mirror Oldsmobile Silhouette 2002 Owner's Manuals

2-71
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 ªInterior Lamps Override Switchº in the Index.
Battery Saver
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:

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.
Mirrors
Inside Day/Night Rearview Mirror
To reduce glare from lights behind you, pull the lever
toward you (to the night position). To return the mirror
to the day position, push the lever away from you.
Power Remote Control Rearview Mirrors
The control on the driver's
door operates both outside
rearview mirrors.

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Turn the control counterclockwise to select the driver's
side rearview mirror, or clockwise to select the
passenger's side rearview mirror. Then use the control to
adjust each mirror so that you can see a little of the side
of your vehicle and the area beside and behind your
vehicle when you are sitting in a comfortable driving
position.
If you are not adjusting either mirror, leave the control
in the center off position. This prevents moving the
mirrors accidentally once you have them adjusted.
Both outside mirrors can be folded forward or rearward.
In the rearward position, they will fold almost flush with
the vehicle. This feature is particularly useful in
automatic car washes.
Your mirrors have a blue tint to reduce glare while
driving at night.Convex Outside Mirror
Your passenger's side mirror is convex. A convex
mirror's surface is curved so you can see more from the
driver's seat.
CAUTION:
A convex mirror can make things (like other
vehicles) look farther away than they really are.
If you cut too sharply into the right lane, you
could hit a vehicle on your right. Check your
inside mirror or glance over your shoulder
before changing lanes.
Heated Outside Mirrors
The left and right outside mirrors are heated when you
activate the rear window defogger. See ªRear Window
Defoggerº in the Index.

2-83
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.
Your luggage carrier has
release knobs set in the ends
of each crossrail.
Turn the release knobs counterclockwise to unlock the
crossrails. Slide the crossrails forward or backward as
needed, to accommodate loads of various sizes.
After repositioning the crossrails, be sure to tighten the
release knobs by turning them clockwise. This will lock
the crossrails in place.
Use the tie-down loops on
the slider to help secure
large loads.
Sun Visors
To block out glare, you can swing down the visors.
You can also remove them from the center mount
and swing them to the side.
Lighted Visor Vanity Mirrors
Pull down the sun visor. Flip up the cover to expose the
vanity mirror. The lamps will come on when you open
the cover.

2-119
Resetting the Trip Computer
Press and hold the MODE and E/M buttons for at least
two seconds. The reset is acknowledged with the display
showing all segments on briefly. A reset can only be
done in AVG ECON, FUEL USED and AVG SPEED
displays. AVG ECON, FUEL USED and AVG SPEED
can only be reset independently. Only the mode that is
displayed will be reset.
Rear Parking Assist (Option)
Rear parking assist can help you to determine how close
an object is to your rear bumper within a given area,
making parking easier. It is not intended to be used
primarily as a rear obstacle detection system.
The rear parking assist display is located inside the
vehicle, above the rear window. It has three color
-coded
lights that can be seen through the rearview mirror.
The rear PARK AID switch
is located in the overhead
console switchbank.
Rear parking assist can be turned off by pressing the
part of the switch with the PARK AID disable symbol
on it. Pressing the textured part of the switch enables
the system.

3-7 Rear Window Defogger
Press the REAR button
to warm the defogger grid
on the rear window and to
turn on the heated outside
rearview mirrors.
The system will turn off automatically after about
10 minutes of use. If you turn it on again, the defogger
will operate for about five minutes. You can also turn
the defogger off by turning off the ignition or by
pressing the button again.
Do not attach a temporary vehicle license across the
defogger grid on the rear window.NOTICE:
Don't use a razor blade or something else sharp
on the inside of the rear window. If you do, you
could cut or damage the warming grid, and the
repairs wouldn't be covered by your warranty.
Rear Climate Control (Vehicles without the
Entertainment System) (Option)
If you have the optional rear climate control, the rear
seat passengers can control the temperature and the
amount of air directed to the rear of the vehicle. You can
also adjust the amount of air directed to the rear of the
vehicle using the front fan control knob.
When it's cold outside, set the main climate control
mode knob to lower, defog or defrost to send air to the
rear of the vehicle through the floor ducts.
Set the main climate control mode knob to vent or
bi
-level to send air to the rear of the vehicle through the
headliner outlets.
To send conditioned air to the rear of the vehicle, press
the A/C button on the main climate controls. If you do
not select A/C, air directed to the rear of the vehicle will
be cabin temperature.

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Check your mirrors, glance over your shoulder and
start your left lane change signal before moving out
of the right lane to pass. When you are far enough
ahead of the passed vehicle to see its front in your
inside mirror, activate your right lane change signal
and move back into the right lane. (Remember that
your right outside mirror is convex. The vehicle you
just passed may seem to be farther away from you
than it really is.)

Try not to pass more than one vehicle at a time
on two
-lane roads. Reconsider before passing the
next vehicle.

Don't overtake a slowly moving vehicle too rapidly.
Even though the brake lamps are not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.

