clock Oldsmobile Alero 2002 Owner's Manuals

1-4 Six-Way Power Seat Controls (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this
feature, the power seat
control is located on
the outboard side of
the driver's seat.
This control allows you to move the seat up, down,
forward, or backward. It will also move the front or rear
of the seat cushion up or down.

Move the seat forward or rearward by pushing the
control toward the front or rear of the vehicle.

Raise or lower the entire seat cushion by holding
the control up or down.

Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front of the control up or down.

Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
holding the rear of the control up or down.
Manual Lumbar Support (If Equipped)
If your vehicle has this feature, turn the knob located on
the inboard side of the driver's seat cushion clockwise
or counterclockwise to adjust support of the lower back.
Reclining Front Seatbacks
To adjust the seatback, lift the lever located on the
outboard side of the seat and move the seatback to
where you want it. Release the lever to lock the
seatback. Pull up on the lever without pushing on the
seatback, and the seatback will go to an upright position.

2-20
Ignition Positions
With the key in the ignition switch, you can turn it to
four different positions.
A (OFF): This is the only position from which you can
remove the key. With an automatic transaxle, the shift
lever must be in PARK (P) with the ignition in OFF to
remove the key. With a manual transaxle, the shift lever
must be in REVERSE (R) with the ignition in OFF to
remove the key.A warning chime will sound if you open the driver's
door when the ignition is off and the key is in the
ignition.
NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in OFF and you can't
turn it, be sure you are using the correct key; if
so, is it all the way in? Turn the key only with
your hand. Using a tool to force it could break
the key or the ignition switch. If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service.
B (ACCESSORY): This position unlocks the transaxle.
It also lets you use things like the radio and windshield
wipers when the engine is not running. To use
ACCESSORY, turn the key clockwise to the first
position. Use this position if your vehicle must be pushed
or towed, but never try to push
-start your vehicle.

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.

4-12 Steering in Emergencies
There are times when steering can be more effective
than braking. For example, you come over a hill and
find a truck stopped in your lane, or a car suddenly
pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from
between parked cars and stops right in front of you.
You can avoid these problems by braking
-- if you can
stop in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room.
That's the time for evasive action
-- steering around
the problem.
Your vehicle can perform very well in emergencies
like these. First apply your brakes. See ªBraking in
Emergenciesº earlier in this section. It is better to
remove as much speed as you can from a possible
collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left
or right depending on the space available.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision. If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand. But you have to act fast, steer quickly,
and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that such emergency situations are always
possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.

5-16
1. Park the vehicle on
a level surface.
You can remove the coolant surge tank pressure cap
when the cooling system, including the coolant surge
tank pressure cap and upper radiator hose, is no
longer hot. Turn the pressure cap slowly
counterclockwise (left) about two or two and
one
-half turns. If you hear a hiss, wait for that to
stop. This will allow any pressure still left to be
vented out the discharge hose.
2. Then keep turning
the pressure cap
slowly, and
remove it.