key Oldsmobile Alero 2002 s Owner's Guide

2-61 Air Bag Readiness Light
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument
panel, which shows the air bag symbol. The system
checks the air bag's electrical system for malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem.
The system check includes the air bag modules, the
wiring and the crash sensing and diagnostic module.
For more information on the air bag system,
see ªAir Bagº in the Index.
This light will come on
when you start your vehicle,
and it will flash for a few
seconds. Then the light
should go out. This means
the system is ready.
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you start the
vehicle or comes on when you are driving, your air bag
system may not work properly. Have your vehicle
serviced right away.
CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light stays on after you
start your vehicle, it means the air bag system
may not be working properly. The air bags in
your vehicle may not inflate in a crash, or they
could even inflate without a crash. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have your vehicle
serviced right away if the air bag readiness light
stays on after you start your vehicle.
The air bag readiness light should flash for a few
seconds when you turn the ignition key to ON.
If the light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so
it will be ready to warn you if there is a problem.

2-63
United States Canada
This light should come on briefly when you turn
the ignition key to ON. If it doesn't come on then,
have it fixed 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 floor.
It may take longer to stop. If the light is still on, have the
vehicle towed for service. See ªTowing Your Vehicleº in
the Index.
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've
pulled off the road and stopped carefully, have
the vehicle towed for service.
When the ignition is on, the brake system warning light
will also 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.

2-64 Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
United States Canada
With the anti
-lock brake system, the light will come on
when your engine is started and may stay on for three
seconds. That's normal.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition to OFF. Or, if the
light comes 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, your vehicle needs
service. If the regular brake system warning light isn't
on, you still have brakes, but you don't have anti
-lock
brakes. If the regular brake system warning light is also
on, you don't have anti
-lock brakes and there's a
problem with your regular brakes. See ªBrake System
Warning Lightº earlier in this section.The anti
-lock brake system warning light should come
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if there is a problem.
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light
With the Enhanced Traction
System (ETS), this warning
light should come on briefly
as you start the engine.
If the warning light doesn't come on then, have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there's a problem.
If the warning light stays on, or comes on when you're
driving, there may be a problem with your Enhanced
Traction System and your vehicle may need service.
When this warning light is on, the system will not
limit wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.

2-65
The Enhanced Traction System warning light may come
on for the following reasons:

If you turn the system off by pressing the ETS button
on the center console near the gear shift lever, 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 ªEnhanced Traction Systemº
in the Index for more information.

If the traction control system is affected by an
engine
-related problem, the system will turn off
and the warning light will come on.

If the vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road, the
warning light may come on momentarily but will go
off again when the vehicle leaves the rough surface.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light comes
on and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on and the parking brake is fully
released, your vehicle needs service.
Enhanced Traction System Active Light
When your Enhanced
Traction System is
limiting wheel spin,
this light will come on.
Slippery road conditions may exist if the Enhanced
Traction System active light comes on, so adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active.

2-67 Low Tire Pressure Light (If Equipped)
The tire pressure
monitor system can
alert you to a large
change in the pressure
in one tire.
After the system has ªlearnedº tire pressures with
properly inflated tires, the LOW TIRE PRESSURE light
will come on if the pressure in one tire becomes 12 psi
(83 kPa) lower than the other three tires. The tire
pressure monitor system won't alert you if the pressure
in more than one tire is low, if the system is not yet
calibrated, or if the vehicle is moving at less than 15
mph (25 km/h), faster than
75 mph (120 km/h), on rough roads or during turns.
The light may also come on if you are driving on
partially cleared pavement.When the LOW TIRE PRESSURE light comes on, you
should stop as soon as you can and check all your tires
for damage. (If a tire is flat, see ªIf a Tire Goes Flatº in
the Index.) Also check the tire pressure in all four tires
as soon as you can. See ªInflation
- Tire Pressureº in
the Index.
The light will stay on (while the ignition is on) until you
reset (calibrate) the system. See ªTire Pressure Monitor
Systemº in the Index.
The LOW TIRE PRESSURE light also comes on
briefly when you turn the ignition key to ON. If the
light doesn't come on then, have it fixed so it will be
there to tell you if the pressure in a tire is low or high.
If the anti
-lock brake system warning light comes on,
the tire pressure monitor system may not be working.
See your dealer for service. Also, see ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

2-70
If the Light Is Flashing
The following may prevent more serious damage to
your vehicle:

Reducing vehicle speed.

Avoiding hard accelerations.

Avoiding steep uphill grades.

