ignition Oldsmobile Alero 2004 s Service Manual

Playing a CD
With the ignition on, insert a CD partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should
begin playing. The CD symbol will appear on the
display. If you want to insert a CD when the ignition is
off, first press the eject button or the RCL knob. If
you insert a CD with the radio off and the ignition on, it
will start to play.
If you select an EQ setting for your CD, it will be
activated each time you play a CD.
If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the
ignition or radio, the CD will start playing where it
stopped, if it was the last selected audio source.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear on the display.
The CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single CDs
with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs
are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. You may experience an
increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks and/or
difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur
try a known good CD.Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught
in the CD player.
Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
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 the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.
2 FWD (Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton to
advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.
4 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
RDM and the track number will appear on the display.
Press RDM again to turn off random play.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalizer):Press AUTO EQ to
select the desired equalization setting while playing
a CD. The equalization will be automatically set
whenever you play a CD. See “AUTO EQ” listed
previously for more information.
3-53

SSEEKT:Press the left arrow to go to the start of
the current track if more than eight seconds have
played. Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If
you hold either arrow or press it more than once,
the player will continue moving backward or forward
through the CD.
SSCANT:Press and hold either arrow for more
than two seconds until SCAN and the track number
appear on the display and you hear a beep. The CD will
go to the next track, play for a few seconds, then go
on to the next track. Press either arrow again to
stop scanning.
RCL (Recall):Press this knob to see how long the
current track has been playing. To change the default
on the display (track or elapsed time), press the
knob until you see the display you want, then hold the
knob until the display flashes. The selected display
will now be the default. While elapsed time is showing,
EL TM will appear on the display.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
CD is playing. The inactive CD will remain safely
inside the radio for future listening.
CD:Press this button to play a CD when listening to
the radio. The CD symbol will appear on the display.
Z(Eject):Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may
be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs
may be loaded with the radio and ignition off if this
button is pressed first.
CD Messages
CHECK CD:If this message appears on the display
and the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
•It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.
•You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the CD should play.
•The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
•The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
•There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
•The label may be caught in the CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot 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.
3-54

Playing the Radio
POWER:Press this knob to turn the system on and off.
VOLUME:Turn this knob to increase or 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 setting 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.
RCL (Recall):Press this knob to switch the display
between the radio station frequency and the time.
Pressing this knob with the ignition off will display
the time.
For XM™ (48 contiguous US states, if equipped), press
the RCL knob while in XM™ mode to retrieve
four different categories of information related to the
current song or channel: Artist, Song Title, Category or
PTY, Channel Number/Channel Name.To change the default on the display, press the RCL
knob until you see the display you want, then hold the
knob until the display flashes. The selected display
will now be the default.
Finding a Station
BAND:Press this button to switch between FM1, FM2,
AM, or XM1 or XM2 (48 contiguous US states, if
equipped). The display will show your selection.
TUNE:Turn this knob to select radio stations.
SSEEKT:Press the right or the left arrow to go to
the next or to the previous station and stay there.
The radio will seek only to stations that are in the
selected band and only to those with a strong signal.
SSCANT: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.
3-56

Playing a Cassette Tape
Your tape player is built to work best with tapes that are
up to 30 to 45 minutes long on each side. Tapes
longer than that are so thin they may not work well in
this player. The longer side with the tape visible should
face to the right. If the ignition is on, but the radio is
off, the tape can be inserted and will begin playing. If
you hear nothing but a garbled sound, the tape may not
be in squarely. Press the eject button, located next to
the cassette tape slot, to remove the tape and start over.
While the tape is playing, use the VOLUME, POWER,
AUDIO, AUTO EQ, and the SEEK controls just as
you do for the radio. The display will show TAPE and
an arrow showing which side of the tape is playing. The
tape player automatically begins playing the other
side when it reaches the end of the tape.
Your tape bias is set automatically when a metal or
chrome tape is inserted. If you want to insert a
tape while the ignition is off, first press the eject button
or the RCL knob.
If an error appears on the radio display, the tape will not
play because of an error. See “Cassette Tape
Messages” later in this section.1 REV (Reverse):Press this pushbutton to reverse the
tape rapidly. Press it again to return to playing speed.
The radio will play while the tape reverses. You
may select stations during reverse operation by using
TUNE, SEEK, and SCAN.
2 FWD (Forward):Press this pushbutton to advance
the tape rapidly. Press it again to return to playing
speed. The radio will play while the tape advances. You
may select stations during advance operation by
using TUNE, SEEK, and SCAN.
5 SIDE:Press this pushbutton to play the other side of
the tape.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalizer):Press AUTO EQ to
select the desired equalization setting while playing
a cassette tape. The equalization will be automatically
set whenever you play a cassette tape. See “AUTO EQ”
listed previously for more information.
SSEEKT:Your tape must have at least three
seconds of silence between each selection for seek to
work. Press the right or the left arrow to search for
the next or the previous selection on the tape. You can
skip up to nine selections on the tape. Choose how
many selections you want to skip, then press the right
or left SEEK arrows that many times. The number
of selections to be skipped will appear on the display.
3-63

