height Oldsmobile Alero 2003 Owner's Manuals

Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
(Four-Door Models)
Before you begin to drive, move the shoulder belt
adjuster to the height that
is right for you.
To move it down, squeeze the release button and move
the height adjuster to the desired position. You can
move the adjuster up just by pushing on the shoulder
belt guide. After you move the adjuster to where
you want it, try to move it down without squeezing the
release button to make sure it has locked into position.
Adjust the height
so that the shoulder portion of the
belt is centered on your shoulder. The belt should
be away from your face and neck, but not falling
off
your shoulder.
1-17

Children who are up against, or very close to,
any air bag when
it inflates can be seriously
injured or killed. Air bags plus lap-shoulder
belts offer outstanding protection for adults
CAUTION: (Continued)
a oldel Iren, I t not for yo- g children
and infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt
system nor its air bag system is designed for
them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can
provide.
Q: What are the different types of add-on child
A: Add-on child restraints, which are purchased by the
restraints?
vehicle’s owner, are available in four basic types.
Selection of a particular restraint should take
into consideration not only the child’s weight, height
and age but also whether
or not the restraint will
be compatible with the motor vehicle in which it will
be used.
For most basic types of child restraints, there are
many different models available. When purchasing a
child restraint, be sure it is designed to be used
in a motor vehicle. If it is, the restraint will have a
label saying that it meets federal motor vehicle
safety standards.
1-36

The restraint manufacturer’s instructions that come
with the restraint, state the weight and height
limitations for a particular child restraint. In addition,
there are many kinds of restraints available for
with special -eeds.
Newborn infants need complete support,
including support for the head and neck. This
is necessary because a newborn infant’s neck
is weak and its head weighs
so much
compared with the rest of
its body. In a crash,
an infant in a rear-facing seat settles into the
restraint,
so the crash forces can be
distributed across the strongest part of an
infant’s body, the back and shoulders. Infants
always should be secured in appropriate infant
restraints.
J
The body StrL,,,.? 0. - young child is quite
unlike that of an adult or older child, for whom
the safety belts are designed.
A young child’s
hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle’s
regular safety belt may not remain low on the
hip bones, as
it should. Instead, it may settle
up around the child’s abdomen. In a crash, the
belt would apply force on a body area that’s
unprotected by any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal injuries. Young
children always should be secured in
appropriate child restraints.
1-37

Mirrors
Manual Rearview Mirror
The mirror can be adjusted two ways. First, to adjust
the height
of the mirror, adjust the arm that connects the
mirror to the windshield. Second, adjust the angle
of
the mirror, by moving the mirror to a position that allows
you to see out
of the back window.
To reduce glare from headlamps behind you, move the
lever toward you to the night position. To return the
mirror
to the daytime position, move the lever away
from you.
Outside Remote Control Mirror
The outside rearview mirror should be adjusted so you
can see a little
of the side of your vehicle when you
are sitting in a comfortable driving position.
Adjust the driver’s outside mirror with the control lever
on the driver’s door.
To adjust your passenger’s mirror, sit in the driver’s seat
and have a passenger adjust the mirror for you.
2-32

Brake Wear
Your vehicle has four-wheel disc brakes.
Disc brake pads have built-in wear indicators that make
a high-pitched warning sound when the brake pads
are worn and new pads are needed. The sound
may come and go or be heard all the time your vehicle
is moving (except when you are pushing on the
brake pedal firmly).
--
le bra wear warning sound means that
soon your brakes won’t work well. That could
lead to an accident. When you hear the brake
wear warning sound, have your vehicle
serviced.
Notice: Continuing to drive with worn-out brake
pads could result in costly brake repair.
Some driving conditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when the brakes are first applied or lightly
applied. This does not mean something is wrong with
your brakes. Properly torqued
wheel nuts are necessary to help
prevent brake pulsation. When tires are rotated, inspect
brake pads for wear and evenly tighten wheel nuts in
the proper sequence
to GM torque specifications.
Brake linings should always be replaced as complete
axle sets.
See
Brake System Inspection on page 6-14.
Brake Pedal Travel
See your dealer if the brake pedal does not return to
normal height, or
if there is a rapid increase in
pedal travel. This could be a sign of brake trouble.
Brake Adjustment
Every time you make a moderate brake stop, your disc
brakes adjust for wear.
If you rarely make a moderate
or heavier stop, then your brakes might not adjust
correctly. If you drive in that way, then
- very
carefully
- make a few moderate brake stops about
every
1,000 miles (1 600 km), so your brakes will adjust
properly.
5-40

