tow OLDSMOBILE AURORA 1996 Owners Manual

@ Section 1 Seats and Restraint Systems
Here you’ll find information about the seats in your
Aurora and how to use your safety belts properly. You
can also learn about some things you should
not do with
air bags and safety belts.
Seats and Seat Controls
This part tells you about the seats -- how to adjust them,
and also about reclining seatbacks and head restraints.
Power Seats
Horizontal Control (A): Raise the front of the seat by
raising the forward edge
of the button. Lower the front
of the seat by lowering the forward edge of the button.
Move the seat forward by moving the whole button
toward the front of the vehicle.
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Raise the rear of the seat by raising the rear edge of the
button. Lower the rear
of the seat by lowering the rear
edge
of the button. Move the seat back by moving the
whole button toward the rear
of the vehicle.
Moving the whole button up or down raises or lowers
the whole seat.
Vertical Control (B): Move the recliner rearward by
moving the button toward the rear
of the vehicle. Move
the recliner forward by moving the button toward the
front
of the vehicle.
Power Lumbar Control
I
I -.. '. .- .. .. . . - ._ . - . . .. *.. .. . .. . . . ... . . . .... .. . ..... .. ... . .. . ...... .... "
The rear lumbar control adjusts upper lumbar support;
the front control adjusts lower lumbar support.
Press the front
of the switch to increase support. Press
the back of the switch
to decrease support.
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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, rear impacts 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. The part of the bag that comes
into contact with you may be warm, but it will never be
too hot to 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.
When an air bag inflates, there is dust in the air.
This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma
or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the
vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do
so.
If you have breathing problems but can’t get out
of the vehicle after an air bag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or door.
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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Accident statistics show that children are safer if they
are restrained in the rear seat. But they need to use the
safety belts properly.
e Children who aren’t buckled up can be thrown out in
a crash.
0 Children who aren’t buckled up can strike other
people who are. Never do this.
Here two children are wearing the same
belt. The
belt can’t properly spread the impact forces. In a
crash, the two children can be crushed together
and seriously injured.
A belt must be used by
only one person at
a time.
@ What if a child is wearing a lap-shoulder belt,
but the child is
so small that the shoulder belt is
very close to the child’s face or neck?
A: Move the child toward the center of the vehicle, but
be sure that the shoulder belt still is on the child’s
shoulder,
so that in a crash the child’s upper body
would have the restraint that belts provide. If the
child is sitting in a rear seat outside position, see
“Rear Safety Belt Comfort Guides” in the Index.
If the child
is so small that the shoulder belt is still
very close
to the child’s face or neck, you might
want
to place the child in the center seat position,
the one that has only a lap belt.
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If you accidentally use a key that has a damaged or
missing resistor pellet, the starter won’t work and the
SECUFUTY light will flash and the CLEAN KEY.. WAIT
3 MINUTES message will appear.
See your Aurora retailer
or a locksmith who can service
the PASS-Key
11 to have a new key made.
If you’re ever driving and the SECURITY light comes
on or PASS-KEY SYSTEM FAULT appears, you will
be able to restart your engine
if you turn it off. Your
PASS-Key
I1 system, however, is not working properly
and must be serviced by your Aurora retailer. Your
vehicle is not protected by the PASS-Key
I1 system.
If you lose or damage a PASS-Key I1 ignition key, see
your Aurora retailer or
a locksmith who can service
PASS-Key
I1 to have a new key made.
New Vehicle “Break-In”
NOTICE:
Your modern Aurora doesn’t need an elaborate
“break-in.” But it will perform better in the long
run if you follow these guidelines:
e Don’t drive at any one speed -- fast or
slow -- for the first 500 miles (804 km).
Don’t make full-throttle starts.
200 miles (322 km) or so. During this time
your new brake linings aren’t yet broken
in. Hard stops with new linings can mean
premature wear and earlier replacement.
Follow this breaking-in guideline every
time you get new brake linings.
See “Towing
a Trailer’’ in the Index for
more information.
Avoid making hard stops for the first
Don’t tow a trailer during break-in.
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Ignition Positions
A
C
I
E
With the ignition key in the ignition switch, you can turn
the switch
to five positions:
ACC (A): In this position you can operate your
electrical power accessories. Press in the ignition switch
as you
turn the top of it toward you.
LOCK (B): This is the only position in which you
can remove the key. This position locks your ignition,
steering wheel and transaxle. It’s a theft-deterrent feature. \
OFF (C): This position lets you turn off the engine but
still turn the steering wheel. It doesn’t lock the steering
wheel like
LOCK and it doesn’t send any electrical
power to the accessories. Use
OFF if you must have
your vehicle in motion while the engine is not running.
RUN (D): This is the position that the switch returns to
after you start your engine and release the switch. This
is the position for driving. 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 (E): This position starts your engine. When the
engine
starts, release the key. The ignition switch will
return to
RUN for normal driving.
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I NOTICE:
Holding your key in START for longer than
15 seconds at a time will cause your battery to
be drained much sooner. And the excessive heat
can damage your starter motor.
2. If it doesn’t start right away, hold your key in
START for about three seconds at a time until your
engine starts. Wait about
15 seconds between each
try to help avoid draining your battery.
3. If your engine still won’t start (or starts but then
stops),
it could be flooded with too much gasoline.
Try pushing your accelerator pedal all the way to the
floor and holding it there as you hold the key in
START for about three seconds. If the vehicle starts
briefly but then stops again,
do the same thing.
NOTICE:
Your engine is designed to work with the
electronics in your vehicle.
If you add electrical
parts or accessories, you could change the way
the engine operates. Before adding electrical
equipment, check with your retailer.
If you don’t,
your engine might not perform properly.
If you ever have to have your vehicle towed, see
the part of this manual
that tells how to do it
without damaging your vehicle. See “Towing
Your Vehicle” in the Index.
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Automatic Transaxle Operation
There are several different positions for your shift lever.
PARK (P): This locks your front wheels. It’s the best
position to use when
you start your engine because your
vehicle can’t move easily. It
is 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 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, always set your parking brake and
move the shift lever to
PARK (P).
See “Shifting Into PARK (P)” in the Index. If
you’re pulling a trailer, see “Towing a Trailer”
in the Index.
Ensure the shift lever is fully in the PARK (P)
range before starting the engine. Your Aurora has a
brake-transaxle shift interlock. You have to fully
apply
your regular brakes before you can shift from PARK (P)
when the ignition key is in the
RUN position. If you
cannot shift out of PARK
(P), ease pressure on the shift
lever
-- push the shift lever all the way into PARK (P)
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and also release the shift lever button on floor shift
console models 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 on floor
shift console models.) See “Shifting Out
of PARK (P)”
in this section.
REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back
up.
NOTICE:
Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is
moving forward could damage your transaxle.
Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle
is stopped.
To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow,
ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see
“If
You’re Stuck: In Sand, Mud, Ice or Snow” in the Index. NEUTRAL
(N): In this position, your
engine
doesn’t connect with the wheels.
To restart when you’re
already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use
NEUTRAL
(N) when your vehicle is being towed.
Shifting out of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) while
your engine is “racing” (running
at high speed)
is dangerous. Unless your foot
is firmly on the
brake pedal, your vehicle could move very
rapidly.
You could lose control and hit people or
objects. Don’t shift out
of PARK (P) or
NEUTRAL (N) while your engine is racing.
I NOTICE:
Damage to your transaxle caused by shifting out
of PARK
(P) or NEUTRAL (N) with the engine
racing isn’t covered by your warranty.
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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.
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