SSCANT:Press and hold either arrow for more
than two seconds until you hear a beep and SCAN
appears on the display. The tape will go to the next
selection, play for a few seconds, then go on to the next
selection. Press this button again to stop scanning.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
TP CD (TAPE):Press this button to play a cassette
tape or a CD when listening to the radio. Press TP CD
to switch between the tape and CD if both are
loaded. The inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside
the radio for future listening. The display will show the
TAPE and CD symbols.
Z(Eject):Press this button, located next to the
cassette tape slot, to eject a tape. Eject may be
activated with either the ignition or radio off. Cassettes
may be loaded with the ignition or the radio off if
this button is pressed first.
Cassette Tape Messages
If an error appears on the display, it could be for one of
the following reasons:
TIGHT TAPE:When this message is displayed, the
tape is tight and the player cannot turn the tape hubs.
Remove the tape. Hold the tape with the open enddown 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 seeCare of Your Cassette Tape
Player on page 3-67.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot 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.
3-64

Playing a CD
With the ignition on, insert a CD partway into the slot,
label side up. The player will pull it in and the CD should
begin playing. The CD symbol will appear on the
display. If you want to insert a CD when the ignition is
off, first press the eject button or the RCL knob.
If you select an EQ setting for your CD, it will be
activated each time you play a CD.
If you turn off the ignition or radio with a CD in the
player, it will stay in the player. When you turn on the
ignition or radio, the CD will start playing where it
stopped if it was the last selected audio source.
As each new track starts to play, the track number will
appear on the display.
The CD player can play the smaller 8 cm single CDs
with an adapter ring. Full-size CDs and the smaller CDs
are loaded in the same manner.
If playing a CD-R the sound quality may be reduced
due to CD-R quality, the method of recording, the quality
of the music that has been recorded, and the way the
CD-R has been handled. You may experience an
increase in skipping, difficulty in finding tracks and/or
difficulty in loading and ejecting. If these problems occur
try a known good CD.Do not add paper labels to CDs, they could get caught
in the CD player.
Do not play 3 inch CDs without a standard adapter CD.
If an error appears on the display, see “CD Messages”
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 the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.
2 FWD (Forward):Press and hold this pushbutton to
advance quickly within a track. You will hear sound at a
reduced volume. Release the pushbutton to play the
passage. The display will show the elapsed time of the
track.
4 RDM (Random):Press this pushbutton to hear the
tracks in random, rather than sequential, order.
RDM and the track number will appear on the display.
Press RDM again to turn off random play.
AUTO EQ (Automatic Equalizer):Press this button to
select the desired equalization setting while playing a
CD. The equalization will be automatically set whenever
you play a CD. See “AUTO EQ” listed previously for
more information.
3-65

SSEEKT:Press the left arrow to go to the start of
the current track if more than eight seconds have played.
Press the right arrow to go to the next track. If you hold
either arrow or press it more than once, the player will
continue moving backward or forward through the CD.
SSCANT:Press and hold either arrow for more than
two seconds until SCAN appears on the display and you
hear a beep. The CD will go to the next track, play for a
few seconds, then go on to the next track. Press either
arrow again to stop scanning.
RCL (Recall):Press this knob to see how long the
current track has been playing. To change the default on
the display (track or elapsed time), press the knob until
you see the display you want, then hold the knob until the
display flashes. The selected display will now be the
default. While elapsed time is showing, EL TM will appear
on the display.
BAND:Press this button to listen to the radio when a
cassette tape or a CD is playing. The inactive tape or CD
will remain safely inside the radio for future listening.
TP CD (Tape):Press this button to play a cassette tape
or a CD when listening to the radio. Press TP CD to
switch between the tape and CD if both are loaded. The
inactive tape or CD will remain safely inside the radio for
future listening. The display will show the TAPE and CD
symbols.
Z(Eject):Press this button to eject a CD. Eject may
be activated with either the ignition or radio off. CDs
may be loaded with the ignition or the radio off if
this button is pressed first.
CD Messages
CHECK CD:If this message appears on the display
and the CD comes out, it could be for one of the
following reasons:
•It is very hot. When the temperature returns to
normal, the CD should play.
•You are driving on a very rough road. When the
road becomes smoother, the CD should play.
•The CD is dirty, scratched, wet, or upside down.
•The air is very humid. If so, wait about an hour and
try again.
•There may have been a problem while burning
the CD.
•The label may be caught in the CD player.
If the CD is not playing correctly, for any other reason,
try a known good CD.
If any error occurs repeatedly or if an error cannot 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.
3-66

