OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1996 Manual Online

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (@): This position is
for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
0 Going less than approximately 35 mph (56 km/h),
push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.
0 Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
accelerator all the
way down.
THIRD
(3): This position is also used for normal
driving, however, it offers more power and lower fuel
economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE
(@).
Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3)
instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (a):
0 When driving on hilly, winding roads
When towing a trailer, so there is less shifting
0 When going down a steep hill
between gears SECOND
(2): This position gives
you more power but
lower fuel economy.
You can use SECOND (2) on hills.
It can help control your speed as you go down steep
mountain roads, but then you would also want to use
your brakes off and
on.
FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power (but
lower fuel economy)
than SECOND (2). You can use it on
very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the selector
lever is put in FIRST
(l), the transaxle won’t shift into
FIRST
(1) until the vehicle is going slowly enough.
NOTICE:
If your front wheels can’t rotate, don’t try to
drive. This might happen if
you were stuck in
very deep sand or mud or were up against
a solid
object.
You could damage your transaxle.
Also,
if you stop when going uphill, don’t hold
your vehicle there with only the accelerator
pedal. This could overheat and damage the
transaxle. Use your brakes or shift into PARK
(P)
to hold your vehicle in position on a hill.
ProCarManuals.com

Selectable Shift
This button lets you change from a normal driving mode
to
a power mode. For general driving conditions, use the
normal mode.
Press the’ button on your shift lever
so that it’s either in
the NORMAL or POWER position. When it’s
in the
NORMAL position, the line on the button will be
showing. When in POWER, the line is not showing.
In the NORMAL position, the transaxle shifts at lower
engine speeds. For increased performance, you may
choose the POWER mode.
Parking Brake
Setting 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, you
will hear a single chime and the parking brake indicator
light will come
on.
ProCarManuals.com

Releasing the parking brake:You will need to use the
PUSH TO RELEASE parking brake pedal. 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.
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.
rNOTICE:
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.
Shifting Into PARK (Ph
I
A CAT TTION:
It can be dangerous to get out of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in
PARK (P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
If you have left the engine running, the vehicle
can move suddenly. You or others could’be
injured.
To be sure your vehicle won’t move, even
when you’re on fairly level ground, use the steps
that follow.
If you’re pulling a trailer, see
“Towing
a Trailer” in the Index.
J
1. Hold the brake pedal down with your right foot and
set the parking brake.
ProCarManuals.com

2. Move the shift lever into the PARK (P) positi
as follows:
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
leave your vehicle with the ignition key in your
hand, your vehicle is in PARK
(P).
Leaving Your Vehicle ‘. ,A the Eng,..-
Runnin-
It can be dangerous to leave your vehicle with
the engine running. Your vehicle could move
suddenly if the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P)
with the parking brake firmly set. And, if you
leave the vehicle with the engine running, it could
overheat and even catch fire. You or others could
be injured. Don’t leave your vehicle with the
engine running unless you have
to.
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).
ProCarManuals.com

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).
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 RUN
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Turn the key to OFF. Open and close the driver’s
door to turn
off the Retained Accessory Power
feature.
Apply and hold the brake until the end
of Step 4.
Shift to NEUTRAL (N).
Start the vehicle and then shift to the drive gear
you want.
Have the vehicle fixed as soon as you can.
ProCarManuals.com

Parking Over Thing "hat Burn Engine Exhaust
I
Things that can burn could touch hot exhaust parts
under your vehicle and ignite. Don't park over papers,
leaves, dry grass or other things that can burn. Engine exhaust can
kill. It contains the gas
carbon monoxide
(CO), which you can't see or
smell. It can cause unconsciousness and death.
You might have exhaust coming in if:
Your exhaust system sounds strange
Your vehicle gets rusty underneath.
Your vehicle was damaged in a collision.
Your vehicle was damaged when driving over
high points on the road or over road debris.
Repairs weren't done correctly.
Your vehicle or exhaust system had been
If you ever suspect exhaust is coming into
your vehicle:
0 Drive it only with all the windows down to
Have your vehicle fixed immediately.
or
different.
modified improperly.
blow out any
CO; and
ProCarManuals.com

Running Your Engine While You’re
Parked
It’s better not to park with the engine running. But if you
ever have to, here are some things to know.
Idling the engine with the air system control
off
could allow dangerous exhaust into your vehicle
(see the earlier Caution under “Engine Exhaust”).
Also, idling in
a closed-in place can let deadly
carbon monoxide
(CO) into your vehicle even if
the fan switch is at the highest setting. One place
this can happen is a garage. Exhaust
-- with
CO -- can come in easily. NEVER park in a
garage with the engine running.
Another closed-in place can be
a blizzard.
(See “Blizzard” in the Index.) It can be dangerous to get out
of your vehicle if
the shift lever is not fully in PARK
(P) with the
parking brake firmly set. Your vehicle can roll.
Don’t leave your vehicle when the engine is
running unless
you have to. If you’ve left the
engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be sure your
vehicle won’t move, even when you’re on fairly
level ground, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
Follow the proper steps to be sure your vehicle won’t
move. See “Shifting Into
PARK (P)” in the Index.
If you are parking on a hill and if you’re pulling a
trailer, also
see “Towing a Trailer” in the Index.
ProCarManuals.com

indows
Power Windows
Switches on the driver’s armrest control each of the
windows while the ignition is on or retained accessory
power
is active. In addition, each passenger door armrest
has a switch for its own window.
To lower the passenger window, pull back on the right
switch. The window will lower as long as the switch is
held.
To raise either window, push the switch forward.
Express Down 1. ..
The switch for the driver’s window has an express-down
feature. Pull the switch back all the way, release it and the window will lower automatically. To stop the window
from lowering, push the switch forward. To partially open
the window, pull the switch back and quickly release it.
To raise the window, hold the switch forward.
Press the right side of the
WINDOW LOCK switch on
the driver’s armrest to disable all passenger window
switches. The driver’s window controls will still be
operable. 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.
--n
Nearly the entire surface of the center pad of the
steering wheel is an active horn switch. Press anywhere
on
the pad to sound the horn.
2-32 -
ProCarManuals.com

Tilt Wheel hrn Signal/Multifunction Lever
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 and enter the vehicle.
To tilt the wheel, hold the steering wheel and pull the
lever toward
you. Move the steering wheel to a
comfortable level, then release the lever
to lock the
wheel in place. The
lever on the left side
of the steering column
includes your:
0 Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
0 Cruise Control
0 Headlamp High/Low Beam
0 Parking Lamps
0 Flash-To-Pass Feature
ProCarManuals.com

’hrn and Lane Change Signals If you leave the turn signal on, a chime will sound after
you drive about 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km).
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. An
arrow on
the instrument
panel will flash in the
direction of the turn or
lane change.
To signal a lane change, just raise or lower the lever
until the
arrow starts to flash. Hold it there until you
complete your lane change. The lever will return by
itself when you release it.
As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows don’t
flash but just stay on, a signal bulb may be burned out
and other drivers won’t
see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an accident.
If the arrows don’t go on at all when you signal a turn,
check the fuse (see “Fuses and Circuit Breakers”
in the
Index) and for burned-out bulbs.
ProCarManuals.com