traction control Oldsmobile Alero 2003 Owner's Manuals

Section 3 Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview ............................... 3.4
Hazard Warning Flashers
.......... .............. 3.6
Other Warning Devices
................................... 3.6
Horn
............................................................. 3.6
Tilt Wheel
..................................................... 3.7
Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
......................... 3.7
Exterior Lamps
............................................. 3.13
Interior Lamps
.............................................. 3.16
Accessory Power Outlets
............................... 3.17
Ashtrays and Cigarette Lighter
........................ 3.18
Climate Controls
........................................... -3-1 9
Climate Control System
................................. 3.19
Outlet Adjustment
......................................... 3.22
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
............. 3.23
Instrument Panel Cluster
................................ 3.24
Speedometer and Odometer
........................... 3.25
Tachometer
................................................. 3.25
Safety Belt Reminder Light
............................. 3.26
Air
Eag Reauiness iighi 3-LW
Charging System Light .................................. 3.27
fi cln ................................
Up-Shift Light .............................. .......... 3-28
Brake System Warning Light
........, .......... 3-28
Anti-Lock Brake System
Enhanced Traction System
Enhanced Traction System
Warning
bight
........................................ 3-29
Warning Light
........................................... 3-29
Active Light
.............................................. 3-30
Engine Coolant Temperature Gage
.................. 3-31
Low Coolant Warning Light
............................ 3-31
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
............................. 3-31
Oil Pressure Light
......................................... 3-34
Low Oil Level Light
....................................... 3-35
Security Light
............................................... 3-36
Cruise Control Light
...................................... 3-36
%??:ice ‘!ehic!n see!? Light ........................... ._ 2-36
Fuel Gage ................................................... 3-37
Change Engine
Oil Light
................................ 3-35
Low Washer Fluid Warning Light
..................... 3-36
3-
1

The main components of your instrument panel are the following:
A. Instrument Panel Fuse Blocks L. Cruise Control Switches
B. Air Outlets
C. Instrument Panel Cluster
D. Hazard Warning Flasher Button
E. Audio System
F. Climate Control System
G. Side Window Defogger Vent
H. Fog Lamp Button (If Equipped)
I. Instrument Panel Brightness Thumbwheel
J. Turn SignaVMultifunction Lever
K. Hood Release Handle M.
N.
0.
P,
Q
R
S
T.
Tilt
Wheel Lever
Ignition Switch
Windshieid Wiperwasher Lever
Enhanced Traction System Button
Transaxle Shift Lever Parking Brake
Cigarette Lighter/Accessory Power Outlet
Accessory Power Outlet
3-5

The cruise control will turn off when any of the
following occur:
The brakes are applied,
the clutch is applied (manual transaxle),
the parking brake is applied, or
the brake system warning light is on.
Cruise control can be dangerous where
you can’t drive safely at a steady speed.
So, don’t use your cruise control on
winding roads or
in heavy traffic.
0 Cruise control can be dangerous on
slippery roads. On such roads, fast
changes in tire traction can cause
needless wheel spinning, and you could
lose control. Don’t use cruise control on
slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the enhanced
traction system,
if your vehicle has this feature, begins to
limit wheel spin, the cruise control will automatically
disengx~e. See Enhanced Trac?im Sys?m (ETSI ar?
page 4-9. When road conditions allow you to safely use
it again, you may turn the cruise control back on.
:ing Cruise Contrc
If you leave your cruise control on when you’re
not using cruise, you might hit a button and go
into cruise when you don’t want to. You could
be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
off until you want to use
cruise control.
1. Press the cruise control
ON OFF button. The
indicator light above the button will turn on.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the CST SET (Coast Set) button and release
it. The
CRUISE light on the instrument panel cluster
will come on.
3-1 1

The Enhanced Traction System warning light may come
on for the following reasons:
If you turn the system off by pressing the ETS
button on the center console near the gear
shift lever, the warning light will come on and stay
on. To turn the system back
on, press the button
again. The warning light should go
off. See
Enhanced Traction System (ETS) on page 4-9 for
more information.
If the traction control system is affected by an
engine-related problem, the system will turn
off and
the warning light will come on.
If the vehicle is driven on an extremely rough road,
the warning light may come on momentarily but will
go off again when the vehicle leaves the rough
surface.
If the Enhanced Traction System warning light comes
on and stays on for an extended period of time when the
system is turned on and the parking brake is fully
released, your vehicle needs service.
Enhanced Traction System
Active Light
LOW
TRAC
If your vehicle has the
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS), this light will
come on when the system
is limiting wheel spin.
Slippery road conditions may exist
if the Enhanced
Traction System active light comes on,
so adjust your
driving accordingly.
The light will stay on for a few seconds after the
Enhanced Traction System stops limiting wheel spin.
The Enhanced Traction System active light also comes
on briefly when you turn the ignition key
to ON. If
the light doesn’t come on then, have it fixed
so it will be
there to tell you when the system is active.
3-30

