lock Oldsmobile Alero 2002 s Service Manual

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.

3-
3-1
Section 3 Comfort Controls and Audio Systems
In this section, you'll find out how to operate the comfort control and audio systems offered with your vehicle. Be
sure to read about the particular systems supplied with your vehicle.
3
-2 Comfort Controls
3
-2 Climate Control System with
Air Conditioning
3
-3 Air Conditioning
3
-4 Heating
3
-4 Defogging and Defrosting Windows
3
-5 Rear Window Defogger
3
-5 Ventilation System
3
-7 Audio Systems
3
-7 Setting the Clock
3
-7AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
with Programmable Equalization and Radio
Data System (RDS)3
-15 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Programmable
Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)
(If Equipped)
3
-24 Theft-Deterrent Feature
3
-24 Understanding Radio Reception
3
-25 Tips About Your Audio System
3
-26 Care of Your Cassette Tape Player
3
-27 Care of Your Compact Discs
3
-27 Care of Your Compact Disc Player
3
-28 Backglass Antenna
3
-28 Chime Level Adjustment

3-7
Audio Systems
Your audio system has been designed to operate easily
and give years of listening pleasure. You will get the
most enjoyment out of it if you acquaint yourself with
it first. Find out what your audio system can do and how
to operate all of its controls to be sure you're getting the
most out of the advanced engineering that went into it.
Your vehicle has a feature called Retained Accessory
Power (RAP). With RAP, you can play your
audio system even after the ignition is turned off.
See ªRetained Accessory Power (RAP)º in the Index.
Setting the Clock
Press and hold HR until the correct hour appears.
The letters AM or PM will appear on the display. Then,
press and hold MN until the correct minute appears.
The clock may be set with the ignition on or off.
To set the clock to the time of an FM station
broadcasting Radio Data System (RDS) information,
press and hold HR and MN at the same time until
UPDATED appears on the display. If the time is not
available from the station, NO UPDATE will appear on
the display instead.
AM-FM Stereo with Compact Disc Player
with Programmable Equalization and
Radio Data System (RDS)
Playing the Radio
POWER: Press this knob to turn the system on and off.
VOLUME: Turn the knob clockwise to increase
volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume.

3-11
Finding a PTY Preset Station
To find a PTY preset station, perform the
following steps:
1. Press the P
-TYPE button to turn on PTY select, if it
is not already on. PTY will be displayed and the light
next to the button will turn on. The last selected PTY
will appear on the display for five seconds.
2. Turn the P
-TYPE knob either clockwise or
counterclockwise to select a program type. The list is
alphabetical. If you select ANY TYPE your radio
will seek to the first PTY available.
3. Push the SEEK button to activate search. The radio
will seek to the first RDS broadcaster of the selected
program type. If the radio cannot find the desired
program type, NOT FOUND will appear on the
display and the radio will return to the last station
you were listening to.To use the P
-TYPE interrupt feature, press and hold the
P
-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you
want to interrupt on. An asterisk will appear next to the
PTY name (for example CLASSICAL*). When you are
listening to a compact disc, the last selected RDS FM
station will interrupt play if that selected PTY format is
broadcast.
BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. Press and hold BAND for two
seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger
stations. Press and hold BAND again for two seconds to
turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations. When
you turn the ignition off and then on again, the alternate
frequency feature will automatically be turned on.


SEEK
: Press the right arrow to go to a station
with the last selected PTY; TYPE and the last selected
PTY will appear on the display, if it is not already
showing. Press SEEK a second time to seek. If a station
with the selected PTY is not found, the radio will return
to the original station and display NOT FOUND.

3-15 AM-FM Stereo with Cassette Tape and
Compact Disc Player with Programmable
Equalization and Radio Data System (RDS)
(If Equipped)
Playing the Radio
POWER: Press this knob to turn the system on and off.
VOLUME: Turn the knob clockwise to increase
volume. Turn it counterclockwise to decrease volume.SCV (Speed
-Compensated Volume): With SCV, your
audio system adjusts automatically to make up for road
and wind noise as you drive. Set the volume at the
desired level. Press this button to select MIN, MED or
MAX. Each higher choice allows for more volume
compensation at faster vehicle speeds. Then, as you
drive, SCV automatically increases the volume, as
necessary, to overcome noise at any speed. The volume
level should always sound the same to you as you drive.
If you don't want to use SCV, select OFF.
Finding a Station
BAND: Press this button to switch between AM,
FM1 and FM2. The display shows your selection.
TUNE: Turn this knob to select radio stations.


SEEK
: Press the right or left arrow to go to the
next or previous station and stay there. The radio will
seek to stations with a strong signal only. The sound
will mute while seeking.


SCAN
: Press and hold either arrow for two
seconds until SC appears on the display and you hear
a beep. The radio will go to a station, play for a few
seconds, then go on to the next station. Press either
SCAN arrow again to stop scanning. The radio will scan
to stations with a strong signal only. The sound will
mute while scanning.

