Oldsmobile Alero 2003 Owner's Manuals

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The 2003 Oldsmobile Alero Owner Manual a
Seats and Restraint Systems ........................... 1-1
Front Seats
............................................... 1-2
Rear Seats
............................................... 1-8
Safety Belts
.............................................. 1-9
Child Restraints
....................................... 1-32
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
...................................... 1-53
Restraint System Check
............................ 1-60
Keys
........................................................ 2-2
Doors and Locks
....................................... 2-7
Windows
................................................. 2-1 4
Theft-Deterrent Systems ............................ 2-1 6
Starting and Operating Your Vehicle
........... 2-17
Mirrors
.................................................... 2-32
Siorage Areas
......................................... 2-34
Sunroof .................................................. 2-35
Instrument Panel Overview
.......................... 3-4
Climate Controls
...................................... 3-1 9
.w .arning Lights, Gages and indicators ......... 3-23
Audio System(s) ....................................... 3-38
Features and Controls
..................................... 2-1
Instrument Panel
............................................. 3-1 Driving Your Vehicle
....................................... 4-1
Your Driving, the Road, and Your Vehicle
..... 4-2
Towing
................................................... 4-31
Service
..................................................... 5-3
Fuel ......................................................... 5-5
Checking Things Under
the
Hood ............................................... 5-9
Headlamp Aiming
..................................... 5-47
Bulb Replacement .................................... 5-49
Windshield Wiper Blade Replacement
......... 5-52
Tires
...................................................... 5-53
Appearance Care
..................................... 5-72
Vehicle Identification
................................. 5-80
Electrical System
...................................... 5-81
Zapai;iiit=s at-tii ~J~LIIIL~LIUI I> 5-w~
Normal Maintenance Replacement Parts ...... 5-88
Maintenance Schedule ........................... ... 6-1
Maintenance Schedule
................................ 6-2
Customer Assistance Information
.................... 7-1
Customer
Assistance iniorrnation .................. 7-2
Index ................................................................. 1
Service
and Appearance Care
.......................... 5-1
n.- - -:I: - -1: - .- - .....................

7-n
‘JM
GENERAL MOTORS, GM, the GM Emblem,
OLDSMOBILE, the OLDSMOBILE Rocket Emblem and
the name ALERO are registered trademarks of
General Motors Corporation.
This manual includes the latest information at the time it
was printed. We reserve the right to make changes
after that time without further notice. For vehicles first sold in Canada, substitute the name “General Motors of
Canada Limited” for Oldsmobile Division whenever it
appears in this manual.
Please keep this manual in your vehicle,
so it will be
there
if you ever need it when you’re on the road. If you
sell the vehicle, please leave this manual in it so the
new owner can use it.
Canadian Owners
You can obtain a French copy of this manual from your
dealer or from:
Helm, Incorporated
P.O.
Box 07130
Detroit, MI 48207
How to Use This Manual
Many people read their owner’s manual from beginning
to end when they first receive their new vehicle. If
you do this, it will help you learn about the features and
controls for your vehicle. In this manual, you’ll find
that pictures and words work together to explain things.
Index
A good place to look for what you need is the Index in
back of the manual. It’s an alphabetical list of what’s
in the manual, and the page number where you’ll find it.
Litho
in U.S.A. @Copyright General Motors Corporation 06/03/02
Part No. 22691532
A First Edition All Rights Reserved
ii

Safety Warnings and Symbols
You will find a number of safety cautions in this book.
We use a box and the word
CAUTION to tell you about
things that could hurt you if you were to ignore the
warning.
These mean there
is something that could hurt
you or other people.
In the caution area, we tell you what the hazard is.
Then we tell you what to do
to help avoid or reduce the
hazard. Please read these cautions.
If you don’t, you
or others could be hurt. You will
also find a circle
with a slash through it in
this book. This safety
symbol means “Don’t,’’
“Don’t do this” or “Don’t let
this happen.”
... Ill

Vehicle Damage Warnings
Also, in this book you will find these notices:
Notice: These mean there is something that could
damage your vehicle.
A notice will tell you about something that can damage
your vehicle. Many times, this damage would not be
covered by your warranty, and it could be costly. But the
notice will tell you what to do to help avoid the
damage.
When you read other manuals, you might see
CAUTION and NOTICE warnings in different colors
or in different words.
You’ll also see warning labels on your vehicle. They use
the same words, CAUTION or NOTICE.
Vehicle Symbols
Your vehicle may be equipped with components and
labels that use symbols instead
of text. Symbols, used
on your vehicle, are shown along with the text
describing the operation or information relating to a
specific component, control, message, gage or indicator.
If you need help figuring out a specific name of a
component, gage or indicator reference the following
topics in the Index:
“Engine Compartment Overview’’
“Instrument Panel Overview”
0 “Climate Controls”
“Audio Systems”
Also see
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators on
page 3-23.