Wheel Replacement
Replace any wheel that is bent, cracked or badly rusted
or corroded. If wheel nuts keep coming loose, the
wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts should be replaced.
If the wheel leaks air, replace it (except some
aluminum wheels, which can sometimes be repaired).
See your dealer
if any of these conditions exist.
Your dealer will know the kind of wheel you need.
Each new wheel should have the same load-carrying
capacity, diameter, width, offset and be mounted
the same way as the one it replaces.
If you need to replace any of your wheels? wheel bolts
or wheel nuts, replace them only with new
GM
original equipment parts. This way, you will be sure to
have the right wheel, wheel bolts and wheel nuts
for your vehicle. Using the wrong replacement wheels, wheel
bolts or
wheel
nuts on your vehicle can be
dangerous.
It could affect the braking and
handling
of your vehicle, make your tires lose
air and make you lose control. You could have
a collision in which you or others could be injured. Always use the correct wheel, wheel
Notice: The wrong wheel can also cause problems
with bearing life, brake cooling, speedometer or
odometer calibration, headlamp aim, bumper height,
vehicle ground clearance and tire or tire chain clearance to the body and chassis.
See
Changing a Flat Tire on page 5-62 for more
mtormatlon.
5-59

Setting the Time
Radios with Radio Data Systems (RDS)
......... 3-38
Radios without Radio Data Systems (RDS)
..... 3-38
Setting the Tone (BassTTreble)
.......... 3.40. 3.45. 3-55
Sheet Metal Damage
....................................... 5-77
Shift Speeds
.................................................. 2-26
Shifting Into Park (P)
....................................... 2-27
Shifting Out of Park (P)
................................... 2-28
Shoulder Belt Height Adjuster
........................... 1-1 7
Skidding
........................................................ 4-1 4
Some Other Rainy Weather Tips
....................... 4-19
Special Fabric Cleaning Problems
... ....... 5-73
Specifications, Capacities
.................. ... 5-86
Speedometer
.............................................. 3-25
Starter Switch Check
....................................... 6-1 1
Starting Your 2.2L L4 ECOTECTM Engine ........... 2-19
Starting Your 3400
V6 Engine ........................... 2-19
Starting Your Engine
................................... 2-18
Steering
............................................. ... 4-10
Steering in Emergencies
.................................. 4-1 1
Steering, Suspension and Front Drive Axle
Boot and Seal Inspection
.............................. 6-13
Steering Tips
....................................... , ... 4-10
Storage Areas
Center Console Storage Area
........................ 2-34
Cupholder(s)
............................................... 2-34
Glove Box
.................................................. 2-34
Storing the Flat Tire and Tools
.......................... 5-69
Storing the Spare Tire and Tools
....................... 5-70
Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice or
Snow ...................... 4-29 Sun
Visors
................................................. 2-15
Sunroof
..................................................... 2-35
Supplemental Restraint System
(SRS) ........... 1-53
How Does an Air Bag Restrain?
.................... 1-57
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
......... 1-59
What Makes an Air Bag Inflate?
.................... 1-57
What Will You See After an Air Bag Inflates?
.. 1-57
When Should an Air Bag Inflate? ................... 1-56
Where Are the Air Bags?
.............................. 1-55
Tachometer
.................................................... 3-25
Taillamps Turn Signal, and Stoplamps
.......................... 5-50
Theft-Deterrent, Radio ..................................... 3-64
Theft-Deterrent Systems
................................... 2-16
Passlock@
.................................................. 2-16
Throttle System Inspection
............................... 6-14
Tilt Wheel
........................................................ 3-7
Tire Inflation Check
........................................... 6-9
Tires
..................................................... 5-53, 5-77
Buying New Tires
........................................ 5-56
Chains
....................................................... 5-60
Changing a Flat Tire
.................................... 5-62
Compact Spare Tire
..................................... 5-71
If a Tire Goes Flat
....................................... 5-61
Inflation
-- Tire Pressure ............................... 5-54
Inspection and Rotation ................................ 5-55
Uniform Tire Quality Grading ......................... 5-57
12