steering OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1995 Owners Manual

How the Air Bag System Works
I
I
Where is the air bag?
The right front passenger’s air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
The driver’s air bag is in the middle
of the steering
wheel.
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When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe
frontal or near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
If your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is
about
8 to 11 mph (13 to 18 kmh). The threshold level
can vary, however, with specific vehicle design,
so that
it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your
vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as
a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The
air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side
impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not
help the occupant.
It is possible that in a crash only one
of the two air bags
in your Aurora will deploy. This is rare, but can happen
in
a crash just severe enough to make an air bag inflate.
In any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air
bag should have inflated simply because of the damage
to
a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
Inflation is determined by the angle
of the impact and
the vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one
indication
of this.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity,
the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is
suddenly stopping as a result of a crash. The sensing
system triggers a chemical reaction
of the sodium azide
sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen
gas, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules
packed inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel
in front of the right front passenger.
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How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. The air bag supplements the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute
the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
air bags would not help you in many types of collisions,
including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag.
Air bags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in
moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs
so quickly that some people may not even realize the air
bag inflated. Some components
of the air bag module in
the steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag, or the
instrument panel for the right front passenger’s bag, will
be hot for a short time, but the part of the bag that comes
into contact with you will not be hot to the touch. There
will be some smoke and dust coming from vents in the
deflated air bags. Air bag inflation will not prevent the
driver from seeing or from being able to steer the
vehicle, nor will it stop people from leaving the vehicle. In
many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger air bag. The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After
they inflate, you’ll need some new parts for your air
bag system. If you don’t get them, the air bag system
won’t be there to help protect you in another crash.
A new system will include air bag modules and
possibly other parts. The service manual for your
vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.
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0 Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module,
which records information about the air bag system.
The module records information about the readiness
of
the system, when the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
0 Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag
system. Improper service can mean that your air bag
system won’t work properly. See your retailer for
service.
I NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s or the
right front passenger’s air bag, they may not
work properly. You may have to replace the
air
bag module in the steering wheel or both the air
bag module and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s
air bag. Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Aurora
Air bags affect how your Aurora should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag system in several places
around your vehicle. You don’t want the system to
inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
Aurora retailer and the
1995 Aurora Service Manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag system.
To purchase a service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications’’ in the Index.
The air bag system does not need regular maintenance.
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Remote Trunk Release
Press the TRUNK release
button located to the right of
the steering column to
release the trunk lid. The
trunk release override
switch must be
in the ON
position.
The trunk release button
will work in any transaxle
position. The system also works with the Remote Lock
Control.
Trunk Security Override
Inside the glove box is an
override switch that is
useful if you want to leave
valuables
in the trunk when
using a commercial parking
lot.
Move the switch to
OFF to disable the remote trunk
release button. Then lock your glove box
with the door
key.
If you have your door key with you, this will help
keep someone from getting into your trunk. Move the
switch to
ON to again make the remote trunk release
button usable.
The Remote Lock Control transmitter
will open the
trunk even if the override switch is in the OFF position.
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Glove Box Parking at Night
Park in a lighted spot, close all windows and lock your
vehicle. Remember to keep your valuables out
of sight.
Put them
in a storage area, or take them with you.
Use the door
key to
lock and unlock the glove box. To
open, pull the latch release on the left side of the glove
box door.
Theft
Vehicle theft is big business, especially in some cities.
Although your Aurora has a number
of theft deterrent
features, we
know that nothing we put on it can make it
impossible to steal. However, there are ways you can
help.
Key in the Ignition
If you walk away from your vehicle with the keys
inside, it’s an easy target for joy riders or professional
thieves
-- so don’t do it.
When you park your Aurora and open the driver’s door,
you’ll hear a chime reminding
you to remove your key
from the ignition and take it with you. Always do this.
Your steering wheel will be locked, and
so will your
ignition and transaxle. And remember to lock the doors.
Parking Lots
If you park in a lot where someone will be watching
your vehicle, it’s best to lock
it up and take your keys.
But what if you have to leave your ignition key? What if
you have to leave something valuable
in your vehicle?
0 Put your valuables in a storage areai, like your trunk
or glove box.
