Oldsmobile Alero 2003 s Owners Manual

4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and
store the cord as it was before to keep it away
from moving engine parts.
If you don’t, it could be
damaged.
How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged
in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the
kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead
of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact
your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your
vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that
particular area.
Automatic Transaxle Operation
Your automatic transaxle
has a shift lever located
on the console between
the seats.
PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It’s the
best position to use when you start your engine
because your vehicle can’t move easily.
It igerous to get out of your vehicle if the
shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless you have to.
If you have left the
engine running, the vehicle can move
suddenly. You
or others could be injured. To
be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always set your
parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P). See “Shifting Into Park (P)” in the
Index. If you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a
Trailer”
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting
the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift
lock control system. You have to apply your regular brake
before you can shift from PARK
(P) when the ignition key
is
in ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease
pressure on the shift lever and push the shift lever all the
way into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application.
2-22

Then move the shift lever into the gear you wish. Press
the shift lever button before moving the shift lever. See
Shifting Out of Park (P) on page 2-28 later in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up.
Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle
is moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
If
You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow on
page 4-29.
NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine doesn’t
connect with the wheels. To restart when you’re already
moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed.
,,ifling into a drive gear while your engine is
“racing” (running at high speed) is dangerous.
Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal,
your vehicle could move very rapidly. You
could lose control and hit people or objects.
Don’t shift into
a drive gear while your engine
is racing.
Notice: Damage to your transaxle caused by
shifting into a drive gear with the engine racing isn’t
covered by your warranty.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
This position is for
normal driving.
If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
Going less than 35 mph (55 km/h), push your
0 Going about 35 mph (55 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
acceieraivr pedai abwui ilaiiway ~UWI-I.
accelerator all the way down.
2-23

Notice: If your vehicle seems to start up rather
slowly, or if
it seems not to shift gears as you go
faster, something may be wrong with a transaxle system sensor. If you drive very far that way, your
vehicle can be damaged.
So, if this happens,
have your vehicle serviced right away. Until then,
you can use SECOND
(2) when you are driving
less than
35 mph (55 kmh) and AUTOMATIC
OVERDRIVE (D) for higher speeds.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal driving.
However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy
than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some
times you might choose THIRD
(3) instead of
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):
When driving on hilly, winding roads.
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
When going down a steep hill.
between
gears. SECOND
(2): This
position gives you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on
hills. It can help control your speed as you go down
steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to
use your brakes off and on.
Notice: Don’t drive in SECOND (2) for more than
25 miles (40 km), or at speeds over 55 mph
(90 km/h), or you can damage your transaxle. Use
THIRD
(3) or AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) as
much as possible. Don’t shift into SECOND
(2)
unless you are going slower than 65 mph (105 kdh)
or you can damage your engine.
FIRST
(1): This position gives you even more power
but lower fuel economy than SECOND
(2). You can use
it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the
shift lever is put in FIRST
(I), the transaxle won’t shift
into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
Notice: If your front wheels won’t turn, don’t
try to drive. This might happen if you were stuck
in
very deep sand or mud or were up against a solid
object. You could damage your transaxle. Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold your
vehicle there with only the accelerator pedal. This
could overheat and damage the transaxle. Use your
brakes to hold your vehicle
in position on a hill.
2-24

Manual Transaxle Operation
1 3 5
2 4 R
This is your shift pattern.
The clutch must be fully
pressed in when shifting a
manual transaxle to
ensure the transaxle is
fully in gear.
Here's how
to operate your transaxle:
FIRST
(1): Press the clutch pedal and shift into
FIRST
(1). Then, slowly let up on the clutch pedal as
you press the accelerator pedal.
You can shift into FIRST
(1) when you are going less
stop and it is hard to shift into FIRST
(I), put the
shift lever into NEUTRAL and let up on the clutch. Press
the clutch pedal back down. Then shift into
FIRST (1).
+hot 9fl mnh (99 bmIh\. !f \In11 hqxm rrnmn +n CJ t-nmnlntn LIIUL LV lllpll \VL 1\I11~j yuu llLlSU "WIIIU L" u "Wlllyl-I"
SECOND (2): Press the clutch pedal as you let up
Then, slowly let up
on the clutch pedal as you press the
accelerator pedal.
Gr: the acceIeratGr pedzl 2nd shift Intc SECOND (2).
THIRD (3), FOURTH (4), and FIFTH (5): Shift into
THIRD
(3), FOURTH (4) and FIFTH (5) the same way
you do for SECOND
(2). Slowly let up on the clutch
pedal as you press the accelerator pedal.
To stop, let up on the accelerator pedal and press the
brake pedal. Just before the vehicle
stops, press
the clutch pedal and the brake pedal, and shift to
NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL: Use this position when you start or idle
your engine.
REVERSE
(R): To back up, press down the clutch
pedal and lift up on the ring on the shift lever to shift into
REVERSE
(R). Let up on the clutch pedal slowly
while pressing the accelerator pedal.
Notice: Shift into REVERSE (R) only after your
vehicle
is stopped. Shifting into REVERSE (R) while
your vehicle
is moving could damage your
transaxle. The repairs would not be covered by your
. . .- .- a.. warrarlty.
Also, use REVERSE (R), along with the parking brake,
for parking your vehicle.
Once the shift lever is in REVERSE
(R), the ignition can
be turned to OFF and the key removed.
2-25

