warning light OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1995 Owners Manual

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.
ProCarManuals.com

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
ProCarManuals.com

Instrument Panel Cluster
Your Aurora is equipped with this instrument panel cluster, which includes indicator warning lights and gages that
are explained
on the following pages.
2-60
ProCarManuals.com

Gages can indicate when there may be or is a problem
warning lights work together to let you know when
Do not operate the engine with the tachometer there’s a txoblem with your vehicle.
NOTICE: with one of your vehicle’s functions. Often gages and
in the red area, or when the message
HOT ... REDUCE ENGINE RPM is displayed.
Engine damage may
occur.
When one of the warning lights comes on and stays on
when you are driving, or when one
of the gages shows
there may be
a problem, check the section that tells you I I what to do about it, Please follow this manual’s advice.
Warning Lights, Gages and Indicators
This part describes the warning lights and gages on your
vehicle. The pictures will help you locate them.
Warning lights and gages can signal that something is
wrong before
it becomes serious enough to cause an
expensive repair or replacement. Paying attention to
your warning lights and gages could
also save you or
others from injury.
Warning lights come on when there
may be or is a
problem with one
of your vehicle’s functions. As you will
see
in the details on the next few pages, some warning
lights come on briefly when
you start the engine just to let
you know they’re worlung.
If you are familiar with this
section, you should not be alarmed when this happens. Waiting
to do
repairs can be costly -- and even
dangerous.
So please get to know your warning lights
and gages. They‘re a big help.
Your vehicle
also has a Driver Information Center that
works along
with the warning lights and gages. See
“Driver Information Center”
in the Index.
To
turn off messages on the center, except LOW OIL
PRESSURE, LOW BRAKE FLUID, PARK BRAKE
SET and the hot engine warnings, press any button on
the Driver Information Center.
2-63
ProCarManuals.com

Battery Warning Light
VOLTS
This light will come on
briefly when you start the
vehicle,
as a check to show
you it is working, then it
should go
out. If it stays on,
or comes on while you are
driving,
you may have a
problem with the electrical
chargin,
0 :y 5 stem.
Brake System Warning Light
BRAKE
FLUID (0)
Your Aurora’s hydraulic
brake system
is divided into
two parts.
If one part isn’t
working, the other part can
still work and stop
you. For
good braking, though,
you
need both parts working
well.
A warning chime and the message CHECK CHARGE
SYSTEM may also come
on. Have it checked right away.
Driving while this light is on could drain your battery.
If you must drive a short distance with the light on, be
certain
to turn off all your accessorie.s, such as the radio
and climate control. This light
should come on briefly
as you start the
vehicle. If it doesn’t come on
then, have it fixed so it
will be ready to warn you
if there’s a problem. If this
warning light stays
on, there could be a brake problem.
Have your brake system inspected right away.
2-65
ProCarManuals.com

Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light
ANT’- (@)
LOCK
With the anti-lock
brake system, this light
will come
on when
you start your engine
and may stay
on for
several seconds. That’s
normal. If the light
doesn’t come on, have
it fixed so it will be
ready to warn you if
there is a problem.
If the light stays on, turn the ignition off. Or, if the light
comes on when you’re driving, stop as soon as possible
and turn the ignition
off. Then start the engine again to
reset the system.
If the light still stays on, or comes on
again while you’re driving, your Aurora needs service.
If
the regular brake system warning light isn’t on, you
still have brakes, but you don’t have anti-lock brakes. If
the regular brake system warning light is also on, you
don’t have anti-lock brakes and there’s a problem with
your regular brakes. See “Brake System Warning Light’’
earlier in this part.
Traction Control System Warning Light
TRACTION
OFF
This warning light should come on briefly as you start
the engine.
If the warning light doesn’t come on then,
have it fixed
so it will be ready to warn you if there’s a
problem. If it stays
on, or comes on when you’re
driving, there may be a problem with your traction
control system and your vehicle may need service.
When this warning light
is on, the system will not limit
wheel spin. Adjust your driving accordingly.
ProCarManuals.com