3-18
Finding a PTY Preset Station
To find a PTY preset station, perform the
following steps:
1. Press the P
-TYPE button to turn on PTY select. PTY
will be displayed and the light next to the button will
turn on. The last selected PTY will appear on the
display for five seconds.
2. Turn the P
-TYPE knob clockwise or
counterclockwise to select the PTY you want to
listen to. The list is alphabetical. If you select ANY
TYPE your radio will seek to the first PTY available.
3. Press the right SEEK arrow to find radio stations for
that PTY. The radio will seek to the first RDS
broadcaster of the selected program type. If the radio
cannot find the desired program type, NOT FOUND
will appear on the display and the radio will return to
the last station you were listening to. If both P
-TYPE
and TRAF are on, the radio will search for stations
with traffic announcements and the selected PTY.To use the P
-TYPE interrupt feature, press and hold the
P
-TYPE button until you hear a beep on the PTY you
want to interrupt on. An asterisk will appear next to the
PTY name (for example CLASSICAL*). When you are
listening to a cassette or compact disc, the last selected
RDS FM station will interrupt play if that selected PTY
format is broadcast.
BAND (Alternate Frequency): Alternate frequency
allows the radio to switch to a stronger station with the
same program type. Press and hold BAND for two
seconds to turn alternate frequency on. AF ON will
appear on the display. The radio may switch to stronger
stations. Press and hold BAND again for two seconds to
turn alternate frequency off. AF OFF will appear on the
display. The radio will not switch to other stations. When
you turn the ignition off and then on again, the alternate
frequency feature will automatically be turned on.


SEEK
: Press the right arrow to go to a station with
the last selected PTY; TYPE and the last selected PTY
will appear on the display, if it is not already showing.
Press SEEK a second time to seek. If a station with the
selected PTY is not found, the radio will return to the
original station and display NOT FOUND.

3-22
Cassette Tape Messages
If an error occurs while trying to play a cassette tape,
it could be for one of the following reasons:
TIGHT TAPE: When this message is displayed, the
tape is tight and the player can't turn the tape hubs.
Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the open end down
and try to turn the right hub counterclockwise with a
pencil. Turn the tape over and repeat. If the hubs do not
turn easily, your tape may be damaged and should not be
used in the player. Try a new tape to make sure your
player is working properly.
BROKEN TAPE: If this message is displayed, the tape
is broken. Try a new tape.
WRAPPED: When this message is displayed, the tape
is wrapped around the tape head. Attempt to get the
cassette out. Try a new tape.
CLEAN PLAYR (Clean Player): This message may
also appear on the radio display to indicate that the
cassette tape player needs to be cleaned. It will still play
tapes, but you should clean it as soon as possible to
prevent damage to the tapes and player. For additional
information see ªCare of Your Cassette Tape Playerº
in the Index.If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.
Playing a Compact Disc
With the ignition on, insert a disc partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull it in and the disc
should begin playing. If you want to insert a CD when
the ignition is off, first press the eject button or the
RCL knob.
When the disc is inserted, the CD symbol will be
displayed. If you select an EQ setting for your CD,
it will be activated each time you play a CD.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear on the display.
If an error appears on the display, see ªCompact Disc
Messagesº later in this section.
1 REV (Reverse): Press and hold this pushbutton to
reverse quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release it to play the passage. The
display will show elapsed time.

3-24
Compact Disc Messages
CHECK CD: If this message appears on the radio
display and the disc comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:

The road is too rough. The disc should play when the
road is smoother.

The disc is dirty, scratched, wet or upside down.

The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error can't be
corrected, contact your dealer. If your radio displays an
error message, write it down and provide it to your
dealer when reporting the problem.Theft-Deterrent Feature
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.

4-7
Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive
in spurts
-- heavy acceleration followed by heavy
braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic.
This is a mistake. Your brakes may not have time to
cool between hard stops. Your brakes will wear out
much faster if you do a lot of heavy braking. If you
keep pace with the traffic and allow realistic following
distances, you will eliminate a lot of unnecessary
braking. That means better braking and longer
brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you're driving, brake
normally but don't pump your brakes. If you do,
the pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But you will use it when you brake. Once the power
assist is used up, it may take longer to stop and the
brake pedal will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes. ABS is an
advanced electronic braking system that will help
prevent a braking skid.
When you start your engine, or when you begin to
drive away, your anti
-lock brake system will check
itself. You may hear a momentary motor or clicking
noise while this test is going on, and you may even
notice that your brake pedal moves or pulses a little.
This is normal.
United States Canada
If there's a problem with the anti
-lock brake system,
this warning light will stay on. See ªAnti
-Lock Brake
System Warning Lightº in the Index.

4-8
Let's say the road is wet and you're driving safely.
Suddenly, an animal jumps out in front of you.
You slam on the brakes and continue braking.
Here's what happens with ABS:
A computer senses that wheels are slowing down. If one
of the wheels is about to stop rolling, the computer will
separately work the brakes at each front wheel and at
both rear wheels.The anti
-lock system can change the brake
pressure faster than any driver could. The computer is
programmed to make the most of available tire and road
conditions. This can help you steer around the obstacle
while braking hard.
As you brake, your computer keeps receiving updates on
wheel speed and controls braking pressure accordingly.