parking brake OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1995 Owners Manual

Vehicle Symbols
These are some of the symbols you may find on your vehicle.
For example,
these symbols
are used on an
original battery:
POSSIBLE A
CAUTION
INJURY
PROTECT EYES BY
SHIELDING
CAUSTIC
ACID COULD
&
BATTERY
CAUSE
BURNS
AVOID
SPARKS
OR
FLAMES
SPARK
OR ,111,
COULD FLAME
EXPLODE BATTERY
These symbols are important
for
you and
your passengers
whenever
~OLI~
vehicle is
driven:
DOOR LOCK
UNLOCK
BELTS
4
POWER
WINDOW
These symbols have to
do with
your lights:
SIGNALS e
TURN
PARKING
=OOz
LAMPS c
HIGH LAMPSoR BEAM = -0
FOG LAMPS $0
These sytnbols
are on some of
your controls:
WINDSHIELD
WIPER
WINDSHIELD DEFROSTER
WINDOW
DEFOGGER
VENTILATING FAN COOLANT
F&
TEMP --
ENGINE
CHARGING BATTERY
SYSTEM
BRAKE
(0)
RADIATOR COOLANT
a
FUEL
ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE
Wb
TEMP OIL ctb
ANTI-LOCK (@)
BRAKE
Here are some
other sytnbols
you n~ap see:
FUSE
RELEASE
a
RADIO
VOLUME
CONDITIONING
AIR a
RELEASE
t
LIGHTER m
HORN )tr
SPEAKER
cr
V
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Brake
To set the parking brake,
hold the regular brake pedal
down with your right foot.
Push down the parking
brake pedal with your
left
foot. If the ignition is on,
the parking brake indicator
light will come on.
If
you try to drive off with the parking brake on, the
parking brake indicator light stays on. The PARK
BRAKE SET message will appear in the Driver
Information Center, and a chime will sound until you
release the parking brake
or recycle the ignition. This
vehicle has
a PUSH TO RELEASE parking brake
pedal. To release
the parking brake, hold the regular
brake down and push
the parking brake pedal with your
left foot. This will unlock the pedal. When you lift your
left foot, the parking brake pedal will follow it
to the
released position.
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 any hill,
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index. That part shows
what
to do first to keep the trailer from moving.
2-24
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting Into PARK (P)
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) positions as
follows:
0 Hold in the button on the lever.
Push the lever all the way toward the front of
your vehicle.
3. Move the ignition key to LOCK.
4. Remove the key and take it with you. If you can
walk away from your vehicle with the ignition key in
your hand, your vehicle is in PARK (P).
2-25
ProCarManuals.com

I
i
I
I
Leaving Your Vehicle With the Engine
Running
If you have to leave your 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 the PARK (P)
position, 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 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
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)” in
the Index.
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 transaxle,
so you can pull the shift
lever out
of PARK (P).
ProCarManuals.com

Shifting Out of PARK (P)
Your Aurora has a brake-transaxle shift interlock. You
have to fully
apply your regular brake before you can
shift from PARK (P) when the ignition is in the
ON
position. See “Shifting the Automatic Transaxle” in the
Index.
If you cannot shift out of PARK (P), ease pressure
on
the shift lever--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.
If you ever hold the brake pedal down but still can’t
shift out of PARK (P), try this:
1. Turn the key to OFF. Open and close the driver’s
door to turn off the Retained Accessory Power
feature.
2. Apply and hold the brake until the end of step 4.
3. Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
4. Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear you
want.
5. Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
Parking Over Things That Burn
2-27
ProCarManuals.com

If the light and chime come on while you are driving,
pull
off the road and stop carefully. You may notice that
the pedal is harder
to push. Or, the pedal may go closer
to the floor. It may take longer to stop. If the light is still
on, have the vehicle towed for service. (See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in
the Index.)
Parking Brake Indicator Light
p-l PARK
This light will come
on when
you set your
parking brake, and it
will stay on if your
parking brake doesn’t
release
fully. If you try
to drive
off with the
parking brake set, a
chime will also come
on until you release
the parking brake.
This light should also come on briefly as you start the
vehicle.
If it doesn’t come on then, have it fixed so it
will be ready
to remind you if the parking brake hasn’t
released
fully.
2-66
ProCarManuals.com