For best results, use a scrubbing action, non-abrasive
cleaning cassette with pads which scrub the tape
head as the hubs of the cleaner cassette turn. The
recommended cleaning cassette is available through
your dealer.
The cut tape detection feature of your cassette tape
player may identify the cleaning cassette as a damaged
tape, in error. To prevent the cleaning cassette from
being ejected, use the following steps.
1. Turn the ignition on.
2. Turn the radio off.
3. Press and hold the TP CD button for five seconds.
4. Insert the scrubbing action cleaning cassette.
5. Eject the cleaning cassette after the manufacturer’s
recommended cleaning time.
You may also choose a non-scrubbing action, wet-type
cleaner which uses a cassette with a fabric belt to
clean the tape head. This type of cleaning cassette will
not eject on its own. A non-scrubbing action cleaner
may not clean as thoroughly as the scrubbing type
cleaner. The use of a non-scrubbing action, dry-type
cleaning cassette is not recommended.After you clean the player, press and hold the eject
button for five seconds to reset the CLEAN PLAYR
indicator. The radio will display CLEANED to show the
indicator was reset.
Cassettes are subject to wear and the sound quality
may degrade over time. Always make sure the cassette
tape is in good condition before you have your tape
player serviced.
Care of Your CDs
Handle CDs carefully. Store them in their original cases
or other protective cases and away from direct
sunlight and dust. If the surface of a CD is soiled,
dampen a clean, soft cloth in a mild, neutral detergent
solution and clean it, wiping from the center to the edge.
Be sure never to touch the side without writing when
handling CDs. Pick up CDs by grasping the outer edges
or the edge of the hole and the outer edge.
Care of Your CD Player
The use of CD lens cleaners for CDs is not advised,
due to the risk of contaminating the lens of the CD optics
with lubricants internal to the CD mechanism.
3-68

Backglass Antenna
Your AM-FM antenna is integrated with your rear window
defogger, located in the rear window. Be sure that the
inside surface of the rear window is not scratched and
that the lines on the glass are not damaged. If the inside
surface is damaged, it could interfere with radio
reception.
Notice:Using a razor blade or sharp object to clear
the inside rear window may damage the rear window
antenna and/or the rear window defogger. Repairs
would not be covered by your warranty. Do not clear
the inside rear window with sharp objects.
Notice:Do not apply aftermarket glass tinting with
metallic lm. The metallic lm in some tinting
materials will interfere with or distort the incoming
radio reception. Any damage caused to your
backglass antenna due to metallic tinting materials
will not be covered by your warranty.
Because this antenna is built into your rear window, there
is a reduced risk of damage caused by car washes and
vandals.
If you choose to add a cellular telephone to your vehicle,
and the antenna needs to be attached to the glass, be
sure that you do not damage the grid lines for the AM-FM
antenna. There is enough space between the lines to
attach a cellular telephone antenna without interfering
with radio reception.
XM™ Satellite Radio Antenna
System (48 Contiguous US States)
Your XM™ Satellite Radio antenna is located on the roof
of your vehicle. Keep this antenna clear of snow and ice
build up for clear radio reception.
The performance of your XM system may be affected if
your sunroof is open.
Chime Level Adjustment
Chime level adjustment is only available on RDS radios.
The radio is the vehicle chime producer. The chime is
produced from the driver’s side front door speakers.
To change the volume level, press and hold
pushbutton 6 with the ignition on and the radio power
off. The chime volume level will change from the normal
level to loud, and LOUD will be displayed on the
radio. To change back to the default or normal setting,
press and hold pushbutton 6 again. The chime level
will change from the loud level to normal, and NORMAL
will be displayed. Each time the chime volume is
changed, three chimes will sound as an example of the
new volume selected. Removing the radio and not
replacing it with a factory radio or chime module will
disable vehicle chimes.
3-69

If you drive regularly in steep country, or if you are
planning to visit there, here are some tips that can make
your trips safer and more enjoyable.
•Keep your vehicle in good shape. Check all fluid
levels and also the brakes, tires, cooling system
and transaxle. These parts can work hard on
mountain roads.
•Know how to go down hills. The most important
thing to know is this: let your engine do some of
the slowing down. Shift to a lower gear when you go
down a steep or long hill.
{CAUTION:
If you do not shift down, your brakes could get
so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Shift down
to let your engine assist your brakes on a
steep downhill slope.
{CAUTION:
Coasting downhill in NEUTRAL (N) or with the
ignition off is dangerous. Your brakes will have
to do all the work of slowing down. They could
get so hot that they would not work well. You
would then have poor braking or even none
going down a hill. You could crash. Always
have your engine running and your vehicle in
gear when you go downhill.
•Know how to go uphill. Drive in the highest gear
possible.
•Stay in your own lane when driving on two-lane
roads in hills or mountains. Do not swing wide
or cut across the center of the road. Drive at speeds
that let you stay in your own lane.
•As you go over the top of a hill, be alert. There
could be something in your lane, like a stalled car or
an accident.
•You may see highway signs on mountains that
warn of special problems. Examples are long
grades, passing or no-passing zones, a falling rocks
area or winding roads. Be alert to these and take
appropriate action.
4-25