ESP Oldsmobile Alero 2001 Owner's Manuals

1-12
or the safety belts!
With safety belts, you slow down as the vehicle does.
You get more time to stop. You stop over more distance,
and your strongest bones take the forces. That's why
safety belts make such good sense.
Here Are Questions Many People Ask
About Safety Belts
-- and the Answers
Q:
Won't I be trapped in the vehicle after an
accident if I'm wearing a safety belt?
A:You could be -- whether you're wearing a safety
belt or not. But you can unbuckle a safety belt,
even if you're upside down. And your chance of
being conscious during and after an accident, so
you can unbuckle and get out, is much greater if
you are belted.
Q:If my vehicle has air bags, why should I have to
wear safety belts?
A:Air bags are in many vehicles today and will be in
most of them in the future. But they are
supplemental systems only; so they work with
safety belts
-- not instead of them. Every air bag
system ever offered for sale has required the use of
safety belts. Even if you're in a vehicle that has air
bags, you still have to buckle up to get the most
protection. That's true not only in frontal collisions,
but especially in side and other collisions.

2-2
Windows
CAUTION:
Leaving children in a vehicle with the windows
closed is dangerous. A child can be overcome
by the extreme heat and can suffer permanent
injuries or even death from heat stroke.
Never leave a child alone in a vehicle, especially
with the windows closed in warm or hot weather.

2-6
Door Locks
CAUTION:
Unlocked doors can be dangerous.

Passengers -- especially children -- can
easily open the doors and fall out of a
moving vehicle. When a door is locked,
the handle won't open it. You increase the
chance of being thrown out of the vehicle in
a crash if the doors aren't locked. So, wear
safety belts properly and lock the doors
whenever you drive.

Young children who get into unlocked
vehicles may be unable to get out. A child
can be overcome by extreme heat and can
suffer permanent injuries or even death
from heat stroke. Always lock your vehicle
whenever you leave it.

Outsiders can easily enter through an
unlocked door when you slow down or stop
your vehicle. Locking your doors can help
prevent this from happening.
There are several ways to lock and unlock your vehicle.
From the outside, use your key or remote keyless entry
transmitter, if your vehicle is equipped with this feature.
To lock the door from the inside, to lock the door,
move the manual lock forward.
To unlock the door, move the manual lock rearward.

2-15
To replace the battery in the remote keyless
entry transmitter:
1. Use a flat object like a coin to separate the
bottom half from the top half of the transmitter.
2. Remove the battery and replace it with the new one.
Make sure the positive (+) side of the battery faces
down. Use one three
-volt, CR2032, or equivalent,
type battery.
3. Put the two halves back together. Make sure the
cover is on tightly, so water won't get in.
4. Resynchronize and then test the transmitter.
Resynchronization
Your remote keyless entry system is equipped with a
security system that prevents anyone from recording and
playing back your signal. The transmitter does not send
the same signal twice to the receiver. The receiver will
not respond to a signal that has been sent to it more
than once.
To resynchronize your transmitter and receiver,
follow these directions:
1. Stand close to your vehicle.
2. Press and hold the LOCK and UNLOCK buttons
on the transmitter at the same time.
3. Hold the buttons for seven seconds. In this time, the
doors should lock and unlock once. This confirms
the resynchronization. If the doors do not lock and
unlock, see your dealer for service.

2-19
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your vehicle has a number of theft
-deterrent
features, we know that nothing we put on it can
make it impossible to steal. However, there are ways
you can help.
Key in the Ignition
If you leave your vehicle with the keys inside, it's an
easy target for joy riders or professional thieves
-- so
don't do it.
When you park your vehicle and open the driver's door,
you'll hear a chime reminding you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your ignition and transaxle will be locked.
And remember to lock the doors.
Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out of sight.
Put them in a storage area, or take them with you.
Parking Lots
Even if you park in a lot where someone will be
watching your vehicle, it's still best to lock it up and
take your keys. But what if you have to leave your key?

If possible, park in a busy, well
-lit area.

Put your valuables in a storage area, like your
trunk or glove box. Be sure to close and lock the
storage area.

Close all windows.

Move the trunk release lockout switch to ON.

Lock the glove box.

Lock all the doors except the driver's.

2-45
Exterior Lamps
Headlamps
See ªTurn Signal/Multifunction Leverº in the Index.
Daytime Running Lamps
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 lights are required on all
vehicles first sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make your high
-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness when the following
conditions are met:

The ignition is on,

the headlamp switch is in AUTO or the parking
lamps only position,

the light sensor detects daytime light,

the parking brake is released, and

the shift lever is not in PARK (P) on vehicles with an
automatic transaxle only.When the DRL system is on, the taillamps, sidemarker
lamps, parking lamps and instrument panel lights will
not be illuminated unless you have turned the headlamp
control to the parking lamp position.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.
Automatic Light Control (ALC)
When it is dark enough outside, your Automatic Light
Control (ALC) will turn on your headlamps at the
normal brightness along with other lamps such as the
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps and the instrument
panel lights. The radio lights will also be dim.
Your vehicle is equipped with a light sensor on the top
of the instrument panel under the defroster grill, so be
sure it is not covered which will cause the ALC system
to be on whenever the ignition is on.
The ALC system may also be on when driving through
a parking garage, heavy overcast weather or a tunnel.
This is normal.