If you are towing a trailer, reduce the amount of
cargo being hauled as soon as it is possible.
If the light stops flashing and remains on steady,
see ªIf the Light Is On Steadyº following.
If the light continues to flash, when it is safe to do so,
stop the vehicle. Find a safe place to park your vehicle.
Turn the key off, wait at least 10 seconds and restart the
engine. If the light remains on steady, see ªIf the Light
Is On Steadyº following. If the light is still flashing,
follow the previous steps, and drive the vehicle to your
dealer or qualified service center for service.If the Light Is On Steady
You may be able to correct the emission system
malfunction by considering the following:
Did you recently put fuel into your vehicle?
If so, reinstall the fuel cap, making sure to fully
install the cap. See ªFilling Your Tankº in the Index.
The diagnostic system can determine if the fuel cap
has been left off or improperly installed. A loose or
missing fuel cap will allow fuel to evaporate into the
atmosphere. A few driving trips with the cap properly
installed should turn the light off.
Did you just drive through a deep puddle of water?
If so, your electrical system may be wet. The condition
will usually be corrected when the electrical system
dries out. A few driving trips should turn the light off.

2-73 Low Oil Light (If Equipped)
If your vehicle is equipped
with a 3400 V6 engine, then
you will have a LOW OIL
light in your instrument
panel cluster.
This light will come on briefly when you start your vehicle.
If the light stays on after starting your vehicle, or comes
on and chimes while you are driving, your engine oil
level should be checked.
Prior to checking the oil level, be sure your vehicle has
been shut off for several minutes and is on a level
surface. Check the oil level on your dipstick and bring it
to the proper level. See ªEngine Oilº in the Index.
A false LOW OIL light may be generated when parking
on steep grades.The oil level monitoring system only checks oil level
during the brief period between when the key is on and
the engine is cranking. It does not monitor engine oil
level when the engine is running. Additionally, an oil
level check is only performed if the engine has been
turned off for a considerable period of time allowing the
oil normally in circulation to drain back into the oil pan.
Change Oil Light
The CHANGE OIL light
should come on briefly
as a bulb check when you
start the engine. If the
light doesn't come on,
have it serviced.
If the CHANGE OIL light comes on and stays on
after you start the engine, have the oil changed.
To reset the CHANGE OIL light, see ªEngine Oil,
When to Changeº in the Index.

2-74 Security Light
This light will come on
when you turn the key to
ON and will stay on until
the vehicle starts.
If you're driving and the security light comes on and
remains on, your Passlock

system is not working
properly. Your vehicle is not protected by Passlock and
you should see your dealer.
Cruise Light
The CRUISE light comes
on whenever you set your
cruise control.
Low Washer Light
United States Canada
This light will come on briefly when you turn on the
ignition. It will also stay on, or come on and a chime
will sound, if the windshield washer fluid reservoir is
less than one
-third full.

4-3
Drunken Driving
Death and injury associated with drinking and driving
is a national tragedy. It's the number one contributor
to the highway death toll, claiming thousands of victims
every year.
Alcohol affects four things that anyone needs to drive
a vehicle:

Judgment

Muscular Coordination

Vision

Attentiveness.
Police records show that almost half of all motor
vehicle
-related deaths involve alcohol. In most cases,
these deaths are the result of someone who was drinking
and driving. In recent years, about 16,000 annual motor
vehicle
-related deaths have been associated with the use
of alcohol, with more than 300,000 people injured.
Many adults
-- by some estimates, nearly half the adult
population
-- choose never to drink alcohol, so they
never drive after drinking. For persons under 21, it's
against the law in every U.S. state to drink alcohol.
There are good medical, psychological and
developmental reasons for these laws.The obvious way to solve the leading highway safety
problem is for people never to drink alcohol and then
drive. But what if people do? How much is ªtoo muchº
if the driver plans to drive? It's a lot less than many
might think. Although it depends on each person
and situation, here is some general information on
the problem.
The Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of someone
who is drinking depends upon four things:

The amount of alcohol consumed

The drinker's body weight

The amount of food that is consumed before and
during drinking

The length of time it has taken the drinker to
consume the alcohol.
According to the American Medical Association, a
180
-lb. (82 kg) person who drinks three 12-ounce
(355 ml) bottles of beer in an hour will end up with a
BAC of about 0.06 percent. The person would reach the
same BAC by drinking three 4
-ounce (120 ml) glasses
of wine or three mixed drinks if each had 1
-1/2 ounces
(45 ml) of a liquor like whiskey, gin or vodka.

4-32
Remember to reinstall the fuses once you reach your
destination. To reinstall a fuse do the following:
1. Set the parking brake.
2. Remove the key from the ignition switch.
3. Put the fuse back in.
NOTICE:
Make sure that the towing speed does not exceed
65 mph (110 km/h), or your vehicle could be
badly damaged.
NOTICE:
Do not tow your vehicle from the rear. Your
vehicle could be badly damaged and the repairs
would not be covered by your warranty.