your
vehicle won’t move. See
Shifting Into P
(Park) in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and you’re
pulling a trailer,
also see Towing a
Trailer
in the Index.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the
horn symbols on your steering wheel.
Tilt Steering Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to
adjust the steering wheel before you
drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more
room when you exit and enter the
vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering
wheel and pull the lever. Move the
steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
Manual Windows
Use the manual crank to open and close
the front windows.
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0
Turn Signal and Lane Change
lndicafor
The turn signal has two upward (for
Right) and two downward (for Left)
positions. These positions allow you to
signal a turn or a lane change.
To signal a turn, move the lever all the
way up or down. When the turn is
finished, the lever will return
automatically.
?
0 - I)’ 1
A green arrow on the instrument panel
will flash in the direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or
lower the lever until the green arrow
starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever
will return by itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if
the arrows don’t flash but just stay on, a
signal bulb may be burned out and
other drivers won’t see your turn signal. If
a bulb is burned out, replace it to help
avoid an accident. If the green arrows
don’t go on at all when you signal a
turn, check the fuse (see the
Index
under Fuses G Circuit Breakers) and
for burned-out bulbs.
If you have a trailer towing option with
added wiring for the trailer lights, a
different turn signal flasher is used.
With this flasher installed, the signal
indicator will flash even
if a turn signal
bulb is burned out. Check the front and
rear turn signal lights regularly to make
sure they are working.
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Push the -:a- switch to turn on the
headlights, kogether with:
Parking Lights
Side Marker Lights
Taillights
Instrument Panel Lights
Pull the switch to turn off the lights.
Operation of Lights
Although your vehicle’s lighting system
(headlights, parking lights, fog lamps,
side marker lights and taillights) meets
all applicable federal lighting
requirements, certain states and
provinces may apply their own lighting
regulations that may require special
attention before you operate these
lights.
For example, some jurisdictions may
require that you operate your fog lamps
only when your lower beam headlights
are also on, or that headlights be turned
on whenever you must use your
windshield wipers.
In addition, most
jurisdictions prohibit driving solely with
parking lights, especially at dawn or
dusk. It is recommended that you check
with your
own state or provincial
highway authority for applicable
lighting regulations.
Lights On Reminder
If you turn the ignition key to the Off or
Lock position while leaving the lights
on, you will hear
a warning chime.
Headlight High-Low Beam
Changer
To change the headlights from high to
low beam, or low to high, simply pull
the turn signal lever all the way toward
you. Then release it.
When the high beams are
on, a blue
light on the instrument cluster also will
be on.
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86
Features & Controls
you may damage the system. After 30
minutes, wait at least 10 minutes before
restarting the air inflator.
To turn off the inflator, press OFF and
detach the hose, first from the inflated
object, then from the outlet. Place the
inflator kit tools
in the pouch and store
it in the glove box.
To use your air inflator system, attach
the appropriate nozzle adapter, if
required, to the end of the hose that has
the pressure gage. Then attach that end
of the hose to the object you wish to
inflate. Attach the other end
of the hose
to the outlet. Press the
ON switch. The
ON switch will work even with the
ignition off.
Your air inflator will automatically shut
off after about
10 minutes. To reset,
press the
ON switch again.
Don’t run your air inflator for longer
than
30 minutes at one time. If you do,
4 Inside DaylNight Rearview
Mirror
To reduce glare from lights behind you,
pull the lever toward you to the night
position.
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Features & Controls
104
closer to the floor. It may take longer to
stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. (See
Towing
Your Vehicle in the Index.)
The brake system warning light will also
come on when
you set your parking
brake, and it 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.
L Wb
Anti-Lock Brake System Warning
Light
With anti-lock, this light will go on
when you start your engine and it will
stay on for three seconds. That’s
normal. If the light doesn’t come on,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn
you if there is a problem.
If the light flashes when you’re driving,
you don’t have anti-lock brakes and
there’s a problem with your regular
brakes. 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 floor. It may take longer to
stop. Have the vehicle towed for
service. (See
Towing Your Vehicle in
the
Index.)
I
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
i
and stays on when you’re driving, stop !
as soon as possible and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to reset
! I
the system. If the light still stays on, or j
comes on again while you’re driving, ~
your Oldsmobile needs service. If the !
light is on but not flashing and the
regular brake system warning light isn’t
on,
you still have brakes, but you don’t
have anti-lock brakes.
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