0 Move the trunk security override switch to OFF.
0 Lock the glove box.
0 Lock all the doors except the driver‘s.
0 Take the door key with you.
Take the Remote Lock Control key chain with you.
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Ignition Switch
RUN
ACCESSORY
W
I NOTICE:
If your key seems stuck in LOCK and you can’t
turn it, be sure it
is all the way in. If it is, then
turn the steering wheel left and right while you
turn the key hard. But turn the key only with
your hand. Using a tool to force
it could break
the key or the ignition switch.
If none of this
works, then your vehicle needs service. With
the ignition key
in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch to five positions:
ACC (Accessory): An ON position in which you can
operate your electrical power accessories. Press
in the
ignition switch as you turn the top of
it toward you.
LOCK: The only position in which you can remove the
key. This locks your steering wheel, ignition and
transaxle.
OFF: Unlocks the steering wheel, ignition, and
transaxle, but does not send electrical power to any
accessories. Use this position
if your vehicle must be
pushed or towed, but never
try to push-start your
vehicle.
A warning chime will sound if you open the
driver’s door when
the ignition is off and the key is in
the ignition.
RUN: An ON position to which the switch returns after
you start your engine and release the switch. The switch
stays
in the RUN position when the engine is running.
But even when the engine is not running, you can use
RUN to operate your electrical power accessories, and
to display some instrument panel warning lights.
START: Starts the engine. When the engine starts,
release the key. The ignition switch will return to
RUN
for norlnal driving.
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Window Lock
Press the right side of the WINDOW LOCK switch on
the driver’s armrest to disable all passenger window
switches. This is a useful feature when you have
children
as passengers.
Press the left side
of the WINDOW LOCK switch to
allow passengers to use their window switches again.
Horn
You can sound the horn by pressing the horn symbols on
your steering wheel.
Tilt Steering Wheel
A tilt steering wheel allows you to adjust the steering
wheel before you drive. You can also raise it to the
highest level to give your legs more room when you exit
or enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever. Move the steering wheel to
a comfortable level,
then release the lever to lock the wheel
in place.
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Windshield Wipers
The lever on the right side of your steering column
controls your windshield wipers.
For a single wiping cycle, move the lever up to MIST.
Hold
it there until the wipers start, then let go. The
wipers
will stop after one cycle. If you want more
cycles, hold the lever to
MIST longer.
For steady wiping at low speed, push the lever down to
the
LO position. For high speed wiping, push the lever
down further, to
HI. To stop the wipers, move the lever
to
OFF.
YOLI can set the wiper speed for a long or short delay
between wiper cycles. This can be very useful
in light
rain or snow. Push the lever down to the first detent,
DELAY. Turn the band closer to the short lines for fewer
wiper passes per minute.
As you turn the band toward
the long lines, the wiper cycles per minute will increase.
Remember that damaged wiper blades may prevent you
from seeing well enough
to drive safely. To avoid damage,
be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades before
using them.
If they're frozen to the windshield, carefully
loosen or thaw them.
If your blades do become damaged,
get new blades
or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload your wipers.
A circuit
breaker will stop them
until the motor cools. Clear away
snow or ice to prevent
an overload.
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Windshield Washer
The lever on the right side of your steering column also
controls your windshield washer.
To spray washer fluid
on the windshield, pull the lever toward you. The wipers
will clear the window and then either stop or return to
your preset speed. For more washer cycles, pull and
hold the lever.
If the fluid level in the windshield washer bottle is low,
the message LOW WASHER FLUID will appear in the
information center. See “Windshield Washer Fluid” in
the Index.
Driving without washer fluid can be dangerous.
A bad
mud splash can block your vision.
You could hit another
vehicle or go off the road. Check your washer fluid level
often.
NOTICE:
When using concentrated washer fluid,
follow the manufacturer’s instructions for
adding water.
Don’t mix water with ready-to-use washer
fluid. Water can cause the solution to freeze
and damage your washer fluid tank and
other parts of the washer system. Also,
water doesn’t clean
as well as washer fluid.
Fill your washer fluid tank only
3/4 full
when it’s very cold. This allows for
expansion, which could damage the tank if
it
is completely full.
Don’t use radiator antifreeze in your
windshield washer. It can damage your
washer system and paint.
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