If you're being passed, make it easy for the
following driver to get ahead of you. Perhaps you
can ease a little to the right.
Loss of Control
Let's review what driving experts say about what happens
when the three control systems (brakes, steering and
acceleration) don't have enough friction where the tires
meet the road to do what the driver has asked.
In any emergency, don't give up. Keep trying to steer and
constantly seek an escape route or area of less danger.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not ªoverdrivingº
those conditions. But skids are always possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle's
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren't rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration skid,
too much throttle causes the driving wheels to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal. If you have the ªTraction Control
System,º remember: It helps avoid only the acceleration
skid. If you do not have this system, or if the system is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled by
easing your foot off the accelerator pedal.

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If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want the
vehicle to go. If you start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel or other material is on the road. For safety, you'll
want to slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions. It is important to slow down on slippery
surfaces because stopping distance will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration or
braking (including engine braking by shifting to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a ªmirrored surfaceº
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember: Any anti
-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving.
One reason is that some drivers are likely to be
impaired
-- by alcohol or drugs, with night vision
problems, or by fatigue.
Here are some tips on night driving.

Drive defensively.

Don't drink and drive.

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Adjust your inside rearview mirror to reduce the
glare from headlamps behind you.

Since you can't see as well, you may need to
slow down and keep more space between you and
other vehicles.

Slow down, especially on higher speed roads. Your
headlamps can light up only so much road ahead.

In remote areas, watch for animals.

If you're tired, pull off the road in a safe place
and rest.
No one can see as well at night as in the daytime. But as
we get older these differences increase. A 50
-year-old
driver may require at least twice as much light to see the
same thing at night as a 20
-year-old.
What you do in the daytime can also affect your night
vision. For example, if you spend the day in bright
sunshine you are wise to wear sunglasses. Your eyes
will have less trouble adjusting to night. But if you're
driving, don't wear sunglasses at night. They may cut
down on glare from headlamps, but they also make
a lot of things invisible.You can be temporarily blinded by approaching
headlamps. It can take a second or two, or even
several seconds, for your eyes to readjust to the dark.
When you are faced with severe glare (as from a driver
who doesn't lower the high beams, or a vehicle with
misaimed headlamps), slow down a little. Avoid
staring directly into the approaching headlamps.
Keep your windshield and all the glass on your vehicle
clean
-- inside and out. Glare at night is made much
worse by dirt on the glass. Even the inside of the glass
can build up a film caused by dust. Dirty glass makes
lights dazzle and flash more than clean glass would,
making the pupils of your eyes contract repeatedly.
Remember that your headlamps light up far less of a
roadway when you are in a turn or curve. Keep your
eyes moving; that way, it's easier to pick out dimly
lighted objects. Just as your headlamps should be
checked regularly for proper aim, so should your eyes
be examined regularly. Some drivers suffer from night
blindness
-- the inability to see in dim light -- and
aren't even aware of it.

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At the entrance, there is usually a ramp that leads to the
freeway. If you have a clear view of the freeway as you
drive along the entrance ramp, you should begin to
check traffic. Try to determine where you expect to
blend with the flow. Try to merge into the gap at close to
the prevailing speed. Switch on your turn signal, check
your mirrors and glance over your shoulder as often as
necessary. Try to blend smoothly with the traffic flow.
Once you are on the freeway, adjust your speed to the
posted limit or to the prevailing rate if it's slower. Stay
in the right lane unless you want to pass.
Before changing lanes, check your mirrors. Then use
your turn signal.
Just before you leave the lane, glance quickly over your
shoulder to make sure there isn't another vehicle in your
ªblindº spot.
Once you are moving on the freeway, make certain you
allow a reasonable following distance. Expect to move
slightly slower at night.When you want to leave the freeway, move to the proper
lane well in advance. If you miss your exit, do not,
under any circumstances, stop and back up. Drive on to
the next exit.
The exit ramp can be curved, sometimes quite sharply.
The exit speed is usually posted.
Reduce your speed according to your speedometer, not
to your sense of motion. After driving for any distance
at higher speeds, you may tend to think you are going
slower than you actually are.
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
Make sure you're ready. Try to be well rested. If you
must start when you're not fresh
-- such as after a day's
work
-- don't plan to make too many miles that first part
of the journey. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you
can easily drive in.
Is your vehicle ready for a long trip? If you keep it
serviced and maintained, it's ready to go. If it needs
service, have it done before starting out. Of course,
you'll find experienced and able service experts in
Oldsmobile dealerships all across North America.
They'll be ready and willing to help if you need it.

4-23
Here are some things you can check before a trip:

Windshield Washer Fluid: Is the reservoir full?
Are all windows clean inside and outside?

Wiper Blades: Are they in good shape?

Fuel, Engine Oil, Other Fluids: Have you checked
all levels?

Lamps: 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?

Weather Forecasts: What's the weather outlook
along your route? Should you delay your trip a short
time to avoid a major storm system?

Maps: Do you have up
-to-date maps?
Highway Hypnosis
Is there actually such a condition as ªhighway hypnosisº?
Or is it just plain falling 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 than a 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:

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 mirrors and your
instruments frequently.

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.