steering OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1995 User Guide

Turn SignalMultifunction Lever Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes
your:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Cruise Control
Headlamp High-Low Beam
Parking Lamps
Flash-To-Pass Feature
t
The turn signal has two upward (for right) and two
downward (for left) positions. These positions allow you
to signal
a turn or a lane change.
To signal
a turn, move the lever all the way up or down.
When
the turn is finished, the lever will return
automatically.
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The Aurora instrument panel is designed to let you
know at a glance how your vehicle is running. You’ll
know how fast you’re going, how much fuel you’re
using, and many other things you’ll need
to drive safely
and economically.
The main components
of your instrument panel are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Power Mirrors Control Switch
Fog Lamp Switch
Turn SignalMultifunction Lever
Instrument ClusterIGages
Hazard Warning Flashers Switch
Horn
Windshield Wiper/Washer Control
Driver Information Center
Climate Controls
Audio System
Glove
Box (Trunk Security Override Switch inside) 12.
Passenger Side Air Bag
13. Accessory Power Outlet
14. Gearshift Lever
15. Selectable Shift
16. Traction Control Button
17. Ashtray and Lighter
18. Fuel Door Release Switch
19. Trunk Release Switch
20. Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Audio System
21. Ignition Switch
22. Driver Side Air Bag
23.
Tilt Steering Wheel Lever
24. Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Climate Control
System
25. Twilight Sentinel Control
26. Instrument Panel Intensity Control
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Extended Idling with Automatic Electronic Climate Control
Extended idling is not recommended. See “Engine
Exhaust’’
in the Index.
Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Climate Control
Some heating and
cooling controls can be
adjusted at
the steering
wheel. Other touch
controls also operate some audio controls.
See “Steering Wheel
Touch Controls for
Audio System” later
in
this section. Press
the upper part
of the fan symbol to increase the fan
speed; press the lower part of the control to reduce the
fan speed.
Press
TEMP once to display the set temperature. Then press
the upper part of the control to raise the inside temperature \
setting; press the lower part to lower the setting.
Flow-Through Ventilation System
Your Aurora’s flow-through ventilation system supplies
outside air into the vehicle when
it is moving. Outside
air will
also enter the vehicle when the heater or the air
conditioning fan is running.
Ventilation Tips
Keep the hood and front air inlet free of ice, snow, or
any other obstruction (such
as leaves). The heater
and defroster will work far better, reducing the
chance of fogging the inside of your windows.
Keep the air path under the front seats clear of
objects. This helps air
to circulate throughout your
vehicle.
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Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Audio
System
Some audio system
functions described
in the
previous pages can also be
operated with the Steering
Wheel Touch Controls.
Other touch controls also operate some climate controls.
See “Steering Wheel Touch Controls for Climate
Control” earlier in
this section.
VOL (Volume): Press to increase or decrease volume.
SEEK: Each time you press SEEK, you will tune in a
radio station higher on the AM or FM band.
When playing
a tape, press SEEK to listen to the next
selection on the tape. There must be
at least a
four-second gap between selections on the tape. When playing
a CD, press SEEK to listen
to the next
selection
on the disc,
PROG (Program): Press PROG to tune in a preset
radio station higher on the AM or
FM band.
When playing
a tape, press PROG to play the other side
of the tape.
When playing a CD
in the trunk-mounted CD changer,
press
PROG to select the next disc in the cartridge.
Understanding Radio Reception
FM Stereo
FM stereo will give you the best sound, but FM signals
will reach only about
10 to 40 miles (1 6 to 65 km). Tall
buildings or hills can interfere with FM signals, causing
the sound to come and
go.
AM
The range for most AM stations is greater than for FM,
especially at night. The longer range, however, can
cause stations to interfere with each other. AM can also
pick up noise from things like storms and power lines.
To lower this noise, try reducing the treble level by
turning the
TREB knob or, if you have the TONE
feature, by selecting the VOCAL tone setting.
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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.
Sometimes, as when you're driving
on snow or ice, it's
easy to ask n~ore
of those control systems than the tires
and road can provide. That means
~OLI can lose control
of your vehicle.
Braking
First. you have to decide to push on the brake pedal.
That's
perception time. Then you have to bring up your
foot and do it. That's
rem-tion time.