Parking on Hills
You really should not park your vehicle, with a trailer
attached,
on a hill. If something goes wrong, your rig
could start
to move. People can be injured, and both
your vehicle and
the trailer can be damaged.
But if you ever have to park your rig on a hill, here‘s
how to do it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Apply your regular brakes, but don’t shift into
PARK (P) yet.
Have someone place chocks under the trailer wheels.
When the wheel chocks are in place, release the
regular brakes
until the chocks absorb the load.
Reapply the regular brakes. Then apply your parking
brake, and
then shift to PARK (P).
Release the regular brakes.
When You Are Ready to Leave After
Parking on a Hill
I. Apply your regular brakes and hold the pedal down
while you:
Start your engine:
Shift into a gear; and
Release the parking brake.
2. Let LIP on the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
Maintenance When Trailer Towing
Your vehicle will need service more often when you’re
pulling
a trailer. See the Maintenance Schedule for more
on this. Things that are especially important
in trailer
operation are automatic transaxle fluid (don’t overfill),
engine oil, belt, cooling system, and brake adjustment.
Each of these
is covered in this manual, and ;he Index will
help you find them quickly. If you’re trailering, it‘s a good
idea to review these sections before you stat your trip.
Check periodically
to see that all hitch nuts and bolts
are tight.
4-36
ProCarManuals.com

NOTICE:
Ignoring these steps could result in costly damage
to
your vehicle that wouldn’t be covered by your
warranty.
Trying
to start your Aurora by pushing or pulling
it won’t
work, and it could damage your vehicle.
To Jump Start Your Aurora:
1. Check the other vehicle. It must have a I2-volt
battery
with a negative ground system.
NOTICE:
If the other system isn’t a 12-volt system with a
negative ground, both vehicles can be damaged.
2. Get the vehicles close enough so the jumper cables
can reach, but be s~lre the vehicles aren’t touching
each other. If they are,
it could cause a ground
connection you don’t want. You wouldn’t be able
to
start your Aurora, and the bad grounding could
damage the electrical systems.
You could be injured
if the vehicle rolls. Set the
parking brake firmly on each vehicle. Put an
automatic transaxle in PARK (P) or a manual
transaxle
in NEUTRAL (N).
3. Turn off the ignition on both vehicles. Turn off all
lights that aren’t needed, and radios. This
will avoid
sparks and help
save both batteries. And it could
save your radio!
I NOTICE:
If you leave your radio on, it could be badly
damaged. The repairs wouldn’t be covered by
your warranty.
5-3
ProCarManuals.com

When your vehicle is being towed, have the ignition key
off. The steering wheel should be clamped in a
straight-ahead position, with a clamping device
designed for towing service.
Do not use the vehicle’s
steering column lock for this. The transaxle should be
in
NEUTRAL (N) and the parking brake release.
Don’t
have your vehicle towed on the front wheels.
unless you must.
If the vehicle must be towed on the
front wheels, don’t
go more than 35 mph (56 kdh) or
farther than SO miles (80 km) or your transaxle will be
damaged.
If these limits must be exceeded, then the
front wheels have to be supported
on a dolly.
5-9
ProCarManuals.com

Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle
fluid level
if you have been driving:
0 When outside temperatures are above 90°F (32°C).
0 At high speed for quite a while.
0 In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather.
0 While pulling a trailer.
To get the right reading, the fluid should be at normal
operating temperature, which
is 180°F to 200°F (82°C
to 93
"C).
Get the vehicle warmed up by driving about 15 miles
(24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F
(10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO"C), you may have
to drive longer.
To check the fluid level
Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine
running.
With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever
in PARK (P).
0 With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift
lever through each gear range, pausing for about
three seconds
in each range. Then, position the shift
lever
in PARK (P).
0 Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes.
Then, without shutting off the engine, follow these
steps:
1. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean rag or
paper towel.
2. Push
it back in all the way, wait three seconds and
then pull
it back out again.
6-17
ProCarManuals.com