3-22 Personal Choice Radio Controls
(If Equipped)
With this feature, your vehicle will recall the latest radio
settings as adjusted the last time your vehicle was
operated. This feature allows two different drivers to
store and recall their own radio settings for AM and FM
presets, last tuned station, volume, tone and audio
source (radio, cassette or CD). The settings recalled by
the radio are determined by which transmitter was used
to enter the vehicle. After the UNLOCK button is
pressed on the transmitter and the ignition is in ON,
the radio settings will automatically adjust to where
they were last set by the identified driver. All vehicles
are shipped with this feature on. This feature can be
disabled by your dealer if desired.
Theft-Deterrent Feature RDS Radios
THEFTLOCK
is designed to discourage theft of your
radio. The feature works automatically by learning a
portion of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
If the radio is moved to a different vehicle, it will not
operate and LOCKED will be displayed.
When the radio and vehicle are turned off, the blinking
red light indicates that THEFTLOCK is armed.
With THEFTLOCK activated, your radio will not
operate if stolen.
Understanding Radio Reception
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can pick
up noise from things like storms and power lines. Try
reducing the treble to reduce this noise if you ever get it.
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about 10 to 40 miles (16 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and go.
Tips About Your Audio System
Hearing damage from loud noise is almost undetectable
until it is too late. Your hearing can adapt to higher
volumes of sound. Sound that seems normal can be
loud and harmful to your hearing. Take precautions by
adjusting the volume control on your radio to a safe
sound level before your hearing adapts to it.

4-5
The body takes about an hour to rid itself of the alcohol
in one drink. No amount of coffee or number of cold
showers will speed that up. ªI'll be carefulº isn't the
right answer. What if there's an emergency, a need to
take sudden action, as when a child darts into the street?
A person with even a moderate BAC might not be able
to react quickly enough to avoid the collision.
There's something else about drinking and driving that
many people don't know. Medical research shows that
alcohol in a person's system can make crash injuries
worse, especially injuries to the brain, spinal cord or
heart. This means that when anyone who has been
drinking
-- driver or passenger -- is in a crash, that
person's chance of being killed or permanently disabled
is higher than if the person had not been drinking.
CAUTION:
Drinking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness and
judgment can be affected by even a small amount
of alcohol. You can have a serious
-- or even
fatal
-- collision if you drive after drinking.
Please don't drink and drive or ride with a driver
who has been drinking. Ride home in a cab; or if
you're with a group, designate a driver who will
not drink.

4-9
Remember: Anti-lock doesn't change the time you need
to get your foot up to the brake pedal or always decrease
stopping distance. 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 or stops. Always leave
enough room up ahead to stop, even though you have
anti
-lock brakes.
Using Anti
-Lock
Don't pump the brakes. Just hold the brake pedal down
firmly and let anti
-lock work for you. You may feel a
slight brake pedal pulsation or notice some noise, but
this is normal.
Braking in Emergencies
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time. In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
Enhanced Traction System
Your vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) 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 reduces engine power and may also
upshift the transaxle to limit wheel spin.
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction System is limiting
wheel spin. See ªEnhanced
Traction System Active
Lightº in the Index.
You may feel or hear the system working, but this
is normal.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. When road
conditions allow you to safely use it again, you may
reengage the cruise control. See ªCruise Controlº in
the Index.

4-10
The Enhanced Traction System operates in all transaxle
shift lever positions. But the system can upshift the
transaxle only as high as the shift lever position you've
chosen, so you should use the lower gears only when
necessary. See ªAutomatic Transaxleº in the Index.
When the system is on and
the parking brake is fully
released, this warning light
will come on to let you
know if there's a problem.
See ªEnhanced Traction System Warning Lightº in the
Index. When this warning light is on, the system will
not limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
To limit wheel spin, especially in slippery road
conditions, you should always leave the Enhanced
Traction System on. But you can turn the system off
if you prefer.
To turn the system on
or off, press the ETS
button located on the
center console.
When you turn the system off, the Enhanced Traction
System warning light will come on and stay on. If the
Enhanced Traction System is limiting wheel spin when
you press the button to turn the system off, the warning
light will come on and the indicator light will go
off
-- but the system won't turn off right away. It
will wait until there's no longer a current need to limit
wheel spin.
You can turn the system back on at any time by pressing
the button again. The Enhanced Traction System
warning light should go off.