ESP Oldsmobile Alero 2002 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.
To unlock the door 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, move the manual
lock forward.
To unlock the door, move the manual lock rearward.

2-18
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.

If your vehicle has a remote lock control system,
take the transmitter with you.

2-46
The exterior lamps control has three positions:
(Parking Lamps): Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps, together with
the following:

Sidemarker Lamps

Taillamps

License Plate Lamps

Instrument Panel Lights
(Headlamps): Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
AUTO: Turning the control to this position turns the
headlamps, taillamps and parking lamps on and off
automatically, while the ignition is on, by sensing how
dark it is outside. For more information see ªAutomatic
Light Controlº later in this section.
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 lamps 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 exterior lamps control 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 exterior
lamps control to the parking lamp position.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.

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.

4-5
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 (ETS)
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
re
-engage 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 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.

4-14

Do not get too close to the vehicle you want to pass
while you're awaiting an opportunity. For one thing,
following too closely reduces your area of vision,
especially if you're following a larger vehicle.
Also, you won't have adequate space if the vehicle
ahead suddenly slows or stops. Keep back a
reasonable distance.

When it looks like a chance to pass is coming up,
start to accelerate but stay in the right lane and
don't get too close. Time your move so you will be
increasing speed as the time comes to move into the
other lane. If the way is clear to pass, you will have a
ªrunning startº that more than makes up for the
distance you would lose by dropping back. And if
something happens to cause you to cancel your pass,
you need only slow down and drop back again and
wait for another opportunity.

If other cars are lined up to pass a slow vehicle, wait
your turn. But take care that someone isn't trying to
pass you as you pull out to pass the slow vehicle.
Remember to glance over your shoulder and check
the blind spot.
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.