The traction control system warning light may come on
for the following reasons:
0
0
0
If you turn the system off by pressing the
TRACTION CONTROL button located on
the
center console, 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
“Traction Control System” in the Index for more
information.)
If there’s
a brake system problem that is specifically
related
to traction control, the traction control system
will turn off and the warning light will come on.
If
your brakes begin to overheat, the traction control
system will turn off and the warning light will come
on until your brakes cool down.
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 traction control system warning light comes on
and stays on
for an extended period of time when the
system
is turned on, your vehicle needs service.
Traction Control System Active Light
TRACTION
ACTIVE
When your traction control system is limiting wheel
spin, the TRACTION ACTIVE light will come on.
Slippery road conditions may exist if this light comes
on, so adjust your driving accordingly. The light will
stay on for a few seconds after the traction control
system stops limiting
wheel spin.
The TRACTION ACTIVE light also comes on briefly,
as a bulb check, when the engine is started. If the light
doesn’t come on then, have
it fixed so it will be there to
tell
you when the system is active.
2-68
ProCarManuals.com

Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Service Engine Soon Light)
A computer monitors
operation of your fuel,
0
ignition and emission
controls systems. This light
should come on when you
start your engine
as a check
to show you
it is working.
SERVICE
ENGINE SOON
If it does not come on at all, have it fixed right away.
If it stays on, or it comes on while you are driving, the
computer is indicating that you have
a problem. You
should take your vehicle
in for service soon.
~
NOTICE:
If you keep driving your vehicle with this light
on, after a while the emission controls won’t
work as well, your fuel economy won’t be as
good, and your engine may not run as smoothly.
This could lead
to costly repairs not covered by
your warranty.
Oil Pressure Warning Light
OIL
If you have a problem with
your oil, this light may stay
on after you start your
engine, or come on when
you are driving. A warning
chime and the message
LOW
OIL PRESSURE may
also come on.
These indicate that oil is not going through your engine
quickly enough
to keep it cool. The engine could be low
on oil, or could have some other oil problem. Have
it
fixed right away.
The oil light could
also come on in three other
situations:
0 When the ignition is on but the engine is not running,
the light
will come on as a test to show you it is
working, but the light will go out when you turn the
ignition
to START. If it doesn’t come on with the
ignition
on, you may have a problem with the fuse or
bulb. Have it fixed right away.
2-70
ProCarManuals.com

Sometimes when the engine is idling at a stop, the
light may blink on and
off. This is norad.
If you make a hard stop, the light may come on for a
moment. This is normal.
NOTICE:
Damage to your engine from neglected oil
problems can be costly and
is not covered by your
warranty.
Fuel Gage
When the ignition is on, your fuel gage tells you about
how much fuel you have left.
When you have approximately
2.6 gallons (9 L) of fuel
remaining, the message LOW
FUEL will be displayed
and a chime will sound.
You need to get more fuel right
away.
Press any button on the Driver Information Center to
turn off the warning.
2-71
ProCarManuals.com

Avoid needless heavy braking. Some people drive in
spurts -- heavy acceleration followed by heavy braking
-- rather than keeping pace with traffic. This is a
mistake. Your brakes may not have time to cool between
hard stops. Your brakes will wear
out much fdster if you
do a lot of heavy braking. If you keep pace with the
traffic and allow realistic following distances, you will
eliminate a lot
of unnecessary braking. That means
better braking and longer brake life.
If your engine ever stops while you’re driving, brake
normally but don’t pump your brakes.
If you do, the
pedal may get harder to push down. If your engine
stops, you will still have some power brake assist.
But
you will use it when you brake. Once the power assist is
used up,
it may take longer to stop and the brake pedal
will be harder to push.
Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS)
Your Aurora has an advanced electronic braking system
that
will help prevent a braking skid.
ANT’- (I)
LOCK
This light on the
instrument panel
will
come on briefly when
you start your vehicle.
When you start your vehicle and begin to drive away,
you may hear a momentary motor or clicking noise. And
you may even notice that your brake pedal moves
a little
while this is going on. This is the ABS system testing
itself.
If there’s a problem with the anti-lock brake
system, the anti-lock brake system warning light will
stay
on.
See “Anti-Lock Brake System Warning Light“ in the
Index.
4-6
ProCarManuals.com