Oldsmobile Aurora 1997 s Owners Manual

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:
Turn Signal and Lane Change Indicator
Cruise Control
0 Headlamp Highbow Ream
Parking Lamps
Flash-To-Pass Feature

Turn and Lane Change Signals
n
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 tum, 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.
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Turn Signal On Chime
If your turn signal is left on for more than 3/4 of a mile
(1.2 km), a chime will sound. To turn off the chime,
move the turn signal lever to the off position.
Headlamps
Turn the band to this symbol to turn on:
Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
License Plate Lamps
-‘Q , , Turn the band to this symbol to turn on:
0 Headlamps
0 Parking Lamps
Sidemarker Lamps
0 Taillamps
Instrument Panel Lights
License Plate Lamps
Turn the band to
OFF to turn off the lampsflights.
Lamps On Reminder
If the headlamp switch is left on you’ll hear a warning
chime when you turn the ignition
off, remove the key
from the ignition and open the driver’s door.

Headlamp High/Low Beam
To change the headlamps
from low beam to high or
high to low, pull the turn
signal lever all the way
toward you. Then release
it.
When the high beams are on, a light on the instrument
panel also will be on.
Flash-To-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass. It
works even if your headlamps are off.
To use it, pull the turn signal lever toward you.
If your headlamps are
off, your high-beam headlamps
will turn
on. They’ll stay on as long as you hold the
lever there. Release the lever to turn them
off.
If your headlamps are on, but on low beam, the system
works normally.
Just pull the lever until it clicks. Your
headlamps will shift to high beam and stay there. To
return to low beam, just pull the lever toward you.
If your headlamps are on, and on high beam, your
headlamps will switch to low beam.
To get back to high
beam,
pull the lever toward you.
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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.
You 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
Driver Information Center. See “Windshield Washer
Fluid” in the Index.
/d CAUTldN:
In freezing weather, don’t use your washer until
the windshield
is warmed. Otherwise the washer
fluid can form ice on the windshield, blocking
your vision.
Cruise Control
With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot on
the accelerator.
This can really help on long trips.
Cruise control does not work at speeds below about
25 mph (40 km/h).
When you apply your brakes, the cruise control shuts off.
m
A CAUT1b.J:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can’t drive safely at a steady speed. So,
don’t use your cruise control on winding
roads or in heavy traffic.
slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes
in tire traction can cause needless wheel
spinning, and you could lose control. Don’t
use cruise control on slippery roads.
Cruise control can be dangerous on
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If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. (See “Traction
Control System”
in the Index.) When road conditions
allow you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise
control back on.
Setting Cruise Control
A CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control switch on when
you’re not using cruise,
you might hit a button
and
go into cruise when you don’t want to. You
could be startled and even lose control. Keep the
cruise control switch
OFF until you want to
use it.
1. Move the cruise control switch to ON.
2. Get up to the speed you want.

.. I
3. Push in the button at the end of the lever and release
it. The CRUISE light on the instrument panel will
come
on.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Resuming a Set Speed
Setting the cruise control at a desired speed and then
applying the brake will end the cruise control function.
Once you’re going about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more,
you can move the cruise control switch from ON to
REWACC (Resume/Accelerate) for about half
a second
to reset. This returns
you to your desired preset speed.
Remember, if
you hold the switch at RES/ACC longer
than half a second, the vehicle will accelerate until you
release the switch
or apply the brake. So unless you
want to
go faster, don’t hold the switch at REWACC.
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Increasing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed.
0 Use the accelerator pedal to go to a higher speed.
Push the button at the end of the lever, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll now
cruise at the higher speed. Or,
Move the cruise switch from ON to RES/ACC. Hold
it there until you reach a desired speed and then
release the switch. Or, to increase your speed in very
small amounts, move the switch to RES/ACC for
less than half a second and then release
it. Each time
you do this, your vehicle will
go about 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) faster.
The accelerate feature will only work after you have set
the cruise control speed by pushing the SET button.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Push in the button at the end of the lever until you
reach a desired lower speed then release it.
0 To slow down in very small amounts, push the
button for less than half a second. Each time you do
this, you’ll go 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed. When
you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will slow
down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load, and
the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may have to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have
to brake or shift to a lower gear
to keep your speed down. Of course, applying the brake
takes you out of cruise control. Many drivers find this to
be too much trouble and don’t use cruise control on
steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are two ways to turn off the cruise control:
Step lightly on the brake pedal, or
Move the cruise switch to OFF. The CRUISE light
will also
go out.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
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Lamps
Headlamps
See “Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever” in the Index.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front
of your vehicle during the day.
DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the
short periods after dawn and before sunset.
A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the
DRL work,
so be sure it isn’t covered.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at reduced brightness in daylight when:
0 The ignition is on,
0 The headlamp switch is off and
0 The transaxle is not in PARK (P).
When DRL are
on, only your low-beam headlamps will
be on. The parking lamps, taillamps, sidemarker and
other lamps won’t be
on. Your instrument panel won’t
be lit up either. When it’s
dark enough outside, your low-beam
headlamps will change to full brightness. The other
lamps that come on with your headlamps will also come
on. When it’s bright enough outside, the regular lamps
will
go off, and your low-beam headlamps change to the
reduced brightness of DRL.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, shift the
transaxle into PARK
(P). The DRL will stay off until
you shift out of PARK
(P).
To turn off all exterior lighting at night when you are in
PARK (P), turn off the headlamps and move the twilight
sentinel control, located to the left
of the steering
column, all
the way toward MIN. See “Twilight
Sentinel” in
the Index.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need
it.
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