Shift Speeds
I
If you skip a gear when you downshift, you
could lose control of your vehicle. You could
injure yourself
or others. Don’t shift down
more than one gear at a time when you
downshift.
Up-Shift Light
Parking Brake
ii
SHIFT
If you have a manual
transaxle, you may have a
SHIFT light located on
the instrument panel
cluster. This light will show
you when to shift to the
next higher gear for
the best fuel economy.
When this light comes on, you can shift to the next
higher gear
if the weather, road and traffic conditions
permit. For the best fuel economy, accelerate slowly and
shift when the light comes on. Automatic Transaxle shown,
Manual Transaxle similar
To set the parking brake, pull up on the parking brake
handle.
If the ignition is on, the brake system warning
light will come on.
Brake System Warning Light on
page
3-28.
To release the parking brake, hold the regular brake
pedal down. Pull the parking brake handle up until you
can press the release button.
Hold the release button
in as you move the brake handle all the way down.
2-26

Notice: Driving with the parking brake on can
cause your rear brakes to overheat. You may have
to replace them, and you could also damage
other parts
of your vehicle.
If you are towing a trailer and are parking on a hill, see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-36.
1g Inti Park (P)
2. Move the shift lever into PARK (P) like this:
It can be dangerous to get t of yc r vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. If you have left the engine running, the
vehicle can move suddenly. You or others
could be injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t
move, even when you’re on fairly level ground,
trailer, see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
6.E p& yt :G#436;i’. if ye.;’;e p6~w.~zg
If your vehicle is an automatic transaxle, do the following
to shift into PARK (P):
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
Hold in the button on the shift lever.
Push the shift lever all the way toward the front
of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition key to OFF.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle
is in PARK (P).
2-27

Leaving Your Vehicle With the
Enm‘ne Running
-L can be ..mgerous tc -3ave your vehicle \II .-.I
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly
if the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the parking brake firmly set.
And,
if you leave the vehicle with the engine
running, it could overheat and even catch fire.
You or others could be injured. Don’t leave
your vehicle with the engine running.
If you have to leave your automatic transaxle model
vehicle with the engine running, be sure your vehicle is
in PARK (P) and your parking brake is firmly set
before you leave it. After you’ve moved the shift lever
into PARK (P), hold the regular brake pedal down. Then,
see
if you can move the shift lever away from PARK (P)
without first pushing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever wasn’t fully
locked into PARK (P).
Torque Lock
If you are parking on a hill and you don’t shift your
automatic transaxle into PARK
(P) properly, the weight
of the vehicle may put too much force on the parking
pawl in the transaxle. You may find it difficult to pull the
shift lever out of PARK (P). This is called “torque
lock.“ To prevent torque lock, set the parking brake and
then shift into PARK (P) properly before you leave
the driver’s seat. To find out how, see
Shifting Into
Park (P)
on page 2-27.
When you are ready to drive, move the shift lever out of
PARK
(P) before you release the parking brake.
If torque lock does occur, you may need to have another
vehicle push yours a little uphill to take some of the
pressure from the parking pawl in the transaxle,
so you
can pull the shift lever out of PARK (P).
Shifting Out of Park (P)
If your vehicle has an automatic transaxle it has an
automatic transaxle shift lock control system. You have
to apply your regular brake before you can shift from
PARK (P) when the ignition is in
ON. See Automatic
Transaxle Operation
on page 2-22.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure on
the shift lever and push the shift lever all the way
into PARK (P) as you maintain brake application. Then
move the shift lever into the gear you wish. (Press
the shift lever button before moving the shift lever.)
2-28

If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t shift Parking Over Things That Burn
out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the ignition key to ACCESSORY.
2. Apply and hold the regular brake until the end of
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle.
5. Shift to the drive gear you want.
6. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Step
5.
Parking
Your Vehicle/Key Removal
Before leaving your manual transaxle model vehicle,
fully press the clutch pedal in, move the shift lever into
REVERSE
(R) and firmly apply the parking brake.
Once the shift lever has been placed in REVERSE
(R)
with the clutch pedal pressed in, you can turn the
ignition key to
OFF, remove the key and release the
clutch. See
Manual Transaxle Operation on page 2-25.
-, ,,,rigs that can burn COLJ touc,, .rot ex..,ust
parts under your vehicle and ignite. Don’t park
over papers, leaves, dry grass or other things
that can burn.
2-29

Engine Exhaust
Engine exhaust can kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide (CO), which you can’t see
or smell.
It can cause unconsciousness and
death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange or
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving
over high points on the road or over road
debris. different.
Repairs weren’t done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
modified improperly.
If you ever suspect exhaust
is coming into
your vehicle:
Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
blow out any
CO; and
Running Your Engine While You
Are Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things
to know.
Idling the engine with the climate control
system
off could allow dangerous exhaust into
your vehicle. See the earlier Caution under
“Engine Exhaust.”
Also, idling in a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) into your vehicle even
if the fan is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
- with
CO - can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be a blizzard. See
“Winter Driving” in the Index.
2-30

It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle
if the shift lever
is not fully in PARK (P) with
the parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can
roll. Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine
is running unless you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured.
To
be sure your vehicle won’t move, even when
you’re on fairly level ground, always set your parking brake and move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
I
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See
Shifting Into Park (P) on page 2-27.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a trailer,
also see
Towing a Trailer on page 4-36.
2-31