Section 4 Driving Your Vehicle
Your Driving. the Road. and Your Vehicle .......... 4-2
Defensive Driving
........................................... 4.2
Drunken Driving
............................................. 4.2
Control of a Vehicle
........................................ 4-5
Braking
......................................................... 4-6
Enhanced Traction System
(ETS) ..................... 4-9
Steering
...................................................... 4-10
Off-Road Recovery
....................................... 4-12
Passing
....................................................... 4-13
Loss of Control
............................................. 4-14
Driving at Night
............................................ 4-15
Driving in Rain and on Wet Roads
.................. 4-17
City Driving
.................................................. 4.20 Freeway
Driving
.......................................... -4-21
Before Leaving on a Long Trip
....................... 4-22
Highway Hypnosis
....................................... -4-22
Hill and Mountain Roads
................................ 4-23
Winter Driving
.............................................. 4-25
If You Are Stuck: In Sand, Mud,
Ice or Snow
.............................................. 4-29
lowing Your Vehicle
..................................... 4-31
Recreational Vehicle lowing
........................... 4-31
Loading Your Vehicle
.................................... 4-34
lowing a Trailer
........................................ 4-36
Towing
.......................................................... 4-31
4- 1

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.
Control of a Vehicle
You have three systems that make your vehicle go where
you want it to go. They are the brakes, the steering and
the accelerator.
All three systems have to do their work at
the places where the tires meet the road.
I
,,inking and then driving is very dangerous.
Your reflexes, perceptions, attentiveness
and judgement 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
designate
a driver who will not drink.
h~m~ i~ 8 cab; cr if agnma’mn ...;+I- - ----.- ~VU nb vw~wr a y~ VU~,
I
Sometimes, as when you’re driving on snow or ice, it’s
easy to ask more
of those control systems than the
control
of your vehicle. Also see Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-9.
tires and :cad car: prwidz. That means you can lose
4-5

In an emergency, you will probably want to squeeze the
brakes hard without locking the wheels.
If you hear or
feel the wheels sliding, ease
off the brake pedal.
This will help you retain steering control.
If you do have
anti-lock, it’s different. See “Anti-Lock Brakes.”
In many emergencies, steering can help you more than
even the very best braking.
Enhanced Traction System (ETS)
Your vehicle may have 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.
I
This light will come on
when your Enhanced
Traction Slmtem is !irniting
wheel spin. See
Enhanced Traction System
Active Light on page
3-30.
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 ‘Cruise Control” under
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-7.
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
Automatic Transaxle Operation on
page 2-22.
TRAC
OFF
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
Enhanced Traction System Warning Light on
page 3-29.
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
Traction System on. But you can turn the system
off if
you prefer.
ca?dltic?ns, you should alwa‘js leave the Enhanced
4-9

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.
Steering
Power Steering
If you lose power steering assist because the engine
stops or the system is not functioning,
you can steer but
it will take much more effort.
Steering Tips
Driving on Curves
It’s important to take curves at a reasonable speed.
A lot of the “driver lost control” accidents mentioned on
the news happen on curves. Here’s why:
Experienced driver or beginner, each
of us is subject to
the same laws of physics when driving on curves.
The traction of the tires against the road surface makes
it possible for the vehicle to change its path when
you turn the front wheels.
If there’s no traction, inertia
will keep the vehicle going in the same direction.
If
you’ve ever tried to steer a vehicle on wet ice, you’ll
understand this.
The traction you can get in a curve depends on the
condition of your tires and the road surface, the angle at
which the curve is banked, and your speed. While
you’re in a curve, speed is the one factor you can
control.
4-1 0

Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve.
Then you suddenly accelerate. Both control
systems
- steering and braking - have to do their work
where the tires meet the road. Unless you have
four-wheel anti-lock brakes, adding the hard braking can
demand too much of those places. You can lose
control.
The same thing can happen
if you’re steering through a
sharp curve and you suddenly accelerate. Those two
control systems
- steering and acceleration - can
overwhelm those places where the tires meet the road
and make you lose control. See
Enhanced Traction
System (ETS) on page 4-9.
What should you do if this ever happens? Ease up on
the brake or accelerator pedal, steer the vehicle the way
you want it to go, and slow down.
Speed limit signs near curves warn that you should
adjust your speed. Of course, the posted speeds
are based on good weather and road conditions. Under
less favorable conditions you’ll want to go slower.
If you need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do it before you enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust your speed so you can “drive” through the
curve. Maintain a reasonable, steady speed. Wait to
accelerate until you are out of the curve, and then
accelerate gently into the straightaway.
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
- but, unless you
have anti-lock, not enough to lock your wheels.
See
Braking on page 4-6. 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.

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.
Loss of Control
Let’s review what driving experts say about what
happens when the three control systems (brakes,
steering and acceleration) don’t have enough friction
where the tires meet the road to do what the driver
has asked.
Skidding
In a skid, a driver can lose control of the vehicle.
Defensive drivers avoid most skids by taking reasonable
care suited to existing conditions, and by not
“overdriving” those conditions. But skids are always
possible.
The three types of skids correspond to your vehicle’s
three control systems. In the braking skid, your wheels
aren’t rolling. In the steering or cornering skid, too
much speed or steering in a curve causes tires to slip
and lose cornering force. And in the acceleration
skid, too much throttle causes the driving wheels
to spin.
A cornering skid is best handled by easing your foot off
the accelerator pedal.
If you have the Enhanced Traction System, remember:
It helps to avoid only the acceleration skid. If you do
not have the Enhanced Traction System, or
if the system
is
off, then an acceleration skid is also best handled
by easing your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
If your vehicle starts to slide, ease your foot
off the
accelerator pedal and quickly steer the way you want
the vehicle to go.
If you start steering quickly enough,
your vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready
for a second skid
if it occurs.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route
or area of
less danger.
4-1 4