These are some examples of vehicle symbols you may find on your vehicle:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
BATTERY
ACID COULD CAUSE
BURNS
AVO1 D
1 SPARKS OR
1 FLAMES
1 BATTERY LATCH BOTH LAP AND
SHOULDER BELTS TO
PROTECT OCCUPANT
48: @
DO NOT TWIST SAFETY
BELT WHEN ATTACHING
FASTEN SEAT
BELTS
MOVE SEAT FULLY
\!$
REARWARD+ /z
SECURE
CHILD SEAT
PULL BELT
COMPLETELY
THEN SECURE CHILD SEAT
I
1
DO NOT INSTALL
A REAR-FACING
CHILD RESTRAINT IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
DO NOT INSTALL A
'ORWARD-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT
IN THIS SEATING
POSITION
--,.-. ,.,.,, a uvun Luun
UNLOCK JGHTING
- MASTER SWITCH B- / ,
SIGNALS @+
TURN
PARKING
pf
LAMPS
DAYTIME
**a
RUNNING y.:
LAMPS 0
ENGINE
COOLANT TEMP
CHARGING
I-]
BATTERY SYSTEM
COOLANT
d
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
ENGINE
COOLANT FAN
OWNERS MANUAL
SERVICE
SFRVICF
MANUAL
V

Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Front Seats .......................... ...... 1-2
Manual Seats
............................... ...... 1-2
Six-Way Power Driver Seat
............. , ......... 1-3
Reclining Seatbacks
........................................ 1-3
Head Restraints
............................................. 1-5
Seatback Latches ........................................... 1-5
Easy Entry Seat
............................................. 1-6
Power Lift Seat
.............................................. 1-6
Rear Seats
...................................................... .l -8
Rear Seat Operation ....... ........................ -1 -8
Safety Belts
..................................................... 1-9
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone
................. 1-9
Questions and Answers About Safety Belts
...... 1-13
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly
................. 1-14
Driver Position
.............................................. 1-1 5
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy .................. 1-22
Right Front Passenger Position
....................... 1-23
Rear Seat Passengers
.................................. 1-23
Lenter Hear passenger Posltion
i -z
Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides for Children
_I .....................
and Small Adults ....................................... 1-29
Safety Belt Extender
..................................... 1-31
Child Restraints
............................................. 1-32
OIder Children .............................................. 1-32
Infants and Young Children
............................ 1-34
Child Restraint Systems
................................. 1-38 Where
to Put the Restraint
........ ...... 1-41
Top Strap
................................................ -1 -41
Top Strap Anchor Location
............................. 1-42
Children (LATCH System)
........................... 1-43
Lower Anchorages
and Top Tethers for
Securing a Child Restraint Designed for the
Securing
a Child Restraint in a Rear Outside
Securing a Child Restraint in a Center Rear
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front
LATCH System
......................................... 1-45
Seat Position
............................................ 1-45
Seat Position
............................................ 1-48
Seat Position
......................................... 1-50
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
............................................. 1-53
Where Are the Air Bags?
............................... 1-55
When Should an Air Bag Inflate?
.................... 1-56
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
..................... 1-57
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
... 1-57
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-59
I I - ... n--- -- n., ne- n-e4v-:-q I IUVV uut;a a1 I r\ll uay 1ca11all I : ..................... 157
Restraint System Check .................................. 1-60
Checking Your Restraint Systems ................... 1-60
Replacing Restraint System Parts After
a
Crash ...................................................... 1 -60
1-1

Front Seats
Manual Seats
1 "J can lose control of the vehicle if you try to
adjust a manual driver's seat while the vehicle
is moving. The sudden movement could startle
and confuse you,
or make you push a pedal
when you don't want to. Adjust the driver's
seat only when the vehicle is not moving.
I Lift the bar located under the front of the seat to unlock
it. Slide the seat to where you want it and release
the bar.
Try to move the seat with your body to be sure
the seat is locked in place.
1-2

Six-Way Power Driver Seat Reclining Seatbacks
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 II- - - -.-1..-I . "- ^- A -...- 11 le LUI ILIUI up VI UUVVI I.
Raise or lower the front of the seat cushion by
holding the front
of the control up or down.
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
snrthzck IPC! !he seafhack will 20 to an upright position.
0 Raise or lower the rear of the seat cushion by
holding the rear of the control up or down.
1-3