Average remtio/1 time is about 3/4 of a second. But
that's only an average. It might be less with one driver
and as long
as two or three seconds or more with
another. Age, physical condition, alertness. coordination,
and eyesight all play
a part. So do alcohol, drugs and
frustration.
But even in 3/4 of a second, a vehicle
moving at 60
lnph ( 100 km/h) travels 66 feet
(20 m). That could be a lot of distance in an emergency,
so keeping enough space between your vehicle and
others is important.
And,
of course, actual stopping distances vary greatly
with the surface of the road (whether it's pavement or
tread; and the condition
of your brakes.
e (mvel); the condition of the road (wet, dry, icy): tire
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The traction control system automatically comes on
whenever
you start your vehicle. To limit wheel spin,
especially
in slippery road conditions, you should
always leave the system on. But you can turn the
traction control system off
if you ever need to. (You
should
turn the system off if your vehicle ever gets stuck
in sand, mud, ice or snow. See “Rocking Your Vehicle”
in the Index.)
I ‘ -I
To turn the system off,
press the TRACTION
CONTROL button on
the center console. The
TRACTION
OFF warning light will come on and
stay on.
If the system is limiting wheel spin when you
press the button,
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 TRACTION
OFF warning light
should go
off.
Braking in Emergencies
Use your anti-lock braking system when you need to.
With anti-lock, you can steer and brake at the same
time.
In many emergencies, steering can help you more
than even the very best braking.
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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.
Magnasteer TM
Your vehicle is equipped with GM Magnasteer”, a
steering system that continuously adjusts
the effort you
feel when steering at all vehicle speeds.
It provides ease
when parking yet a firm, solid feel at highway speeds.
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 yo~lr speed. While
you’re
in a curve, speed is the one factor YOLI can
control.
Suppose you’re steering through a sharp curve. Then
you suddenly accelerate. Both control systems
--
steering and acceleration -- have to do their work where
the tires meet the road. Unless your traction control
system is on, adding the sudden acceleration can
demand
too much of those places. You can lose control.
What should
Y~LI do if this ever happens‘? Ease up on the
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
YOLI’II want to go slower.
If YOLI need to reduce your speed as you approach a
curve, do
it before YOLI enter the curve, while your front
wheels are straight ahead.
Try to adjust YOLI~ 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.
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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 Aurora can perform very well
in emergencies like
these. First apply your brakes.
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.
An emergency like this requires close attention and a
quick decision.
If you are holding the steering wheel at
the recommended
9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can
turn it a full I80 degrees very quickly without removing
either hand.
But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and
just
as quickly straighten the wheel once you have
avoided the object.
The fact that s11ch emergency situations are always
possible
is a good reason to practice defensive driving at
all times and wear safety belts properly.
Off-Road Recovery
You may find sometime that your right wheels have
dropped off the edge
of a road onto the shoulder while
you're driving.
If the level of the shoulder is only slightly below the
pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the
accelerator and then,
if there is nothing in the way, steer
so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement.
You can
turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the
right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn
your steering wheel
to go straight down the roadway.
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0 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.)
0 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 lights are
not flashing, it may
be slowing down or starting to turn.
0 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.
In any emergency, don’t give up. Keep trying to steer
and constantly seek an escape route or area
of less
danger.
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 Aurora‘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.
Remember:
Any traction control system helps avoid
only the acceleration skid.
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If your traction control 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 yo11 start steering quickly enough, your
vehicle may straighten out. Always be ready for a
second skid
if it occurs.
Of course, traction is reduced when water, snow, ice,
gravel, or other material is on the road. For safety, you’ll
want to
slow down and adjust your driving to these
conditions.
It is important to slow down on slippery
surfices because stopping distance
will be longer and
vehicle control more limited.
While driving
on a surface with reduced traction, try
your best to avoid sudden steering, acceleration, or
braking (including engine braking by shifting
to a lower
gear). Any sudden changes could cause the tires
to slide.
You may not realize the surface is slippery
until your
vehicle is skidding. Learn to recognize warning clues
--
such as enough water, ice or packed snow on the road to
make a “mirrored surface”
-- and slow down when you
have any doubt.
Remember:
Any anti-lock brake system (ABS) helps
avoid only the braking skid.
Driving at Night
m
Night driving is more dangerous than day driving. One
reason is that some drivers are likely to be impaired
--
by alcohol or drugs, with night vision problems, or by
fatigue.
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